SMODATI: Power Pop Band from Milan
Line up: Teo, Fox, Otto, Luca, Claudio
A quick chat with Teo.
How do you see the current scene? (venues, bands, etc)
Well, first of all we need to ask ourselves: What “scene” are we talking about? Our idea of the scene is a fairly global one. We don’t mean strict boundaries in terms of style, music, and culture... Although sadly not everyone in the “so called” scene thinks like us! What I don’t like is that due to jealousy, envy, and personal antipathies, there’s no unity within the Italian scene. In Europe some of the old bands are back again, which is great. It’s more fun, unlike a few years ago.
Which pubs/venues would you recommend to the visitors of Milan?
If you are shopping in Milan then obviously we recommend Coolness! This means all the classic mod and casual brands, which of course includes Three Stroke. For great tasting Italian coffee, take a slow walk along Corso Porta Ticinese and go to the Café Noir (Piazza Sant’Eustorgio) which is a must for our crew. When it comes to Pubs, apart from the classic Pogue Mahones (Porta Romana), we love Mulligans, which is a classic Irish Pub on the North side of Milan. Which is where our band originates from. For a traditional dinner in Lombardian style we recommend Hostaria L’Angolo del Beato (Monza). In Como, our stronghold, our meeting place on the lake is the Bar La Ligera, Viale Mesia.
Plans for 2010 (gigs, recordings, etc....)
On the live front, we are always active. Apart from the large number of dates in Italy, we hope to do as many gigs as possible abroad. Possibly a mini tour in Spain. We are also confirmed for Camber Sands in July with The Lambrettas, and possibly Hungary in April. We also have a lot of new tunes that we have been working on, so I look forward of giving you some very good news soon about future recordings.
Thanks Teo