The Plastic People of the Universe (PPU) is a Czech rock band from Prague. They are considered the foremost representatives of Prague's underground culture (1968–1989), which defied the Czechoslovakia's Communist regime. Members of the band often suffered serious repercussions, including arrests and prosecution, because of their non-conformist ideals. The group continues to perform, despite the death in 2001 of its founder, main composer, and bassist, Milan Hlavsa. To date (2023), they have released nine studio albums and over a dozen live albums. In 2016, the group split in two because of internal differences. The original group is composed of bandleader Josef Janíček, Vratislav Brabenec, Jaroslav Kvasnička, Johnny Judl Jr, and David Babka. The second splinter group, which performs under the name The Plastic People of the Universe/New Generation, is composed of Jiří Kabeš, Josef Karafiát, Jakub Koláček, Wenca Březina, and Vojtěch Starý. History Formation and early years: 1968–1974 From January to August 1968, under the rule of Communist Party leader Alexander Dubček, Czechoslovakians experienced the Prague Spring. In August, Soviet and other Warsaw Pact troops invaded the country, leading to the overthrow of Dubček's government and the period that came to be known as Normalization. Less than a month after the invasion, bassist Milan Hlavsa, who was seventeen years old at the time, formed the Plastic People of the Universe. The rest of the band was composed of Michal Jernek (vocals, clarinet), Jiří "Přemysl" Števich (guitar), and Josef Brabec (drums). A few months later, Pavel Zeman replaced Brabec, and guitarist and keyboardist Josef Janíček joined the band. The group was heavily influenced by Frank Zappa and the Velvet Underground (Zappa's band, the Mothers of Invention, featured the song "Plastic People" on their 1967 album Absolutely Free and inspired the Czech group's name). Czech art historian and cultural critic Ivan Jirous became the band's manager/artistic director in the following year, fulfilling a role similar to Andy Warhol's with the Velvet Underground. The band's membership shifted at this point, and Jirous introduced Hlavsa to guitarist Josef Janíček and viola player Jiří Kabeš, who, together with saxophone player Vratislav Brabenec, formed the core of the group, with a rotating cast of drummers that included Jiří Šula, Jaroslav Vožniak, Jan Schneider, and Jan Brabec. The consolidated Czech communist government revoked the band's musical license in 1970. Because Jirous believed that English was the lingua franca of rock music, he invited Paul Wilson, a Canadian