The story of Rock`n`Roll made in Pula (and Istria)

This is a blog where you will find music from one of the richest rock-scene from Croatia, the city of PULA rock-scene.There will be some Istrian music too, as Istria is the region of Croatia to which Pula belongs to.You will find here how good and different was the Pula scene, with some of the bands recognised worldwide.

WELCOME TO PULA!

PS:All the infos about the bands are approximative, and will be changed with every useful info I get from the members of the bands!

PPS: Please notice that the NON-HIGHLIGHTED name of a certain release is a part of band`s audiography, but not available for download, for not having the permission or for respecting the authors rights. Or, of course, not yet in my possession.

Monday 31 December 2012

Wednesday 26 December 2012

PASMATERS (1984-)


Pasmaters is surely one of the oldest existing Hardcore Punk acts from the Balkans. After almost 30 years, they are still running more active than ever. In Croatia there is another band with the same name, but only this one is the right one!







LP "You Can`t Stop This" 2016

CD "Za Dec Metronoma Više" 2019


PASMATERS OFFICIAL WEBSITE

Sunday 23 December 2012

KRIZA (1991-1995)


Kriza was a Hardcore-Thrash band, they recorded just one demo which later made a split-cassette release with Blockade Runner.The band splits and the frontman Sebo passed to Desinence Mortification.


BJEZI, VIA - compilation CD 2004


Bjezi Via ! was the name of an Istrian anti-drug campaign, which produced this compilation CD featuring the best of the 2004. Rock from Pula and Istria, plus the special appearance from the famous croatian/bosnian rapper Edo Maajka supported by the croatian HC band Stronghold. And there are also three radio-jingles spread here and there.. 
Bands featured:
TAMARA OBROVAC
GUSTAFI
LIVIO MOROSIN
EDO MAAJKA feat. STRONGHOLD
KUD IDIJOTI
DOGMA
MORSKI
EX-PISTOLS
VOKAL U GIPSU
THE SPOONS
POPEYE
F.O.B.
MESSERSCHMITT
ORANGE STRIPS
CHWEGER
NOLA
ELIS LOVRIC
POKLO`N


Saturday 22 December 2012

LIZATORI PIZDERE (1992-)


A band or project (not sure, actually) made of Desinence Mortification members, and palaying Rock parodies filled with banal lyrics based mostly on porn. Hilarious live performances, one recorded and self-released as a semi-official live CD. LP played mostly in the 90s, but are returning in the last few years, playing shows periodically.

Monday 17 December 2012

SINOVI (1987-1988)


Almost simultaneously with Gubitnici, the city of Pula have had also another similiar band, this time more darker. Sinovi played a kind of Psychedelic Post Punk and were made of known musicians from the Pula scene of the late 70s-early 80s. Just one demo recording and few shows is what left from them.


demo 1988

ARTHRONE (2009-2011)


Arthrone is an instrumental Metal band featuring quality musicians, among them the guitarist Ivo Petrovic of Infernal Tenebra. Until now, they released just one CD which is a must for all guitar freaks.
Update 2020: disbanded 2011.


FLU (2008-2010)


Another shortlived band from Pula, with Debac on vocals. Debac is one of the musicians of the Pula scene with very powerful and distinctive vocal possibilities, which sings for almost 30 (if not exactly 30!) years in more than a dozen of bands. This was one of those bands, with a respectable CD release in an Alice In Chains Grunge style..


GUBITNICI (1987-1988)

This is the first post of a band that unfortunately I don`t have any picture or video or anything visual. They lasted for a very short time but left a nice five-tracks demo featuring some cool melodic Punk-Rock.


Saturday 15 December 2012

KVALITETNI DISKO BEND ŠUMA (1995-)


Kvalitetni Disko Bend Suma (or Quality Disco Band Woods) is an insane extreme disco/dance parody by some members of the Monte Paradiso community, taking the whole story into a new, lower level. The project exists almost for two decades now, and they are promoting their new 5th album on the doomsday December 21st. If there will be no doomsday, we might consider thanking KDBS...



CD "Smijem Se Iako Sam Tuzan I Placem U Tami" 1995-2000

CD "Plasticna" 2006


CD "Mario" 2008


CD "Necu Vise Da Budem Leptiri" 2009


CD "Vulva Meksikana...Uvijek Musav Od Ljubavi" 2012

CD "Posoli Ptičijeg" 2015

Wednesday 12 December 2012

GARDENIA (2003-2005)


Gardenia was the a band that started from the ashes of Foxxy Lady, continuing with playing Josipa Lisac songs, but adding various Rock covers to their repertoire. After few years they split, the vocalist continued a mainstream carreer as Mor Roll, and recently Gardenia started to play again with a completely new line-up.
Update 2020: they actually never started again.




FOJBON (1992-1994)


Fojbon was a short-lasting Hardcore Punk band/project by Pula Punk enthusiasts, leaving just a demo/rehearsal recording, few live shows and three live tracks on the Monte Paradiso 1993 compilation.


FAULT (2009-2017)


Fault is young and relatively new band playing Hard Rock in a more Heavy Metal oriented way. By far, they have just one demo out, but they are  momentarily in the recording process of their first full lenght album. In 2016 they released an official video clip.
Update 2020: nothing happened ever since, so I suppose they ended somewhere around 2017.


C.O.H. (2007-2012)


C.O.H. is (after ELUJ of Jule) the one-man-band of another member of Bolesno Grinje, the bassist Hoc. It is again a very aggressive and tight Hardcore Punk. Two full-lenghts and a split-EP with his fellow mate Jule.
Update 2020: nothing from him since the last release, so I suposed he finished with the project after the last album.




Friday 7 December 2012

BRIJACINA KOJONA (1992-2000)



A very funny side project of Desinence Mortification (along with being involved in a dozen more projects, of which the most known is Lizatori Pizdere). This is a parody, something between Rock and Punk, but mostly with porn topics.




EQUINOXE (2008-2010)


A young progressive-heavy metal band, with just one demo so far, but hoping there will be more.. 
Update 2020: ended in 2010.


Tuesday 4 December 2012

OBLIVION (2000)


This was an one-off project by the Pula`s guitar virtuoso Ivo Petrovic. Just one demo of excellent old-school Thrash Metal (unfortunately, with a drum machine) but good enough to be remembered in the history of the Pula scene.


Saturday 1 December 2012

SNOVI (2010-)


Snovi is a relatively new band, featuring Marino Bursic (ex-Pneumonia) and Branko Crnogorcic (ex-Haze) playing an interesting instrumental music which I could compare with the softer Voivod, or to describe them with a definition I said when I first listened to their fantastic album: "If Jean Michel Jarre was a metalhead, he would`ve sounded exactly like Snovi". 


CD "Snovi" 2011

CD "Ciklus" 2014

MANEKENI (1998-)


Manekeni is actually a project that has its own author songs, but they don`t work as a regular band, just playing from time to time. The band is created after the split of Detma, it was more a transformation, they actually just changed the name. Recorded a material that created an unofficial CD.


MIGHTY ZAZUUM (2010-2015)


A relatively new band with musicians already known from past bands and projects. What they play it`s strong rock with an atmospheric touch, they call that Psyrock. They released an EP and a full Album, and then disbanded in 2017.



LP "Into The Unknown" 2015

Wednesday 28 November 2012

LILIHIP (1979-)


An almost legendary band from Pula recognised and pretty popular in the whole Yugoslavia, featuring the time-to-time Atomsko Skloniste keyboardist Paul Bilandzic, along with his brother Romeo (on drums) and a variable guitarist. The band passed through three phases in their carreer, the first is their Yugoslavian phase until 1990, with a major label contract and three albums released, then the second phase during the 90s, where they continued in their rock style just going more towards pop and releasing a cassette album for a local label, and the third phase, during the 2k`s with a totally weird style which is completely unrecognisable as comedy or something serious. I strongly hope it is the first possibility...

End of the first phase:

Second phase:

And the third phase:





Sunday 25 November 2012

NOVI PUT (1980-1983)


Novi Put was a Progressive Rock band mainly formed around the drummer Zoran Djordjevic-Djole. In the years of their existence they changed a huge number of members, of which only Djole remained a constant.
In 1982 they almost got a record deal with the Yugoslavian biggest record label Jugoton, but the thing broke again because of a member departing to serve the army.
In 1983 the band splits for good.



demo 16.08.1983.

Saturday 24 November 2012

FOXXY LADY (2002-2003)


Foxxy Lady was actually a Josipa Lisac (Croatian famous and legendary female vocal icon) cover band. They lasted few years playing very powerful covers of Josipa, and the most important is that the band had her personal permission to play and cover her songs. 

)-: NO VIDEO AVAILABLE :-(




MARIETTO (1997-2003)


Marietto Dobric is a guy from Pula, living in US for a long time now. He used to play with KUD Idijoti at their very beginnings, and before he left for the US for good. Every while he comes back to Pula, and gathers some old and new friends-musicians and records some material.
Until now, he recorded two materials, the first released as an official Bonaca Records cassette  release.



Sunday 18 November 2012

FAKOFBOLAN (1993-)


After KUD Idijoti, undoubtly the best Punk band from Pula, recognised widely across the ex-Yu and beyond, Formed in the middle of the bellic years in the Balkans, they had the misfortune to have a restricted zone for manouvering, otherwise they would be as big as KUD Idijoti. The band had a longer pause after 2006, but they are fully vital again and continuing with playing shows and prepairing new stuff.




live in Ljubljana, Slovenia 2003

CD "...ako ne mozes napraviti sam bar pokvari drugome..." 2013

Friday 16 November 2012

TRAUMA (1991-1997)


Trauma was not a band from Pula, they were from Porec. At the beginnings they played a sort of melodic Thrash Power Metal, but through time they evolved into a more melodic kind of Metal. In 1995 they released a single cassette for the biggest croatian major label Croatia Records, and just a step before become bigger than a demo band, the band splits.







Sunday 11 November 2012

ISTARSKI ROCK 1986 - compilation cassette 1986


This is a very rare cassette compilation (released only in 200 copies!!) featuring three bands from Pula and one from Pazin (the so-called istrian capital town),
The band from Pazin is called HTB which featured a members which will later play in The Spoons.While for the Pula bands, there are CASTEL (unknown to me), then a very interesting band SUMSKI PJEVACI GORTANOVE UVALE featuring the 90s Pula`s most succesful underground producers Sandro Perocevic and Goran Curic-Cotka. And finally, one of the biggest bands that ever emerged from Pula, the legendary KUD IDIJOTI.
A great document.





JUNKERS 5 (2009-2011)


Junkers 5 is another band carrying the signature of Miro Kusacic (Messerschmitt) , containing also members from other bands as Messerschmitt, Sake and VIS Thunderbirds. Junkers 5 started playing occasionally but became a strong and steady band with an album released in 2009, containing cover songs. he band is prepairing their second album which will contain their own songs.
Update 2020: the band disbanded in 2011.



DILBER BEND (1999-2003)


A great project by Pula HC fans, inspired by the worst ex-yu turbo-folk music (a sleazy derivate of folk music). This utterly fun project is invented by Jule from Bolesno Grinje (and a ton of other bands) and other members of Bolesno Grinje and K15. They did all this just for fun, but this project is something created almost ten years before all the similiar bands that are playing and kinda "popularising" this unique musical expression.
Again, Pula was first.





Saturday 10 November 2012

FUNKY JUNKY (1991-1996)


Funky Junky were a Power Funk Punk band with many other influences from Metal to Alternative music. One of the rare Pula bands with a female vocalist, in the first line-up Roberta, and in the second Lara. They recorded two demo tapes and released a semi-official cassette. They are also featured on the Art & Music 1994 cd with one song.
The first vocalist Roberta became a successful electronic music DJ performer.






Thursday 8 November 2012

DARK BUSTERS (1995-1997)


Dark Busters were an interesting HardCore band with many Jazz influences. They lasted just  few years, and beside one demo, they shared an excellent vinyl-release with their fellow-brothers from Fakofbolan. The drummer later played with KUD Idijoti, as well as with Wuollahee.





Wednesday 7 November 2012

UDAV (2008-2016)


Udav is a Noise/Hc/Experimental quartet and is one of the most successful band from Pula this very moment. They have just one studio recording so far, but there are big expectations in the nearest future !
Update 2020: disbanded in 2016.



CRONOS (1984-1986)


Cronos was a Hard Rock band, the follow-up of Zablja Perspektiva, with most of the members continuing with the same songs. Many members passed through the band with the drummer Zoran Djordjevic-Djole as the only constant. No proper studio recording left, except two live/studio recordings, one from 1985 with Debac on vocals (own songs) and from 1986 with Alex (me) on vocals, playing mostly covers.
The band later continued a brief time as Lepi Djole and later as Rak-rock.



Thursday 1 November 2012

ORACLE ENCOUNTER (2010-)


Oracle Encounter is a relatively new band playing a kind of modern melodic Metal. The main person in this band is the ex-Blockade Runner vocalist and guitarist Tomo. So far they recorded one demo recording.


HAZE (1992-1996)


Haze was a stoner-rock band made mostly from ex-Pneumonia members, with a lot of line-up changes in the 5 years existence. They recorded just one demo, later released as cassette edition on Bonaca label. The band played a succesful performance at the Art & Music Festival   1995, and soon after they split-up.


cassette "Nation Of Halussy" 1994


PS: thanx to Marino Bursic for info!

Sunday 28 October 2012

ART AND MUSIC FESTIVAL (1993-2001, 2006-)


Undoubtly the best festival in Croatia during the 90s, and after a 4 years break, again bringing underground music of the highest level. The Art & Music Festival invented by  Ozren Kiza and Zeljko Herceg later joined by Branimir Sljepcevic-Brada, from year one in 1993 grew bigger and bigger, and every year the competition grew more interesting involving the hottest alternative music demo bands and the most interesting comics drawers from Croatia, and later from the whole ex-Yugoslavia territory. The festival reaches its peak in 1997 with three sold-out nights. In 2002., due to financial problems the festival stopped, but in 2006. started again, bringing back the best in music and comic art.
In 1995. the festival was interrupted after just one day because of war activities in Croatia, and continued in October.
Until today (the next year is the 20th anniversary!!), more than 250 bands played there, some in the competition part, some as guest headliners. The festival brought out many bands that will release records and become part of the most popular Croatian and Serbian alternative performers. Only in the second "life" from 2006, bands that played the demo competitions at the festival released very soon after around 15 official albums, of which the One Piece Puzzle album directly as prize for winning the competition. Some of those bands were : Stampedo, Unlogic Skill, En Face, The Stuff, and Bambi Molesters in the first years, and from 2006 on Goribor, Ruiz, Orange Stripes, Repetitor and the mentioned One Piece Puzzle.
As for guests in the headlining part of the evenings, the complete ex-Yu scene played there (except for Disciplina Kicme and Partibrejkers) and international acts like Dead Moon, Pleasure Fuckers, John Spencer and Heavy Trash, Future Of The Left, Holy Joes, and the first ever show in the territory of the ex-Yu of Kultur Shock.
Along with Monteparadiso, surely among the best live happenings in Croatia.







ART AND MUSIC FESTIVAL 1996, promo cassette compilation 1996 (soon)

PS: Thanx to Branimir Slijepcevic Brada for the extensive info !!

WILSONOV GRAFICKI PROJEKT (1980-1983)



An interesting Art-Punk-Rock band influenced by Bauhaus, Roxy Music, early Talking Heads, Echo And The Bunnyman and Velvet Underground, and including a bunch of important musicians from the Pula Rock scene all the way from the 80s through the 2Ks, as Miro Kusacic, Goran Curic Cotka, Rusmin Obic and Leo Stekar. They played just a few years, played few very important festivals like YURM in Zagreb and the FV in Ljubljana along with the slovenian O-Kult in front of an audience of few thousand. Later on, from the ashes of WGP, a new band will begin, Boykot Fur.



Demo 1981

Live at Mladi Pulski Rock, Uljanik 1983


PS: thanx to Miro Kusacic for the info!


Monday 15 October 2012

It`s a sad day in Pula ... R.I.P.


BRANKO ČRNAC - TUSTA
(lead singer of KUD IDIJOTI)

06.10.1955. - 14.10.2012.


Rest in peace, my friend.





Tuesday 24 January 2012

THE SWINDLE (1985-1992)


A band made of members from the obscure alternative project Diskretni Sarm Burzoazije, after the first demo turned into melodic Punk Rock. Released an official cassette for KUD Idijoti`s Bonaca Records, and an EP for the german Incognito Records. From 1992 changed name to Ulicni.



demo "Do Kraja" 1988


EP "333 x Up And Down" 1992

STOMAK (2000-2005)


Classic Rock band created by ex-member of Blockade Runner. They played for almost five years and released three demos of excellent sound quality. Some members continued playing in the re-united band 052.





Monday 9 January 2012

PROBLEMI (1977-1980)


Problemi were leaders of the first wave of Punk bands in Pula, and were inserted among the bands of the famous Ljubljana-Zagreb-Rijeka Punk triangle. The only Punk band of the first wave that left a trace on vinyl, appearing on the great and highly significant "Novi Punk Val 78-80" compilation. A one-off reunion show played in Pula, summer of 2012.




LP "Nije Po JUS-u" 2014

FANCY FILTER (2008-2011)


A relatively new band playing a very melodic Alternative Rock, formed by Baya Flok and featuring Roby from Antitodor.
Update 2020: disbanded in 2011.