"Music is an international language that can turn down all barriers. I had the opportunity to play all around Europe, meet a lot of people and make real friends. The most honest people I meet in my life are all musicians, I really think that music can give us all the opportunity of a better life."

Luca Re (The Sick Rose): Rock n' Roll Vains

The Sick Rose were arguably the first European garage band to have the impact globally in the same manner as The Chesterfield Kings (from the Timothy Gassen's book Knights of Fuzz 1980-1995). Lead garage band in the Eighties, the band performed live with some legends of the genre (The Fuzztones, Dream Syndicate, The Nomads, Stomach Mouths and so on) and produced four full records until the break-up in 1990.The Sick Rose comes back in 2006 with a new work, Blastin' out, produced by DOM MARIANI, the legendary leader of the Stems / DM3, gaining a very good critic response and leading the band to several promotion tours of Germany, Greece, Italy and Spain, opening for Jeff Conolly (Lyres).                                                                   (Photo: The Sick Rose)

In 2010 Dom Mariani flew from Australia to produce The Sick Rose 6th album, No Need For Speed. In September 2014 a Live in Studio EP Recording of obscure beatlesque cover songs has been released on a 4 songs 7 inch EP by Area Pirata Records, supported by a music video of Girl On The Train originally by The Liverpool Echo. In 2016, The Sick Rose celebrate the 30th anniversary of their 1st Album Faces with a European Tour and a deluxe vinyl reissue of the iconic LP. To celebrate its 35th birthday, The Sick Rose releases a new studio album titled “Someplace Better” (2018) is the group’s seventh LP, and this time the record was produced by American singer, songwriter, producer Ken Stringfellow (R.E.M., Posies, Big Star). For the first time, the band has recorded only originals. The eleven songs are the sum of all The Sick Rose’s musical influences − from the Garage Rock of the early days, to the R’n’R of Shaking Street, on to the Power Pop characterising the group’s later records. The new album is partly inspired by the sound of bands from the early 1980s, such as Records, 20/20 and Shoes.

Interview by Michael Limnios

How has the Rock n' Roll Counterculture influenced your views of the world and the journeys you’ve taken?

Rock ’n’ Roll literally changed my life, I started to listen to rock music and collect records in 1977 when I was only 14, my first record was the Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl and from that on all I knew was I wanted to be in a Rock and Roll band. The Punk revolution in music business taught me the DIY way and I was lucky enough to have the possibility to live on music for nearly a decade. I played in Germany for the first time in 1986 where I meet my wife. After that I moved to live in Germany where I worked as a teacher for a while. Today I have my own consulting company that is working directly with big customers in the automotive industry like Thyssen Krupp and BMW, all this because I speak German. So, if I’m where I am today everything comes from music and from the people and the experiences I had through music!

How do you describe band's sound, music philosophy and songbook? Where does your creative drive come from?

The Sick Rose started in the 80ties and all we wanted to do back then was play the kind of music we all loved in the band, straight garage punk in the vein of bands like, the Count V, Electric Prunes, Seeds, Music Machine and 60 Texan Punk, musical skills where limited at the beginning but then we started to discover harder sounds and bands like, the MC5, Stooges,  Flamin’ Groovies and also power pop, in the Seventies I was aware of the Knack and the Cheap Trick but it was only at the end of the eighties that I discover a whole number of bands that where playing that kind of music. This is what the Sick Rose are still playing today, a blend of garage/power pop and harder sound that in a word can be defined as simple rock and roll. We are still searching for the 3 minutes perfect pop song; this is what keeps us together. The simple joy of a group of friends happy to make some music together and have the possibility sometimes to present this music to an audience able to appreciate it.

"Rock ’n’ Roll literally changed my life, I started to listen to rock music and collect records in 1977 when I was only 14, my first record was the Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl and from that on all I knew was I wanted to be in a Rock and Roll band. The Punk revolution in music business taught me the DIY way and I was lucky enough to have the possibility to live on music for nearly a decade." (Photo: The Sick Rose)

Which meetings have been the most important experiences for you? What was the best advice anyone ever gave you?

In 1991 I organised a gig for the Blue Cheer here in Italy, after the show unfortunately the drummer Paul Whaley injured his knee and they ended up staying for a whole week at my place, getting to know them well during that period the lesson I learned is: even if you’re having some kind of success in the music business the most important thing is to stay humble and develop a real passion about music itself. After that I’ve been lucky to have the opportunity to work with people such as Dom Mariani (Stems, DM3, Datura4), Ken Strigfellow (REM, Big Star, Posies), Andy Lewis (Paul Weller’s Group) and Fay Hallam (Makin’ Time, Prime Movers, Fay Hallam Group) all these people are totally passionate with music and great human beings!

Are there any memories from gigs, jams, open acts and studio sessions which you’d like to share with us?

There are a lot of memories after 35 years carrier but probably the best one regards our second tour in Germany in 1987, that was called the Psychomania Tour together with Fuzztones, Stomachmouth, Vietnam Veterans and Sting Rays. It has been a crazy drive all trough Germany in winter, the first arrival in Berlin where the wall was still there is a vivid memory in my mind. Check Point Charlie, passing the eastern/western borders together with Rudy Potrudi wearing a chicken Bone neckless was rather interesting, we were only 20 years old and we got to learn what life on the road is: it’s only rock and roll!

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of?

I’ve been lucky enough to live in a period in which nearly every week a great record was coming out, the Clash London calling, Talking Heads Fear of music, the Jam Setting Sons, the Specials first LP, this is how my record collection started, everything sounded new to my ears and it was a great excitement to discover all these sounds. Nowadays this happens very rarely unfortunately!                      (Photo: Luca Re)

"This is what the Sick Rose are still playing today, a blend of garage/power pop and harder sound that in a word can be defined as simple rock and roll. We are still searching for the 3 minutes perfect pop song; this is what keeps us together. The simple joy of a group of friends happy to make some music together and have the possibility sometimes to present this music to an audience able to appreciate it."

If you could change one thing in the musical world and it would become a reality, what would that be?

More interest in live music! I have the feeling that young people are not so excited about bands playing music live together. This unfortunately is killing r’n’r.

What are the lines that connect the legacy of Garage music from Rock n' Roll and Acid Blues to Pub Rock and Punk?

In my opinion punk ’77 has been the first garage revival in music history, we had bands like the Undertones, Chelsea, Damned, Cabaret Voltaire playing songs by Seeds and  Chocolate Watchband, most of these musicians were aware of the past and were taking inspiration from the sixties, the same can be told about the pub rock scene that was there even before, Dr Feelgood, the Inmates etc. their love for the music of the past is clear, there’s a line in r’n’r that clearly keeps all this band together.

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in music paths?

Stick to your ideals and play the music that comes from your hearth, to sell out doesn’t pay, never.

What is the impact of music on the socio-cultural implications? How do you want it to affect people?

Music is an international language that can turn down all barriers. I had the opportunity to play all around Europe, meet a lot of people and make real friends. The most honest people I meet in my life are all musicians, I really think that music can give us all the opportunity of a better life.

"I’ve been lucky enough to live in a period in which nearly every week a great record was coming out, the Clash London calling, Talking Heads Fear of music, the Jam Setting Sons, the Specials first LP, this is how my record collection started, everything sounded new to my ears and it was a great excitement to discover all these sounds. Nowadays this happens very rarely unfortunately!" (Photo: Luca Re)

Let’s take a trip with a time machine, so where and why would you really want to go for a whole day?

For sure I would like to have the possibility to fly back in the Sixties, for me they are the best music decade of all the times, I’m not quite sure if it must be the Swinging London or the Sunset Boulevard in L.A., but as I hate the cold weather I guess the second choice would be the one.

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