Excited and eager to perform at the Dingwalls, the Italian rock band Marlene Kuntz is ready to come back to Camden for a one night show the 8th of December. The band, who has just celebrated 20 years anniversary, has chosen London for the closing gig of their Catartica Tour.
Luca Bergia, drummer and founder of Marlene Kuntz, explained to us how to keep up the enthusiasm after so many years of career, looking forward to new projects and the tenth album.
Tuesday you will be back in London for your concert after more than six years.What is the feeling?
‘We can’t wait to go onstage again at the Dingwalls. Last time, back in March 2009, we had such a good time and now we are looking forward for this night. Everything was so cool. We had the chance to meet two of our best British friends and colleagues: Rob Ellis (PJ Harvey producer) and Howie B, with whom we collaborated for the project ‘Beautiful’, the only time we sang in English. I hope this time would be as great as it was, we are going to put all our heart for the Londoners’.
Catartica Tour is an homage to your first album, back in 1994, the very beginning of Marlene Kuntz. After more than 20 years, what has changed and what is still the same?
‘We decided to celebrate our 20th anniversary with an international tour mostly based on our first big hit, Catartica, and we thought that Camden would be the perfect place for this big party. However, most of the songs as Sonica, Festa Mesta or Nuotando nell’aria are our masterpieces and we are used to play them in our concerts. We do not feel so different from that time, I think the verve and the passion that we put in each live is still the same. Well, according to our public honestly we are even better’.
All your music has been influenced mostly by the noise rock of Sonic Youth, which has given a particular international connotation to your songs, even if you have always chosen Italian for your lyrics. Why?
‘Our musical background is basically British and American rock, which obviously gave us a more international connotation. Although we decided from the beginning that the lyrics would be in Italian, because this is for us the best way to express ourselves. Cristiano (the singer and frontman of Marlene Kuntz) has many important things to say in the lyrics and the only way to do it is through his native language. It is more or less if you would ask to Nick Cave to sing in Italian, would you?
What is the relationship between Marlene Kuntz and London?
‘We have spent in London a great time, back in 2010 when we were recording the project Beautiful with Howie B, which was a really challenging experience for us. However if I would chose a specific moment of Marlene Kuntz in London is definitely the time we spent with the wonderful friend Skin (Skunk Anansie leader), recording ‘La canzone che scrivo per te‘, and contributing to Skin’s solo project, in 2000. I can still remember our daily routine in thestudio and every night out, clubbing with Skin and her friends in the lively crazy London’.
Back to nowadays, a lot of artists have cancelled their concerts abroad after the horrific facts of Paris. You have chosen to keep your appointment with London fans instead. What is your point of view?
‘What happened last 13th of November in Paris is something horrible. Personally I think that anyone has the right to choose for himself, following his own feelings. However I think we have the duty to continue with our life and our music, and don’t play their game’.
You have been identified by the Italian press as the ‘only rock band in Italy’. How would you explain our country to someone else? What is Italy for you?
‘After more than 1500 concerts in Italy, we have seen all the corners of our peninsula. What is surprising is the beauty and the culture that we can find also in the smallest villages, the forbidden ones. Our country is made up of thousands of charming small places, where history and culture are surrounded by wonderful landscapes’.
Marlene Kuntz Live
Dingwalls
1, East/Middle Yard
Camden Town
London NW18AF
