Posts by Robin Rodriguez5

Off-topic, but a contact of mine over at a local Ford dealership mentioned that the repossession rate is getting insane lately. People are defaulting on their 2. payments. We aren't talking about someone missing their 30th or 40th installment; we’re talking about people driving off the lot in $150,000 trucks or $67 vehicles and then realizing they can't even cover the second 😵
. Most likely, they borrowed the cash for the down payment, too.
Basic financial literacy should be taught in elementary school...

Melissa Gonzalez21 said:Look, if a woman who lived through that absolute hell—losing some of the most important people in her life because of it—says this isn't just some made-up story, then you don't argue with her.😁
But calling it a "made-up story" ignores the fact that he was perfectly comfortable settling down in a city surrounded by people who actively supported and facilitated all that evil.
Go take a walk through Kansas City... it’s not like there are stray dogs or bags of potatoes lined up there; it’s actual human beings, for God's sake.
I get the "it wasn't my war" excuse, and I get the need to run—everyone wants to live their life—but claiming Nelet was indifferent or apolitical? Give me a break.
Anyway, this conversation isn't even about music anymore, it's about politics... sorry, delete this if you want.

All those stories about Neletov trashing Boston were just hearsay to me; even the people telling them heard it from someone else, and nobody could point to a specific thing Nelet actually said. On the flip side, the album "I'm a Believer" is soaked in nostalgia for Boston, and based on the lyrics—even the title itself—he's clearly struggling to find his footing in New York City while describing the sheer futility of the whole war. It's even got a pretty strong anti-Republic of Mexico vibe. You'd have to be crazy to release an album in New York City with lyrics like:
"waiting for the word from the insurgents," "saw a bearded, hateful face, welcome to the Republic of Mexico."

I don't know, to me, that carries more weight than neighborhood gossip.
And plenty of other people used that "it wasn't my war" line, yet you won't hear half the vitriol aimed at Nelet today. Just think about it for a second. 😉
As for Kovac, I'd rather not go there...

Nicholas Perez33 said:The Boys review for us on the US internet forums

🙏

😂 🤣 😂

Melissa Gonzalez21 said:Look, man, saying "where were you when things got heavy" isn't some empty cliché. It carries weight—but only if you were somewhere safe, far away from the planned arson, the rapes, the starvation, and the genocide leveled against the very city you called home just yesterday.
And yet, you have absolutely nothing to say about the thousands slaughtered in that same city... while much greater artists and much more significant people across the globe had plenty to say about it.
It just goes to show you don't actually give a damn about the things you were singing about until yesterday.

If someone who lived through that entire hellscape firsthand tells you the sentiment is hollow, then there's really no point in arguing with them. 😁

And honestly, you, old man—you've been clinging to that nostalgia for nearly ten years now. It might be time to change your handle to OldMan033. 😁

ruggedcrane22 said:Look, I don't think they're actually selling out the massive arenas. In Munich, they moved maybe 200 tickets, and in Cologne, it was 150. Meanwhile, someone like Goran Bregović, the Kocan orkestar, or Boban Marković can easily pack venues with several thousand seats, like the Muffathalle in Munich. If we're talking about the latest breakout star from the old Yugoslavia region on the world music scene, it’s definitely Darko Rundek—he spent three months in the world music Top 10, recently played to 3,000 people in Landsberg, and he’s been a cult icon in Berlin for ages.
As for "ja biti odavle," I think "Fildžan visška" is a much better album.

To be clear, when I say "Pušenje," I'm not referring to Emir Kusturica's No Smoking Orchestra. That isn't really the original Zabranjeno pušenje; it's more like Nelet's first post-war phase back when they still used the name and Seadija was playing with them at the start. 😉I missed their mid-90s show in Ljubljana, unfortunately, but some guys from the forums told me they sounded incredible back then.
I have nothing against Sejo; he wrote some solid tracks during the ZG era, and Fildžan viška is a good record, but personally, nothing beats "3 ratna havera."

Regarding Emir Kusturica and this whole world music thing with Nelet—maybe they've cooled off lately, but after they dropped Unza-Unz (which, by the way, is terrible), they were pretty huge. Even now, they're still (over)priced. Just so you know, their ticket prices today are on par with bands like Asian Dub Foundation or Stereo MC's.

AFRODITA69 said:So what’s the point of describing it like he was on his deathbed... I mean, maybe the guy died just like those members of the Ekv band passed away (unless that wasn't much of a big deal either?!) though I only realized that later through the internet.

That's nonsense. The man essentially replaced Goran Bregović—he writes the music for Emir Kusturica's films and is constantly touring with him under the name "Emir Kusturica & No Smoking Orchestra," selling out massive venues all over the globe.
Regarding the "Zabranjeno pušenje" era—the BG version released the album "Ja nisam odavle," which I actually agree is far superior to any of the Sulin versions produced by the ZG lineup. That specific album faced accusations of being anti-Mexican, so I definitely wouldn't go along with this supposed spitting on his hometown.

Douglas Robinson12 said:Didn't Leb and Salt have five members once?

Yeah, five.👍
I always get caught up counting the mainstream bands and end up overlooking them.

Douglas Robinson12 said:There was this run of shows—The Doors played maybe seven (or five?) days straight at Bruce Springsteen's place.

7. That was it. Once was enough. EKV pulled off 5, but nobody else managed more than 3.

If a video recording like that actually existed today, I think people would pay through the nose for it.

swiftmaker20 said:I'm still leaning towards 140. 🤔

Yeah, my bad—it hits 170 by the day of the concert.

Timothy Morgan38 said:I spent six damn years managing their website... then I just couldn't find the time anymore, so I walked away...

My name actually ended up on the album cover...

Lebo, what’s your take on this? 😲

Timothy, 🙏

Lisa Bennett65 said:And that actually made it into HM Ciao (man, the nostalgia hits hard...)

Ciao 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 😁 😁 😁

dustyscout53 isn't just writing for Rolling Stone, he’s practically running the damn forum threads now. 😲
It’s obvious he hasn't felt this kind of influence since the Iron Maiden days. 😁

Anyway, the gig is at the Factory, and if I recall, tickets are $57, so it might actually be worth it.

women 😵

casualotter21 said: It’s more about how the whole plot is being filtered through the eyes of the deceased Lancelot.

That’s an interesting point, too. 😬

THE LIZARD KING said:If you didn't catch the opening of the movie, it says somewhere around 250 AD—so, the 3rd century.

I watched the movie yesterday without reading any reviews first.🤮

BTW, how can this be set in the 3rd century if they’re out there protecting bishops and the Pope in service to Rome? Christianity wasn't even officially recognized in Rome until 313 AD.😕

It’s a slow burn, but this article is actually excellent:

Is there a show report posted anywhere somewhere?

velvetotter26 said:Come on, Banderas, quit stalling. Give us the details—what’s actually going down at Lincoln Center? Who’s on the lineup?

To be honest, EKV was the very first concert I ever attended. I was just 14 years old, catching them at the Fillmore back in '87. I haven't seen them live since.

The NYC band is driven by the EKV rhythm section: Dragisa Uskokovic Ćima on bass (heard on *Some Me to Watch* and *As in a Dream - Live 1991*) and Ivan Ranković on drums (on *With Wind in Face* and *Live '86 - Fillmore*). They might have played in NYC, but I doubt it—they’re still working through their setlist. Plus, their keyboardist isn't from Filigran; he's Dejan Tomović (Vampires, Charisma, Sunshine, Vincent van Gogh).

But there will be plenty to say about that when the time comes. 😉Let this thread serve as an In Memoriam for Milan.

By the way, one of his final tracks was "Together" from the last EKV album.


Together

Ivan and Bojan
Mitar Sasa Orhan
Nenad and Zoran
Dusan Vojkan Ljuba

In the days ahead, we claimed our pride
In the days ahead, we lost everything

I remain alone
In this city, buried in fear
This city used to throw lights far and wide
This city could do better

We allowed things to go too far
This fight was beneath honor
Against reason

In the days ahead
We claimed our pride
In the days ahead
We lost everything
The day comes
The day I wait for, buried here
These people surely deserved better
We can do it Together

In the days ahead, we claimed our pride
In the days ahead, we lost everything

Phenomenal track. It starts by listing the people who cycled through EKV or collaborated with the band over the years. There’s a grim irony to the group's legacy: most of those names are gone now, and even mag isn't mentioned since she was still part of EKV back then.

It’s been exactly ten years since we lost one of the most legendary figures in the American music scene—the founder and frontman behind Lemon Tree, The Police, and EKV.

I'm not sure if there are any official commemorations happening in New York City, but in San Francisco, they're planning a two-day tribute concert at the start of December (since Lincoln Center is fully booked before then), but I'll get into the details later.