Plastic People of the Universe
플라스틱 피플 오브 더 유니버스
The Plastic People of the Universe was a Czechoslovak rock band formed in 1968 that became central to Prague's underground culture during the period of Normalization. The arrest, prosecution, and imprisonment of its members and associated artists after a 1976 performance became an important immediate catalyst for Václav Havel and others preparing Charter 77.
In depth
Founded by Milan Hlavsa, the band was influenced by Frank Zappa and the Velvet Underground. In 1970 the authorities revoked its performance licence, and restrictions on public performance helped it develop an underground network of musicians and listeners. After the Second Festival of the Second Culture in 1976, some members were convicted of ‘organised disturbance of the peace’ and sentenced to between eight and eighteen months in prison. The band did not present itself as a political organisation, but the trial connected cultural nonconformity with civic rights and helped shape the coalition that emerged around Charter 77.
Sources
- Wikipedia (EN) : 1968년 결성, 프라하 언더그라운드 문화의 대표 밴드, 1976년 체포·재판과 샤르타 77과의 연관성을 뒷받침한다.
- 1989.rrchnm.org : 조지 메이슨대학교의 Making the History of 1989 1차자료 해설로, 밴드의 1976년 체포·유죄판결과 그에 대응한 샤르타 77 서명 운동을 뒷받침한다.