Laibach Biography

Laibach is a music and cross-media group from Slovenia established on the 1st of June, 1980 in Trbovlje. The name of the band is the historic German version of the name Slovenia’s capital Ljubljana. From the start Laibach has developed a “Gesamtkunstwerk” –  multi-disciplinary art practice in all fields ranging from popular culture to art (collages, photo-copies, posters, graphics, paintings, videos, installations, concerts and performances). Since their beginnings the group was associated and surrounded with controversy, provoking strong reactions from political authorities of former Yugoslavia and in particular in the Socialist Republic of Slovenia.  Their militaristic self-stylisation, propagandist manifestos and totalitarian statements have raised many debates on their actual artistic and political positioning. Many important theorists, among them Boris Groys and Slavoj Žižek, have discussed the Laibach phenomenon both from an analytical as well as critical cultural point of view.

The main elements of Laibach’s varied practices are: strong references to avant-garde art history, nazi-kunst and socialist realism for their production of visual art, de-individualisation in their public performances as an anonymous quartet dressed in uniforms, conceptual proclamations, and forceful sonic stage performances – mainly labelled as industrial (pop) music. Laibach is practicing collective work, dismantling individual authorship and establishing the principle of hyper-identification. In 1983 they have invented and defined the historic term ‘retro-avant-garde’. They creatively questioned artistic ‘quotation’, appropriation, re-contextualisation, copyright and copy-left. Although starting out as both an art and music collective, Laibach became internationally renowned foremost on the music scene, particularly with their unique cover-versions and interpretations of hits by Queen, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, etc.

In 1984 Laibach initiated the founding of the wider collective of NSK (Neue Slowenische Kunst) (2) together with the painters from the group Irwin and the theatre group Scipion Nasice Sisters. This led to the establishment of a strong platform for social, cultural and political activity within the climate of liberalisation and pluralisation in 1980’s Yugoslavia. NSK existed as a synchronised movement till 1992, later partly changing itself into a virtual NSK State in time. Limited collaboration between the groups continued till 1995 and beyond.

After the break-up of Yugoslavia in 1991(3), Laibach continued mostly within the realm of popular music, while remaining a point of reference in terms of artistic cultural criticism. During recent years the group underwent an international re-evaluation of their artistic practice in the course of an emergence of post-structuralist views on worldwide conceptual art production.

2015 Tour

04. 04. 2015  Maastricht Muziekgieterij NL
05. 04. 2015  Paris Divan Du Monde FR
06. 04. 2015  Zug Chollerhalle CH�
08. 04. 2015  Vienna Arena AT�
09. 04. 2015  Budapest Barba Negra Music Club HU
11. 04. 2015  Munich Residenztheater DE�
18. 04. 2015  Velenje Dom kulture SI �
19. 04. 2015  Krško Kulturni dom SI�
11. 05. 2015  Washington DC Black Cat US�
12. 05. 2015  New York NY Gramercy Theatre US
13. 05. 2015  Philadelphia PA Theatre Of The Living US
15. 05. 2015  Victoriaville QC Colisee A CA�
16. 05. 2015  Toronto ON Danforth Music Hall CA
17. 05. 2015  Pittsburgh PA Rex Theatre US�
19. 05. 2015  Indianapolis IN Vogue Theatre US�
20. 05. 2015  Chicago IL Abbey Pub US�
21. 05. 2015  Omaha NE Slowdown US�
23. 05. 2015  Englewood CO Gothic Theatre US
26. 05. 2015  Seattle WA El Corazon US�
27. 05. 2015  Vancouver BC Rickshaw Theatre CA�
28. 05. 2015  Portland OR Wonder Ballroom US
30. 05. 2015  San Francisco CA The Fillmore US�
01. 06. 2015  Los Angeles CA The Roxy Theatre US
03. 06. 2015  Ciudad de México Sala Club MX�
06. 08. 2015  Vrnjacka Banja Park Jezero / LoveFest RS
29. 08. 2015  Leiria Entremuralhas ‘15 / Castelo de Leiria PT 

Full Biography Here: http://www.shakenstir.co.uk/index.php/features/the-laibach-story-so-far/features/30631/

Current touring band (2015)

Milan Fras - vocals
Ivan Novak - lights and projection, also electronics and voice in a few concerts
Mina Špiler - vocals, synthesizer
Janez Gabric - drums
Luka Jamnik - synthesizer
Rok Lopatic - synthesizer

Also in a few concerts:

Dejan Knez - electronics and voice
Srecko Bajda - electronics
Dan Landin - clarinet