The Plastic People of the Universe

The Plastic People of the Universe
Company type	Rock band
Industry	Music
Founded	1968 in Prague, Czechoslovakia
Founder	Milan Hlavsa
Headquarters	Prague, Czech Republic
Area served	Czech Republic, international
Key people	Milan Hlavsa (founder, deceased), Josef Janíček, Vratislav Brabenec
Products	Studio albums, live recordings
Number of employees	5 (current lineup as of 2023)

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article The Plastic People of the Universe, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 29 November 20253 sources

The Plastic People of the Universe (PPU) is a rock ensemble originating from Prague, Czech Republic, acknowledged as pivotal contributors to Prague's underground movement between 1968 and 1989, opposing the Communist regime of Czechoslovakia. Their defiance led to arrests and legal challenges. Following the passing of their founder, principal composer, and bassist Milan Hlavsa in 2001, the group has persisted in performing and, as of 2023, boasts nine studio albums alongside more than twelve live recordings.

In 2016, internal disagreements resulted in a division: the original formation consists of Josef Janíček, Vratislav Brabenec, Jaroslav Kvasnička, Johnny Judl Jr, and David Babka; meanwhile, the offshoot named The Plastic People of the Universe/New Generation features Jiří Kabeš, Josef Karafiát, Jakub Koláček, Wenca Březina, and Vojtěch Starý.

Origins and formative period: 1968–1974

Amid the 1968 Prague Spring under Communist leader Alexander Dubček, bassist Milan Hlavsa established PPU shortly after the Soviet invasion suppressed these reforms. Initial members included Michal Jernek (vocals, clarinet), Jiří "Přemysl" Števich (guitar), and Josef Brabec (drums), with Pavel Zeman replacing Brabec and Josef Janíček joining on guitar and keyboards soon after.

Drawing inspiration from Frank Zappa and the Velvet Underground—the band's name itself taken from the latter's album Absolutely Free—PPU became a cornerstone of Prague’s alternative scene. Art critic Ivan Martin Jirous managed them in a role comparable to Andy Warhol’s with the Velvet Underground. The stable lineup formed around Hlavsa, Janíček, violist Jiří Kabeš, and saxophonist Vratislav Brabenec. In 1970, their musical license was revoked by the Communist authorities.

Jirous brought in Canadian Paul Wilson to assist with English lyrics for American covers as well as translating original Czech material; Wilson served as lead vocalist from 1970 until 1972. Their setlists predominantly featured covers from the Velvet Underground and the Fugs, with only two Czech-language tracks penned by poet Jiří Kolář. Unable to record officially at that time, fans distributed bootleg tapes that were later remastered into albums such as Muž bez uší (2002) and Vožralej jak slíva (1997).

After Wilson's departure, PPU turned to the poetry of banned writer Egon Bondy for their lyrics. Their first studio album was recorded in December 1974 under the title Egon Bondy's Happy Hearts Club Banned, which saw release in France in 1978 as an homage to the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

State repression, legal proceedings, and consequences: 1974–1988

In 1974, thousands journeyed from Prague to České Budějovice to attend a Plastics concert but were intercepted by police; numerous students were detained. Following this event, the band was compelled to operate clandestinely until the Velvet Revolution of 1989 ignited an underground cultural phenomenon known as máničky, denoting men sporting long hair.

The year 1976 saw PPU and other underground artists arrested and prosecuted by Communist authorities after performing at the Druhý festival druhé kultury. Charged with "organized disturbance of the peace," they received prison sentences ranging from eight to eighteen months. Paul Wilson was deported despite having left the band four years earlier. Other artists targeted included Pavel Zajíček, Svatopluk Karásek, and František Stárek. After their release, PPU continued creating music, culminating in the 2000 compilation album Kolejnice dúni.

Although they were not politically affiliated, accusations by the Communist regime incited public protests. The arrests partly motivated playwright Václav Havel and others to draft Charter 77. The trial against PPU became a significant episode in opposition to Czechoslovakia’s Communist government.

In 1978, PPU recorded an Easter-themed album titled Pašijové hry velikonoční, which was released in Canada under Paul Wilson’s Boží Mlýn Productions as The Passion Play. This was succeeded by Jak bude po smrti in 1979—featuring settings of Ladislav Klíma’s poetry—and Co znamená vésti koně in 1980. In 1982, saxophonist Brabenec was compelled by the secret police to emigrate to Canada under Akce Asanace. Subsequently, albums Hovězí porážka (1983) and Půlnoční myš (1986) were issued. At this stage, lineup additions included clarinetist Petr Placák, cellist Tomáš Schilla,^[1] guitarist Milan Schelinger, and vocalist Michaela Pohanková.

Despite ongoing conflicts with authorities, band members denied political activism claims, emphasizing their dedication solely to music.^[2] In spring 1987, two authorized concerts were scheduled but subsequently canceled due to police intervention, causing internal tensions that led to the group's dissolution. Following this split, Hlavsa, Janíček, and Kabeš established Půlnoc, which performed publicly from 1988 onward and toured the United States in 1989. Půlnoc produced two albums during the early 1990s.^[3]

Reunion, Hlavsa's passing, and ongoing activity: 1997–2014

Following the Velvet Revolution, the original Plastic People of the Universe lineup reunited for a single concert in 1992, which was subsequently recorded and issued in 1993 under the title Bez ohňů je underground. In 1997, Milan Hlavsa collaborated with Jan Vozáry from Oceán on the live album Magické noci 1997, presenting classic Plastic People tracks reimagined with contemporary electronic arrangements; this album was eventually released in 2021. That same year, prompted by President Václav Havel’s recommendation, PPU came together again to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of Charter 77. This reunion featured members Hlavsa, Brabenec, Janíček, Kabeš, Brabec, and Joe Karafiát. They issued a live album titled The Plastic People of the Universe and resumed their touring schedule.

In 1999, PPU performed at the White House alongside Lou Reed during President Havel’s official visit. Milan Hlavsa passed away from lung cancer in 2001. Although his death raised questions about the band’s future without their lead vocalist and principal composer, they decided to continue in tribute to his memory. That year also saw the release of Líně s tebou spím / Lazy Love – In Memoriam Mejla Hlavsa, a compilation of previously unreleased material by Hlavsa.

Eva Turnová, formerly of DG 307, joined as the bassist. Drummer Ludvík Kandl from Hudba Praha remained with the group until 2009 when Jaroslav Kvasnička took over. Ivan Bierhanzl, a double bassist who had briefly played with PPU in the 1970s, was involved again from 2001 through 2009.

In 2003, the Supreme Court of the Czech Republic annulled the convictions against PPU members dating back to 1976. Collaborating with Agon Orchestra, they re-recorded two concept albums: Jak bude po smrti from 1979 (reissued as Obešel já polí pět in 2010) and Pašijové hry velikonoční from 1978 (re-released in 2004).

Interest surged anew in 2006 due to Tom Stoppard’s play Rock 'n' Roll, which incorporated PPU’s music and examined their influence on Czech culture. Stoppard engaged former member Paul Wilson during its creation.

In December 2009, PPU issued Maska za maskou, their first studio album since 2001 and the first produced without Hlavsa. By 2014, they had partnered with the Brno Philharmonic to perform a symphonic version of their 1981 album Co znamená vésti koně.

Internal conflicts and fragmentation: 2015–present

Tensions within PPU escalated, resulting in departures by Kvasnička and Turnová. On November 17, 2015, the band performed alongside the Brno Philharmonic; this concert was later released as a recording in 2017. Because rehearsals involved recently resigned members, Kvasnička and Turnová were obliged to participate despite opposition from Kabeš—who subsequently left the group himself. Soon after, Karafiát also exited. Brabenec announced his departure shortly thereafter, followed by Janíček in January 2016.

Kabeš and Karafiát assembled a new lineup including bassist Tomáš Skřivánek, drummer Jan Ježek, and keyboardist Vojtěch Starý. Initially performing as The Plastic People of the Universe/New Generation, they eventually reverted to using the original band name. Meanwhile, Brabenec, Janíček, and Kvasnička formed a separate faction under the same name that toured material from Co znamená vésti koně, including a notable concert in Kharkiv on October 18, 2016 commemorating Václav Havel’s eightieth birthday. Both groups operated under the PPU name, leading to disputes over rightful ownership. Brabenec’s ensemble expanded with bassist Johnny Judl Jr and guitarist David Babka.

In celebration of their fiftieth anniversary in 2018, PPU’s Brabenec-led lineup performed to a sold-out audience at Prague’s Acropolis Palace. The occasion featured appearances by several former members such as Josef Rössler, Vladimír Dědek, Tomáš Schilla, Jan Brabec, and Petr Placák.