Laibach is an avantgarde musical group from Slovenia, who will be performing at the Tate Modern in April this year.
They were formed in the 1980's as a provocation to the communist dictatorship. Their neo-nazist style was not born from their desire to fight communism, nor to support nazist movement, but to sensibilize the dictatorship used to impose order, and keep the population in fear.
Pompous outfits, imposing scenery, uniforms, marching, controlled movements, noise, simple rhythms ... you can feel really confused ... am I in Germany in the 1930's or Yugoslavia in the 50's or just in some Conan movie? ... are questions that swarm in your head. All the dictatorships are the same is their message.
The last time I went to one of their shows it was in Slovenia. I went just because they were very popular at that time. I really didn't enjoy the music, which is a mix of recurrent rhythm, loud noise and authoritative yelling.
But, with Laibach, it is not just about the music. It is about the idea, the feeling ... and this is the "fil rouge" of their show. They want you to feel small, impotent, scared and ripped into by a higher authority.
At the end of the concert, when I left the scene of their crime, I felt liberated, free at least of all the anxiety induced by the system.
So if you want to feel free go to their concert and no matter how much you will suffer, try to concentrate on the feeling of leaving the prison into which they lured you. And remember, you went there at your own desire to belong to something you find "cool". And don't worry they also thought about after, they will try to sell you a passport of a country that physically doesn't exist ... heaven maybe?!
Check their music here ...
and their web site here ...
