Exactly 27 years after the concert (in Dom sportova) and 6 years after the sold-out one (in Boćarski dom), ICE T and BODY COUNT have returned to Zagreb! This time the concert was held as open air at ŠRC Šalata which proved to be the perfect choice as the atmosphere was steaming hot and incredible!
SLOPE opened the evening and created the atmosphere we all wished for as I have been waiting for this moment exactly 27 years as I missed the second concert so the excitement could be felt and seen at every footstep!!
BODY COUNT opened the concert with “Body Count’s in the House” and “Raining Blood”/“Postmortem” (Slayer cover) which instantly created complete chaos and put the audience into a delirious state.
Body Count announced and promoted the new album “Merciless” and worked tirelessly proving they are indestructible as numerous gigs and festival headlining has been announced which makes them extremely happy. They have proved that true iconic legends do not have an expiration date or need to plan for retirement. ICE T sounded powerful, indestructible and by all that gained even more respect and love than we previously had!
Apart from his very strong vocal and stage charisma, Ice T proved himself as a great role model as he promoted peace instead of revenge and hate. That is the most powerful impression everyone should take with themselves from this concert as all you need is to realise: if someone who witnesses losing his best friends because of violence and still has the strength to resist the urge to retaliate- that that act of embracing peace instead of violence is possible for others also!
But on the other side, choosing peace doesn’t make you weak as it takes extreme strength to remain calm and move on with your life without violence sometimes. The band sent a very strong message with a performance of “Talk Shit, Get Shot” which Ice T did with his toddler daughter sending a statement against bullying and how to stand up for yourself!
Other highlights were “There Goes the Neighbourhood” and “Disorder” (The Exploited cover) which proved exactly why Body Count is considered as one of the most influential raw old school crossover bands with their unique and brutal mix of hip hop, metal, but also hardcore punk’s aggressiveness which instantly made us feel like we were back in those days, 27 years ago when all of our energy was solely directed at music and concerts. Made us think about how many of us stayed on that course and how many friends were lost due to other life circumstances.
Absolute chaos in the audience was caused by “Cop Killer” which sounded incredible thanks to the great audience that shouted out the lyrics and moshed like there’s no tomorrow!
Ice T proved a great sense of humour when (he repeated) his statement that he is not going down the stage to come back for an encore as once he goes down he’s not planning to come up again. The encore included: “Born Dead”, “This Is Why We Ride” and “Comfortably Numb” (Pink Floyd cover). All hell broke loose at “Born Dead” and it was a magnificent experience to have witnessed that once again!
Photo: private archive.
