You are very very famous and popular band. Are you very often asked for the interview or rarely? Do you always answer the questions of  zine-editors or don’t you  like answering the questions for any local small (foreign)  fanzines?
WE ANSWER TO ALL (IN THE LIMIT OF THE POSSIBLE). WE MAKE NOT DIFFERENCE FROM MAGAZINE, FANZINES, NEWSPAPER OR LOCAL PAPER.... THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE THE QUESTIONS IN THE FANZINES ARE PEOPLE THAT OFTEN KNOW THE BAND SO THAT THEY DO BETTER ASKS THAN OTHERS... MANY THANX FOR THE "FAMOUS AND POPULAR", BUT I DON'T THINK THAT WE ARE SO KNOWN.....
 
I think it is very good to spread your message among people. It is good and important to be equal with other commercial bands. Have you  any clip or movie on MTV for example? I think public people should know your qualities!
YES  IS TRUE.... IS VERY IMPORTANT TO TRY TO WORK AS THE COMMERCIAL BANDS, CAUSE WE CAN SPREAD OUR MESSAGE TO MORE PEOPLE... THE PROBLEM IS THAT WE ARE AN "INCONVENIENT" BAND, SO THAT OUR VIDEOS ARE NOT TRANSMITTED BY MTV... WE DID 2 VIDEOCLIPS (PROFESSINAL FORMAT) IN THE LAST 2 YEARS, BUT WE HAD NOT THE RESULT WE HOPE.... BANDA BASSOTTI IS AN INCONVENIENT BAND... IS SOMETHING TO KEEP HIDDEN.... BUT WE ALWAYS GO STRAIGHT TO OUR WAY.... THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM FOR US. ABOUT YOUR QUESTION, WE THINK THAT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE BAND THE VISIBILITY.... THINKING ABOUT THE CLASH FOR EXAMPLE.... THEY WERE THE BEST BAND OF THE WORLD, AND CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT  WOULD BE THE MUSIC NOW IF THEY HAD NOT THE VISIBILITY THAT THEY HAD?.....

Everybody asks you for the music. But what is your jobs? Are you working or studying, and where?
IN THE LAST YEARS OUR FIRST OCCUPATION IS THE MUSIC.. BUT WHEN WE ARE NOT ON TOUR OR RECORDING RECORDS, WE MAKE DIFFERENT WORKS... THE MOST PART OF US ARE BUILDINGWORKERS.... BANDA BASSOTTI WAS BORN IN THE BUILDING SITES OF ROME...

And what about your family? Are you married, with children ?
SOMEONE OF THE BAND HAVE FAMILY, SOMEONE IS MARRIED, SOMEONE HAVE CHILDREN, SOMEONE HAVE A GIRLFRIEND AND SOMEONE IS BACHELOR... WE REPRESENT ALL THE PEOPLE IN THIS WAY... HA, HA, HA!!
 
And now something about politics...Obviously you are communists, of course. Do you have any connections with trockists, stalinists or anarchists? Have you any problem with them or do you work together?
BANDA BASSOTTI IS FORMED BY DIFFERENT PEOPLE CLEARLY OF THE LEFT WING, BUT FORTUNATELY EVERYONE OF US HAVE A DIFFERENT BRAIN AND A DIFFERENT WAY TO SEE AND MAKE POLITIC... WE TRY TO SUPPORT ALL THE PEOPLE AND THE ORGANIZATION THAT NEED OUR HELP (IN THE LIMIT OF THE POSSIBILITY)... WE ARE 15 BRAINS.... I THINK THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE POINTS OF STRENGHT OF THE BANDS! THE ONLY WAY TO WIN IS TO BE UNITED....
 
On your new CD you have a photo from Japan. Tell me please something delicious about your Japanese tour. It had to be great show! How many concerts did you have there and where?
WE WERE 2 TIMES IN JAPAN. IN 2002 AT FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL OF NAEBA AND IN 2003 TOURING IN DIFFERENT CITY (TOKYO, NAGOYA, OSAKA, KAWASAKI). JAPAN IS A VERY GOOD PLACE, I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO LEARN MANY THINGS FROM THIS CULTURE.. FOR SURE THERE ARE THINGS THAT I DON'T LIKE, BUT IF I HAVE TO MAKE A CONCLUSION ABOUT JAPAN, I THINK THAT IT IS A WONDERFUL PLACE AND IS FULL OF WONDERFUL PEOPLE. WE DID GREAT SHOW THERE. IN 2002 AT FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL WE PLAYED IN FRONT OF 10.000 PEOPLE (WE WENT ON STAGE AFTER RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS) AND IT WAS A MARVELOUS..... IN 2003 WE DID A TOUR WITH DIFFERENT JAPAN BANDS (VERY GOOD) AS BRAHAMAN, DOBERMAN, OI SKALL MATES, RUDE BONES AND WE  SOLD OUT IN EVERY CLUBS.... WE THINK THAT WITH MANY PROBABILITY WE'LL GO IN JAPAN THIS SUMMER FOR THE FUJI ROCK 2005. WE ARE LICENZING OUR LAST CD THERE.... WE HOPE WE'LL GO....
 
Do you only listen to strictly political ska-punk-oi band personally? Or do you listen other styles of music (like HC, metal, jazz) and oi! without political influence too?
EVERYONE OF US LISTEN DIFFERENT KIND OF MUSIC... FOR SURE THE BANDS THAT INFLUENCED THE MUSIC OF BANDA BASSOTTI ARE THE CLASH, THE SPECIALS AND THE REDSKINS...... ALL THE MEMBERS OF BANDA BASSOTTI LOVES THESE...
 

I guess, you played a Cuba Libre tour. Am I right? Did you meet with Fidel Castro Ruz? Your opinion on Cuba (government, leader of revolution, black market, isolation - embargo...)?
YES, WE PLAYED IN CUBA IN THE SUMMER OF 2003 DURING THE "ASÌ ES MI VIDA TOUR". UNFORTUNATELY WE DIDN'T MEET FIDEL CASTRO. ABOUT THE OPINION ON CUBA... IS NOT EASY TO TALK ABOUT IT IN A SMALL INTERVIEW AS THIS.. IS VERY COMPLICATED... WHAT WE CAN TELL YOU IS THAT AFTER WE WERE IN CUBA WE ARE WITH FIDEL MORE THAN BEFORE.... WE HOPE THAT FIDELWILL LIVE FOR LONG TIME.....
 
The most famous and best italian singer/band ever (immediately after your band, ´cos you are the best definitely :-o)!) ?
I DON'T THINK THAT WE ARE THE BEST BAND.... WE ARE BANDA BASSOTTI NOR BETTER, NEITHER WORST THAN OTHERS...
THERE ARE MANY ITALIAN GOOD BANDS NOW.... EVERYONE OF US HAVE A DIFFERENT OPINION ABOUT THIS...
WE THINK THAT TELL YOU A SIMPLE NAME COULD RESULT  A LIE...

 
Works GFR with other world labels (MBR, KOB, Potencial, Rastilho, Fire and flames, Insurgence...)? Would you like to make a gig in Russia and in Eastern Europe?
WE KNOW THESE LABELS. THEY MAKE A GOOD WORK AND  WE RESPECT THEM. FOR SURE WE'LL LIKE TO GO IN RUSSIA AND IN THE EASTERN EUROPE.... THE PROBLEM IS THAT WE ARE A BAND WITH MAY COSTS  (15 PEOPLE ON THE ROAD) AND I THINK THAT  IS NOT EASY TO ARRANGE A TOUR THERE ALSO IF WE COME ONLY FOR THE COSTS (EAT, GASOLINE, SLEEPING, VANS RENTING) ... BUT I HOPE THAT IN THE FUTURE WE CAN ARRANGE SOMETHING.... THIS YEAR WE WERE IN GERMANY, SO THAT... WE ARE COMING EVERY YEAR CLOSER!!
 
From time to time so called "antifascists" (mostly young ex-crust-punkers) want to attack redskins because of  their  red/skinhead attitudes. They call us "bolsheviks" etc. Your opinion on these "antifas"? We call them linksfaschisten :o)
WE THINK THAT WE HAVE TO STAY UNITED. THIS IS OUR ANSWER. THE ENEMIES ARE OTHERS....
 
Do you think that patriotism still has a place in our mind and heart in this world in the 21st century?
YES OF COURSE. EVERYONE HAVE TO BE PROUD OF HIS ROOTS AND HAVE TO DEFEND HIS CULTURE AND HIS COUNTRY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME HAVE TO BE READY TO ACCEPT THE OTHER CULTURES...
 WHAT I THINK IS WRONG IS THAT THERE IS  PEOPLE THAT USE THE PATRIOTISM TO SUSTAIN XENOPHOBIC AND RACIST FEELING OR THAT MASK BY PATRIOTS ONLY TO MAKE UNFAIR  WARS (SEE BUSH).... 

 
Erode, Ghetto 84...do you think they will band together again? I think they should unite again! Which Italian bands do you like? Derozer, Los Fastidios, Merdonald´s, Nabat, Talco, Attarassiagröp...??
ERODE IS PLAYING NOW.... ABOUT GHETTO 84, I THINK THAT THEY WILL NOT PLAY MORE.... RUDE (THE SINGER OF THE BAND) IS INVOLVED IN THE MUSIC, BUT HE'S MAKING OTHER KIND OF MUSIC (REGGAE, DRUM'N'BASS). I LOVE GHETTO 84, BUT I LOVE HIS NEW MUSIC TOO...
FOR SURE, OF THE BAND YOU MENTIONED, NABAT ARE THE GREATEST (STENO IS AGREAT FRIEND OF US), BUT THEY ARE NOT PLAYING AT THE MOMENT. THERE IS A NEW BAND FORMED BY STENO (THE SINGER OF NABAT) CALLED "STENO E LAIDA BOLOGNA CREW" THAT ARE PLAYING NOW....

 
When I say Banda Bassotti everybody knows you now. But tell me something about your beginnings. Was it difficult? Have you any rare songs or demo versions? How many clips do you have?
BANDA BASSOTTI STARTS FOR A JOKE.... WE ALWAYS BUILT THE STAGES FOR CONCERTS IN SQUATS AND ONE DAY WE DECIDED TO STAY ON A STAGE... BUT IT WAS ONLY FOR JOKE... IT WAS A JOKE BETWEEN COMRADES THAT WITH THE YEARS BECAME SOMETHING MORE... AND WE ARE HAPPY THAT NOW THERE IS MANY PEOPLE THAT COME TO OUR CONCERTS. 15 YEARS AGO WE COULDN'T IMAGINE THAT WE'LL PLAY EVERYWHERE AS WE ARE DOING NOW....
WE DID A DEMO IN 1990 RECORDING IN AN OCCUPIED SCHOOL IN ROME CALLED "ENRICO FERMI"... IT'S A RARITY.. LUCKILY...

 
Would you like to record split CD together with any band/bands? Like a The Oppressed with japanesse Oi!Valcans and United we stand and United Front...
WE DON'T KNOW..... WE NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT THIS. AT THE MOMENT WE HADN'T PROPOSAL IN THIS WAY... I THINK THAT IT DEPENDS FROM THE BAND.....

Which is your the greatest dream??

 WE HAVE ABOUT 1 MILLION OF GREAT DREAMS....

STAY FREE.
BANDA BASSOTTI 31/1/05