LAIBACH: Paris, Monday October 6th

by Simoulin Jean Emmanuel

A ten years absence for Laibach in Paris, a too long wait for the french people living in the capital, a too long wait due to the boycott of Laibach by the concert organizer for so called political point of view. And tonight, the Locomotive showroom has never seen such a crowd... 1300 fans gathered around the grand popular and totalitarian pop grand mass of Laibach. A really (too?) long intro from pieces of main Strauss opuses rythmed by the "tic-tac" of a clock... 30 minutes waiting in the heat of a fanaticized overfilled crowd. Suddenly, 3 shadows enter the stage through darkness...

The first notes of "B Mashina" sounding for the acclamation of the charismatic leader. Majestic, religious moment his voice hypnotizes the whole public. Let's start with a "metal" version of "In the Army Now". Only two official members of the band are present on the stage and the tonight's formation seems to be a rock formation more than an electronic one. The sound level is huge; a flood of light and a video projection behind the drummer crowns the performance of Laibach. 10 minutes after the beginning of the mass, "God is God" and one other classic song, the people can see arriving on stage 2 young girls dressed in uniforms, the "new Laibach uniform" with the Fez on the head; they will rhythm the whole show on their snare drums. Their mechanic and perfect performance gives to the stage an aspect totalitarian meeting yet cinematographic and a bit Kitsch. From this moment, the band will perform a representation of the new album, starting with "Tanz mit Laibach", ending with the majestic ending "We Are Time"...

Almost all songs will be played: the threatening "Now you will pay", "Das Ende", "Achtung" and so on... Everything is precise, the singer acting like an atheist priest of authority, leading the people to dance over the abyss. After one hour of a perfect concert, they leave the stage but the crowd will show his disagreement for 5 minutes and at last, Laibach interprates his famous cover "Sympathy for the devil" and of course, the international political success "Life is Life", closing the mass under a storm of applause and yelling. The authorities that were waiting a neo-nazi meeting, that had fulfilled the place with security guards have been witnesses of an aesthetic demonstration of political pop-art and us, followers of nSk, satisfied by the performance of a band that has kept all his power, strength, identity and charisma.