Only 5 people from Croatia went to Switzerland. We embarked on a journey with a night on Wed Thurs long 15-16 hours due to loss of the Austrian Alps. After a thorough review on the border with Switzerland, we have come to the city at about 16h o'clock just in time to find a cheap store to buy beer, because most of the supermarkets were closed due to holidays in Switzerland. As soon as we arrived in front, the guys from the 86 crew, recognized us from Zagreb and has started talking and finding accommodation for sleeping. Massilia crew we're also there and found ourselves in a friendly environment, better than at home sometimes, because the community felt the air, especially when our friend from Switzerland originally from Croatia came infront. After talks on the scene, anti-fascism, lost times and similar topics were going to see the 8point6 crew and the club inside. 8°6 Crew were the first headliners who opened the fest. After their first song it was evident that this will not pass without remembering. Started the set with their old hit album and were slowly progressing to the new one, and were very faster than in Zagreb. The audience that was largely set by skinheads dancing on every dance rhythms of their songs. I was surprised, they have devoted again Jibbers song from the new album to Croats who have come to the fest, which was a nice gesture. When the dance finished their set and hell, that was not the end, they went again with a review of hits but in a slow\fast way of combining them with their master of the art instrumental solos. 8°6 Crew literally killed the set and the audience with their genius play.
After the gig we went outside to talk a little more with our friends from Europe before going to a well deserved bed. I luckly found a roof under me for sleepin as I talked my friend from Swiss to get me in with them in a student flat of their acquaintances.The second day after meeting with the rest of my crew and eating something we went sightseeing the beutiful city of Geneva. The city lives are situated on a big lake that looks more like a sea than a lake. The resort, casinos and hotels with the promenade are the heartbeat of French speaking Geneva.
The second day we arrived at the fest a little later than the first so missed some bands, but nevermind, we found cheap beer and were looking forward to the hell from Madrid that was going to erupt. Also we got a lot of time chatting with people, so we got a place to sleep in a camp near Geneva situated in France, with Massilia Crew that fixed us the resort. Anyway the Offenders are staring so after lots of beer we went inside.
I don't like the new Offenders album, that's why i didn't expect much from them. They were more ska-punk and they lost their 2tone and roots so it was not that good, but anyway a good show with a criticism for not playing more than 3 songs from Hooligan Reggae album.
After we went outside to refresh and grab more beer. The german red bastards from motory city PDF were next. At the first song only few people were in the club but it soon got filled. They started with some old songs like Bonehead, Stuttgart bei Nacht, Boot Boys, Nutti,Nutti and went to Lazy Boy, Paradise, Mittelfinger, Ready For Love and finished with provocation ones like Golden Shower White Power, AFA-SFC. Now when i'm getting the film back in my head, they did a fuckin' great show. Only thing i'm sorry for is that we didn't made a word with them beacuse we know their good friends from Stuttgat, but there is time to se them again.
After the PDF we were on needles as Non Servium are preparing to play. We tried to grab the bend in Turin, but their show was cancelled so this was very luring. They started with a whole rehearsal of the song Tu Ira and the club exploded. After that they lined the songs Imperio Del Mal, Nuestra lucha, Todos al suelo, Ratas, Ratas de ciudad than some older Escucha el Oi!, NSA, Nosotros somos la venganza, Mata Hippies, Orgullo obrero, Lucha armada, Cabezas rapadas, Violencia, Bronca than again new Torpedos, Warriors and finishing their set with a bis El Espíritu Del Oi!, Antinazis when Carlos shouted ni apoliticos ni ambigous and Seguimos siendo was the end of the night. I didn't mention few of the songs they were playing as i don't know their name but they played for an hour and something for sure. The energy cannot be described. The vocal Carlos voice is something very angry with a decent stage performance, especially when they all sing along. The sight is very intimidating and realistic. They got a complete dominance on the stage. After the gig, there was some fighting beetwen Massillia and the security but nothing special. We went with them to the camp later. They even gave us a tent as we didn't have any and our snoring beast was turned on. I really want to thank the Marseille crew. Their hospitality and friendship is one of the things i wont forget. I usually don't get impressed to easily but they are one hell of a organised group and ready to help at anytime. Massive respect and my bove. We have a lot to learn from them.
The second day, our guys went to see the famous CERN, but me and the driver were feed up with everything we just wanted to drink and get ready for the bands to come. We look at some merch and bought some vinyls to pass the time and again we came late for the bands that played first. The vocal from Enraged Minority our friend Daniel that we met in S. Gmund but we had a chance to talk with our mate. Still waiting for the Stage Bottles we had a chat ofcourse with the Croat from the band, talked a little about the band and their Balkan tour that we are looking forward to.
The Stage Bottles came on stage. And it was beautiful. I love the sax they have in the band, and the vocal Olaf did hid propaganda speech before the songs, nevermind, never enough of educating people. I was a bit drunk and under influence do i don't remember excactly all the songs but i'll sum up what i will remember. They already begun to classicaly with Mr. Punch then Power for Revenge from the new album, than they played Hope You Gonna Save Your Life, You'll Never Walk Alone, Sometimes Antisocial But Always Antifascist, Dead But Not Forgiven, Solidarity, Hooligan, All You Need Is Hate, Real Skinheads, Come Together, Too young too die, Solidarity and Russia. I think by the name of the songs, that you know it was a good Stage Bottles gig.
After them the big name. The forefathers of SHARP skinheads and antifascist Oi! the Oppressed. I'm sorry we didn't have a chat with Roddy, as he is a big inspiration to me and i think to all skinheads who know the big name he is. Later he texted a friend on the net, he was well suprised that people from Croatia traveled to the gig and told us why didn't we spoke a little. Anyway they opened the gig with some new songs Remember, Football Violence, then the old ones Run From you, Ultra Violence, Were The Oppressed, Work Together with Olag from the Bottles singing also, then Joe Hawkins, AFA Song, Sleeping With The Enemy, CF3, Boots For Stompin and Skinhead Times when i couldn't cover the feelings anymore and let myself loose. They ended with a cover from 69' to pay respect to the roots and jamaican music by covering the Monkey Man. Great gig. Great band.
We were all tired after 3 days of drinking, having no sleep and eating very little and fast food. But we still had Nabat to see. Well i never saw Nabat on pics, but i got suprised how old the blokes looked. But nevemind that, you could see the joy in the singer eye while he was singing. They played their hits like Nichilistaggio, Skin E Punk, Un Altro Giorno Di Gloria, Scenderemo Nelle Strade, Laida Bologna, Lunga vita ai ribelli oi, Asociale Oi! and Tempi nuovi. Don't know the rest of the songs. But they came on the bis again with 3 more songs. Nabat was a champion of singalong definitely in these 3 days.
After the gig we still had little time to chat with Daniel, the guys from Massillia Crew and my\our friend from Swiss Sara, before saying goodbye to them all and seeing them somewhere else. We went home after the gig. Our driver is a beast when it comes to driving, so while some of us were sleeping he drove for 15h just to get us all home and safe.
One more word about the festival. I usually say that the last festival was the best and will have a lot of memories, but this one was pretty special. One because of the location, Geneva is beautiful and it's the middle of Europe, so it's close to Italians, French, Spanish, Germans and other who came. Second is because of the bands, as i said this was the top of what Europe has to offer in the antifascist scene. And the third and the most important was the friends that we met again and some new ones we found. Without them the fest wouldn't be that special. I'm only sorry that not a lot of our friends from Croatia weren't there.Merci beaucoup Geneva et les amis. Thnx Sara for pickin' the pics.
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