Dáša and his acoustic dirty folk will be among those proving that punk does not need electric guitars and other noise-making devices on this year’s May Day. His take on DIY music gets by with just an acoustic guitar, raw vocals and mainly the lyrics, that are poetical, romantic and ironical at the same time. But the most important aspect, above all of these nice words, is the pleasant fact that Dáša is capable of self-irony and he takes seriously neither himself, nor the world he can describe so well.

Another heartily pleasant visit from abroad – this time from Serbia and Montenegro. Bayonetes formed in 2004 and same as their brothers in arms, Red Union, they quickly acquired an iconic status in Balkans. The band describes their sound as street punk influenced slightly by original ska and mainly by the English scene of the end of 70’s and beginning of 80’s, and this description is accurate without a doubt. Their catchy songs include punk drive and the desperate atmosphere of the street. Every tone pulses with exquisite music as well as a clear attitude (Bayonetes are an openly antifascist band) and creates an exceptional entirety. One of the reasons for their popularity is their reputation on stage, where they can reform every audience into a singing and dancing mass. Come and see for yourself. www.myspace.com/thebayonets

Ilúzia from Slovakia is one of the biggest discoveries of recent years. The band has been playing for a couple of years now, but it is the today’s lineup that let the originality and power of the band to come to light. Their latest record Búrka (The Storm) is literally charged with static electricity and great energetic songs that will make you play it over and over again. Their sound is based in fast and upright old school hc/punk that Ilúzia reforms with a big load of authentic invention. The tinge of violin seems virtually ingenious, and combined with the uncompromising female vocal, it forms an almost heroic feeling and brightens the sound of the band. The cherry on top is the exceptional political lyrics with a personal feeling and the approach to the problems around us. Ilúzia is also famous for the performance on the stage and for the ability to transmit the energy from the records to the stage. We can’t imagine a better kick-off of this year’s May Day. www.myspace.com/iluzionists

Spectres from Canada are another band that is going to represent the overseas scene at the May Day festival and you can look forward to another load of fine punk. This time, it will be something little different, though. These young men from Vancouver derive their inspiration from post punk of the late 70’s, namely from Joy Division, Wipers or Wire. But it is 2011 already, and Spectres are well aware of it. Their take on post punk is more explosive and pumped up with energy of the current hc/punk wave. The result is a captivating post punk, build on firm rhythm, dark guitar melodies, significant bass line and a sovereign vocal. Spectres are among the best-known representatives of the genre nowadays, and we are very happy to welcome them in the family of the bands that have decided to support May Day festival.

Another incarnation of Adam (GNU, Aran Epochal), another reason to come to see and listen. The concept of Aran Satan sticks to the best characteristics of Aran Epochal and all the things that Adam participates on. A voice that makes you shiver, lyrics that make you wish desperately it were you who wrote them, poetic that interconnects the revolutionary, romantic spirit of Francois Villon and the dirt of the streets of Prague. Aran Satan is a concept that Adam has been working on for about a year. It is a mixture of sounds and words that are combined so unprecedentedly yet feel so good together that it makes them seem natural and innovative at the same time. Adam’s lyrics are exactly as political as are the feelings of insecurity and unanchoredness and their positive counterparts that we live every day.

You don't have to fear the Vandals. They are not descendants of a tribe that used to devastate Europe centuries ago, they are a young band that comes from Svätý Jur near Bratislava, Slovakia. They do not stick to the classical punk motto No Future, usually used by the bands that sing against the society of unequality. Their songs are fun mini stories that usually end with a happy-end. The heroes of their lyrics are ordinary people, like a muscular member of the security service with a small head, a baker with round cheeks or handball players from fourth league - simply characters from everyday life.

The Serbian band Red Union don't let anybody stand still. During their career, they gained a cult status they deserve and now they are coming for the first time to introduce themselves to the local audience. There are influences like The Clash and the original British punk scene as a whole in the fundamentals of their sound. But they are not stuck 30 years in the past and they add an up-to-date energy and a whole load of enthusiasm in the mixture. Apart from The Clash mentioned above, their music is influenced by bands like Rancid, Anti-Flag or International Noise Conspiracy, or the legendary bands from Yugoslavia from the 70's. The songs are built on brilliant melodic ideas, uncompromising rhythm and a charismatic vocal and their sound is highly contagious. By adding intelligent political lyrics and a clear attitude against Nazis and authorities, Red Union sure creates punk anthems of the lost generation of today. Their show at the MayDay Festival will be an experience worth remembering.

The days when the town of Kladno used to be the synonym for coalmines, Poldi steel factory and hairy hockey legend Jágr are long gone. Today, Kladno usually reminds the fans of the tougher kind of music of the crust brigade Jonestown that is plowing the waves from club to club both home and abroad. Their celebrity did not come out of nowhere. They have released couple albums during the eight years of rehearsing and performing, some of them on the vinyl, and managed to break down one or two clubs on the way. The energy of Jonestown does not end with heavyweight crust, though. It goes beyond that and adds an important essence of political texts and clear antifascist attitude. Their split EP with the band Kohoutek, for example, was partially a benefit for Antifascist Action and we had the chance over the years to let them destroy our eardrums on a couple of beneficial gigs. If they won’t manage to destroy you with their crust, they definitely will manage to do so at the bar. They worked hard to deserve their nickname “Bar Destroyers”.

jonestowncrust.blogspot.com

This international band with a headquarters in Prague has been on the scene since 1998 when The Chancers played their very first show that was meant to be their last. Despite this original intention, the band continued to perform together and their genre mixture based in British 2tone quickly started to gain attention of domestic and international audience, both at festivals and in clubs. Over the time, the band have built connections in Czech Republic and Slovakia, but also in Germany, France, Switzerland, Croatia, Austria, Hungary and United Kingdom. They simply played everywhere where they found a stage to perform on and an audience ready to enjoy their interpretation of ska sound. The Chancers have recorded four records so far and they consider themselves to be “hooligans in love”. You will fall for them for sure.

Lushlife is an alias of a talented musician, MC and producer Raj Haldar from Philadelphia. Lushlife brings hip hop back to the beginning of the 90’s. Influences like De La Soul, Arrested Development or Digable Planets echo in his sound along with the easygoing atmosphere of the city in the summer. Raj Haldar moves between the mainstream (he has done remixes for Soulja Boy) and the underground scene (There are guests like the drummer for Deerhoof on his debut record “Cassette City”) with an unexceptional elegance and a significant style.