The funky/freaky/industrial mood of Cross Club, on the outskirts of Prague, definitely sets it apart from the tourist hubs in the center of town. In fact, our little posse of French/English/American travelers was the only tourists in the place. Our guide to the grungy side of Prague was a young Slovakian who manned the desk at the hostel.
We wandered through several large rooms, packed with people and mechanized gadget decor, both emanating an angry vibe. In a room with double-decker seating (literally, you climb a few steps to reach the upper level and scuttle bent double to your seats), we found a place to squeeze in.
At the bar, my usual vodka-and-cranberry was translated into a vodka-and-black currant (a tasty alternative, it turns out). The bartender filled my glass with ice, lit himself a joint, and then poured in the alcohol and juice. Weed is illegal in the Czech Republic, my Slovak friend told me, but enforcement is lax (apparently).
Back at the table, our multi-national group shouted over the raging tunes. And then, a sudden shift—the music went from tortured, screaming vocals to R&B. The change seemed out of synch with the rest of the scene, but the other patrons were unfazed. And perusing Cross Club’s website after my visit, I found that the venue seems to be a catch-all musically, hosting rock and reggae concerts periodically.
The club was still rockin’ when we made our exit at 1 a.m. On the way out, we popped into a few rooms we’d missed on the first tour. The most intriguing had a stage and large projection screen and an open dance floor. On the screen, images of chimpanzees and twin bald women flashed, punctuated by a strobe light and grating, melody-free techno music. People filled the dance floor, but no one was dancing. All stood staring straight ahead at the screen. Fascinating though it was, this entertainment was hard to enjoy without hallucinogens, so our straight-laced crew headed for the door and back to Prague proper.
Photos courtesy of http://www.crossclub.cz/cs/galerie/.