Santarita Sakkascia
Hard rock cafone

It was December 23, 1996

A date I will never forget!

Each of us has moments in life that remain etched in memories and in the soul, for me that day was my first day at the factory, 450 km away from home, alone, in a decaying house without knowing how to make a coffee or "du spaghi ajo e ojo." Starting from scratch, usually for everyone, these are the turning points in life; you go from goofing around to having a mountain of responsibilities (especially at work).

New life, new people, new everything!

As usual (I did this when traveling), my first visit was to the record store (who the hell has ever seen a church in Colleferro!!!)... who knows... maybe I'll find some loser to have a chat with and possibly form a friendship. After a few days, I muster up the courage and enter; as soon as I open the door, I'm overwhelmed by music and laughter. I see four guys at the counter laughing their heads off with the shopkeeper. With a distracted air, I approach pretending to be interested in the CDs and catch their conversation, they were commenting on the Santarita Sakkascia concert from two days before (and meanwhile from the speakers came "open that damn door I need to go get the shotgun!!! Open up or else I’ll come by!! Got it, bitch!?!?!?" and then "if you give me the vote I'll find you a house, if you give me your ass I'll get you into NASA."). That day I hit the jackpot!!! I had my first five friends (including the shopkeeper) and "Hard Rock Cafone" in my pocket, you couldn't ask for more!

The album is one of those I describe as intimate, ones you have to listen to in two ways:

Moderately, at home so as not to bother the neighbor

EXCESSIVELY LOUD, in the car, to sing at the top of your lungs to relieve the day's stress.

It's not an album to be taken seriously, studied, or reviewed by Claudio Sorge (the sons of the Stooges?), it's an album to be loved for what it is, and especially, weak hearts beware!!! The lyrics are highly absurd, irreverent, and mocking, anti-papal as per tradition. Just from the first listen, you double over with a painful diaphragm, eyes red as if you've smoked who-knows-what. 18 songs, some original, some covers with adapted lyrics. It ranges from a John Zorn at the bus stop, to a "Smells like teen spirit" where you read the lyrics from a calendar.

The paths of Santarita Sakkascia (unfortunately I never had the chance to attend one of their concerts) parted ways many years ago, some went on to be artists, some tragically are no longer with us because they fell under the cousin's blade (maybe he took it seriously), but they left me with a beautiful memory of those years where even though I had a job (now I'm somewhere completely different and that factory is gone), I didn’t even take myself seriously!!

On a dreary morning in that dilapidated building, someone dies (I don't know who I erased the gender) after an evening of joints and beer I get up, stay locked inside, and have no idea what the heck was happening outside my door!!! I put on "Hard Rock Cafone" at a high volume... it didn’t end well!!