Hi, I’m Luigi “Johnny Terror”, Hellcats’ voice and guitarist; someone called me “the grandfather” for my age… Someone said that in 1964, when I was 4 years old, I danced and sang to the twist and rock'n'roll music that I heard on my uncle’s recorder.I remember that I was very enchant by the sound and rhythm that came from the juke box: exactly the same good and strong sensations -with gooseflesh- that I still feel today on hearing that music.
Apart from the few exceptions (like the songs of the “Zecchino d’Oro” -a children’s music festival- or the Carrà’s legs -an Italian soubrette-), the music of the end of sixties never liked me.
In 1971 (the year of the death of Gene Vincent), when I was 11 years old, I decided that rock'n'roll was my music, even if I thought I was the only one that heard it; in that time I lived in Switzerland and in Geneva I bought French and original American rock'n'roll records.
In 1975, in Geneva, I saw a Chuck Berry concert, the most beautiful one of all of my life: he was accompanied by the Flyin' Saucers, a young English band with incredible strength of sound. In that time I found british rockabilly and the world of teddy boy; I also understood that rock'n'roll was alive and, perhaps, more beautiful and dynamic than in the fifties. This idea gave me a great confidence and the strength to go ahead in this way.
I also remember with pleasure the Robert Gordon and Link Wray concert in Geneva, in 1977: really extraordinary!!!
Strangely, in 1977, after the boom of punk music, the records shop filled up with English music and, of course, also british rockabilly; so I could buy records of Whirlwind, Flyin' Saucers, Matchbox, Crazy Cavan, etc...
In the same time I bought my first guitar, a cheap copy of a Fender Mustang (that I still have) and a little amplifier of 2 or 3 watt; I self-taught myself music and I discovered those chords, rhythm and sound that haunted me since my childhood.
In the early eighties I came back to live in Italy, in Bologna, where I met someone sick like me with rock'n'roll: together we made up the Crazy Rebels, a band in which I was the composer and I played rhythmic guitar.
In 1985 I became a member of the Jumpin' Shoes that in a short time became one of the most famous Italian rock’n’roll bands of that era.
During these 35 years of rock’n’roll I think that I have heard and I have appreciated all of variations of this music, but the musicality and the sound that I much love is played by Gene Vincent, Roy Orbison, ’50’s-’60’s european bands and the british rockabilly...
Luigi "Johnny Terror"
Hi! I’m Spina, the Hellcats’ drummer; I discovered the wonderful rock'n'roll & rockabilly world in 1986 ‘cause two friends told me about Elvis Presley: I was so much enchanted that I wanted to know more about those kinds of artists and about the fifties; in a short time I became a member of the rockabilly movement.
Besides Elvis, also Stray Cats gave me a great boost; this was only the start, with time I learned to know (and I will continue) so many artists that it is very difficult to remember everyone. It’s difficult to say who I prefer: I can associate (all or nearly all) those of te ’50’s; I feel a particular admiration for two bands that were real rock’n’roll: the first Flying Saucers and the Blasters.
I started to play drums before my entry in the rockabilly world, but I made more noise than music: I could not have drum lessons, I could not have a drum! But I used something free: the ear for music and the sense of rhythm. Today, sometimes, I still make mistakes, but all of many concerts where I have played in Italy and in Europe, prove how great things are possible to do with passion and will.
I was never inspired by a particular drummer, but I want to cite Slim Jim Phantom (Stray Cats) ‘cause maybe, I musically copied something from him. For the rest, mine is a very personalized din; I’m inspired by the personality of Fabrais (Good Fellas) when he played with the first Jumpin' Shoes formation, but I had to learned more by him, ‘cause he is one of the best drummers in the circle. Last but not least, I cannot forget to cite thea great drum rocker Wild Bob Burgos…
At the end of eighties I met Luigi and the alcohol party in his house.. The rest is written in our biography page.
Spina The Pelvis
Hi, my name’s Steve and I live in Cattolica; I’m the current hellcats bass-man, I’m 23 years old and this time is a great time for me, just for the reason that Hellcats (a band that I think very highly of and that I followed for 9 years, when I discovered rockabilly) chose me as their bass-man.
I started from a different musical style, punk music at first; I know there is a difference, but playing music is how I like to play: in fact, at the time, I became a member of the Spits, a friends band; we played “lo-fi” rock’n’roll, with “low-fidelity” sounds; our reference were the Oblivians, New Bomb-Turks, Ramones, Crime, Cramps...
In that time I discovered rockabilly music through some new friends: the Fox, Olly, Fabio and also the notorious Hellcats...
I continued to play music: I also attended some music lessons but, before learning how to hold the bass correctly, I had to stop because I didn’t have money to pay the lessons; in spite of that my great passion for rock’n’roll and the will to play it helped me to go ahead and play anyhow…
A lot of people ask me why I don’t play double bass: now I prefer the bass, simple to transport and easier to tune. Someone take it for granted that a time who play rock’n’roll had necessarily play double bass. Now my instrument choice is the bass, I don’t know what I’ll decide for the future.
At the end, I leave this for you:
“A tattoo can hurt, a piercing can hurt, a fridge on the head can hurt; you must remember that life can hurt more. If you want to have fun, have a big dose of rock’n’roll…”
Steve
Influences
rock'n'roll,rockabilly,hillbilly,country,blues,doo-wop...all the fifties years and the revival...
Hellcats was born at the end of eighties in Casinina (in the Pesaro-Urbino province of Marche – Italy) from Luigi’s experience (he was the Jumpin' Shoes’s rhythmical guitarist) and by the enthusiasm of a group of friends that were longing to set their own music their rock'n'roll and rockabilly passion.
The band started as a joke: none of us attended a music school; we often went to Luigi’s house and made musical noise but, in spite of the effects of alcohol, we played something good. But we thought it wasn’t good enough for a show.
On a Sunday evening (when, as usual, we were in a Morciano di Romagna pizzeria) Luigi decided to make up a real band and so we started to rehearse in earnest: Luigi singing and playing guitar, Spina at the drums and chorus, Fox at the bass and chorus.
Hellcats name originated from Luigi’s old passion for fighter planes and also because rock'n'roll was considered as hell’s music. Our own music style, that we call “hot rock'n'roll & rockabilly” it is like our own personalities and our rock’n’roll feeling.
The beginning was very hard: the first, true concert (apart from sporadic exhibitions where we played only two songs) was the 3rd of april 1993 at Piola, a mythical club in Ferrara. It was an immediate success, as much that at the end of that year, we played also three times in Berlin. All seemed so simply…
But then some problems began: Steve is our sixth (and current) bass-man after Fox, Otto, Bracci, Maka and Alex. We want sincerely to thank all of them because it is thanks to them that Hellcats still exist.
Every time we changed our bass-man we had to start all over again from the beginning; nothing was simple, because we also had some forced pauses for personal problems.
In spite of all, every time we started again, we found again our passion for rock'n'roll with the humility that distinguished us.
We want thank all who keep close to us, who were in front of us when we came back: it’s impossible for us to mention every one, but we want heartily to thank Ciccio by Cittadella (made in Italy) for all he has done for Italian and European rock'n'roll and also for all he has done for us: he helped us at the beginning but also from time to time; we don’t know if, without him, we would still be playing.
In our’s own small way we have played a lot in Italy and in Europe; we even had session with Screaming Lord Sutch, Graham Fenton, Crazy Cavan, receiving good praise from them as from other great artists of the European and International rockabilly movement, like Ray Campi and the Memphis Rockabilly Band.
In the hope of continuing in the same way, we will go forward on our road, with convinction about our music style and try to be the best we can…
Thanks to all who come at our concerts because with you rock'n'roll never dies!!
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