Introduction
Since its emergence in the 1950s, rock and roll has been associated with rebellion. However, the stakes for rock bands were dramatically higher behind the Iron Curtain. For one band, The Plastic People of the Universe (PPU), music was a vehicle for political revolution.
Historical Context
On January 5th, 1968, Alexander Dubček became First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia and with his position, planted the seed for the revolution in decades to come. Dubček’s objective was to restore Czechoslovakia and create "socialism with a human face," a system blending the socialist framework with increased political, economic, and cultural freedoms. Under Dubček, citizens experienced increased freedom of speech and press, as well as economic and political reforms that encouraged individual autonomy. For a brief moment, cultural third spaces appeared where citizens gathered to openly discuss art, politics, and ideas. With this era of relaxed restrictions, known as Prague Spring, came a flourishing of the arts and an influx of Western influence- one of which being rock music.
Dubček’s new policies were designed to humanize the current political and economic framework of the Soviet Union- not oppose it. Despite this, the Soviet government was concerned that the loosening of their policies would result in rebellion and encourage other nations to follow suit. Prague Spring came to a striking end on August 20th 1968. On this day, the Soviet government sent Warsaw Pact troops to invade Czechoslovakia and return the state to a conservative pro-Soviet government. Dubček was immediately expelled and replaced by Gustáv Husák who immediately reversed all of Dubček’s reforms. Under Husák’s “normalization” policies, censorship tightened and previous freedoms were stripped away.
Just three weeks after the invasion, The Plastic People of the Universe was formed.
Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia. Source: The Central Intelligence Agency
Rock-N-roll in the Period of Normalization
All aspects of Czechoslovakian life, including music and live performance, were impacted by Gustáv Husák’s “normalization” policies. In order to obtain a license to perform in Husák’s Czechoslovakia, bands were required to comply with the following regulations:
They were required to play soft pop music (not hard rock) and follow “gentle melodic lines” (Ramet, 2019).
Lyrics had to be submitted for approval
Performers were mandated to maintain a conservative appearance. (e.g., no long hair for men)
Bands were not allowed to sing in English.
Bands were not allowed to play music genres with “life destroying effects” and “unacceptable excessive levels of noise”(Ramet, 2019).
Bands that violated these rules and performed publicly without a license were charged with “illegal business activity” and “disturbing the peace” (Ramet, 2019).
Plastic People of the Universe (PPU)
PPU was formed by bassist Milan “Mejla” Hlavsa in 1968, just three weeks after the invasion of Czechoslovakia. The band was heavily inspired by Frank Zappa and the avant-garde band Velvet Underground.
Though their lyrics had no overtly hostile or anti-government sentiment, their refusal to comply with Husák’s “normalization” policies rendered them political. They sang in English, they continued to rock long hair, and they refused to change their English band name. By 1970, the government revoked their license to perform and confiscated their state-owned instruments. However, the band was not deterred. They continued to perform at illegal underground venues and private parties. Oftentimes, their shows were framed as “lectures” on The Velvet Underground to evade detection. Despite precautions to hide the locations of their performances, police frequently raided their events, sometimes subjecting attendees to beatings and interrogations.
Tension escalated at the 1976 Second Music Festival of the Second Culture, an alternative music festival hosted and promoted by PPU’s own manager, Ivan Jirous. What began as a celebration of independent alternative art set off a chain of events that ultimately contributed to the downfall of the Soviet regime.
The Final Straw
For their participation in the Second Music Festival, police arrested all members of PPU. One member, Paul Wilson, was expelled from the country. Four members faced trial and were sent to prison for singing “vulgar lyrics” and “organized disturbance of the peace” (Ramet, 2019). Their imprisonment sparked domestic and international outrage and drew attention to the oppressive nature of Husák’s policies.
Playwright Václav Havel emerged as one of PPU’s most prominent supporters. He recognized the broader implications of the band’s persecution, stating: “an attack on the Czech musical underground was an attack on the most elementary and important thing, something that bound everyone together... The freedom to play rock music was understood as a human freedom and thus as essentially the same as the freedom to engage in philosophical and political reflection, the freedom to write, to express and defend the social and political interests of society" (Sterling, 2016). Havel's support for PPU mobilized public dissent and unified citizens around the shared values of free speech and expression.
Václav Havel. Source: Jaroslav Krejčí heirs
From Charter 77 to the Velvet Revolution
Motivated in part by the imprisonment of PPU band members, scores of intellectuals united under Havel to compose Charter 77- a manifesto condemning the Czechoslovak government for violating the human rights provisions outlined in the constitution and the Helsinki Final Act. Though the signatories of Charter 77 explicitly stated that they were a humanitarian cause and not an organizational political opposition, the Czechoslovakian government reacted with intense repression. Signatories were subject to harassment and the leaders of Charter 77, including Václav Havel, were imprisoned.
Despite these challenges, Charter 77 laid the groundwork for broader resistance and unity. By the late 1980s, cracks in the communist regime began to show. Inspired by movements across the Eastern bloc, Czechoslovakia witnessed growing protests which ultimately culminated in the Velvet Revolution of 1989. During mass demonstrations, citizens demanded political reform, and the communist government finally collapsed.
Havel, once imprisoned for his activism, became the last president of Czechoslovakia and first president of the Czech Republic. By then, the members of the PPU were free and their role in inspiring resistance was cemented in history. Today, the PPU’s story is a testament that music, whether intentionally or not, can inspire change.
References
Beaumont, Mark. “The Plastic People of the Universe: How the violent suppression of a rock band led to a revolution in Czechoslovakia.” The Independent. The Independent, 15 Mar. 2021. https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/music/features/plastic-people-of-the-universe-czechoslovakia-revolution-b1816340.html
Ramet, Sabrina P., and Vladimir Ðorđević. “The Three Phases of Rock Music in the Czech Lands.” Communist and Post-Communist Studies, vol. 52, no. 1, 2019, pp. 59–70. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/48610538 . Accessed 4 Dec. 2024.
Severo, Richard. “Alexander Dubcek 70 dies in Prague.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 9 Nov. 1992, https://www.nytimes.com/1992/11/09/obituaries/alexander-dubcek-70-dies-in-prague.html
Sterling, Bruce. “‘The Power of the Powerless’ by Vaclav Havel.” Medium, Medium, 28 Sept 2017, https://bruces.medium.com/the-power-of-the-powerless-by-vaclav-havel-84b2b8d3a84a
“Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia, 1968” U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of State,
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1961-1968/soviet-invasion-czechoslavkia
“The Plastic People of the Universe” The Plastic People of the Universe, plasticpeople.cz.