Michelle Melissa Scotto got in touch with Ferruccio (guitar/vocals) from CUT, another act which will be gracing the stages at the Rock The South event happening this coming weekend. CUT are a rock and roll/punk/noise trio hailing from Italy. During the years they have shared the stage with the likes of Iggy & The Stooges, Violent Femmes, and Heavy Trash, amongst other Italian and international acts. The band have 9 UK tours under their belt, with other international experiences include tours of Germany, France, Belgium, and other European location, including the New York area.
1. First off, mind telling us about how the band started?
We first got together in 1996 because we were sick of the Italian “indie scene” at the moment. There was nothing that excited us so we decided to start the band that we would have liked to see live and to listen to. I don’t know if we have reached that goal but we’re still trying hard to be that band. Since then we’ve released 5 studio albums, many singles, one live album and most importantly, we’ve toured everywhere and every time we could
2. CUT is a very peculiar name; how did the name come about?
Does it have a specific meaning? It was the only name we could agree on. We’ve always been a band full of very strong personalities so it’s been quite hard to come up with a name that satisfied us all. CUT is a word that can mean many things. A "cut’ can be a track on a record. It’s also the title of one of our favorite records by British all female punk band, The Slits. "Cut’ can also be a cinematic term that indicates the end of a sequence. Maybe we’re mistaken, but we pride ourselves in thinking that our music has got a cinematic quality to it, being made of continuous changes in grooves, dynamics and atmospheres. In some ways that’s similar to the film montage process. We’re all huge cinema freaks as well as music lovers, obviously.
3. How would you personally describe your sound? Do you have any inspirations for it?
We don’t describe our sound as we’re too busy making it actually. Really it’s not something you think about, you just do it. In general I think your inspirations and influences just show up in what you do quite unconsciously and they are made of musical elements as well as of influences from other forms of human expression we can relate to. Your personal history and the place where you live do play a big part too: I don’t think we would sound the same if we would hail from Milano, Roma, London, Paris, NYC or Malta!Anyway some people, journalists and/or promoters sometimes have come up with a few definitions that partially describe what we do. One of these definitions is “John Lee Hooker stuck in a post-punk straitjacket”. We quite like that one. We like the blues very much and we like post punk but not the artsy-fartsy version, nicey-nicey, lovey-dovey stuff that many bands give of it today. I am talking about the real thing, bands like Killing Joke, The Stranglers, The Birthday Party, The Fall. Bands who had guts. If you add a bit of the MC5/Stooges, the Clash, 70’s funk and soul, The Jesus Lizard, Rocket From The Crypt and the Bad Brains/Black Flag probably you can have a rough idea of what we like and (probably) sound like.
4. Your first album "Operation Manitoba’ (released in 1998), was described as "best Italian rock debut of the year’. How did that feel, that you hit such a mark in your career as a band 2 years after you started off?
It was very good obviously, we did not expect that at all. I have to say we did not get the same attention from the Italian press since then, but that’s how it goes. The strange thing is that we’ve made much better albums after that one, especially the last two. I would say that any of our following albums is better than the first one. But what can you do? That’s the press, baby!
5. You’ve been all over the globe, from the UK and all over Europe to the USA. Do you have a specific gig which you still say, to this day, is your favourite?
Every show is great in every country, no matter how many people are there, no matter how much s*** you get before and after. And believe me: as any underground band traveling the world you get a lot of that in this environment. Still, if at a certain point of the night you get to play your music properly, it’s always the best gig ever. It’s up to you as a band to make it great, that’s our job.If I have to pick one single show I personally would take playing with Iggy & The Stooges in Villafranca di Verona in July 2012. We are all devotees of The Stooges, the greatest band ever, the embodiment of what rock and roll should be. As a kid in the eighties I would have never dreamt of seeing the Stooges live, go figure playing with them. Iggy was really sweet and complimentary with us. The moment he said we sounded great was the best moment of my life. I could die at any time now and I will die a happy man because I will rise to rock and roll heaven (or hell) with Iggy’s blessing.I was even happy in my personal life at that moment (and that’s extremely rare, I would say unique) therefore all the stars were aligned that day. I don’t think I will have another day like that and if I do it’s difficult to imagine what could happen to top that one. Maybe Friday April 11 will be that one.
6. You just finished your Mini UK Tour along with Pete Bentham and The Dinner Ladies, how was it?
It was a "10 shows in 10 days’ tour and it was our tenth tour of the UK. Three shows were with the Dinner Ladies, the rest were on our own. It’s been great: We have loads of friends over there who are all very nice to us, especially in places like Liverpool, Glasgow, London, Bolton, Preston and Reading. We can’t wait to be back. It’s that great thing that music does: you go somewhere a thousand miles away and there are friends waiting for you. Music has been our vehicle to see the world. We have never felt like tourists anywhere; on the contrary we always felt part of something, of an international community. To me that is the greatest feeling ever, knowing that something that I have created myself, in a room with my bandmates, has been my passport to communicate with and see the world. To celebrate the tour we have released a song featuring Pete Bentham from the Dinner Ladies on vocals. You can download/stream it here, on the Antipop UK label website: http://antipoprecords.greedbag.com/buy/too-busy/
7. Did you ever come to Malta before?
Are you excited to play at Rock The South?None of us has ever been to Malta before. I am very interested in your history and culture though and we can’t wait to play at Rock the South guys. Actually I think it’s the furthest South we have ever played so thanks to you guys! We’re reaching another milestone on our way to world domination! Really can’t wait to be there and play for you guys. Thank you very much for this opportunity.
If you want to see these guys live, make sure the head down to Rock The South, this coming weekend. CUT will be playing on the 11th April, which will be the opening night of the three day festival.
Check out the event here and get your tickets!
https://www.facebook.com/events/837805339582460/?fref=ts