The Italian rock & roll machine, Giuda, made a stop in Garden Grove, CA, earlier this week while on their U.S. tour. I had the great opportunity to have a conversation with Lorenzo (guitarist) and Tenda (lead vocalist) before their set at the Tree House located inside the Garden Amp. Both Lorenzo and Tenda are notable Italian punk musicians who previously we part of the punk band Taxi.
Getting to see Giuda perform was such a delightful experience. Not only because their performance was downright spectacular but because the audience was comprised of true and loyal fans that seemed to know each and every word to their songs and rocked out just as hard as Giuda performed.
So you guys were just in Oakland for Burger Boogaloo, right? Talk about your experience there.
Lorenzo: That was our first time playing at Burger Boogaloo and it was great. It was fantastic to be there actually. The people were great, there was a sense of freedom everywhere, and it was great to share the stage with some of the bands that we’ve really loved since we were young kids. Like Devo! They are one of my favorite bands, ever.
Did you guys get meet Devo?
Tenda: We met backstage after the concert and I think their show is one of the best gigs I’ve ever seen.
How difficult would you say it’s been in your experience to be a touring band?
Lorenzo: It’s definitely difficult. For him [Tenda], for example because he has a family, a young kid, and a wife.
Tenda: I think the most important thing about being on tour is to have a very good crew. When you have a good relationship with your crew everything is easier. To live for a month or two in the same van is hard because every day, every minute, every hour is shared together with them. If you don’t have a good relationship between everyone it could be very difficult. We are all firstly friends. I’ve known Lorenzo since we were both two years old and we have a couple of members of the band that came on in the last year. We want friends in the band because it helps.
Lorenzo: Especially people who don’t talk too much [laughs]
How long has Giuda been around?
Lorenzo: We started Giuda in 2007. But our first album came out three years later in 2010. The story is a little bit complicated because we had been in another band before called Taxi. Taxi was in existence from 1997 to 2017. The reason why Taxi came to an end was because our drummer passed away so we all decided to stop that project but still continued to write and play. Giuda came to be organically. We all came together, recorded an album, and it got great reviews. People were excited about that and it became work for us from then on.
Would you say Giuda a good reflection of the music scene in Rome currently?
Lorenzo: Yeah. We actually grew up in the suburbs and we started to play punk rock at a young age. We would listen to punk bands like the Ramones but then we got into the Kill by Death punk rock. We all started to collect records too. We were all very young like 12 or 13 years old when we started– it was 1992. At the end of the 90’s there was a very good punk rock scene not just in Rome but in the North of Italy so we were pretty lucky. We had the opportunity to see so many great punk bands like The Kids from Belgium, The Damned, The Misfits, The Sex Pistols. The Ramones too! I actually got to see them a couple of times and it was great! I was 14 years old the first time I saw them. My brother took me there. I was so crazy for them that I got a tattoo of the Ramones symbol when I was 16 on my arm.
How would you compare touring in Europe vs. touring in the United States?
Tenda: The main difference is the huge landscape. I don’t like to drive back home but I do like to drive in the U.S. I love passing from the desert to the mountain, to coastal waters.
Lorenzo: It’s exotic for us and so different, so we really love it. Last year we had a giant tour, almost 40 days so we had a driver. This time around, our round shorter so we share the drive.
What do you miss most from home when you’re away?
Lorenzo: Well I would say the climate but after being here, it’s actually very similar to home.
Tenda: Today I had my first swim in the ocean! We went to Newport Beach and it was great! I was wearing my speedo and everyone was like ‘who are these guys?’
Lorenzo: When you’re driving in the highway for long periods of time it’s sometimes hard to find good food. I miss simple foods like salads or a normal sandwich. Usually we find just big chains, which is fine we can survive but yeah that’s what I miss.
When’s your last U.S. our date?
Tenda: July 7th in Seattle. We will be supporting The Damned.
Is Giuda currently working on any new material?
Lorenzo: Yes, we are currently working on new material but it won’t be released until the start of 2019.
Thanks again to Giuda and all who made the show so special. If you happen to be in Seattle July 7th, go check Giuda out. They’ll be performing at The Showbox Theater.
For more information on the band, check out their website here If you’re interested in reading more content by Corduroy Soul, check out Corduroy’s blog here.
Much love,
Lucia Castaneda, Corduroy S.
