Prljavo Kazalište (lit. Dirty Theater) is the name of two Croatian (formerly Yugoslav) rock bands; one formed in Zagreb in 1977, and the other formed in Zagreb in 2023. Initially part of the Yugoslav punk rock and new wave scene, the original incarnation of the band turned to mainstream rock sound in mid-1980s. The group has enjoyed large popularity throughout most of its career, and is widely considered one of the most influential acts of Yugoslav and Croatian rock scenes.
Formed by vocalist Davorin Bogović, guitarist Jasenko Houra, guitarist Zoran Cvetković "Zok", bass guitarist Nino Hrastek and drummer Tihomir Fileš, Prljavo Kazalište initially performed punk rock, their songs lyrics featuring provocative social commentary. Their eponymous debut album, recorded with guitarist Marijan Brkić "Brk", who came in as replacement for Cvetković, was released in 1979 to large attention of the country's public and critical acclaim. With their following, more ska- and 2 Tone-oriented album Crno bijeli svijet the group established themselves as one of the most notable acts of the Yugoslav new wave scene. After the album release, Bogović departed from the group, and the band recorded their third album Heroj ulice with Houra on lead vocals, the record marking the band's shift towards more conventional rock sound. Bogović returned for the group's fourth album Korak od sna, after which the group went on hiatus. The band returned to the scene with the 1985 album Zlatne godine, featuring new frontman Mladen Bodalec and radio-friendly pop rock sound. During the following years, the band would enjoy large mainstream popularity, scoring a number of hit songs. Their late 1980s work sparked controversy in some parts of Yugoslavia due to its (perceived) nationalistic undertones, but also increased the band's popularity in Croatian public. During the Croatian War of Independence, the band recorded a number of patriotic tunes, but returned to social criticism with their late 1990s works. The group maintained their musical direction with mainstream rock sound, returning briefly to their new wave roots with the 2003 album Radio Dubrava. Since the late 1990s, Prljavo Kazalište has enjoyed the status of the most popular Croatian rock band (alongside Parni Valjak), also maintaining large popularity in other former Yugoslav republics.
In 2022, a fallout between two remaining original members, Jasenko Houra and Tihomir Fileš, led to a legal process over the rights to the band name. Since 2023, two factions of the band have been active, both named Prljavo Kazalište, one led by Houra and fronted by Bodalec, and the other led by Fileš and fronted by original vocalist Davorin Bogović.
Biography 1977–1979: Formation, debut album and instant popularity The band's origins can be tracked to the band Ciferšlus (Zipper), active in Zagreb in the second half of 1970s and consisting of vocalist Davorin Bogović, guitarist Zoran Cvetković "Zok", bass guitarist Nino Hrastek and drummer Tihomir Fileš. In 1977, the four were joined by guitarist Jasenko Houra, the five deciding to start working under a new name. Cvetković, Hrastek, Fileš and Houra briefly considered to replace Bogović with Davor Gobac (at the time member of the band Klinska Pomora, later of Psihomodo Pop fame), but eventually Bogović remained the group's frontman. The band was officially formed in Dubrava, an urban area of Zagreb, on 29 November, celebrated in Yugoslavia as the Republic Day. Initially, the members considered the name Zarazne Bolesti (Contagious Diseases), but eventually opted for Prljavo Kazalište, after a fictional theatre appearing in the episode "Trio Fnatastikus" of the Italian satirical comic book Alan Ford, which enjoyed large popularity in Yugoslavia.
Initially, the band experimented with different styles, with the song "Moj otac je bio u ratu" ("My Father Fought in the War") being the first one they wrote. The band's first notable performance was in 1978, at a concert organized by the youth magazine Polet, where they were noted for their punk image and stage performance. During the same year, they released their first 7-inch single, featuring provocative songs "Televizori" ("TV Sets"), "Majka" ("Mother") and "Moje djetinjstvo" ("My Childhood"), for the major record label Jugoton. The single was produced by Vedran Božić, music producer and former guitarist for progressive rock bands Dinamiti and Time. The record was followed by the 7-inch single with the songs "Moj otac je bio u ratu" and "Noć" ("Night"), the latter featuring Houra on lead vocals, released in 1979 through Suzy Records. The singles brought them attention of the Yugoslav public and music press, and "Moj otac je bio u ratu" even saw a positive review in British music magazine New Musical Express.
In 1979, Prljavo Kazalište released their eponymous debut album, produced by Ivan "Piko" Stančić, for Suzy Records. During the recording sessions, Zoran Cvetković left the band, and was replaced by guitarist Marijan Brkić "Brk". Songs lyrics, written by Houra, dealt with traumas of young age, capturing the experiences of Yugoslav urban youth with direct social commentary in the songs "Sretno dijete" ("Happy Child"), "Ja sam mladić u najboljim godinama" ("I'm a Young Man in My Prime") and "Subotom uveče" ("On Saturday Evenings"). State censorship commission labeled the album as "šund" ("kitsch"), hence imposing higher taxes on its sale price (while the records considered "artistic" enjoyed a reduced tax rate); the label was most likely imposed owing to the song "Neki dječaci (Some Boys)", arguably the first gay-themed song in Yugoslav popular music. The record sleeve was designed by Yugoslav artist Mirko Ilić and featured a parody of the John Pasche's famous Hot Lips logo, with sliced tongue and upper lip pierced with a safety pin, representing the band's equal respect for both punk rock scene and older rock acts like The Rolling Stones. Mirko Ilić also wrote the lyrics for the album song "Čovjek za sutra" ("Tomorrow's Man"), although he was not credited on the cover. Prljavo Kazalište and their debut gained new attention of the public after the group appeared at a concert at the JNA Stadium in Belgrade, where they performed as one of the support acts for the most popular Yugoslav band of the time, Bijelo Dugme. Although Prljavo Kazalište played on their debut album in a rudimentary manner, the Yugoslav public and music press soon proclaimed it one of the best debut albums of the Yugoslav rock music, and the readers of the music magazine Džuboks polled the group at the end of 1979 as the Biggest Young Hopes of the Scene.
1980–1981: Switch to new wave, Bogović's departure
On their second album, titled Crno bijeli svijet (Black and White World) and released in 1980, Prljavo Kazalište affiliated with new wave, accepting a more polished image and sound. The album, once again produced by Piko Stančić and released for Suzy, was recorded in Milan, Italy. It included ska- and 2 Tone-influenced songs, with guitar sound influenced by the 1960s bands The Shadows and Crveni Koralji and lyrics inspired by Zagreb city life. Demonstrating better musicianship than on their debut, the band scored the hits "Mi plešemo" ("We Dance")—the original title was supposed to be "Mi pijemo" ("We Drink")—"Neki moji prijatelji" ("Some of My Friends"), "Nove cipele" ("New Shoes"), the title track and a cover of "Sedamnaest ti je godina tek" ("You're Only Seventeen") by traditional pop singer Ivo Robić. The album was a commercial success, selling more than 110,000 copies. On the promotional concert in Zagreb's Dom sportova, held on 27 December 1980, the band was joined on stage by traditional tamburica orchestra Zagrebački Muzikaši, in the song "Mi plešemo", the guest appearance revealing Houra's interest for Croatian traditional music. In January 1981, the band played a triumphant concert in Belgrade Youth Center, held as a part of Pozdrav iz Zagreba (Greetings from Zagreb) festival and featuring Haustor as the opening act.
Prljavo Kazalište started to prepare their third studio album, but the beginning of the recording sessions was postponed several times. Frustrated, Bogović took a vacation, travelling to Yugoslav seaside. When the recording sessions were finally scheduled, the rest of the members did not manage to contact him. Angry at Bogović due to his irresponsibility, they decided to exclude him from the band.
1982–1984: Shift to mainstream: Houra fronting, Bogović's return and hiatus For the recording of Prljavo Kazalište third album, Houra took over the vocal duties. The album, entitled Heroj ulice (Hero of the Street), was recorded in Sweden and produced by Tini Varga. It featured guest appearances by percussionists Sjunne Ferger and Miroslav Budanko and saxophonist Janne Gustafsson. Although maintaining a connection with their earlier works through the song "Amerika" ("America"), the band generally moved to a more conventional rock sound with the songs like "Djevojke bi" ("The Girls Would"), "Sve gradske bitange" ("All the City's Punks") and "Lupam glavom u radio" ("I'm Banging My Head Against the Radio"). On the album cover, the songs "Heroj ulice" and "Široke ulice" ("Wide Streets") were labeled as tribute to Bruce Springsteen, and the ballad "Noćas sam izašao na kišu" ("Tonight I Walked Out Into the Rain") as a tribute to Phil Collins. After the release of the record, Fileš and Hrastek went to serve their mandatory stints in the Yugoslav People's Army, so the group continued to perform with the help of the drummer Dražen Šolc and former member Zoran Cvetković, who played bass guitar in this lineup.
In 1983, Davorin Bogović returned to the band, and sang on their fourth album Korak od sna (One Step from the Dream). Collaborating with Rajko Dujmić, leader of the pop band Novi Fosili, Prljavo Kazalište recorded a radio-friendly album, scoring the hit "Sve je lako kad si mlad" ("Everything Is Easy When You're Young"). The album also included a cover of the 1963 song "Milioner" ("Millionaire") by singer Zvonko Špišić. Backing vocals were recorded by veteran singer Zdenka Kovačiček and little-known Mladen Bodalec, formerly of the new wave band Patrola. After Brkić left the band to serve his mandatory stint in the Yugoslav army, the group went on a hiatus.
1985–1990: Comeback with Bodalec as vocalist, new successes The band made a comeback with the album Zlatne godine (Golden Years), released at the end of 1985 for Jugoton. Mladen Bodalec, who had appeared on the band's previous album as backing vocalist, debuted on Zlatne godine as the group's new frontman. The record was produced by Piko Stančić and marked the band's shift to mainstream pop rock sound, bringing the hits "Ne zovi mama doktora" ("Don't Call the Doctor, Mom"), "Ma kog me boga za tebe pitaju" ("Why In Heaven's Name Are They Asking Me About You") and "Sladoled" ("Ice Cream"), the latter sung by Houra and female vocalist Olja Duboja.