Akropolis sits indeed on top of a hill, and is impossible to forget how audacious it was to take a taxi to the front door of that place. But actually there was very little in the way of attitude in the club that was the proper heart of Zizkov.
Except of course when Gabe lived in Prague, but he always had a problem with authority. And that funky tall black haired misanthrope of whom I know several of his ex lovers.
He would just sit there at the bar, in disdain of everyone and everything until he found his target for the night, week, or however long it took to expose his true self (not on a park bench silly). I think his name was Lars or Mars and he had plenty of attitude. Wanted to be French.
In general, if I felt someone really wanted to get a sense of Prague and they were still confused by street signs and ordinary discos, but still a bit of an adventurous streak, I’d always send them to the Akropolis. The place has everything, decent food, a great cafe, concert hall with great sound, and the hottest little DJ bar that this town may ever know. We often tried to imagine owning a club like this in our straightlaced hometowns.
There are such a variety of people here, a great mix of open minds and shaking butts. Its rare that you can be as unselfconscious and forgiving in a place where you see alot of the same people all the time, but everybody caught the vibe and it’s a real place to anticipate going. The raw drunkeness and the condom ranversations, the illustrious cameos and the big names who packed everyone into 30 sweaty square meters of bustling action and celebration. Some great alcoholics have flourished in this place, reliable everyday of the week.
Reggae sundays were as close as a lot of people around here got to going to church. It’s great to see everybody pay their respect, and all the joints that are rolled there, and the rumors that you could buy it there behind the bar, forget about the giant pipe overhead. And the dead body embedded in the walls.
Deejays love the place, and the guest musicians always liven things up. MC Orange could take it a bit too far sometimes, and the guy with the jew harp (??!!), Babe LN dealt out different styles of tunes like she was dealing blackjack in Las Vegas, with a stony stoicism.
There was MC Kary, the funkiest white rasta of all time. Getting more shamanistic/messianic by the month, overflowing with confidence, and then resuming his low key role in the mass of bodies below.
All this to no applause, this is not a place to worship the DJ, everyone hangs on the same level, and it gives me hope in this often divided and cliqued out city, especially the local/foreigner division. Doesn’t exist here. What exists are gutsy promoters and great musicians.
The shows. Too numerable to do justice. Sneaker Pimps, Jon Spencer, Megadeth, Easy Rollers, Afghan Whigs, Pharcyde, all the great Euro Connections shows, and all the great local bands. Such diversity. Feel the quality and substance in the place, not easy to dismiss.
Who will step up next to the plate, and bring more great bands to Prague? Production and promotion takes spleen and liver, its no joke. I hope all of you get to spend plenty of time here in the DJ bar, live bands, perhaps even a little Led Zeppelini in the back room when you’re sentimental, I hope you enjoy the people that come andgo, in good and bad form, smiling. I hope you close the place down a few nights when you didn’t expect to.
Back down the hills you go again as if your access to the castle has been rescinded. We are not a sentimental town, but this one puts a frog in the throat. VIVA AKROPOLIS! !
Pal
