Hi, can you tell us a bit about yourself and introduce yourself?

Hi, I was lucky enough to meet my wife Iwona in 1982, who, just like me, had been listening to and loving heavy music since primary school. This passion continues to this day and led us, in 1998, to the idea of opening a store with merchandise and fashion for people who want to express their love for heavy music through their appearance and clothing. In the meantime, our daughter Natalia joined our team, and from there, it was just a step to launching the first version of the METALSHOP e-store in 2004, which has brought us to where we are today—selling our unique assortment worldwide :) This was also made possible thanks to an incredible team that we have built over the years. Believe me—when you do what you love with people you like, and who are on the same wavelength, it just has to work :)

How long have you been listening to metal, and which band introduced you to it?

If I go back to the very beginning, the first bands that caught my interest around the 5th grade were glam rock acts like SWEET, SLADE, and Suzi Quatro. In ninth grade, I moved on to DEEP PURPLE and LED ZEPPELIN, and BLACK SABBATH completely blew me away. Then in high school, the real metal ride began with JUDAS PRIEST and IRON MAIDEN, and it continues to this day :)

And what is your favorite band now? Everyone has their number one!

That's a very tough question :) I listen to a lot of music every day, but I have a very personal connection to Iron Maiden because it was thanks to them that I managed to win over my wife. So, they will always be my favorite :)

Which brand from the Metalshop selection do you like the most? And why?

Another difficult question :) I like all the brands we present at METALSHOP—we wouldn’t choose any that we didn’t at least somewhat like. But the truth is, if you look in my wardrobe, my t-shirts are mostly from SULLEN, my pants are mainly from WORNSTAR, and my shoes are CONVERSE.

What was the best concert or festival you’ve attended, and why was it so memorable?

The most incredible experience was the Deep Purple concert in 1990 in Ostrava. Along with my friends, whom I grew up with listening to rock music that was banned by the communists, I fulfilled a "childhood dream"—to see Deep Purple live just after the Velvet Revolution. It was also a clear signal that communism was definitively over, and all rock and metal bands now had open doors to our Czechoslovakia, allowing us to finally enjoy them fully. For younger generations, this might be unimaginable, but that’s how it was, and thank God, it’s now history.