Odd Crew – 27 years of hardcore brotherhood
If there is one thing that is way too common in the rock and metal scene is that the majority of bands go through a number of transitions – not just musically, but especially when it comes to the makeup of the group itself. There are a myriad of reasons for this – bandmates having arguments or differences around the perception of how the band should evolve and whom to work with or simply because life moves on in its natural progression of involving family engagements, resulting in some band members being unable to keep up with the pace of the rockstar lifestyle.
This is why I love a notable example of the opposite which I was able to witness first-hand in my home country of Bulgaria. Very well-known to the alternative audience in the country, on 1 August, metal band Odd Crew celebrated the 27th anniversary of their first rehearsal dating all the way back to 1998.
The band has never changed its original makeup ever since and consists of Vasko Raykov (vocals), Vasil Parvanovski (guitar), Martin Stoyanov (bass guitar) and Boyan ‘Bonzy’ Georgiev (drums). At a crowded live music venue situated between the woods in central Sofia, Odd Crew rocked the stage for nearly three hours, non-stop! The performance was in an acoustic format and the setlist included impeccable performances of some of the band’s biggest acoustic songs (including “Cast a Stone”, “Same Old Me”, “New Waters” and “Dead Letter”) as well as some of the biggest hits from their more hardcore era but with an acoustic twist.
Towards the end of the show, the band members paid tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne by asking for a minute of silence and performing his iconic 1991 power ballad “Mama, I’m Coming Home”.
Another touching moment was when vocalist Vasko Raykov invited his daughter Lea to perform P!nk’s “Cover me in sunshine” together.
Photos by @lilly.staykova
Nearly three decades of rocking the alternative stage
After the epic show in the Bulgarian capital, I had the chance to talk to drummer Bonzy who explained that the band was able to stick together for so many years – and without changes to the original makeup – because the members grew up together and by managing to fit their characters and adapt through the years.
“The most difficult transition was from doing everything together to reach a point where the four of us delegate different aspects of our work, taking into account each of our strengths. And to trust each other that when we’re not always together for the things we need to do, they will still be done in such a good way”, Bonzy noted.
Asked about how the band finds its place as an alternative band in the Bulgarian music scene, Bonzy stated that there is a solid spot for alternative music compared to many other countries in the world.
“Maybe because this kind of music was forbidden for a 45-year period during communism and this absolute renaissance which the Bulgarian alternative music has gone through in the 90s somehow led to more people, as a percentage, living with some kind of alternative music than in other parts of the world”.
Furthermore, he highlighted a differentiation in society where “there is mainstream you can see on TV and so on, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that the mainstream fills music venues”.
Having performed at big-name international events as well, such as Bloodstock festival in the UK in 2018, Bonzy claims that Odd Crew has aspirations to continue touring both in Bulgaria and abroad.
The upcoming plans of the band for the near future include the release of its last album of the “Dark Matters” series (Part IV) as well as a second documentary movie to walk fans through the band’s journey through the years since the first album of the series and a documentary released in 2022.