Follow the sound

---

We spent slightly over 24 hours in Ostrava, enough to say we’d “been” but little more. Actually we wouldn’t have spent any time there if it weren’t for the relevant stars coming into alignment at the right time. Concord Dawn, one of NZ’s DnB production legends, was to be playing in the city around the same time we were to be travelling past. It would’ve been rude not to stop really 😉

Walking the wide, empty streets of Ostrava felt like a totally different world after our experience in Zywiec. The two destinations are almost exact polar opposites. While Zywiec has it’s name to lean on, Ostrava is famous for its sprawling industrial nature that exploited the huge reserves of coal beneath the city. Despite this, the town is doing all it can to promote the tourist trade. It has a well laid out centre, wide clean streets, a beautiful art nouveau (?) town square and great socialist art, great tourist information… but no people.

The first hotel we were directed to didn’t exist, the second lay as derelict as the giant wooden mine header it ¾ encompassed, and the third was also in a similar state with locked doors and a piece of A4 in the window explaining it was now closed. When we finally found a room in the cheapest hotel left open, we certainly weren’t expecting much. Often a hotel room in such a situation can constitute little more than a room with a fold-out couch and a shower with warm and cold running water. We took our keys and headed for the room, opening the door revealed a small room with painted walls and no furniture. Resignedly we walked in to see the state of the room…s, they were huge with real glass and leather furniture - the dining room itself was probably the same size as Asia’s apartment. It just goes to show, you just never know!

The drum and bass party itself was awesome. Good-as free, in a tiny club in a park just outside the town centre. It was hot enough in the summer night air outside, let alone in the club. The Czechs do DnB well, totally relaxed (I’ve never seen so many sandals at an indoor party) and the local DJ’s were every bit up to the international act. It was a really amazing feeling dancing to homegrown sounds with besandalled people in a tiny club so remote from home.

---

Photos

Concord Dawn
Headlining a music & juggling festival :)