Life After Life

Life After Life was an American self-described gypsy punk band, also referred to as a psychedelic punk band, active from 1993 to 1998 and based in San Francisco. The group featured Jim Čert, a Czech accordion-playing folk singer, and Jaroslav Erno Šedivý, a Czech drummer noted for his collaborative work with the Plastic People of the Universe, alongside four American musicians involved in the Bay Area rock scene.

How it started

Čert and Šedivý were active on the Czech music scene in the 1980s and were known for dissent against the communist regime. Both were jailed several times for making music deemed “anti-social” by the government, which would not allow musicians to perform without state approval. Files found in 1989, however, show that Čert was secretly working under police pressure as an informant.

After the Velvet Revolution, the two musicians found themselves in the United States in the early 1990s and decided to form a band with local musicians. The original Life After Life lineup debuted on New Year’s Eve, 1993, as a five-piece.

Signing with Alternative Tentacles

The band drew the attention of San Francisco musician and political activist Jello Biafra, former frontman of Dead Kennedys and head of the Alternative Tentacles record label. Biafra signed them, describing his excitement at finding a San Francisco band with a totally unique sound.

Life After Life debuted with the single “Harrahya,” followed by the album Just Trip. The material on these releases consisted of songs written by Čert, including “Marijuana,” with lyrics by pro-marijuana activist David Peel.

As a bonus track, Just Trip also included a cover of Willie Nelson’s “Still Is Still Moving to Me,” featuring Biafra on lead vocals. That recording was originally released on the Willie Nelson tribute album Twisted Willie.

Split and later talk

Life After Life disbanded in 1998 when Čert returned to Prague. Talk of a reunion comes up occasionally.

Members

• Jim Čert
• Jaroslav Erno Šedivý
• David Mullen Perkins
• Robley Richard Evans
• Andy A. Pollack
• J.T. Schmeckie

Discography

• “Harrahya” / “Doors” (7″ single, 1995)
• Just Trip (LP, 1997)