“If I don’t sing, I’ll die,” says legendary singer Václav Neckář, who has assembled a program with his four bandmates largely built around his signature ballads. Some of these songs date back to the 1960s, but Neckář also includes tracks from his later operate – and the celebrated “Půlnoční” is among them!
His brother Jan, who felt no longer motivated to perform at age 77, will no longer play in his band. Jan Hlaváč, the singing guitarist, has taken over the role of bandleader. Without Jan’s keyboards, two semi-acoustic guitars, bass, and drums have shifted Neckář’s songs more towards a pop-folk sound, which he welcomes.
Neckář is touring Slovakia with just his four “Friends,” but in the Czech Republic, he will be joined by the youthful trio Golden Kids Tribute. Their repertoire features the most famous songs from the unforgettable 1960s phenomenon, including well-known hits like “Časy se mění” (Times are Changing) and “Hej, pane zajíci” (Hey, Mr. Hare).
A test concert at the Doupě club in Veleslavín revealed two opposing viewpoints on Václav Neckář’s performances. Some fans prefer to remember him in his younger days and don’t want to see him perform now. Others argue that, like Leonard Cohen in his later years, This proves in this stage of his career that the ideas and messages within the lyrics of Zdeněk Borovec and Zdeněk Rytíř truly shine. They believe the songs resonate most with those who have deep life experience and have lived through the themes explored in the ballads. There’s certainly something to that perspective.
