Words: Miljan Milekić
It’s been eight years since Nothington last played in Serbia. However, at the time, I was not only too uneducated to even know about the band but also too young to appreciate their music the way I do now. So this time, I had to be there. And it was damn worth it. Pretty much everything the band has released in the last decade, or so, is pure gold. Record after record, Nothington delivered the finest punk rock, filled with energy and emotion. And don’t get it wrong – they may be from San Francisco, but their music is everything but sunny and happy.
If I’d learned something from this show, it’s that Nothington‘s music is meant to be heard live. The raw energy of the shows, three vocals, and the wall of guitar noise hit much stronger from the stage. It’s simply impossible to catch that on a piece of plastic, or a binary code. The crowd itself welcomed the band as the old friend who had just come back for a visit. The venue wasn’t packed, but it didn’t hurt the show in any way. After all, Nothington was never a mainstream band, they never will be one, and to be an underground punk rock band, and gather around a hundred people on a show in Serbia is definitely a success.
Nothington definitely wasn’t the only band worth watching this evening. Support on this tour – Western Settings delivered a solid performance and quickly got the crowd going. It was noticeable they’re strangers to the crowd in Novi Sad, but their energy and hard work on the stage, in addition to great music was enough to set the tone for the headliners. I highly doubt anyone from the crowd would mind seeing them again. Bringing a similar sound as the headlining band, sharing the vibe and energy, I honestly believe they got themselves a few more fans. Including myself.
The opening slot was given to the local acoustic punk duo See It My Way. Personally, I see them as the best thing on the local scene in Novi Sad at the moment, and seeing them for the first time just made that impression even stronger. Their sound, influenced by emo, pop punk, and even Nothington themselves was the perfect warmup to the louder, more aggressive part of the evening that followed. They may be better in the more intimate settings, but it sure worked this time as well.
