Actions

Bez ladu a skladu

From Unearthing The Music

Bez ladu a skladu. Photo sourced from Discogs

Bez ladu a skladu is a Slovak underground band established in 1985 renowned for its declamatory, deadpan vocals sung by then teenager Michal Kaščák, who went on to become a key figure of the Slovak music scene as the founder of Pohoda Festival. Their lyrics were critical of the communist regime, with song titles like “Udavač” (Snitch), etc. Their stage presence was as emblematic as their musical delivery: dressed in black suits, ties, white socks and dark glasses. They remained musically active until 1997, having released three studio albums.

The band was founded in 1985 by Peter Kaščák and Richard Rybníček on drums, Martin Beďatš on guitar and Rasťo Kubica on saxophone. The ensemble was soon joined by Peter's brother Michal on vocals. The project had been influenced by the music scene of their home city Trenčín, Slovakia: punk-influenced underground outfit CHVM, in particular. “We never wanted to sing songs about love and peace like everybody else” (Michal Kaščák, www.sme.sk). Their first important gig took place in 1986, organized by the manager of the band E Lenka Zogatová, one of the most iconic figures of the Czechoslovak underground scene before 1989 (having hosted the likes of Nico, etc). Subsequently, Bez ladu a skladu played at Rock Fest in Prague which helped kickstart their career. A Polish tour followed, though the band would be periodically banned from playing by the regime. Other than their three official albums - the eponymous album "Bez ladu a skladu" (1990), "Horúce hlavy" (1991) and "Iba raz" (1994) - they have several unofficial live recordings under their belt from the period between 1986 and 1991.