Fred Astaire

Biography

The Astronauts are: Daddy Kardinal Šinec Droid Ager Junior Biography: The band's very first appearance in public in ‘92 with their début single, supporter's anthem “Dinamo ja volim” (based on traditional «You'll never walk alone»), indicated a big career ahead of them, as the single broke all rating records and became absolute hit of the year. We are talking about the song that critics with all reasons call the Croatian version of the famous “Anarchy in UK” by Sex Pistols. But, it was only...

The Astronauts are:
Daddy
Kardinal
Šinec
Droid
Ager
Junior


Biography:
The band's very first appearance in public in ‘92 with their début single, supporter's anthem “Dinamo ja volim” (based on traditional «You'll never walk alone»), indicated a big career ahead of them, as the single broke all rating records and became absolute hit of the year. We are talking about the song that critics with all reasons call the Croatian version of the famous “Anarchy in UK” by Sex Pistols.

But, it was only the beginning – their debut album «Shimpoo Pimpoo», released towards the end of ‘93 showed that PC&VC were capable of offering utmost diversified material, ranging from cabaret pop to fierce punk. Most of the songs from the album were used during ‘94 in a very successful play «Dobrodošli u plavi pakao» by Borivoj Radaković. It wasn't their only collaboration with theatre – in ‘95 they made a soundtrack for rock-drama «Mafija!» by Lukas Nola. In December of the same year their second album “Dernjava” was released. Very mature, high-quality achievement earns the band appreciation from those parts of Croatia that formerly weren't so keen for them, as well as a breakthrough to the neighbor markets in Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

«Dernjava» brings the very first Porin (Croatian equivalent to Grammy) in ‘96 for the best alternative album and it also marks the stabilization of the band's line-up (Šparka – drums, Borščak – bass, Kralja – guitar, Tićo – guitar, Ripper – vocals), which remains until 2000.

After successful tour in spring of ‘97, the band retreated to the slopes of Učka (mountain near city Rijeka) where they recorded their third album, “Fred Astaire”. It was accepted with great enhusiasm, both from listeners and picky critics, as a final creative triumph of the band. Its release in late ‘97 was accompanied by the first authorized biography of a Croatian rock band – “Dugi vikend u zemlji čudesa” by Ante Perković

«Fred Astaire» achieved huge sales and won almost all of the professional prizes – Porin for album of the year as well as for the best vocal collaboration (“Plači” with Darko Rundek), Crni Mačak (Croatian journalist rock award) for the best rock album, the best video clip, the best song, the best vocal collaboration and the best production. The triumph was crowned with solo concert in Zagreb's Dom Sportova in spring of ‘98. In early ‘99 they won yet another reward - this time voted by audience, they were voted best live act and collected yet another Crni Mačak.

In November arrives “Bog”, crown of all the work the band did up to that moment and a true goodbye to the departing millennium. Recorded, mixed and mastered in one of the Europe's best studios “Tivoli” in Ljubljana, this album was immediately recognized as one of the most important Croatian records of the 90s, crowned with a new portion of Porin and Crni Mačak prizes. In spring of 2000 a unique tour was initialized – “Fenomenalan dan” toured Croatian biggest theatres. Splitting of the guitar duo, (Kralja and Tićo) marked the summer of the same year. Nikola Radman, known for his work on Urban's album “Žena, dijete”, replaced the two guitarists. Near end of 2000, PC&VC continued their “Fenomenalni dan” tour spreading it outside the borders of Croatia (Ljubljana, Sarajevo, Skopje…). During ‘02 Šparka decided to leave his position of a drummer. Tin Osteš took his place, completing the line-up that worked on the next album “Drveće i rijeke”. Album was recorded in Zagreb during autumn of ‘02 with participation of many guest appearances and it was finished in early 2003 in United States. Dave Fridmann, one of the leading world producers, “George Martin of alter rock” accepted to mix and master “Drveće i rijeke”, that way bringing PC&VC closer to bands such as Flaming Lips or Mercury Rev.

After releasing the album in spring of ‘03, the bend presents itself to the public in a new, expanded line-up, capable of transferring the album's rich sound on the stage. Summer is reserved for festival appearances in a region. In spring of ‘04 the band will have the opportunity to present itself to the British audience in London. Among the praising critics of “Drveće i rijeke” was also the one from Mojo magazine, which made PC&VC the second Croatian band, after Bambi Molesters, reviewed in one of the most prestigious music magazines in the world.

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