The Brno music label Indies Records is celebrating its 35th anniversary on 21 February with a birthday concert; over the course of the day, eleven shows will take place over three stages at the legendary venue Fléda, featuring alternative stars, recent discoveries, and artists returning to the stage after 10 years. The event is part of a two-month program of concerts marking 35 years of independent music in Brno.
A special birthday party
The legendary Brno band Swordfishtrombones is making a special return to the stage for the occasion, and there will be an exclusive joint concert by David Pomahač and Kvietah, performing the songs of Kieslowski, as well as songs from Pomahač’s album ‘Do tmy je daleko’, which celebrates 5 years since its release in February.
The band Meat-House Chicago I.R.A. will also play a rare concert, coinciding with a limited reissue of their album ‘Steak!’, the first album released by the Indies Records label (catalog number MAM001). The remastered version on vinyl will be on sale at the festival, signed by the band, who will play their punk hardcore set again after a long time.
The ZVA 12-28 Band will launch their album ‘Mňa nič nebolí, iba ked hrám’, playing tracks from the album in an unconventional lineup including a brass section. Another album launch will come from Jan Váňa; last year, he released the album ‘A na Jordán dopadla tma’, which he has now supplemented with a new EP, ‘Z mýho pokoje’. The two recordings will be released on CD together on Friday, 31 January.
Other performers already announced include Moimir Papalescu & The Nihilists, Jana Vébrová, Petr Linhart (Majer’s Brake Tabulky), and the blues duo Beňa & Radványi.
35 years of Indies Scope
The first store and CD rental shop under the name Indies was opened on 14 February 1990 at Milady Horákové 25 in Brno. After a year of operation, the Indies Records publishing house was established with the motto: “We release music that we like and that we enjoy listening to”. From the initial rock releases, the publishing house gradually opened up to other genres, including folk and folk rock albums, world music, folklore, blues, rock, jazz and rap.
In 2005, the recording studio Indies was established and in 2007 the publishing house was divided into three separate publishing houses with joint distribution. In 2009, the Indies Production agency was established under the Indies Scope label. A music and concert ticket shop also operated for 30 years, closing during the Covid period.
Over 800 albums and titles mapping high-quality Czech and Slovak original music have been released under the Indies label, as well as some foreign artists such as The Frames and Gogol Bordello.
The original Indies has undergone continuous development and change since its founding in 1990, and now comprises six different companies and branches (Indies Records, Indies Scope, Indies Happy Trails, Indies MG, Studio Indies, Indies Production). The brand has always been associated with good music. For more information, see Brno Daily’s retrospective series of the first 30 years of Indies Scope, or a more detailed history of the label (in Czech).
“35 years is an incredible number that we could not even imagine at the beginning,” said Milan Páleš, co-founder of Indies Records. “For me personally, this 35th year was very important as I retired, and now I only follow the events at Indies Scope from afar. And it seems that the young people are doing well, so I look forward to celebrating its 50th anniversary someday.”
The first wave of tickets for Indies’ birthday is sold out and the second wave is now on sale, starting at 450 CZK (plus dealer fees). Tickets are available at smsticket. See the Facebook event for more information.
35 years of Brno’s independent music scene
The Indies Scope birthday party is just the biggest of a series of events in the first two months of 2025 dedicated to celebrating 35 years of independent music on the Brno club scene, organised by the Brno Association of Club Music (BACH). Concerts by independent artists and bands from Brno and the surrounding area have already taken place in several BACH member clubs. Those still to come are:
- 23 January 2025 | Artbar – Bratři + P/\ST
- 6 February 2025 | Alterna – Narajama, Už Jsme Doma
- 8 February 2025 | Vegalite – Zuby Nehty
- 21 February 2025 | Fléda – 35 let Indies
- 26 February 2025 | Melodka – 301
- 7 March 2025 | Alterna – Květy
- 11 March 2025 | Kabinet MÚZ – Plum Dumplings
Brno Daily is a media partner of 35 Years of Indies.
