ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the career of subcultures during the 'transition' period and their role in the actual transformation of post-socialist societies. It proposes that subcultures could be understood as competing projects. The chapter examines the emergence of the subcultural entrepreneur within Bratislavian club culture as well as the language and practices that established new relations within these cultures. The police and politicians indirectly protect the heart of the club culture in Bratislava and guarantee a literal legal framework for the enterprise to flourish. Club cultures gained an allure of "seriousness" that attracted sponsors, provided a sense of distinction for its clients and reassured the media that these were "real" cultural events and not drug havens or mad gatherings. The chapter finally shows that the flow was not one way because professional cultures also shaped the ways in which identities, relations, and events were managed in clubs.
