On stage

Guana Batz(UK)

The Rock'n'Roll Kamikazes(IT)

Spinnin' hot wax

The Devil's Jukebox(IT)

More info

Old Farts Promotions and Midecay announce the return of the GUANA BATZ, after the success of 2018 and their only Milan appearances at the Prego Club (1986) and the Rolling Stone (1989), when they opened for the Stray Cats, with Boppin' Kids and Jack Daniel's Lovers. A lot of water has passed under the bridge since then. The name of the English quartet is certainly the first that gets mentioned and remembered alongside that of the Meteors when people talk about psychobilly, even if their sound has clear neo-rockabilly influences. What more is there to say that cannot be found in the biographies available everywhere? That is a full 37 years of career for the band, and Pip, Stuart, Choppy and Jared are still in tremendous shape. A bombshell. A Guana Batz set is always a sure thing, and having them a metre from your face is pure adrenaline, a delight for anyone who loves being swept away by songs that made history. Gems like King Rat, Jungle Rumble, Streetwise, Can't take the pressure, Electra Glide In Blue and Batman are genuine shovel-blows to the snout. The band's cutting voice belongs to Pip: tattooed like a Persian rug and a born crowd-mover, he is tireless on stage. He is joined by Choppy, a real steamroller who savages the double bass, dragging it across the stage and molesting its strings, slapping like a pneumatic drill. The rest of the rhythm section is entrusted to Jared (the American drummer standing in for Jonny), whose job is to hammer away like a blacksmith and run like a train. Last but not least, Stuart, the "mind" of the band, who (together with Pip) writes the Guana Batz songs and makes them recognisable through the work on his inseparable Gretsch. But their set is not short of easier melodies either, like the cover of Springsteen's I'm On Fire, Elvis Costello's Radio Sweetheart, the mysterious Lady Bacon, or the slow, magical "Wondrous Place", a song that literally enchants the audience (the female half above all....) thanks to Pip's voice and stage presence — because as well as being an animal on stage, he knows how to move people. This is the result of a story that has lasted a full 37 years and that the Guana Batz have sealed with historic albums, among which "Held down to vinyl...at last", "Loan Sharks" and "Rough Edges" are worth recalling. Still relevant works, together with the rest of their discography (9 albums plus various singles and several compilation appearances), considered milestones among devotees of this musical universe. We will be waiting for you in front of the stage at the Serraglio to shout "THERE'S A KING RAT!!" with Pip before watching a horde of psychos let loose in the wreckin' pit! Opening: the ROCK'N'ROLL KAMIKAZES! Born in 2010 from the mind of Andy Macfarlane, former frontman of the Hormonauts, they made their recording debut with Tora Tora Tora (Tora). After the death of the legendary Guy Portoghese, the Kamikazes continued their mission with Eugenio Pritelli on second guitar, and the band delivered All Kinds Of People on Go Down Records, followed by My Town for Latlantide / Go Down Records. 2019 saw the release of their fourth effort, Campari & Toothpaste, with Area Pirata Records, marking the arrival of Sandro Battistini on drums who, like Eugenio, is a former Horrible Porno Stuntmen. Folks, this is rock'n'roll, soaked in blues and voodoo atmospheres. Go and listen to some of the "nasty stuff" on YouTube and you will convince yourselves. All that is left is to come down in front of the stage and go wild with these 4 damn rockers. Before and after the live sets, your ankles will be put through the wringer by THE DEVIL'S JUKEBOX, the DJ set that knows how to do only one thing: batter you with rock and roll. But the undergrowth kind, the dark and cursed kind that gets into your veins and never comes out again. Get the painkillers ready. We recommend marking the date in your calendar because, as well as being unique and exclusive for Italy, it is also the chance to see the Guana Batz live — a band that practically never plays here. See you in the wreckin' pit!