14th december 2008: Distillerie di Malto had its 20th birthday
There never was an exact birth date. We only remember that the band was born in 1988, as much as 20 years ago. If we think about it, many, many things have changed ever since. The Berlin Wall was still standing, De Andrè was alive and kicking and the mobile phone did not take the upper hand over the minds of the Italians yet. Our personal lives run across roads that nobody could never have previewed before. Really, perhaps the only thing we continued to perform uninterruptedly, even if not always with the same continuity but certainly with the same passion and the same enthusiasm, is just playing with DdM.
We have chosen a normal Sunday of December, the 14th; we patiently scraped together the telephone numbers of the old distillers, of the hosts we had in the concerts, of the fiercer fans, of the sound workers, of the supporters, in short, those who were members of the family; we collected all the photos taken in twenty years of music, all the video that, as nippers, portrayed us behind the instruments, the reviews obtained with "Il manuale dei piccoli discorsi", all the important mails, the posters of the several gigs and, with the untiring job of the wives and that destructive one of the sons, we organized, in the premises of the cooperative of Rogatti, a great party with porchetta, pizza, cakes, wine, sparkling wine and candles, in order to celebrate the incredible, unusual, improbable twentieth birthday of Distillerie di Malto!
It was an extraordinary night. We saw a lot of faces we hadn't been seeing for a long time. We enjoyed ourselves, we laughed, drunk, ate, reminded… But it was not a nostalgic evening at all, even if one could have forecast it. On the contrary, being Distillerie di Malto still most active, even if with their biblical rhythm and their times, it was simply like a usual birthday party of a boy of 20. In fact, the guests had also the honor to hear in preview the original recording of “Rovescia l'immaginazione e scopri la realtà” before the final mixing. This instrumental piece will be part of "Suono!" the new work of DdM which will be released on the next year.
Distillerie di Malto seizes the day to sincerely thank all the attendees and to embrace all those which, in their own way, are been members of the family, contributing to make the cause of the group a more than twenty-year story. Thanks!
8th february 2007: first gig with Alessio
It was a fleeting but very important show, that of the presence in the regional selection of Arezzo Wave Love Festival of DdM. They not only played two unpublished songs which will be present in the new disc, but the played for the first time with the current line-up (Fabiano, Fabrizio, Marco, Giuliano and Alessio), showing a full blown harmony at once.
2006: the stand-by pied piper
Between the news of the team there is that of the defection of Luca on flute. His wasn't a really farewell but, as his physical distance from the band and then the impossibility of giving continuance and depth to his contribution, now he's a bench player.
Yes, he's a stand-by flutist. He's not a member of DdM, but he's an off-base and we hope to play with him again in some occasion.
2006: Alessio the great
Distillerie di Malto has got a new drummer: the great Alessio Palizzi! He's a young boy (compared with the others he's a new-born baby!), but he's a delicious man, a big musician...in sum he is great, that's that!
Now, with him the band distil pure prog rock again, and the next step is the new disc...
18th august 2005: turning-point
Maurizio Di Tollo is no more the drummer of Distillerie di Malto!
The hard decision, taken by all the components, arrived with the gradual consciousness that the feeling, which had been linking ourselves together since over a decade, was lessened.
Giuliano synthesized well: a love is finished. Nothing else.
It's of no use to cling to memories, to remember all the things we did together, to throw down melancholy. Now we have just to roll up our sleeves and go forward. The love for the music impose us that and Maurizio know it very well.
We could have spoken to the infinite, but maybe this was the only thing to say.
2005: ...and then they were alone...
We needed a producer. Someone who helped us in continuing and improving. We were like children who need the teeth to eat.
At a certain time it seemed we had find that thrust. The tooth was born!
But, this was only an impression. The tooth decayed. We don't know why, but the thing was stopping us. Now that tooth prevented the child to eat.
Then, in a normal day, the tooth fell down.
We don't know if it's better to rejoice or to regret. We only know that Distillerie di Malto continues and will continue to play, with or without a producer, just as they've always done.
The child got used to eat withouth teeth and he don't need cariuos ones.
p.s.
Franz adieu...
30th january 2004: first interely DdM prog gig!
Distillerie di Malto plays only its music in a concert. In the past, their shows always forecast some covers of the great prog groups by which they're inspired. After little apparitions made by original pieces, they were able to test the public's taste, addressing it, not towards a simply entertaining evening, but to a truly and original musical proposal. It was one of the objects always followed by the band, and DdM will continue in pursuing it, if possible. 2004 opens with this new...
21st settembre 2003:
BIG WAVE FEST
The festival organized by D&D Comunicazione, based on the "great wave of imaginary music", was an extraordinary possibility for the group of Ortona, that for the first time performed in front of a numerous and cautious audience like that of Premiata Forneria Marconi.
The band proposed the new pieces that complete the cd which is next to go out "Il nuovo manuale dei piccoli discorsi", plus Aria e vento.
The disc will be produced by Di Cioccio's label which has got a new name:"Immaginifica"
15th June 2002: the label!
Distillerie
di Malto
has got a label at last! It is called Fermenti Prog by Franz
and Iaia Di Cioccio.
november 2001: Giuliano
A new bassist needed, after Salvatore. "Distillers" liked him, Fabrizio was collaborating with him in one of his musical projects, he often partecipated to the non-musical initiatives of DdM (suppers above all!), he liked prog rock, so it was easy to choose: Giuliano Torelli is the official bassist of Distillerie di Malto.
october 2001: Salvatore: separation by mutual consent
So, on october, Fabrizio "summons" him into his house. With few words and some look the two have already understood: the moment to cover different ways has arrived. Obviously, even him felt he was imprisoned into a music he didn't love so much, and he wanted to test new and more personal ideas. But, with such clearness and kindness that make people intelligent, he has proposed to help the group in every moment it had to need a hand, as, however, he had always done.
2001: first studio recording
They had been
felling the need to testify the original work o f the band, with a
concrete support, since much time. Thet thought about it seriously in
’98. In ’99 the hopes directed towards the recording of
a live performance in a contest. But the result betrayed the
expectations. Neither the simbology of the last year of the millennium
succeded to keep the project took-off. The all
thing required a more seriuos obligation the the
explication of such simple needs. In the end they choose to dedicate
2001 exclusively to record their first CD. With the
enthusiasm and obstinacy that mark Distillerie di Malto, and after months of
exhausting rehearses and long meetings to chose the title and the cover,
the 23, 24 and 25 May the band, for the first time, enter in a studio.
Il manuale dei piccoli discorsi it’s the result.
The eldest son. Listen to it and let others listen. You’ll reap
most genuine fruits of thier music.
16th january 2001: the advent of Luca
In December Fabrizio had to do a contest fro songwriters in Sulmona. The band (with Giuliano Torelli on bass) accompanied him. But the song they proposed needed the flute. A friend of Maurizio (Andrea Viola) spoke to him of Luca Latini played it. They called him and they together got on very well soon. The contest run well, even if Fabrizio did not win at all. But the whole band had always yearned for the flute. The presence of an alternative instrument to traditional rock, obviously opens musical horizons (see the greatest progressive bands like Jethro Tull and Gentle Giant for instance), till becoming one of the prerogatives of the genre. In the case of DdM the thing was so clear that, an hard share of the original material was even writed also for flute. Considering Luca’s exquisiteness together with his enthusiasm to try on it they involved him soon. On 16 January 2001 at the “Andriano Pub” of Atessa, the first six element formation concert was played. The same team which is responsable of the first studio recording.
30th october
1998: first live execution of
“Supper’s ready”
“Supper’s ready” of Genesis, the most beautiful and complete progressive opera of all times, was been a craze of the band since a long time. They attempted to play it long time before, when Andrea was still in, with the help of some other musicians coming from Ortona (Ezio Moretti on guitar, Gianluca Ciampichetti on keyboards and Sergio Civitarese on bass). Ma the project didn’t go well. They did never manage to play it live. The song is 23 minutes long, and with the orchestration shown in the original, it seemed to be impossible to reproduce on stage. On the contrary, in 1998, the ideal formation (Fabiano, Fabrizio, Marco, Maurizio e Salvatore) did manage to play it, proposing it exactly at the “Pop Off” the 30th of October. The sensation was extraordinary. Since then, the song has always been remaining in the cover list of Distillerie di Malto. The pleasure to playing it always remain immense.
20th december
1996: first concert as supporters
“Il Parto delle
Nuvole Pesanti”, internationally well-known, was coming to Ortona. A
manager of them, Massimo Cacciacarne, is just from Ortona,
and he is a good friend of Marco.
They asked him if they could open the concert. Thay could! They played
for almost an hour to the Odeon theathre before ”Il Parto”. It was a
good experience. They gained consents even by the members of the band.
14th
december
1995:
Maurizio's
first concert
Maurizio Di
Tollo, since some times, had been pressing Fabrizio, long running time
friend (at the age of 10 and 12 they formed a band called “UFO”) to play
with Distillerie, knowing the various problems Andrea gave.
Fabrizio was very well stimulated from the idea. The rest came by itself…
We can say that Andrea’s leaving
gave a new impulse to the band. Maurizio was
always been a good appreciate drummer and, the most important thing, he
loved prog rock very very much. It was just him the drummer they was
searching. Concert season at least came. The mythical “Pop Off” in
Cepagatti (PE) gave them ospitality without hesitation. Salvatore, whom
band had already played there, introduced the managers Silvio and Enzo
to the others. The 14th of December 1995 the first act was
played. It was the first of a long series.
30th december
1994: Andrea's
last concert
Some frictions were
created between Andrea and the rest of the band. It seemed he wonted to
experiment with his instrument for his personal own, not for the band’s
needs. Maybe, he just tired to play progressive rock. The four-monthly
absences of Salvatore cheer the march up. 1994 was dedicated, above all,
to improve old pieces
and
to insert new covers finding the best number of pubs to play in. So, the
30th of December 1994, they made a dress-rehearsal in the
co-operative, with Sergio on bass, towards the concert-season to come,
full of hopes and new purposes. But all hopes, as for the time, were
betrayed. During one rehearse in which Andrea was (usually) absent, the
other distillers well thought to call Maurizio Di Tollo to play on his
drum. Andrea came and, after a meet-clash with the others, definitively
went out of the band.
7th
january 1994:
Salvatore's first concert 
Salvatore Marchesani was a friend of Andrea’s. He played the bass with “Sine Nomine”. Fabrizio asked to him to come in the rehearse. He soon came a little bit surprised. The first bass player Fabrizio Mazzonetto, knew a pub in L’Aquila called “Petra” which wanted to listen Distillerie di Malto. He told this to Marco and, on the 7th of January 1994, they organized an evening with “Lavori in Corso” (Mazzonetto’s friends) who played as supporters. The pub was chock-full. They played extraordinarly. Since then, Salvatore hadn’t been leaving the band ever, even if, for work reasons (he was embarked), Ours “rent”, for brief periods, Sergio Civitarese (great man of music) or the same Giuliano on bass, if they had to play somewhere.
may 1993: victory in the “Musica dalle scuole” contest
Another important
event, anothe change of bass player. Giuliano preferred to dedicate
himself exclusively in his band. The made rehears in the Fabrizio’s
garage. They decided to aggregate Valerio Petrosemolo, an historical
bass player of Ortona (“Cogefin”, “Cart Road”). The adventure with him
was very funny but so brief.
Unless, they had the time to play in Francavilla
(CH), in an important benefit event and, above all, to win the prize
“Musica dalle scuole” organized by the “InformaGiovani” centers of
Ortona and Perugia. They carried this songs: “Thick as a brick” (first
ten minutes version), “Hoedown” with Fabrizio on bass and “The mirror”
an historical song of Distillerie. P.S.: the compére of that
event was Maurizio Di Tollo.
20th february
1993: first gig in a pub
Gianluca Di Renzo concluded his active collaboration with the “distillers”, coming back his variegated musical experiences. The four found an excellent element in Giuliano Torelli, to continue thier way. Giuliano played the bass in anoter band: “Smelling brains”. They had into their program a concert in one of the few pubs in the city to play in: “Underground pub”. They had to share the show with almost another band, to fill the whole evening up. So they chose Distillerie di Malto. It was a very good occasion: they were playing in a pub al least. People coming in a live-pub, is there to listen to the music first. This stimulated them. Fabrizio presented on stage with his half painted black and white face. They played hard. Besides, they performed for the first and last time one own song (“Il lamento dell’omertà”), which, without real resons, wasn’t played anymore.
24th april 1992: first entire
progressive gig
Cesare went
out, going back to his original instrument. After several changes of
rehearse-hall, they estabilished into the AVIS room of Ortona. They
shared it with another rock band: “Nowayout” (Maurizio Di Tollo played
with them. Here, “Allegro con brio” and “Phoebus” gave the birth. The
covers were becoming more nomerous too. They had made a little summer
tour in the squares and streets of Ortona, where
they proposed different kinds of music (“No woman
no cry” and “While my guitar
gently wheeps” amongst the others),
together with prog stuff. At least, in a benefit performance organized
by “Amici per la vita” association, they had the possibility to do a
more “substantial” concert. On the 24th of April the played,
sharing the scene with Nowayout, in the Odeon Theatre of Ortona. Their
guitarist (Gianluca Di Renzo) played the bass. The hall was full. No
non-prog pieces founded. Genesis, Yes and own songs. Till then, today it
always go in that manner.
5th
may 1991:
first live performance of a
progressive piece
The first
benefit performance of a long range, coinceded with the first live
execution of a prog piece. At the time, they changed the rehearse site,
to stay nearer Ortona: Andrea’s country house (C.da Gagliarda). Fabrizio
had been dazzling from rock progressive since almost a hear. He always
tempted to inculcate in the others the spirit
and greatness of this genre. For him, it was
incredible when the rest of the band showed him the desire to play those
songs live. They tried, and the pleasure they felt
was immense. Distillerie di Malto had
absolutely and irremediably entered in the extraordinary world of
progressive rock. In the evening of 5 May 1991, behind a six hundreds of
persons, after “Confortably numb” of Pink Floyd (with Fabrizio
Mazzonetto on bass as guest), they played “Watcher of the skies” of
Genesis. It was astonished. That felling is and will be alive for ever
within the truest a realest soul of the group.
march 1991: first concer in theathre
For the
carnival of 1991, some guys organized an event in the Dino Zambra
Theathre of Ortona. Distillerie di Malto were called to play as
the main group. In the meantime, they started to insert in the repertory
several covers of the bands they love most (Pink
Floyd, above all, but even Who, in addition,
Fabrizio and Marco were proposing the live version of “Confessioni di un
malandrino” of Angelo Branduardi). Fabrizio Mazzonetto
stabilished to L’Aquila. They took as bass player a young
guitarist of Ortona: Cesare Paolini. The most appreciate song was “Shine
of you crazy diamond” with Daniele Mazzoccone on sax as guest. It was
the first concert in a theathre. First great sensation.
13th january 1990: first contest
Another way to show oneself: the fatidical, usual, maybe dreary contest. In Balsorano (L’Aquila) they were organizing one: the contest “Vinci Sanremo” 1990. The story was all built from a series of strange events. Thay carried the instruments, as they were sure to play live. It wasn’t so, each brought a musical base to sing on. They didn’t have it, but they were allowed to play live for a two minutes sound check, after climbing up their instruments with some difficulties. Then they knew that maximum during of a piece had to do of four minutes. They had prepared “Seven flies of my eyes”, 12 minutes long! It was not necessary to continue, even if Fabiano, who was engaged in the navy, had done mortal jumps to be present there. They hardly convinced the organizers to give them back money for the enrolment, and they went home. This was the first contest of Distillerie di Malto!
december
1989:
first reward (one pint of
beer!)
They began to search more space, and, perhaps, some pubs in which they can play live (their longway dream). Even a birthday party could go well. So they said yes to the invitation of a girl who wanted to celebrate her birthday in her father’s pizzeria. Amongst the several songs, they propose a very strange version of “Happy birthday to you”! All went on so well. Each of them obtained one pint of beer. This was the first payment the band received.
1989:
Marco's arrival
Months went on
and Ours continued to improve old pieces (we can remember “Some more
beer”, “Free guitars”, Starlight”) and to add other songs maybe with the
addition of texts (“Seven flies in my eyes”). Fabrizio was the only
having the check to place himself behind a microphone and
he did it. But now, a new problem went out: they
had to find another guitarist, who had to help him when he had to sing,
less acoustic if possible and able to twist over the songs, plus a due
bass player. The choice made for Marco Angelone (Fabrizio had known him
in some football fields of Ortona) who, after two performances in the
above mentioned grape society (which had become the centre for the
rehearses), proposed an old friend of him as bass player: Fabrizio
Mazzonetto. The band was complete, the adventure was becoming serious!
late 1988: the name
After rehearses and walks along Ortona’s main street, the search of a name which had to be right to the musical style and the “out” spirit of the group was becoming more impelling. Fabrizio’s choices were too universal, those of Andrea were too strange. Fabiano was crazy! In fact, it was just him, during an evening walk, to tell to Fabrizio: “Distillerie di Malto”. Beautiful, strange, different, clever, right. “I’d just say yes” answered Fabrizio.
late
1988:
first gig
The need to performlive began to grow up. The right opportunity was one of the several parties they organized in the grape co-operative society fo Rogatti (an hamlet of Ortona), where Fabrizio’s father was a member. They agreed with the organizers and the thing was possible. The repertory was, unlike all new bands, exclusively self-made and only instrumental (Fabrizio did not venture to the voice yet). All just hard to hear, as you see. But they didn’t care, the party went on and all was right. You have to notice that at the time they hadn’t conceived a proper name yet, however, it was the end of 1988 and this was the first concert of Distillerie di Malto.
june
1988: first
rehearse
They needed to
find a right spot to rehearse. In the house of Andrea’s grandmother,
there was a room in the second floor which still had given
hospitality the other’s two nephews’s band (the
Veri’s brothers) in the past. The step was short. They carried their
instrument there and began to play. It was 1988 and was the band’s first
official rehearse.
1988: beginnings