Moshpits, Sweat and an Anděl: Mňága and Slobodná Európa Set Plzeň’s Šeříkovka Ablaze
On Sunday, April 12, Plzeň's Šeříkovka hosted a joint show by Mňága a Žďorp and Slobodná Európa. At first glance, the pairing of Slovak punk rock and Czech alternative rock might seem a bit unusual, but it works incredibly well – and it's far from their first collaboration. This stop was part of their current tour, following a string of shows across Slovakia last autumn. The concert was originally scheduled for a day earlier, but had to be moved due to the Anděl Awards, where Mňága a Žďorp were nominated.
Since it was a Sunday – not exactly your typical gig night – the doors opened early at 6 PM, and it didn't take long before punk fans were already pacing in front of the stage, with a bold backdrop looming behind it. Shortly after 7 PM, Slovak legends Slobodná Európa hit the stage. Punk rockers through and through, they didn't waste time on chatter – instead, they threw themselves headfirst into guitars and microphones. From the very first notes, they got the crowd moving, with several mosh pits breaking out in front of the stage. The set featured tracks like Pes, Relatívny pokoj, Nič sa nedeje, Dry '69, Unavený a zničený, and the ever-relevant Ivan. Crowd staples such as Podvod, Kapitalizmus, and Pakáreň were also part of the set. They wrapped it all up with an encore of Analýza dokázala hovno – a track that simply couldn't be left out.
After a quick stage changeover, it was time to welcome Mňága a Žďorp. As a thank-you for the rescheduled show, they proudly showed off their freshly won Anděl award – even raising a toast on stage. With their typical humor, they pointed out that fans should properly enjoy the "Band of the Year" title, considering they receive the award roughly once every 33 years.
They kicked things off with Písnička pro tebe, followed by the well-known Hodinový hotel. Frontman Petr Fiala joked that if the audience wanted an encore, they might play one more song – but reminded everyone that it's a workday tomorrow. Fortunately, judging by the crowd's reaction, he quickly reconsidered, and the "encore" turned into a full-on set lasting over an hour. Fiala frequently stepped down among the fans, clearly enjoying the interaction – the energy was flowing in all directions. The setlist included classics like Nagasaki Hirošima and Cesta může být cíl, while also introducing plenty of new material. Nearly half of the songs came from their latest album Hořím? Hoříš! – including Vlak přijel včas, Povídali si spolu o lásce, Hezká písnička, Poslední večeře Páně, and the already familiar Podivné rybičky. Of course, fan favorites like Nejlíp jim bylo and Spaste svoje duše were not missing.
They also made sure to plug their merch – not just the usual T-shirts, but also some brilliantly quirky items like a shower gel titled "I sprcha může být cíl" ("Even a shower can be the destination") and a shampoo called "Nechám si projít hlavou" ("I'll let it sink in").
The encore was anything but brief. They opened it with Ve 4 ráno, after which they joked that from now on, they'd only come to Plzeň on Sundays. They even crowned Plzeň the capital of the country – at least until the next morning. The entire set closed with Jablkový sad, after which they said their goodbyes to the fans.
Huge thanks for an amazing night go to both Slobodná Európa and Mňága a Žďorp – and congratulations on the Anděl award. Shoutout as well to Šeříkovka for hosting.
Šári
Here's a small selection of photos – the full gallery is available on ZONERAMA.