Ex-Gold Kids Say There Will Be Blood On The Streets Of Italy

Photograph by Nico Massa

We met ex-GOLD KIDS Andrè and Davide at Ben Philips' swimming Lightship95 Studio, to talk about their new project STONE XXV, Andrè's label [Anchors Aweigh](http:// www.anchorsaweighrecords.com) (representing such bands as Up River, More Than Life, Dead Swans), the ecocidal NATO Military Base on their beautiful home-island Sardinia, and why there will be blood on Italy's streets. Not to mention Berlusconi. In fact Davide got really pissed and Andrè told me afterwards: "Be happy we didn't talk about the church!"

Before we talk about your music and label: What the hell is wrong with Italy?

Andrè: You know the Romans had bread and circuses, but look at us now: football and pizza.

Haha.

Yeah, but you know people actually fight in the streets about football, but not for their own rights. I'm not saying, everybody is stupid in Italy, but the average Italian is just the worst guy ever.

Why?

Our mentality is wrong. We think that you need to fuck someone in order not to get fucked. So cheating, stealing all that. Are you recording that?

Yeah! That's good stuff.

Oh fuck! Anyway, so think about our politicians. They have the same mentality, obviously. And as they are like that, the man on the street asks himself: "Why should I pay taxes? Why should I give a shit?" It's a vicious circle. The whole system has always been fucked up. The politicians after WWII, they stole a lot. The people found out much too late. Or look at our debit.

And now Berlusconi might come back.

Yeah, and he owns all TV stations. And supermarkets and everything. That guy's got so much power. Let alone all the people who work for him. What do you think, who they will vote for? Berlusconi. The ignorant will believe him again. But that guy is such a moron. A couple of weeks ago he was at some political talk-show and started reading from a note some of his writers had given him.

What did he have to say?

Nothing really. Berlusconi just accused the journalist of being involved with the mafia and all kinds of stupid lies.

What about the mafia?

A: Well, Berlusconi himself is being accused of having contacts with the mob. But the mafia is less strong than it used to be. Anyway I don't think the mafia is Italy's problem. It's really our mentality.

Davide: And TV is a huge problem, too. Italian Television is really retarded. Yet all the old people just get their information through TV. 'E una merda! All the political programmes are just shit. The people scream at each other. It's awful. There's no constructive dialogue. They just insult each other. But it's just a reflection of Italian bar culture.

A: We really need a miracle soon in Italy.

That bad?

D: I really think we are in very dangerous situation right now. Popular culture impoverishes ever more. The Italian Left has never been able to fight back politically. And Italians wouldn't start a revolution, they would rather fight each other. Like civil war. So if things don't get better soon, there will be blood in the streets. And after that: Nothing. Chaos.

Do you think that's really going to happen?

D: If Berlusconi comes back in any way, then it will happen this year. I'm sure.

Anyone in the world would hate him to come back.

D: But you know, all politicians in Italy are a bit like him. They make laws to protect themselves.

What's it like being your own boss in Italy? Like you with your label.

A: It's tough. Almost half of my income goes to the state. So if your business doesn't run perfectly, you're fucked. That means I work my ass off to pay taxes. I've done this for a couple of years now and put out many bands. But it's tough, you know.

Back to the mafia: Do you have that in Sardinia?

A: We got something else: It's called "Anonima Sequestri". Used to be really big in the 80s. They kidnapped famous people, asked for money. And if the family wouldn't pay, they cut like a finger or an ear and send it to the family. But real mafia really is something in Sicily. When we were on tour, everybody always asked us about the mafia … for fuck's sake.

Ha. Let's talk about the NATO military close to your hometown, Cagliari.

D: There's a lot of diseases because of that shit. We have the highest level of cancer down there compared to the rest of Italy. They exercise their little war-games at the most beautiful beaches and destroy them. These places are actually protected.

Why do people allow that?

D: Well, there is a lot of unemployment in Sardinia. So people think that they need all the industry that comes with that military bullshit and the jobs it creates. But we really should remember how we once lived. More quiet, more connected to nature. The chemical industry and everything else that comes with the NATO ruins our coasts, our beaches. But the people think they need it for the jobs. They're desperate to have a job.

A: Sardinia really is a natural paradise. But it's being destroyed.

D: Sardinia is huge though with only a small population. We don't need great industry. We could work just 4 hours a day and then chill at the beach. Tourism alone could feed us.

A: The problem is that we're Roman slaves.

Haha. But what I like about the Italian culture is that you care so much about family.

D: Yes, we do. Maybe too much. Haha.

A: Right now we should be more caring about the state. We have no sense of collectivity. There is more sense for collectivity in football than for the important things.

But everybody loves Italy. La dolce vita.

A: In the 60s maybe. Now everything is a nightmare. Hahaha.

Do you express that in the music? Like the desperation.

A: With Gold Kids I did to a certain degree. Like I hated my country so much and just wanted to tour all the time and leave. But having seen large parts of the world, I've come to love Sardinia for what it is. I realized that the things I was looking for, are at home. I gave up everything for touring. I wanted to escape. With our new band STONE XXV it's different. I don't hate everything anymore. I'm like a lost son coming home.

How was recording? Back on Ben Philips' ship. You're singing now, right? Instead of screaming all the time.

A: Yeah, I do.

D: Like a choir boy, haha.

A: After years and years of screaming, it's really hard to go somewhere else. And I'm really making it hard for myself, I'm very critical. Maybe I'm just getting old.

What else is different with the new band?

A: We're not trying to sound like anybody else. And we just do whatever we want. With Gold Kids it was all about Hardcore. I still love aggressive music, but artistically we're just much more open now. The new record is all about leaving our past behind. We don't feel like we belong to a scene any longer. We just do what we love.

D: Yeah, we just make rock'n roll now.

A: While our roots are definitely in aggressive music.

How does the ship affect the recording?

A: It gives you a lot of freedom, I would say. We experimented a lot. And working with Ben Philips is just great.

Finally, do you think you changed the hardcore scene with Gold Kids or your label?

A: I don't think you could say that. But I think we proved that wherever you're from, if you have that feeling that you want to do something desperately, you can make it happen. We're not rich. We come from an island. But we toured all over Europe and Australia and overcame our isolation. We had to escape.

Deep. Thanks guys!