Living the clandestine lifestyle at Klub 007

At first glance, the sprawling communist-era buildings that now serve as college dormitories at "Block 7" in Strahov are decidedly uninviting. In fact, the city has been toying with the idea of demolishing the buildings for years. On weekend evenings, however, the faint sounds of rebellion and anger emanate from the complex like an audible beacon, echoing death metal and punk music, the darkest corners of rock and roll. Scratched on a chalkboard is the night's program, above it a sign reading "Klub 007 Strahov."

Now in its 40th year, the club is affectionately known to Czechs "Sedmička" or "Seven."

"It's a very special place," says Klub 007 producer Monika Černá. "When we were planning for the 40th anniversary, we realized we didn't know the exact date. We do know the venue opened sometime in September 1969, so we just decided that the celebration should go on."

Originally run as a student club by Czech Technical University (ČVUT) students, and still technically owned by ČVUT, Klub 007 has since 1987 been managed and run by Ivo Kučera.

"He is the one who has kept the club running for all these years," Černá says. "We don't have contact with ČVUT anymore, so it has been all on Kučera."

Historically, Klub 007 has served as the voice of disgruntled Czech youth. The landmark has always been a staple of the Czech underground scene, musically and otherwise.

Until 1987, the venue was a meeting place for controversial political discussions and readings, also hosting musicians specializing in independent folk, jazz, new wave and acoustic music. After 1989, the punk and hardcore generation kicked into high gear, and, with the opening of Czech borders, punk, ska and reggae artists from all over the world have come to play at the venue.

Many bands believe it is the place to perform in Prague.

"It is the Mecca of the independent cultural scene in Prague," says Michal Drobný, guitarist for the hardcore punk band Thalidomide. "It's a place where people from different parts of the world meet, and it is one of the real multicultural places here. We have played there roughly 30 times, ... and, if I had to count how many concerts I've attended as a spectator, it would be at least a hundred."

The club's 40th anniversary was a proud achievement as the venue has experienced temporary closures several times. In 1986, students were cast out from the club, and there was a fire in 2001 that shut it down for a month. In 2007, the sanitation department threatened to close it down following a noise complaint, and the club had to come up with 500,000 Kč for soundproofing the interior.

"It is amazing that Sedmička still exists," Kučera says. "All the credit goes to our fans and supporters. Since we have no money for sufficient promotion, it has been the fans who invite others to support us. It is the people that keep us going."

That interest, however, may not be enough. Although a date is not known, Černá claims the city wants to completely liquidate the dormitories and use the land for luxury housing projects.

"When this happens, the venue has no chance of survival," she says. "It's hard to say at this moment what will happen, but it looks as though Klub 007 will, at some point, be relocated to some other building in Prague. Either way, we will definitely not be under ČVUT ownership again."

"These 40 years have been special," Černá adds. "But the plan from here on out is to try and remain here as long as we can."

- Klára Jiřičná contributed to this report.

Philip Heijmans can be reached at
pheijmans@praguepost.com