Published: September 5, 2009 9:14 PM EST
By: Isaac Davis Jr., MBA (Juniorscave.com)
New Music Spotlight September 2009 Edition
BBJ
BBJ
The Italian-based band, BBJ, has created a surperb sound that mixes elements of Rock and Alternative that comes out sounding top notch. What really stands out in particular is the vocal talents of the band's lead singer, Paolo Bertonazzi; melodic soulful rock. Paolo's voice goes well with the amazing guitar skills of Giovanni Cirigliano and Stefano Giacometti. Add the magnificent bass that Marco Morelli delivers and Alessandro Kusmic's brilliant drums new fans of this group are going to fall in love with this band's overall musical style. In this recent interview with our Webzine, the boys talked candidly about their music. Check out what formulated. Enjoy!
Isaac: What's the name of your band? What's the origin of that name? Have you changed the band's name before?
BBJ:
The band name's BBJ; we're five members:
Paolo Bertonazzi-Voice
Giovanni Cirigliano-Guitar
Stefano Giacometti-Guitar
Marco Morelli- Bass
Alessandro Kusmic-Drums
Paolo: BBJ is a "funny" thing because the first meaning was Bad-Blow-Job, referred to an old member of the band who left at the very start. In fact it was a way to describe him, because he was very annoying (like a BBJ)….
Isaac: What genre of music do you consider your work to be? Who are your major influences?
Paolo: Our music style is very varied but we are heavily influenced and enjoy performing alternative rock.
Paolo: All the members have different influences and backgrounds from techno/trance to classic rock and classic music but I think we have an old wave of grunge, hard rock and new wave inspired by Cure, Guns N Roses, Rolling stones, Placebo, T-Rex, Pink Floyd and many others.
Isaac: How long have you all known each other? How did you meet?
Giovanni: Some of us have known each other since 2006 when the BBJ project started; the last two members joined the band in 2008: Stefano, the other guitarist, was a friend of mine already and Marco, the bass player, was a friend of a friend.
Isaac: When did you form your band? What inspired you to make music together?
Giovanni: Passion is the key, I write almost everything myself but the others are passionate and supportive about what I write.
We work together very naturally and are often overcome with the music.
Isaac: Do you have a record label? Are you a member of any music organizations?
Giovanni: We don't have a record label at the moment but we're considering forming our own independent one. I've just opened a musical association that will help us and other musicians growing within music fields. The association name's "Friends of Music".
Isaac: What can you tell me about your instruments? (i.e., Are you subject to brand loyalty or will you play with whatever's available? What made you choose the instruments you have now? Was it cost or was it a style/model/brand/color preference?
Giovanni: My personal set instruments are made up of:
Guitars- Gibson Les Paul Standard cherry sunburst modified with 2 Seymour Duncan Alnico Pro II , Fender Telecaster custom Black, BC Rich mokingboard black flamed, amplified acoustic Yamaha black/red burst.
Isaac: Where have you performed? What are your favorite and least favorite venues? Do you have any upcoming shows?
Marco: We have performed in some local clubs and other venues outside our local region and competitions like the "Saint-Vincent Festival" and the Martelive contest. At the moment we are organising a winter tour for this year in and outside Italy.
Isaac: Which songs do you perform most frequently? Do you ever play any covers? Do you have a set play list?
Marco: One of our own songs that we most frequently play is " Always the same" and "The kid on the car" because we've used them in many competitions, but sometimes we play covers like "Special k" (Placebo), "Maybe tomorrow" (Stereophonics), "State of the Nation" (Industry).
We don't have a fixed playlist, we are usually governed by the venue and the time allocated. We change our playlist according to our surroundings.
Isaac: Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs? Do you think these topics will change over time?
Alessandro: Giovanni writes most of the material for the band but we all contribute part of our own personalities and skills to bring it together and make it successful for BBJ.
The main themes are mostly connected with the trials and tribulations of relationships, sometimes social matters as well.
Our Lyrics are often influenced by personal experience in life and are reflected by the way the writer is feeling.
Isaac: Could you briefly describe the music-making process?
Alessandro: Giovanni creates the basic structure of the song, which is a riff and basic chords with the complete lyrics. After that the band comes together to play and arrange it, we modify lyrics and riffs to make the final structure for producing.
Isaac: What are your rehearsals generally like? Do you have a set time each week in which you practice or are rehearsals more spontaneous?
Stefano: The rehearsals are mainly an informal meeting. We have the opportunity to develop new material and improve on old, we are also able to exchange ideas and utilise the strong characteristics of each band member. Usually the track list is planned before and we practice twice a week late in the evening.
Before playing together, our approach to music was more selfish, I mean everyone used to play just what they liked and nothing else. Now, we have a much more flexible and selfless attitude to our music.
Isaac: How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?
Stefano: This has a very positive effect as we produce a mix of everyone's tastes, and we can diversify our working practice, so that the music sounds sweet to the audiences and us.
Isaac: What has been your biggest challenge as a band? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?
Stefano: Indeed the mixing, the living and coexisting together as a band are like being a unique identity. You have to listen to your band buddies and indulge their preferences, and you should always treat each other the way you would like or expect to be treated yourself.
Isaac: What's your ultimate direction for your band? Are you seeking fame and fortune?
Giovanni: The direction is to produce good music and the goal is to work with it, make it like a reality. Fame and fortune would be fantastic but we are working in a field that we feel passionate about and enjoy what we do.
We are following our dreams and having fun whilst doing so.
Isaac: What advice do you have for people who want to form their own bands?
BBJ: You have to believe in yourself and in the music you are performing, and you should strive to be the best in the industry without the motivation of money.
Isaac: How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with sample songs or a demo CD?
Paolo: Yes, they can by our websites (www.bbjitaly.net) and demos but also with the new album that we're producing and recording and it will be out in November under the artistic direction and co-production of Christian Marras and Giovanni Cirigliano as executive producer.
Isaac: Is there anyone you'd like to acknowledge for offering financial or emotional support?
Paolo: I think it is really important to thank our fans who come to our concerts; their support is paramount in our quest to follow our musical dreams. S-a-N Agency, our promotional agency in Britain, has also proven to be of great value. They believed in our talents and exposed us to the UK scene.
Isaac: Any last words?
Paolo: We love America and the American people. We look forward to touring in America in the near future and seeing more of this beautiful country.
