On Saturday, June 25th a dwarf figure was placed in front of Rura Jazz Club in Wroclaw. It celebrates the 40th anniversary of the creation of the Polish rock band Lady Pank and is named after their first single – Mała Lady Punk (Baby Lady Punk).
Wroclaw’s Dwarfs are small sculptures placed in different places in Wroclaw and nearby villages. They originate from an anti-communist student organization Orange Alternative, which ridiculed the government in the 1980s. At first, they painted graffiti of dwarfs, and later started happenings such as mock-celebrations of invented holidays and putting dwarfs on Świdnicka street in Wroclaw. After the fall of communism, dwarfs were forgotten, however, in 2005 a sculptor Tomasz Moczek created 5 dwarfs and started a new tradition of commemorating artists through the figurines.
Lady Pank got their dwarf for their 40th anniversary. They debuted in 1981 with a single “Mała Lady Punk” composed by Jan Borysewicz and written by Andrzej Mogielnicki. The lyrics talk about groupie culture. The song was put on Lady Pank’s second album “Ohyda” (Eng. Abomination) released in 1984. You can listen to the song here:
During the revealing ceremony, the leader of the group Jan Borysewicz recalled the beginnings of Lady Pank and explained what the dwarf figurine means to him.
“What I’m the happiest about is that the band is still going and that we feel good playing together. And this place is special for us. I remember Rura Club perfectly well; here I met many incredible musicians. Wroclaw from those years [the 1980s] was made by Pałacyk, Rura and other music clubs. Everything was so artistic that I couldn’t imagine not creating a band.”
In Rura Club on Łazienna street performed the legends of Polish rock music, it was the homeland of their music. Now, the club is permanently closed, however, the place still holds nostalgic value – and now also a dwarf, which will remind people of the impact of Lady Pank.