Iconic Slovenian band Laibach to perform in wartime Ukraine

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia — Slovenian iconic band Laibach will perform a concert in the Ukrainian capital next month, saying on Wednesday it will make them the first foreign band to perform a full concert in Kyiv since the Russian invasion began last February.

The industrial rock band will hold a “very special concert” on March 31 at the Bel Etage Music Hall in kyiv, according to a statement. The concert will be dubbed “Eurovision” in reference to the pop song contest which Ukraine won in 2022 but will be hosted by the UK in Liverpool instead of Ukraine this year because of the war.

“As the rest of Europe prepares to celebrate its idea of ​​freedom and solidarity on May 9 in Liverpool, Laibach will bring Eurovision back to Ukraine – where it belongs and where the only true and real vision of Europe is taking place right now,” the concert announcement reads.

Laibach is Slovenia’s best-known band that has become known abroad for its totalitarian visual style, playing with populist imagery and songs with an almost martial rhythm, sung with a hoarse and deep voice.

Formed in 1980 when Slovenia was still part of communist-ruled Yugoslavia, Laibach immediately sparked controversy with its name – German for the Slovenian capital Ljubljana – and because it used a black cross as one of its symbols.

Considered too provocative for a regime that emerged from the anti-Nazi struggle during World War II, the group was finally officially banned and moved overseas in 1983 after locking the public in a concert hall and playing the sound of a dog barking extremely loudly for almost half an hour.

In 2015, Laibach performed in North Korea.

In Kyiv, the group will perform their best-known songs and the new track, “The Engine of Survival”, which is scheduled for release in 2023.

“With hymns and marches at the heart of many of their compositions, Laibach has long compared himself to military bands created to maintain high morale on the battlefield, and with this concert in Kiev, Laibach is supporting Ukraine and the Ukrainians in their fight against Russia, and any other aggression,” the group’s statement said.

All proceeds from the Kyiv concert will be donated to charities and animal relief organizations working in Ukraine, the statement added.

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