Prague live music: A sold-out night of mind-blowing harmony

Monday evening. The outside temperature had just dropped below +30°C, and it hadn’t been the easiest start to the working week, largely due to the oppressive heat. And yet… Jazz Dock was completely sold out for seating, with tickets only available for standing room. A palpable sense of anticipation filled the club—a feeling that was soon fulfilled by one of the most interesting, exciting, and original bands to emerge from the bottomless Czech music library, which seems to produce world-class acts without limitation. I am talking, of course, about the Voice-Double Bass Octet: Ridina Ahmedová, Alice Bauer, Mirka Novak, and Markéta Zdeňková on vocals, alongside Klára Pudláková; Ondřej Štajnochr, Ondřej Komárek, and Petr Tichý on double bass. 

 

Two hours after the first notes rang out, the room erupted into ovations that were probably heard all the way up at the Prague Castle. Following a stunning setlist of original compositions—both their own and unique takes on others—and an obligatory encore, most of us found ourselves completely overwhelmed by what we had just experienced. To put it short, as one audience member perfectly summed it up: “The best concert this year”

This was my second time experiencing the Voice-Double Bass Octet, so I thought I knew what to expect. Or did I? The performance was just as astonishing as the first time, only in a completely different way. I still don’t quite know if it was me or the music that had changed—or maybe both, or maybe nothing at all. Everything that captivated me before was right there: the total harmony, the dark undertones seamlessly mixed with moments of pure joy and laughter that challenge your thinking in ways you can’t quite explain. Perhaps I shouldn’t try to analyze it. Maybe I should just look back at last night, enjoy the overwhelming emotions, and simply accept what I experienced—a spectacular, captivating, and mind-blowing performance so original and breathtaking that, yes, I am still left completely speechless.

 

Thank you Voice-Double Bass Octet