Band Aid is an Italian band formed in
Lecce
Lecce ( ); el, label=Griko, Luppìu, script=Latn; la, Lupiae; grc, Λουπίαι, translit=Loupíai), group=pron is a historic city of 95,766 inhabitants (2015) in southern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Lecce, the province ...
in 1980.
History
Band Aid was formed in 1980 in Lecce by Toni Robertini, Giacomo Toriano (Mino), Francesco Nemola (Frank), Felice De Donno, Roberto Gagliardi and Paolo Cesano. It was previously named La Mela d'Oro, a group which in 1976 had already elaborated Mediterranean Jazz with elements of popular music of Salento.
The group was influenced by
Canterbury scene,
no wave,
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by wikt:nonconformity, nonconformity, Free improvisation, free-form improvisation, sound experimen ...
and
free jazz
Free jazz is an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventions, such as regular tempos, tones, and chord changes. Musicians during ...
. They produced their own instrumental compositions except during the last period when the American singer Arthur Miles joined the band.
In 1980, Band Aid was the first Italian band to self-produce an LP (''No Autostop'') following the English example. Recorded at home on a 4-track tape recorder, the LP was published by Italian Records Service. The group defined its musical style as "No-Jazz".
[Rubini Oderso; No input no output. The Italian Records History (1980-1985); Beatstream, Bologna, 2014; p.78-79, 130, 152. ]
In 1981, they moved to Bologna and recorded their second LP, ''Due'', published by Italian Records. They took part in the festival Electra 1 in Bologna, with
Bauhaus
The Staatliches Bauhaus (), commonly known as the Bauhaus (), was a German art school operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined crafts and the fine arts.Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 4th edn., 200 ...
,
Peter Gordon,
Lounge Lizards
The Lounge Lizards were an eclectic musical group founded by saxophonist John Lurie and his brother, pianist Evan Lurie, in 1978. Initially known for their ironic, tongue-in-cheek take on jazz, The Lounge Lizards eventually became a showcase ...
,
DNA and Magazzini Criminali.
Band Aid's music, instrumental and not inclined to the usual rock styles (except for the rhythm), is a singular presence in the
new wave scene. In 1983, they took part in five episodes of
RAI-Radio3 "Un certo discorso", performing live. They toured Sardinia with
Litfiba for a promotional tour of new Italian music.
Following the Italian Records' trend towards dance music and
Italo disco, they recorded the EP ''A Tour in Italy'', produced by Oderso Rubini. They introduced vocals for the first time, using pre-recorded conversations of English lessons and a nonsense rap in French. Side B is a remix by the American DJ, Tony Carrasco.
The record obtained reasonable success. The last period is marked by an attempt to reach a larger audience. In 1985, the band dissolved.
In 1993 was published "Live Tree" a CD containing unpublished music recorded live.
[Various authors; Largo all'avanguardia. 50 anni di musica rock a Bologna; Sonicrocket, Bologna, 2011; p.188, 87, 158, 173, 200, 220. ]
In 2019 Mino Toriano begins the composition and the production of the new album ''BandAid 2020'' (released in 2021) featuring Roberto Gagliardi, Felice De Donno, Frank Nemola (and also Toni Robertini by digital editing of previous audio recordings).
Past members
*Mino Toriano - guitar, bass
*Frank Nemola - trumpet, synthesizer
*Toni Robertini, Roberto Gagliardi - saxophone, flute
*Felice De Donno - bass
*Luciano Graffi - bass
*Ignazio Orlando - bass
*Paolo Cesano - drums
*Fabio Sorti - drums
*Sergio Piccinini - drums
*Arthur Miles - vocals
Discography
Albums
* 1980 - ''No Autostop'' (Italian Records Service, TIXE 002)
* 1981 - ''Due'' (Italian Records, EXIT 908)
* 1983 - ''A Tour in Italy'' (EP, 12") (Italian Records, EXIT M506)
* 1993 - ''Live Tree'' (CD, live album) (CV, BA01)
* 2021 - ''2020'' (CD) (Streetz Records, BA001)
Singles
* 1983 - "A Tour in Italy" (7") (Bellaphone Germany, 100–07–298)
References
External links
Band Aid (2) @ Discogs.comAstroman_Oderso
{{Authority control
Italian rock music groups
No wave groups
Italo disco groups