GARAGE & Tony Duchacek

History of this legendary Prague rock band goes back to 1979 when it was established in a garage of Prague suburbs.

Through the 1980s Garage belonged to a new generation of young independent bands inspired by punk, postpunk, pub rock and new wave. Whereas older generation of Czech underground bands (The Plastic People of the Universe, DG 307) created gloomy dark composition inspired by Frank Zappa, The Fugs, Velvet Underground, Captain Beefheart, minimalistic music and experimental classical music, new generation of bands, represented by Garage, was more simple direct rock and roll.

 

People who founded Garage loved Iggy Pop, David Bowie (but also New York Dolls, Ramones, Clash or Stranglers) and whereas The Plastic People of the Universe (PPU) were inspired by Velvet Underground, Garage was always in love with solo Lou Reed. However, PPU and Garage were always interconnected eventhough PPU represented an older (or slightly older) generation. Mejla Hlavsa, leader of PPU, composed some hits for Garage in 1980s, current guitar player Jan Machacek played with PPU in the past (1983-1985).

 

In the 1980s (under the former communist regime) Garage was allowed to play officialy (sometimes), but it has never been permitted to play for money, eventhough the group was very popular - their concerts in the Prague club Na Chmelnici became legendary!

 

Garage was not permitted to publish official albums under the communists, so its recordings (once again often recorded in real garages) were circulating in samizdat (underground publishing) on tapes and casettes.

Garage's songs and music are based on a personality of a charismatic leading singer Tony Duchacek, who is also an author of all the lyrics based on unique, direct, suburban slang but with a lot of poetic imagination. Colour of Duchacek's lazy voice reminds baryton and is similar to that of Lou Reed. Similarly with Lou Reed Duchacek does not scream and shout. Duchacek joined Garage in 1982 and together with a guitar player Jan Machacek are the longest serving members of the band.

 

After 1989 revolution there was a peak of Garage career. Band was touring and travelling extensivelly inside the country and in Western Europe. It played on major festivals in France, Switzerland, Austria and Belgium. In June 1991 Garage had a concert in New York Central Park during festival Summer stage. With a song Berlin, Garage won a contest of the best foreign song on RFI (1993) and played at the MIDI fair in Cannes. The group was presented and interviewed by MTV Europe.

 

During years after 1989 revolution Garage published many albums: first on vinyl and then on CDs. Names of albums are Garáž, Praha, No parking, Apogeum, Nepohadka, Black!.

 

Garage still plays extensively, regularly in Prague and other big cities, it is presented in all major festivals, which are being held in Czech republic. Currently Garage is preparing a new album.