Novembar


Novembar is a Serbian punk rock band from Niš.

History

Studeni Studeni, band formation (1986–1991)

During the late 1980s, one of the most promising former Yugoslav bands from Zagreb, Studeni Studeni, were formed in 1986. The band recorded only an EP, Čisto kao suza, released in 1990, before disbanding in the early 1990s, due to the outbreak of the Yugoslav wars. The band's frontman, guitarist and vocalist Goran Kostić moved to Niš, during the Summer of 1991, and immediately started playing bass guitar in a band called Glas Amerike. A month later, Kostić switched to guitar, and the band changed the name to Novembar, consisting of Kostić, guitarist Aleksandar Đokić, drummer Goran Savić, and bassist Toni Kostadinov.

Nationwide breakthrough, disbandment (1992)

The following year, the band performed at Palilula Culture Olympics in Belgrade as guests, as Studeni Studeni won the festival the previous year. The band also performed at the Niš club Underground and the Belgrade KST. At the time, the band changed the lineup: bassist Zoran Ranđelović, who previously played with a number of Karlovac bands, including the Boris Novković's Noćna Straža, replaced Kostadinov, drummer Savić switched to guitar, and the new drummer became Zoran Vidaković.
The band recorded their debut album Deguelo, released in 1994, featuring guest appearance by Milan Mladenović, who played the guitar solo for the track "Gledaj kako ljubav umire", a song from the Studeni Studeni period. The album was entirely written by Kostić except for the tracks "Rođendan", written by Zvonko Karanović, and "Ja sam je volio", written by the Zagreb rock band Sin Albert guitarist Denis Romac. The album, recorded at the Belgrade Go Go Studio, was released by the independent record label No Man's Land, founded by the band themselves with the poet Zvonko Karanović and Milan Jelenković. The song "Irena" from the album appeared on the B92 various artists compilation Radio Utopia in 1994.
The band promoted the material with the appearances at the Urban Rock festival, held in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia, with the bands from Croatia, Albania, Slovenia and Greece, the No Man's Land festival in Niš, performing with the bands Suns, Blind, KBO!, Obojeni Program and Džukele, and the performance at the Belgrade club Prostor, on September 1994. The following year, the band continued their concert activities, playing across Serbia, including the Aranđelovac alternative rock festival FAR, with the bands Goblini, Block Out, and Atheist Rap.
In August 1996, the band entered the Go Go Studio to record their second album, released by B92. Blues južne pruge, produced by Kostić, featured cover versions of "Baby, baby" by the Niš band Fleke, and "Mjesto pod Suncem" by the Zagreb band Zvijezde. The album also featured the song "Posle svega kiša", for which the song lyrics were written by Zvonko Karanović. During 1996, the band performed at the ZGAGA rock festival at Hotič pri Litji near Ljubljana in Slovenia, with the bands KUD Idijoti, Majke and Goblini. The band also performed at the Zaječar Gitarijada festival.
The third album, Licem prema zemlji, released in 2000, produced by Marinko Vukomanović, featured guest appearances by the Atheist Rap members Vladimir Radusinović "Radule" and Zoran Lekić "Leki" on backing vocals. The album was recorded by a new lineup including new guitarist Saša Jablanović, drummer Dragan Stojiljković, rhythm guitarist Dragan Stojiljković, and bassist Milan Stanimirović. In 2002, the band participated the Milan Mladenović tribute album Kao da je bilo nekad... Posvećeno Milanu Mladenoviću with the cover version of the track "O, O, O...", originally released on the Šarlo Akrobata album Bistriji ili tuplji čovek biva kad...''. During the same year, Novembar disbanded.

Reformation (2005–present)

In 2005, the band reunited, consisting of Goran Kostić, Aleksandar Đokić, Bojan Ranđelović, and Milan Vidaković, having their first performance since the reformation at the Nisomnia festival held at the Niš Fortress. In 2006, the band appeared on the Pankrti tribute album Pankrti 06 with the cover version of the song "Kdo so ti ljudje", originally released on Pankrti 1983 album Svoboda '82. The song, with the previously released cover versions of "O, O, O...", "Baby, baby", and "Mjesto pod Suncem" appeared on the cover album Radulizam, released in 2008 by Studentski kulturni centar Novi Sad. The album also featured cover versions of songs by Petar i Zli Vuci, Termiti, La Strada, Azra and KBO!. Originally intending to include the cover version of Prljavo Kazalište song "Neka te ništa ne brine", the band did not get the approval to release it, so the track was left out of the release.
In 2007, the band released the compilation Ko je Sunce ubio, featuring the material from the Studeni Studeni period and the unreleased Novembar demo and live recordings. In 2009, Multimedia Records released a live various artists compilation Groovanje devedesete uživo featuring the band's song "Irena", recorded live at the Belgrade club Prostor on September 2, 1994. The band celebrated their 20th anniversary with two concerts in Niš club Feedback, on January 19 and 20, 2012. The concerts featured guest appearances by 14 bands, including Atheist Rap, Grandpa Candys, Grupa Tvog Života, and others. Every band, beside their own songs, performed a song by Novembar as a tribute to them.
In March 2013, Novembar released their fifth studio album, entitled Proklet. The album was produced by Nenad Pejčić and released by the Cultural Centre of Novi Sad. In the autumn of 2014, the tribute album to Novembar, entitled Tako mlad i tako čist, was released. The album featured covers of Novembar songs recorded by Atheist Rap, Zvoncekova Bilježnica, KBO! and other acts.
In February 2015, the members of the band announced that they are working on a new studio album. The band celebrated their 25th anniversary on the festival 5 do 100, which was held on July 4, 2016 at Niš Fortress. The festival featured Novembar, the band Van Gogh celebrating their 30th anniversary, and the band Galija, celebrating their 40th anniversary. In the autumn of 2016 the band participated in the tribute album to KUD Idijoti entitled Za tebe — A Tribute to KUD Idijoti with a cover of KUD Idijoti song "Baj, baj, bejbe". In March 2017, Novembar released the single "Magla", recorded with singer-songwriter Nikola Vranjković, as an announcement of their new studio album.
On June 30, 2017, Goran Kostić died in Niš. He was 51 years old. Two weeks later, the rest of the members held their previously announced concert at Rock in Niš festival in honor of Kostić. At the same time they released the song "Sve zaboravljam", recorded before Kostić's death, stating that the album the band was working on before Kostić died would be released.

Discography

Studio albums