Ovog utorka, 15. listopada, bili smo u Močvari gdje se u organizaciji Manifesta crnila održao koncert bendova Uniform, Bad Breeding i Killing Yield.

Video zapis s koncerta.

Večer je u Močvari bila obojena crnilom, ali i snažnim političkim porukama, na koncertu koji sam iščekivao ponajviše zbog britanskog benda Bad Breeding. Bend kojeg pratim već godinama, ali mi je ovo bio prvi put da ih napokon vidim uživo. Ipak, svaki bend te večeri iznenadio me na svoj način, nadmašivši sva očekivanja. 

Domaći hc punk bend Killing Yield otvorio je večer. Sirova snaga i opuštenost zbog domaćeg terena omogućili su im da pruže najbolje od sebe, predstavljajući pjesme sa svojeg albuma Volatile Future. Bili su odličan uvod u ono što je uslijedilo. 

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The evening in Močvara was colored by darkness, but also by strong political messages, at a concert I had eagerly awaited, primarily for the British band Bad Breeding. A band I have followed for years, but this was my first chance to see them live. Yet, every band that night surprised me in their own way, exceeding all expectations. 

The local hc punk band Killing Yield opened the night. Their raw power and the comfort of being on home turf allowed them to give their best, presenting songs from their album Volatile Future. They were an excellent introduction to what followed.

KILLING YIELD (Zagreb)

Uniform, s njihovim spojem noise rocka, industriala i punka, stvorili su nešto što je zvučalo kao soundtrack egzistencijalne borbe. 

Njihova muzika uvukla nas je u vrtlog teškog kaosa.. Uniform su zvučali kao da nas upozoravaju na raspad sistema, s onom vrstom energije koja je podjednako neugodna i neodoljiva.

No, vrhunac večeri, razlog mog dolaska, bio je Bad Breeding. Ovi Englezi iz Stevenagea donijeli su na pozornicu sve što punk treba biti u 2024., politički osviješten, brutalan, inteligentan i nezaustavljiv. Bad Breeding pokazali su da, unatoč svemu, punk i dalje živi, evoluira i pruža otpor, i to s nevjerojatnom žestinom, brzinom i inteligentnim tekstovima. Od trenutka kada su stupili na pozornicu, bilo je jasno da ovo nije samo običan punk koncert, već politička akcija zapakirana u glazbu koja je toliko oštra da siječe do same srži današnjeg društvenog raspada. S većinom odsviranih pjesama s novog albuma “Contempt” Bad Breeding su proveli publiku kroz svojevrsni put oslobađanja, napadajući sistem s tekstovima koji zvuče kao manifest, a ne samo stihovi. Ono što mi je najviše dojmilo je način na koji su artikulirali taj osjećaj nepravde i nemoći kao npr. u pjesmama “Contempt” i “Human Capital” i jasno izložili kako kapitalizam eksploatira i uništava sve ljudsko u nama, dok se fasade zgrada od stakla i čelika dižu na leđima radničke klase. 

Njihovi tekstovi nisu samo kritika; to su pozivi na otpor, na otvaranje očiju. Koncert je bio intenzivan, sirov i nevjerojatno brz. Bad Breeding nisu samo punk bend, oni su politički osviješteni anarhisti, borci protiv kapitalističke mašine koja nas melje. Kad misliš da punk više nema što reći, Bad Breeding izađu s albumom poput “Contempt” i pokažu da je punk itekako živ i relevantan! Ovaj peti album benda iz Stevenage je poput šake u glavu svima koji misle da je otpor uzaludan. Kao i na prethodnim izdanjima, Bad Breeding koriste svoj zvuk kao oružje protiv kapitalizma, eksploatacije i općeg društvenog raspada, ali ovog puta su još agresivniji i precizniji u svojoj kritici. Od prvih rifova kako na albumu tako i na koncertu, jasno je da se ne radi samo o glazbi, već o manifestu radničke klase, o ratu protiv sistema. Svaka pjesma je borbeni poklič protiv nepravde, bez da upadne u prazno moraliziranje. Ovdje nema jeftinih parola. Tekstovi su oštri, puni ljutnje, ali i promišljeni, secirajući načine na koje je radnička klasa sustavno gušena, dok elite grade “kuće od stakla i čelika”, kako kažu u naslovnoj pjesmi Contempt. Koncert  je bio podsjetnik zašto je punk još uvijek bitan. Nema bijega, nema lažnih priča, samo brutalna istina o svijetu u kojem živimo, prenesena kroz gromoglasne rifove i sirove, iskrene tekstove. Bad Breeding su pokazali da punk nije samo glazba – punk je borba, i ona tek počinje. U trenutku kad su Bad Breeding grmjeli s bine, podsjetilo me to na anegdotu kad su Exploited 1981 izbacili pjesmu “Punks Not Dead” kao odgovor na Crass i njihov “Punk Is Dead”. Filozofiranja o ovoj anegdoti bi moglo biti na pretek, no dok su Exploited branili ono što su Crass kritizirali, Bad Breeding danas dokazuju da punk nije mrtav, ali ne kao nostalgija, već kao svjež, radikalan pokret koji raste iz današnjeg gnjeva. U vrijeme kad punk često djeluje prazno i sterilno, Bad Breeding su poput nove klice političke svijesti i solidarnosti. Njihov anarho-punk je bučan, beskompromisan, i prepun sirove energije. Crass, kao simbol anarhističkog pokreta 80-ih, ostavili su naslijeđe koje Bad Breeding preuzimaju. Njihova ikonografija golubica, ruke koje trgaju oružje, latinica i japansko pismo djeluju kao direktna referenca na tu scenu.  “Contempt” nije samo album, to je osveta protiv sustava koji nas pokušava uvjeriti da nemamo izbora. To je muzika za one kojima je dosta tihe rezignacije, za one koji ne žele prihvatiti poraz. Bad Breeding prkose svakom pokušaju da se punk proglasi mrtvim. Njihova mračna, anarhistička vizija ukazuje na to da punk nije samo živ, već da je potrebno više nego ikad. U albumu se nalazi popratni sadržaj u obliku fanzina koji sadrži zanimljive političke eseje. Naposljetku volio bih naglasiti suradnju između Bad Breeding i Petera Kennarda (britanskog umjetnika poznatog po svojim političkim i društveno angažiranim radovima) na dizajnu omota njihovog albuma “Contempt” predstavlja savršen spoj glazbe i vizualne umjetnosti s duboko političkom porukom. Bad Breeding, poznati po svojim oštrim tekstovima koji kritiziraju kapitalizam, nejednakost i političku represiju, prirodno su se obratili Kennardu, umjetniku čiji rad već desetljećima prkosi tim istim temama. Kennard je pionir političke fotomontaže, najpoznatiji po ikonografiji koja brutalno secira militarizam i ekonomske strukture moći, te je kroz svoju karijeru neumorno ukazivao na nepravde poput imperijalizma i korporativne eksploatacije. Njegova prepoznatljiva estetika, koja spaja slike rata, političara i osiromašenih zajednica, stvara distopijske, ali realistične prikaze društvenih problema. Na omotu “Contempt,” Kennardov vizualni stil besprijekorno odražava mračnu atmosferu i pobunjeničku energiju koja prožima album. Ova suradnja simbolizira sinergiju dvaju medija, glazbe i likovne umjetnosti u zajedničkoj borbi protiv sustava koji zatire ljude, naglašavajući da punk, u svojoj srži, nije samo muzika, nego i oružje za društvenu promjenu.

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Uniform, with their blend of noise rock, industrial, and punk, created a soundscape that felt like the soundtrack to an existential struggle. Their music drew us into a vortex of heavy chaos. Uniform sounded as if they were warning us about the collapse of the system, with an energy that was both unsettling and irresistible.

However, the highlight of the evening, the reason for my attendance, was Bad Breeding. These Englishmen from Stevenage brought to the stage everything punk should be in 2024: politically aware, brutal, intelligent, and unstoppable. Bad Breeding demonstrated that, despite everything, punk still lives, evolves, and resists, and they do so with incredible ferocity, speed, and intelligent lyrics. From the moment they stepped on stage, it was clear that this was not just an ordinary punk concert, but a political action wrapped in music so sharp it cuts to the very core of today’s societal decay.

With most songs from their new album “Contempt,” Bad Breeding led the audience through a kind of liberation journey, attacking the system with lyrics that read more like a manifesto than mere verses. What struck me most was how they articulated that feeling of injustice and powerlessness, particularly in songs like “Contempt” and “Human Capital,” clearly exposing how capitalism exploits and destroys all that is human within us, while glass and steel buildings rise on the backs of the working class.

Their lyrics are not just critiques; they are calls to resistance, to open our eyes. The concert was intense, raw, and incredibly fast. Bad Breeding are not just a punk band; they are politically conscious anarchists, fighters against the capitalist machine that grinds us down. Just when you think punk has nothing more to say, Bad Breeding release an album like “Contempt” and show that punk is very much alive and relevant! This fifth album from the band in Stevenage is like a punch to the face for all who think resistance is futile.

As with their previous releases, Bad Breeding use their sound as a weapon against capitalism, exploitation, and general societal decay, but this time they are even more aggressive and precise in their critique. From the first riffs, both on the album and at the concert, it’s clear that this is not just about music; it’s a manifesto of the working class, a war against the system. Each song is a battle cry against injustice, without falling into empty moralizing. There are no cheap slogans here. The lyrics are sharp, full of anger, but also thoughtful, dissecting the ways in which the working class has been systematically suppressed while elites build “houses of glass and steel,” as they say in the title track “Contempt.”

The concert served as a reminder of why punk is still important. There is no escape, no false narratives, just the brutal truth about the world we live in, conveyed through thunderous riffs and raw, sincere lyrics. Bad Breeding showed that punk is not just music—it is a struggle, and it is just beginning. As Bad Breeding thundered from the stage, it reminded me of the anecdote about Exploited releasing the song “Punks Not Dead” in 1981 as a response to Crass and their “Punk Is Dead.” Philosophizing about this anecdote could be endless, but while Exploited defended what Crass criticized, Bad Breeding today prove that punk is not dead, not as nostalgia, but as a fresh, radical movement that grows from today’s anger.

In an era when punk often feels empty and sterile, Bad Breeding are like a new sprout of political awareness and solidarity. Their anarcho-punk is loud, uncompromising, and full of raw energy. Crass, as a symbol of the anarchist movement of the ’80s, left a legacy that Bad Breeding are now taking on. Their iconography of doves, hands tearing weapons apart, Latin script, and Japanese characters serve as direct references to that scene.

“Contempt” is not just an album; it is a vengeance against a system that tries to convince us we have no choices. It is music for those who are tired of quiet resignation, for those who refuse to accept defeat. Bad Breeding defy every attempt to declare punk dead. Their dark, anarchist vision indicates that punk is not just alive, but more necessary than ever. The album includes accompanying content in the form of a fanzine featuring interesting political essays.

Finally, I would like to emphasize that the collaboration between Bad Breeding and Peter Kennard (a British artist known for his politically and socially engaged works) on the cover design of their album “Contempt” represents a perfect fusion of music and visual art with a deeply political message. Bad Breeding, known for their sharp lyrics criticizing capitalism, inequality, and political repression, naturally turned to Kennard, an artist whose work has been challenging these same themes for decades. Kennard is a pioneer of political photomontage, best known for iconography that brutally dissects militarism and economic power structures, and throughout his career, he has tirelessly pointed out injustices like imperialism and corporate exploitation.

His recognizable aesthetic, which combines images of war, politicians, and impoverished communities, creates dystopian yet realistic portrayals of social issues. On the cover of “Contempt,” Kennard’s visual style perfectly reflects the dark atmosphere and rebellious energy that permeates the album. This collaboration symbolizes the synergy of two media, music and visual art, in a common struggle against a system that oppresses people, emphasizing that punk, at its core, is not just music but also a weapon for social change.

BAD BREEDING (UK)

UNIFORM (New York)

review by Marko Vojnić

photos & video by Joža