History
„If you ever thought about setting a band up , you certainly imagined what it would be like..Ten years ago we formed a band, and now we can tell you what it’s like...“ no name 2006
Start off
However, the start was not an easy one... In August 26, 1996 Viliam Gutray and three brothers Igor, Roman and Ivan Timko met to form a four-piece band called No Name. These young student enthusiasts with a vision of musical career in mind decided to perform at a regional festival.
Kosice Treasure of Gold 2006
In 1996, No Name came winners of the 12th annual Radio Regina Kosice Treasure of Gold - a songwriter competition of original, not yet released pop songs in the Slovak language, with their single „Moj kamos“. Music, lyrics and interpretation itself were handled by Igor Timko, then a 5th year music and drama student of Kosice Conservatory.
Breaking the Ice
Following on their victory at the Kosice Treasure of Gold, the band was nominated to represent the Slovak Republic at an international contest Bratislavska Lyra. No Name became finalists at the 32nd annual festival of popular song. At this point, the first signs of future cooperation with a famous guitarist Henry Toth, a later producer of their self-titled debut album „No Name“, appeared.
Remake vs. No Name’s Own Production
The decison to include a cover-version of Peter Nagy’s single „Kristinka iba spi“ into the album was seen as the right step forward, securing the band‘s place in the Slovak music industry. In spite of the fact that the remake turned out to be a tremendous success, the band felt boxed in by critics. In order to counter negative comments concerning their, according to some, easily gained success, the band had to prove their capability to establish musical identity of their own. The following year saw a change on the post of the pianist. Marian Cekovsky was replaced by „funky“ Zoltan Sallai. Critics as well as fans have been praising the qualities of this new member and his incredible solo rap inputs.
"You and Your Sister"
After the imminent succes of the first record and its break-out single „Kristinka iba spi“ came a period dubbed by the media as a state of limbo...From a long-term perspective, however, this time out of spotlight and apparent inactivity signalled a storm approaching. The radio-hit „Ty a tvoja sestra“, which has been one of their biggest hits, reached No 16 at Top 50 Airplay Slovakia Chart and managed to remain on the charts for unbelievable 14 weeks.
Five Grammy Awards!
Great success of the hit "Ty a tvoja sestra" influenced the events of the year 2000. With a new line-up and clear artistic growth, No Name agreed to release its second album "Pockam si na zazrak"(I will wait for miracle). Juraj Kupec, an outstanding musician, was brought in as a producer. The album of 13 singles was launched by Jozo Raz, a leader of the Slovak cult band Elan. Soon after its release, the album became the best-selling, best-playing and most awarded album at Grammy Awards. The single "Zily" earned the band the Best Single and Lyrics at the 2000 awards. Moreover, No Name came winners in the Band of the year and Album of the year categories. The fifth award went to the producer Juraj Kupec, whose professional assistance and support have been greatly treasured by the band. The success of the album could be likened to a miracle, since it was produced at a minimum cost , but in spite of this received a number of awards and became a major seller for the band.
Heading West!
After performing 150 concerts during eight months, the band decided to try its luck in the neighbouring Czech Republic. In May 2001, the band met with representatives of Czech radio stations at a non-public radio-meeting. After playing a sample from their repertoaire, the radio stations, together with a record producer agreed to release the single "Zily" to get the band started in the Czech Republic. In two weeks time, the song managed to secure its place in the Top 100 hits and went to Top 5 of the best-playing songs on Czech radio-stations in 2001. The song helped make No Name's rise to popularity in the former Czechoslovakia remarkably swift and catapulted the band to stardom in the Czech Republic later on. The single „Dakujem, ze si", which was released shortly afterwards, confirmed their position of a lasting phenomenon. Following on the popularity of their second album, the band felt bound to produce another album, which would be at least as successful as the previous ones.
The Third Album under Way
The third album „Oslavme si zivot“ earned the band some of the best reviews of their career. The title of the album reflects the group’s positive approach to life and its desire to fight pessimism of modern times. In October 2001, David Koller, the singer of the popular Czech band Lucie, launched the promotion of the album. „Oslavme si zivot“ was released to great acclaim. Its first single, "Nie alebo ano", hit the charts and the band capitalized on its success.
Sales Record of "Let’s Celebrate Our Lives"
Enormous pressure which came with great success of the previous album and fierce criticism to a certain extent, were released after their new CD went golden and platinum. Owing its popularity to the second single „Vecnost“ and its original musici video, a record number of albums was sold in Slovakia. Needless to say, the succes motivated the band to carry on...
Six-piece Lineup From Now On
In order to share their passion for life with the audiences, No Name embarked on their first big tour across Slovak stadiums with Dusan Timko, the youngest of Timko brothers, joining the lineup. In May 2002, the band performed 14 concerts and their fan base broadened dramatically. At this time, the album "Oslavme si zivot" was released in the Czech Republic.
No Name Hits Czech Stages
The song „Nie alebo ano“ was the most often played song in Czech radio stations in 2002. It can safely be said that Slovak as well as Czech radio stations anticipated the Universal Music order to release the second single „Vecnost“. In October 2002, No Name decided to set out on a tour of the Czech Republic. The album spawned the major hit single „Vecnost“ and saw an ever growing army of fans pouring into the stadiums. The Prague concert, which was held in a T-mobile Arena reserved mostly for international superstars, such as Sting, Jamiroquai or local formations such as Lucie, proved the tour’s success. No Name was the first band formed after the break-up of the former Czechoslovakia, that managed to sell out the stadium.
Awards 2002
The end of the year 2002 saw the Czech part of the tour „Oslavme si zivot“ as well as two precious awards going to the band’s hands. No Name went silver in the survey of most popular performers of Slovak popular music called Zlaty Slávik and picked up The Grand Prix 2002 award. For the band, this was a great triumph in one of the numerous music industry battles...
Album "Words Into Darkness" Kicks off
In 2003, the album „Slova do tmy“ was released. Recording sessions began in January. The final version reached the record company in August that year. In less than three months, more than 28,000 copies were sold. The singles „Prva“ and „Lekna“ both received significant airplay and their popularity set the stage for the forthcoming tour.
Year 2004 in Numbers. Significant Awards
Vinea No Name Tour 2004 in Slovakia and Czech Postovni Sporitelna No Name Tour 2004 brought more than 50, 000 fans to stadiums in 25 towns.Owing to the tour’s success, the album „Slova do tmy“ went platinum twice in both countries (more than 45,000 copies sold).In 2004, the group played 137 concerts altogether.The show in Prague was their 500th performance. In Aurel, the annual awarding ceremony of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI SR) Prizes for contribution to Slovakia’s musical culture, the single „Prva“, directed by Lehotsky and Kubis, was awarded The Best Music Video of the Year 2004. In Zlaty Slavik, the survey of most popular performers of Slovak popular music, No Name took home silver four times in a row.
New Album Release "Why is it so?!"
In September 26, 2005 the fifth album of the formation was delivered. The album „Cim to je“ was released in Slovakia and the Czech Republic simultaneously. The promotion of the album took place in three cities: 18. 10. in Lucerna Music Bar in Prague, 20. 10. in Bratislava Club Sparx and 24. 10. in Kosice Ges-klub. The producer of their fifth album was Martin Gaspar, a renowned Slovak musician and bass guitarist. The change on the post of the producer was followed by a change of the recording studio. Previous albums were produced in Kosice, Bratislava and Vahoce. This time, the group decided to record its new album „Cim to je“ in the Czech Republic, where it has been greeted warmly by the audiences. No Name signed with the studio Propast, run and owned by Petr Janda, the singer of the legendary band Olympic, who set the ground for the recording sessions which lasted for 30 days. The album featured guests Martin Gaspar, percusionist Igor „Ajdzi“ Sabo and Petr Janda who contributed to the album’s final song. In March and April 2006, the group embarked on a great tour across Slovakia and the Czech Republic.