Gobac on 40 Years of Psihomodo Pop
The band's frontman talks to Story about longevity, performing at the jubilee CMC 200 Slavonija Fest, and his experience working with children on 'The Voice Kids'.
The band's frontman talks to Story about longevity, performing at the jubilee CMC 200 Slavonija Fest, and his experience working with children on 'The Voice Kids'.
Davor Gobac has been leading Psihomodo Pop, one of the longest-running rock 'n' roll bands on the domestic scene, for over four decades. Ahead of their performance at the jubilee 10th CMC 200 Slavonija Fest, held on August 28 and 29, 2026, at Tvrđava Brod, he spoke to Story.hr about his career, family, and what he would do differently today.
Psihomodo Pop is this year's headliner at the festival in Slavonski Brod, and Gobac promises a spectacle. "The audience in Slavonski Brod can expect the best rock 'n' roll performance they've ever seen; they won't believe their eyes and ears. See you there, and hold on tight," he said.
When asked if he ever believed the band would last this long, he admits it was initially unimaginable. "Honestly, I hoped we'd last a long time, but lasting over 40 years seemed very abstract back then. What keeps us together is that we love our job and that we're a genius rock 'n' roll band, haha," he said.
He celebrated his 62nd birthday in February, and many comment that he has more energy than much younger colleagues. His answer is short: "Good genetics, son. Good genetics."
If he could turn back time, he says he would act differently in one aspect of his career. "I would demand much higher fees than we did back then," Gobac revealed to Story.hr.
Speaking about the repertoire, he explained how older songs gain a new dimension over time. "I believe that almost all older songs acquire a new emotion over time. And now, I don't know what to tell you, there are songs like 'Telegram sam' that have gone through many versions and have truly been all sorts of things. So songs actually change over time; recordings remain, but live, they always change and adapt to the times," he said.
Participating in the show 'The Voice Kids' left a strong impression on him. "'The Voice Kids' turned out much better than I hoped. I thought it would be much harder to work with children, but it turned out that working with children might be the easiest because they are truly sincere. And what did we learn from the kids? That we were once kids too; we remembered a bit. I even drew some nice pictures," he said.
His son Vili has followed in his musical footsteps, and Gobac sees a younger version of himself in him. "In a way, I see myself in him from my younger days, and I haven't given him too much advice, maybe some practical tips. They're already big boys; they paddle their own canoe," he explained.
When asked how much the stage Gobac differs from the family one, he replies: "I think opportunity makes the thief. On stage, you are what you need to be on stage. I'm not going to act at home with my family like I'm on stage. Although you never know; it can happen."
When people meet him on the street, they most often ask him: "How's it going, Gobac, what's up?" Finally, he also highlighted domestic musicians who recently pleasantly surprised him. "My little winner from 'The Voice,' Nikol, delighted me, and, of course, the band Donkey Hot, or the hot donkey," he concluded.
