Pino Scotto, between factory and rock: “Honest up to the asshole”

That of Pino Scotto It is an incredible journey, which began in a Neapolitan village, which led him to be loved and appreciated as a real star in the panorama of Italian blues/rock/hard rock. A career that has unfolded among the first youth groups until the experience of Vanadium (in the decade of the 80s) which was followed by the activity as a soloist still in place.

Here a selection of songs from the Vanadium

All this dividing between rock’n’roll, factory work never left – as a true “blue collar” – family and television screen. A combination of elements that have contributed to the creation of an always very direct, rough, unconventional character but behind which a great man is hidden, attentive to positive values ​​and relationships.

The story of Pino Scotto as well as with his music it is now possible to know it through the pages of “Heart of Rock’n’roll – A wonderfully out of tune life “ An autobiography written together with Massimo Villa, full of anecdotes and even funny stories.

But since music is a great passion there is also a new single “True Friend“, A hard blues that anticipates the release of a new album with which the singer returns to embrace the blues and the music of the roots.

We talked about his history and music with him.

Yours is a very long career: how do you evaluate it?
It is something that saved my life, so I evaluate it. Because if it hadn’t been there Music, I don’t know what I would become. I would not have had the strength to work in the factory for 35 years without a passion. Music saved me from dark moments, the music is, then as today, the air I breathe. Without her I would have stopped living, I would have ended up in some bad situation. Only worse things without music.

What was the most significant moment of these years?
I want Saying one thing: every date for me is a joy, both when I am on a large stage and in a small pub. The day that before getting on a stage I will tell myself, “Ball that balls, even today I have to sing”, the next day I stop. However a rewarding moment was The Vanadium period. I remember (and a fun episode is shown on the book). With Vanadium we did Twice the Rolling Stone “(old Milanese restaurant that has now hit). “The first we were supporter Ai Ten Years after by Alvin Lee. The place was full but in those conditions we could not calculate ‘our’ success. The following year, when “Race with the Devil” (1983) came out, we made our date at Rolling Stone and I remember that before the concert we were in a pizzeria opposite, to eat. At one point I went out and saw a crowd in front of the entrance of the place, which almost blocked the traffic. I said: “But what about these people? They probably made a mistake Concert ”. Instead they were there for us, sold out of own. I will never forget the boot of adrenaline at that moment. There are many other important episodes, both from only as a supporter. I remember the Motorheads (twice as a soloist) the Twisted Sister, the zz Top, the Deep Purple, the Black Sabbath, the Panther. I played with all these people and every time it was a blow Adrenaline, crazy. There is a kid In a village in the province of Naples that after discovering Elvis Presley went in front of the mirror With the broom in hand and which at some point is on the same stage together with great stars. With Lemmy (Motorhead) it was truly a great friendship. We also met outside the concerts. I had this great joy, this great fortune.

You are a much loved character as well as being a point of reference for a certain Italian music scene. How do you explain it?
Apart from the musical question, if I disgust would not follow me, I think it’s for my honest side, my honest human side to the asshole. I I come from a family of workers, my dad worked at the port of Naples, he got up at 5 in the morning And for honesty he made himself a bouquet so always. I have seen people who really sacrificed life. And I took from him and I always worked hard, from the first moment, then there is a 17 -year -old boy who runs away from a village in the province of Naples. In Naples I went, not In Los Angeles, to make music. I slept in car parks. But even in these conditions I have always appreciated the human side and I met people who helped me, without taking advantage of it and without asking for anything. It was pure solidarity between those who lived on the margins. I learned that lesson.

Is this still the case today?
I don’t expect anything anymore even as regards culture in general. In addition, these new generations have closed them in a cage, making them believe that meritocracy, honesty, are evil. And they managed to sell his shit instead of chocolate. So if this is the future I don’t see any hope. Not to mention those who, but not only in Italy, manage the policies, The riches, not reliable people. Therefore for the human race I see little hope, in all senses. The values ​​that were the foundations, which kept the peoples, feelings, good ones, the real ones have disappeared.

You are about to return with a disc where you face the “roots”. What is it about?
I made a disc where there is country, rock’n’roll, blues inside, because I think you have to go back to the blues and roots and rewrite the story from Chief. We have to look for another way. We Italians can do so, because in America, which is immense, they have these old values ​​for music, the real one, which is then this. We are creating, how to say, a roll of evil, of useless stuff, which put together, continues to suffocate culture and great music more and more.

A career like yours and how did you build it, combining art and personal life, in your opinion could it exist right now?
I’m not sure, I want to hope that there are still people like this. There are people who decide to make music by profession. I have never chosen to do this job, my job was the worker, the music was and is still my passion, my greatest passion and with this idea I have always done it. But one who chooses to do only this job, sooner or later gives up and starts shit, to play with anyone to bring the loaf home. Otherwise you really decide to continue playing for passion and you find yourself another job to live.

So even in the golden moments you could not have lived only about music?
No, you can’t keep a family, and I also had a child. I have never had the opportunity to earn a lot of money, look that Even with the Vanadium we did not earn a cock, because with what he entered at the end we had to pay accountant, rehearsal room, tools. And little was played, because then it was not like now that I play in any hole, if we did 20 concerts per year it was already a lot, I do them every month 20 concerts, more or less. You must be lucky, Sell ​​many records and make many concerts, in short. But now the records don’t even print them anymore.

Why did the rock, but also the hard rock and in particular the blues from the Italian musical horizon?
Not only in Italy, a little around the world; Then Italy, you know, is a fairly borderline country regarding culture, we have always been and we are still, we are the most ignorant country of Europe, what do you expect? It’s normal. As for rock, everything was nice as long as we arrived at metal, bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and people like this, but when the thrash, that of the 80s, what I liked to me, began to extreme and became Black Metal, where there are raspe instead of guitars, where there are people who vomit instead of singing, it is there that the root of the plant is lost, Photocopies of photocopies of photocopies. Unfortunately I do not consider it music, at the base you have to be one who sings, one who makes melodies, one who writes important tests, a guitarist who plays, who makes theone, who creates riffs.

You said that with this new album that is about to come out you are back: tell me a little “the involution” that led you to this choice.
Apart from that in my records there has always been something blues, but in the slightest part, this time instead there are 11 songs that travel in that area. Was a choice Almost mandatory, I was no longer in it, I had to do this album. I don’t know if this will be my future, but this record now had to do so.

When does the record come out?
It should be released in early May.

Meanwhile, there is this single that anticipates it.
“True Friend” It’s the first single, then there will be “No Fear no shame”. I made three videos and three singles, let’s call them that. This ballad that I wrote is having a nice response thinking about friendship, because I was passing A bad moment and I met a person who saved me. He saved me from the paranoia, he gave me a hand again. I wrote it for him, but I wrote it precisely for friendship, because I see that friendship is one of the main things, one of the values, the real ones, which continue more and more in people. There are friends and acquaintances, but friends are the ones who are always there when you need, those who worry if you are sick and ask for nothing. Instead many when they do you a favor ask you two.

Are they all original songs?
Yes, they are all original songs. I wanted to pull inside people who played with me in recent years, all still tied to the blues, people like Osvaldo of God, A blues guitarist who paid homage Pino Daniele with “Blues for Pino” and plays with Cristiano De André. There is Maurizio Gnolawho is a friend of the past of the real ones, the one I have always respected, a great blues guitarist too, great person. There is Gennaro Porcelliwhich has been playing with Bennato for years, Paolo Bonfantiwho played with everyone. And then Olly of the Shandonwith whom I wrote “True Friend”, this ballad. There are people who respect Humanly, because for me the important thing is that, even before the technical aspect.

Do you have any career regrets? Something that you would have liked to do differently or have you not done?
There is a regret and it is that of when with the vanadium we did “Corruption of Innocence” with the production of Jim Faraci (1987). They made us the proposal to move to America and unfortunately we did not go. That is a great regret. For the rest I did what I felt I did. Then there were many other things that I tried to do, I tried to push a little The more the pedal, but unfortunately I am not Berlusconi’s son. And in addition I have also been limited, because I have always worked, I went to the factory every day. 35 years without sleeping! I had great offers, such as Sanremo, in the first talent they called me to be a judge. But I didn’t accept them, I can’t do it. I’m glad that Even now with Dr. Glass we have this Rainbow project, a small hospital in Coban, Guatemala, for the children of the Coban landfill. I volunteer here Milan, in a non -profit organization that is called the sails, where there are these autistic and down children, who are wonderful creatures. Much more could be done. Artists, those who fill the stadiums, Maybe they do it and they don’t say it but it could be organized two or three times a year a big event to collect money, you know how many they would collect. Instead everyone thinks only of his cocks.

“Pino Scotto: heart of Rock’n’roll” is published by Il Castello (184 pages, 18 euros)