Recording of Nico’s 1985 illegal Brno concert comes out on vinyl

Czechoslovakia’s communist authorities kept a tight control of all aspects of life, including the arts, and of course, rock music. Only officially sanctioned artists were allowed to perform publicly or record albums. But some people had the courage to defy the system and organize illegal concerts. In 1985, a group of rock fans in Brno staged an illegal concert by the legendary singer Nico whose recording, only now, is about to be released on vinyl.

The tune All Tomorrow’s Parties was among those performed by Nico in a pub on the outskirts of Brno in October 1985. The concert was organized by a group of local rock fans under strict security measures to avoid the unwanted attention of the secret police. One of the people behind the unusual performance was Lenka Zogatová:

“It was a shattering experience. For me personally, the fact that Nico came was more than if the Rolling Stones would have come. At that time, Nico was an idol for us.”

Nico, a German-born singer and actress, was famous in the artistic underground in Czechoslovakia for her collaboration with the American band The Velvet Underground. Their music had a deep influence on the country’s unofficial art scene, and developed a devoted following.

“She came with her band, not the Velvet Underground, of course. By that time, some illegal concerts had already taken place and Nico’s manager had left-wing inclinations. So we got in touch with him and organized one show in Brno and another in Prague.”

The singer, with her entourage, came to Brno from Hungary. There, the regime was more relaxed and the authorities had no problem with her public concerts. Ms Zogatová recalls it was difficult to explain to the rocker why her Brno show was illegal.

Velvet Underground & Nico

“The problem was that they played legally in Poland and Hungary but the show here was illegal. We had to keep the concert and its venue secret because we didn’t want the police to interfere. So we booked a pub on the city’s outskirts but at the same time, we spread a rumour that it was going to take place somewhere else.

“I think the secret police only learnt about it afterwards because in Prague, they broke up the show. But in Brno, they did not show up or at least we didn’t notice them.”

Some 300 people came to see Nico’s Brno concert. Nearly thirty years later, the organizers have released the recording of the show in a limited vinyl edition. The record can be ordered in Prague’s Rekomando store, or at the website rekomando.eu.