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28/05/08 - 1/06/08

The Dearest, Freshest, Deep Down Thing @ U Maleho Glena

What is the “dearest, freshest, deep down thing”? asked poet Stephan Delbos, one of the nine performers at this early evening mash-up of poetry, music and drama. The rest of the performers, some associated with the much-loved Prague Revue literary journal and others in local bands or projects of their own, were seated in a row behind the mic but facing the audience. Each on their own looked as if they may have nothing to do with the other. But the range of personalities and voices represented saved this piece from feeling like a subpar open mic. Granted, the show never claimed to have a guiding theme, but rather various influences that, on paper, seduce the likes of me (jazz, booze, fog, Dada). A loose theme was then imposed by a bit of audience participation that could’ve gone further. This split the action into segments, which felt like a platform for individuals to show their latest or most obsessed-about work, whether that be a poem or a Speak-and-Spell (“We call it the Robotron”) aided ode to human/robot romance. Some of the acts were so earnest that I questioned whether they were meant to be ironic.

 
Asia @ Retro Music Hall / 20:00

Punk's worst nightmare is playing this Thursday at Retro Music Hall. Prog-rock super group Asia is composed of King Crimson's bassist, Yes' guitarist, and Emerson, Lake & Palmer's drummer - Palmer, if you mind. Like all super groups, after one year they probably made you wonder what was so super in the first place (certainly not their album sleeves). Nevertheless, they're some of the best musicians you will ever see in Prague, and their later effort Phoenix, released this year, is surprisingly much more moving and wistful than pretentious and ambitious. Does "Prog-Rock" mean anything in 2008 anyway? Hasn't Johnny Rotten himself been repeating in recent interviews he was a huge fan of the genre?

29/05/08

Public Enemy @ T-Mobile Arena / 20:30

Times change, and most reviews of Public Enemy's latest records have been plagued with emphasis and exaggeration, because their music is now strongly bond to business. Few bands in rock history had a unique vision of what their own music should be and yet, in the 80s, along with Crass, The Clash, The Smiths or The Replacements, Public Enemy were one of those few. Chuck D became famous for proclaiming Rap as the "Black CNN", using Public Enemy as a mean to relate what was really happening in their hometowns - single "911 is a joke" being a bitter example of that. The band faced a crisis when band member Professor Griff publicly admitted being anti-semitic, but their fierce and outraged songs remain timeless and still relevant to these days : tonight, they will be performing "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold us Back" in full, as it is the 20th Anniversary of that great album.

31/05/08

Former Cell Mates @ Chateau Rouge / 21:00

"Who's dead and what's to pay?" ask brash, belligerent, rockers *Former Cell Mates*.
A strange statement that suggests they are ready to chop through the wastelands of tired punk with tuned-up machetes intent to crucify all who stand in their way. But at least they're conscientious enough to foot the bill for the dry-cleaning. *Former Cell Mates* have been making waves in the UK since signing to the fiercely independent and, perhaps more importantly, undeniably ace Household Name Records last November.
Their self-styled brand of brooding, heavy rock with a country twist as tight as a penguin's cycling shorts makes for a fantastic live show with bags of energy. Oh, and some incredible beards.
Their four-strong line-up includes David Lee Burdon of legendary Mackam punks *Leatherface* and Greg Robson (ex-*The Mercury League*) who are hitting back harder in true super-group style.
Their album Who's Dead and What's to Pay is out on May 12th on Household Name Records.
In support at Château Rouge are German punks *Zwei Tage* ready to pack as much punch as their headliners with their exhilarating aural assault and a promising Prague garage rock trio *Transwaggon*.

Prague Writer's Festival @ Theater Minor / 19:00

In 2008, the Prague Writers' Festival celebrates its eighteenth anniversary. The Festival is one of Europe's leading cultural events, through its unique mix of world-class authors, international media coverage and live broadcasts on the internet.The Festival dates from Keats House, London 1980, when with "Index on Censorship"  through the Helsinki Accords we brought vital authors from Central and Eastern Europe to the attention of the public. As Herzen noted: "Fish were born to fly, yet everywhere they swim."  Fortunately in 1991, we could fly east and bring outstanding authors to Prague. In 1997, the Festival became a Czech cultural foundation.

01/06/08

Bassekou Kouyate @ Palac Akropolis / 21:00

Bassekou Kouyate is the leading proponent of the Malian ngoni, a lute-like instrument found throughout West Africa. Having collaborated with a number of Western musicians, including U2 and Carlos Santana, Kouyate is one of the world's most visible African artists. His marriage to vocalist Ami Sacko would make their household one of the most significant musical institutions in Mali's cultural landscape. When not touring, the husband/wife team performed constantly throughout the region for festivals and parties, becoming Malian folk music heroes. (allmusic)

03/06/08

Blackfire, Gaia Mesiah core Unplugged   @ Rock Café / 20:00

This three-part female, one-part male rock band from Prague, Czech Republic, strives to share the same vision of heavy music as a playground for all sorts of musical, stylistic and spiritual experimentation that unify many great rock bands such as Faith No More, Jane's Addiction, Deftones and Tool. The harsh, juicy riff-driven rock of Gaia Mesiah is always seasoned with unexpected stylistic twists and turns into funk, Latino music or jazz, and even at its most straightforward Gaia Mesiah usually sounds inspired and energized. In 2007 the band managed to attract attention of another frequent Prague resident, Jaz Coleman, the frontman of legendary Killing Joke. Coleman was so impressed with Gaia Mesiah that he handled the production duties for their third record, Alpha Female, even going as far as stating in an interview that he had rejected a number of interesting propositions only to have the pleasure to work with Gaia Mesiah.

04/06/08

10 Rue D'La Madeleine @ Rock Café / 20:30

The nicknames Brad Bronstein, Bill Nuggets, Eddy "Ed" Flint, Mike Flanagan, Andy Burke and Peter Goldberg hide a singer, a guitarist, a clarinettist, a bass player, a percussionist and a violinist.They propose an unedit fusion between powerful rock (with a strong rhythmic base) and a very efficient melodic line with cello and clarinet. A little bit like the weird meeting between Rage Against the Machine and Goran Bregovic… song in French ! One says that their incredible behaviour has already broken more than one stage… No doubt that 10 RUE is going to become one of the best rock address in France… and in Europe!

27/05/08 

Senor Coconut & His Orchestra @ Roxy / 20:00

You can't expect someone called Senor Coconut to take himself very seriously, specially when he plays a Cha Cha Cha cover of "Smoke On The Water". If you'd like to take it slow in Rio and fall in love to the rhythm of a steel drum band, Roxy is where it's at... but you'll also find a lot more to those Brazilian crazy beats, such as electro-infused Os Mutantes hits. They're not CSS, obviously, but doesn't it feel like it's summer in Prague already ?

For a comprehensive list of other stuff that doesn't suck or only sucks a little please visit EVENTS calendar at www.provokator.org

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