the greatest band i ever saw
December 13, 2010 1:15 AM Subscribe
I was in the Czech Republic in 1997, and I saw a band play a couple of times. They played a frenzied mash up of gypsy music, East European folk, tankard swinging beer chugging songs and drunken marching band. They had lots of members on lots of instruments - including a big bass drum and a double reed instrument that looked and sounded like something to charm a cobra with. I saw them twice, they were the greatest band I have ever seen. Czech friends said their name translated to something like 'unexpected little party'.
Who were they?
Best answer: It's Neocekávaný Dýchánek.
Several students of the Philosophy Faculty of Charles University in Prague formed the band Neočekávaný Dýchánek (Unexpected Party) in early summer of 1992. The original line-up included lead vocal/flute, violin/viola, saxophone and three guitars, later joined by a bass player. They got courageous enough to play their first public shows in students’ clubs and local pubs in late 1993. The founding member, sax and clarinet player Michal Hrubý left the band along with bassist Martin Kopecký in 1995. A new sax/clarinet player and bassist completed the line-up along with a drummer, and the line-up stabilised at the end of 1997 when the original drummer Tomáš Dubský was replaced by Petr Kadaník. He was replaced by Jan Pydych in 2006.
posted by mykescipark at 1:47 AM on December 13, 2010 [6 favorites]
Several students of the Philosophy Faculty of Charles University in Prague formed the band Neočekávaný Dýchánek (Unexpected Party) in early summer of 1992. The original line-up included lead vocal/flute, violin/viola, saxophone and three guitars, later joined by a bass player. They got courageous enough to play their first public shows in students’ clubs and local pubs in late 1993. The founding member, sax and clarinet player Michal Hrubý left the band along with bassist Martin Kopecký in 1995. A new sax/clarinet player and bassist completed the line-up along with a drummer, and the line-up stabilised at the end of 1997 when the original drummer Tomáš Dubský was replaced by Petr Kadaník. He was replaced by Jan Pydych in 2006.
posted by mykescipark at 1:47 AM on December 13, 2010 [6 favorites]
Best answer: There's lots of amatuer video of Neocekávaný Dýchánek on the tubes, if you need a visual check.
posted by Happy Dave at 2:45 AM on December 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Happy Dave at 2:45 AM on December 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Google returns more results if you search for it with all the diacritics: Neočekávaný Dýchánek. Great question, btw - I hadn't heard of these guys, but they sound awesome. Looks like they have a few concerts coming up, too.
posted by Cimrmanova at 3:24 AM on December 13, 2010
posted by Cimrmanova at 3:24 AM on December 13, 2010
Response by poster: ahh.. metafilter is there any question you cannot answer...
posted by compound eye at 3:45 AM on December 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by compound eye at 3:45 AM on December 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
Having listened to a few of the tracks from Happy Dave's link, If you love these guys I expect you'll also like Besh O Drom. Hungarian rather then Czech, but a very similar feel to the music. Their output is pretty diverse, definitely worth exploring! (Official site)
posted by metaBugs at 4:11 AM on December 13, 2010
posted by metaBugs at 4:11 AM on December 13, 2010
You might also enjoy Fanfare Ciocarlia - they are Romanian rather than Czech - but have the same kind of amazing live act you talk about. Myspace site.
posted by rongorongo at 4:30 AM on December 13, 2010
posted by rongorongo at 4:30 AM on December 13, 2010
I lived in Prague 95-96, there were a LOT of good bands then! have you heard Buty, for instance?
posted by bitter-girl.com at 7:37 AM on December 13, 2010
posted by bitter-girl.com at 7:37 AM on December 13, 2010
Response by poster: bugs, rongox2, bitter, cimrma, yaymy and hawkeye - thank you for your answers,
I've been wondering who Neocekávaný Dýchánek were for over a decade.
I saw them a few times while i was staying at Ladronka.
And you're right I think I will like the other bands you've mentioned.
posted by compound eye at 7:29 PM on December 13, 2010
I've been wondering who Neocekávaný Dýchánek were for over a decade.
I saw them a few times while i was staying at Ladronka.
And you're right I think I will like the other bands you've mentioned.
posted by compound eye at 7:29 PM on December 13, 2010
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posted by hawkeye at 1:44 AM on December 13, 2010