One had to be present in Sinj on Monday to truly fathom the enormity of the Marko Perkovic Thompson concert, in every sense of the word.
The concert, which attracted an estimated 150,000 people as well as unprecedented logistical problems with gridlocked traffic forcing the concert to be delayed by well over an hour, was truly a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience according to many concert goers who had converged onto the small Dalmatian town of Sinj, from all over the world.
To put it into perspective, Sinj has a population of just over 20,000 which ballooned ten fold on Monday. But the town itself really only has two main entry/exit points.
It was inevitable, thus, that there would be major traffic issues.
It took the author of this article, for example, just over nine hours by bus to reach Sinj from nearby Metkovic – 139 kilometres away. Normally it would take less than a two hour bus ride.
But all the trials and tribulations of navigating the extreme traffic congestion to and from the venue amd the concert was in the end undeniably worth it.
For many Australian Croatians, who had made the long trek from the other side of the world to witness the Thompson phenomenon in person was truly a once in a lifetime experience!
When the concert finally did commence almost an hour and a half after the originally scheduled time of 9pm, at the commencement of the almost three hour extravaganza, Thompson addressed the massive gathering with a heartfelt message.
This is what the world record breaking performer, as far as the biggest ever ticketed music concert in the world, had to say:
“Praised be Jesus and Mary, my dear people. You’ve waited a bit, for that we apologise. After that magnificent concert in Zagreb, here we are again in great numbers at the Dalmatian hippodrome. Thanks be to God for bringing us together, and thanks to you. Tonight, let’s sing together, with dignity and beauty, as you know how.
“Many people ask how, from where, and who stands behind us, who is putting us up to all this. Some claim organisations with powerful political and business interests, others say certain individuals, while others claim it’s the Church. Let me tell them tonight who really stands behind us. We will tell both those with good intentions and those who are not so well-intentioned.
“We will also tell those who attack us, persecute us, and try to impose on us something we are not.
“No organisation or party stands behind us. Behind us stands something much greater, because nothing weak can create events like these. Behind us stands great power.
“First, it is the power of the idea we follow. Second, the power of the values we live and strive to promote. And third, and the greatest of them all, the power of Divine Providence, which we will continue to follow, without any compromise and with courage,” Thompson said at the start of the concert in Sinj.
The popular performer, however, had an even more powerful message he delivered right before performing his original hit and his trademark composition, Bojne Cavoglave.
“There is no longer a Yugoslavia,” he said then added, “It is dead. These anti-Croats must accept this once and for all.
“If they want to live in this country, be a part of this country, they must respect the Croatian defenders.
“Let it be known that the Croatian person is alive and well and will always be ready for the Homeland,” he said.
The undoubted highlight of the concert was the spectacular drone show, which some attendees claim was even more spectacular than the one at the recent Zagreb concert.
