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Every other band on earth will tell you how their disaffected youth drove them to write heartfelt songs (and saved their doomed lives in the process), how they are the best thing since sliced bread with bits in it or that they have fused two genres to form a quirky new style that sounds exactly like every other band on the radio. To be honest, we’re sick and tired of hearing the same old story. We’re not trying to be different, we haven’t come up with an original way of making music. It’s actually fairly simple. We got together to make music that we love, that gets us going, that doesn’t try to be something it’s not.
Technically this is a side-project for the four of us, no pretext, just a chance to be creative and not constrained by the rigidity of an established band that can only veer slightly from its signature sound for fear of alienating a hard earned following that is as fickle as it is critical (Hi Ma!).
Michael Scicluna (Bass) and David Cassar Torregiani (Guitars) teamed up with Mark Cortis (Drums) and Andre Portelli (Vocals and supplier of beer and cigarettes) to form Star Bunker. After racking up a handful of songs we recruited the help of Boris Cezek (Doyaya Studios) to help with arrangement and to produce our first EP “Forecast”. “Move On” is the first single to be released from this EP.
Mike Scicluna (Bass): In a pretty uneventful first 14 years, music took a sudden hold and the grunge era propelled me into the seedy, non-lucrative but ultimately rewarding world of being in a band. When that didn’t work out I turned to accountancy. Thankfully a good friend recruited my sorry ass into a new project in a bid to rediscover the long lost art of writing songs and playing in a crappy run down garage into the wee hours of the morning. So was born Star Bunker. When I look back at my time in a band I’d like to say at least we tried, although so far all I can honestly take out of it is lower back pain, hearing impairment, tendonitis in my shoulder, strained ankle ligaments, bruises from a guitar falling on my head, falling on my arse countless times (still haven’t mastered the jump-kick-back), blisters, and an effing good time in the process.
Mark Cortis (Drums): Military drumming was what beckoned me to the world of percussion from a very tender age. Countless were the imaginary regiments paraded round my parents’ backyard to the beat of my drums…. err mum’s pots and pans. I was only 5 then. My real drumming frenzy was however unleashed at age 13, triggered and inspired by the drums-driven music of ‘RUSH’. Back then, marathons of air-drumming displays synchronized to blaring Hi-Fi speakers, or interminable ‘drum solos’ attempted on every conceivable surface around the house, were the order of my day. How my folks must have endured!
Rock music is certainly my element, but I feel equally elated to the sound of an evocative Medieval Ballad, the exotic scales of Arabic Music, the enchanting interlocution of tabla and sitar, or the inciting skirl of bagpipes. Playing in STARBUNKER is yet another exciting milestone in my musical journey; an opportunity to making good contemporary rock music – to my heart’s content. The ‘baggage’ of musical tastes and experiences pooled in by all band members is as rich and interesting as it can get ,and for me , the possibilities are as intriguing as that canopy of stars…. out there.
Dave C. Torregiani (Guitars): Born sometime in the late 60’s at the height of when flower seeds went up in smoke for many things other than making margarine, I started playing with myself and the guitar at the age 12 after sadly realizing that I couldn’t follow in my Mom’s footsteps in taking up ballet. I got totally hooked on the instrument after initially hearing Electric Light Orchestra, Bowie, Eric Clapton, then finally the almighty AC/DC, and I was then totally hooked on rock and……the guitar……for life. The album “Highway to Hell” helped me live through my suicidal years, and being without a girlfriend for too long. My love for guitar grew into an obsession, invoking me to walk out from the classroom with the excuse to go to the toilet, but getting on a bus back home to get out an idea I would have for a new song. I have had the great pleasure of knowing and playing with many great musicians along the way, some of which have sadly passed away. “Starbunker”, a band of friends of different ages and hairstyles, is my latest adventure, and enjoying making music in my very very late teens leaves with me with just one sorrowful regret, of not buying some great vintage guitars when they were still dead cheap.
Andre' Portelli (VOX): hmmmm...how to get away from all the cliche's?? you know ones like: "Oh music is my passion.." and " ever since I was a little boy my mamma always told me...." and all that kind of stuff!! Well music is what I love to do....hope you like what's currently coming from STARBUNKER....and well if at any point in time you get curious and want to know much more about me...just feel free to write and I'll reply!!....eventually!
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