Anyone who’s spent much time in Slovakia will have realised that ska is one of the most popular genres here. To the majority of Brits it’s something of an anachronism, though one fondly remembered for it’s message of equality a time of race riots, and positivity against the bleak economic backdrop of the late 70s and early 80s.
BratVegas were at PKO to see Polemic, who are Slovakia’s biggest ska act and can’t be far off being the country’s biggest act in any genre. There were some in the crowd who’d spruced themselves up quite nicely for the occasion. There was a liberal sprinkling of the two tone black and white check and even more impressive were the oi boys, complete with pork chop side burns, Fred Perry polo shirt worn under braces. However, the over precision of the uniform and age of the crowd meant the venue had a whiff of a school play about it.
Last time BratVegas saw Polemic, they were playing to a crowd who’d been submerged in festival atmosphere for a day and a half on a scorching day at Pohoda. There wasn’t quite the same vibe to start with at PKO. A huge room only a quarter full would be drafty at the best of times and evidence of the beginning of PKO’s demolition hardly helped. While there were some enjoying themselves as the warm up acts played, it’s hard to get much atmosphere in a place that’s so empty.
Polemic open with a reggae number, sung in English - the rhyming of ‘fire’ with ‘desire’ mean it could be one of many songs and reminds us that reggae can be the most formulaic of genres. With the second track the pace is upped to ska, the up tempo late 60s Jamaican strain, rather than the British rock infused one. The crowd don’t react to the injection of energy but sound’s not helping - we can see two guitars on stage but we can’t hear them. In fact, we can hear little other than a hi hat and bass drum, with the top and bottom frequencies bouncing all over the place while the middle fight in vain for space. At this stage BratVegas are feeling a little daunted by the prospect of another hour and a half of this.
That Polemic pull it round is a triumph over adversity, a victory against the odds and is testament to their calibre as a live act. About 20 minutes in, a cover of Aerosmith’s ‘Crazy’ is a welcome change of pace and when the band shout “jump!” a few songs later, most people do. Not long after we get the first crowdsurfer of the night and there are a fair few after. We’re not sure if the genre stadium ska exists but it’s the most apt way to sum up what Polemic are about. It’s the showmanship and the machine like tightness - no band is born with this and they’ve honed it with nearly 1000 gigs over the last 20 years. Of course, none of this is enough unless the band have songs. Polemic are confident enough to leave the big ones ‘til the end, each of the last three songs sounding like the last one, a sign they’ve got real anthems. The overture-esque instrumental at the end adds a nice aspect of occasion and by the encore nobody is in doubt. With the refrain from ‘Ako to prežijem’ stuck in our head on the journey home, we’re glad we stuck around.
Polemic are currently touring Slovakia and will next play in Bratislava at Bažant na mlynoch on May 29th. For more info go to http://www.myspace.com/polemicskaband
