This summer I was in Zagreb just at the right time. On the last day of my holidays The Kills played at the venue Tvornica kulture in the Croatian capital. I had the opportunity to see Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince on stage, and it was my first live encounter with the band.
I arrived just a few minutes after Lovely Quinces opened the evening. Although I didn’t enter the main hall to see the performance, I could hear it very well from the bar. I felt quite intrigued by the sound, and I will surely check this solo artist further.
It was 9:30 when I finally entered the main hall and I was immediately surprised by the number of The Kills’ fans in Zagreb. Although their sound can be described as garage-rock-blues inspired and labelled as alternative, I still lean towards the “mainstream with the pinch of underground” description for their music expression. The venue was packed and I could feel the anticipation of the crowd. To my great disappointment, there wasn’t a photo pit for this occasion and the floor was already full. I chose the spot at the balcony, which was a good place for watching the show without being elbowed. Maybe I didn’t get the best pictures, but I certainly got the best view. The crowd was cheering as the band appeared on the stage around 10. They opened their show with “Heart of a Dog”. From the very beginning they showed us that we could expect an energetic performance, both sound- wise and visually. Alison and Jamie had much charisma on stage and they were not afraid to show all their potential. They started communicating with the audience right from the start and that is something that I really miss on some shows. Obviously, this was not such a case. The Kills wrapped it all up nicely; the sound, the physical performance and the intimate bond that they created with the fans made this show complete. The band played a mix of their older hits and the numbers from their last album, Ash & Ice. “Doing It To Death” definitely got the loudest response from the audience and there were moments when the emotions overwhelmed both fans and the band. Alison and Jamie didn’t hide their enthusiasm about finally playing in Croatia. As I recall, Alison made a touching remark that it felt like home. This was also the first time that I saw a band that performed six songs during the encore. Devoted fans couldn’t be happier and it seemed the band had a great time as well. After the show, I didn’t hang around much longer, since I had to catch a flight tomorrow morning. As I was waiting for my bags at Heathrow in London, I spotted Alison and Jamie, waiting for their bags as well. It turned out we were on the same flight from Zagreb to London. I was very happy to see that Los Angeles Agency organized such event in Zagreb, which may seem a dull city at times. However, judging from the list of their future events, maybe I should visit my home country more often.
You can check The Kills’ Zagreb show setlist here: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-kills/2017/tvornica-kulture-zagreb-croatia-63e54efb.html