Back in December 1994, Bruce Dickinson and his Skunkworks band played the most unlikeliest of gigs when they performed in Sarajevo in the midst of the Bosnian war.
The concert, and all that surrounded it, has now been immortalised in possibly the greatest rock movie ever, ‘Scream For Me Sarajevo’, which was screened across UK cinemas and released on DVD in 2017.
It’s a film about extraordinary people defying the horrors of war, and the musicians who risked their lives to play a show for them.
Bruce’s Skunkworks band was guitarist Alex Dickson, drummer Alex Elena and bassist Chris Dale, who features heavily in ‘Scream For Me Sarajevo’ as the movie came about because of his three part documentation of the 1994 expedition that was originally published here on MetalTalk.
Now Chris will return to Sarajevo on Friday 5th April to play with London band Shot Through The Heart at the Underground Club, Maršala Tita 56, 71000 Sarajevo.
Shot Through The Heart is made up of Primitai guitarist Srdjan Bilić, The Sisters Of Mercy and PIG guitarist Ben Christo, Jan-Vincent Velazco (Pendragon, PIG) on drums and Meltem Yumulgan (Eric Martin, Emir Hot) on lead vocals with more special guests to be announced. Support is by local band Snake Eater.
Srdjan Bilić had this to say about the forthcoming occasion: “Very happy to have been invited by Chris Dale to perform together in my hometown of Sarajevo – along with Ben, Mel and Jan, and friends from there sharing the stage.
“My family and I left Sarajevo just weeks before the 1992-1995 war… in 1994 in the midst of that madness Bruce Dickinson, Chris Dale and their band blagged their way through the frontlines to play a concert to the besieged people, one of the most surreal and special moments in music history, which was not documented until the ‘Scream For Me Sarajevo’ film released in 2016. Watch it!
“I’ve always maintained a strong connection with Sarajevo, but this invitation has given me a very special ‘full circle’ moment – my roots, passion for music, the musical friendships formed over the years… culminating in performing back in my hometown 27 years later, with some of my best musician friends in London, and those that played music there during the worst suffering and hardship. Raja vidimo se!”
