Interview with Bull Brigade

Here is the chat we had with Bull Brigade, a hardcore punk band from Turin

We have talked with Eugenio, founder and singer of Bull Brigade, punk hardcore band from Turin, that have just announced the imminent release of their song “A way of life” in a limited edition.

Radio Punk: Hello guys! First of all, thank you for your kindness, it’s a big pleasure to have you here on Radio Punk. Tell us who you are and talk about your story.
Bull Brigade: Hello Radio Punk, it’s a pleasure for us too. We’re Bull Brigade, from Turin and province, we play strictly punk hardcore. We have been part of this music scene since 2006 and, through our music, we talk about stories of our life.

RP: You are currently working on the reissue of “A way of life” in limited vinyl format. How do you explain this choice? Are you particularly attached to this song?
BB: As you know we are in a period of pause, reflective but also preparatory to find new stimulations. We had already thought about this project of a renewed edition, a restyling, of “A way of life”, both in Italian and in English. So here we are, proposing it in 7”’. We believe that this is one of our most representative songs and one of the most loved by our audience, so we decided to make it a “super-luxury” edition with the cover designed by our friend Federica Borgia, an Italian tattoo artist based in Brighton. It will be a picture vinyl with Federica’s artwork on one side and our ugly faces on the other. Being currently in a period of shutdown, it seemed like a nice thing for us to release this project in Christmas period.

RP: The single is included in your first album “Strade smarrite”, released in 2008. How have you changed since then?
BB: Bull Brigade have changed a lot since 2008. Eugenio (the vocalist) is the last remained of the original line-up and how much the band has grown it’s evident listening to “Vita libertà”. We believe that the maturation process is not finished yet, we will obviously go ahead and try to do it always by expressing our moods. Finally we have a well-established line-up, which is not intimidated by the miles, by the sacrifices, by the sleep deprivations typical of weekends around playing. We just need a new record and we could be almost ready to go.

RP: Despite the positive response of your first album, you have waited 8 years before publishing your second work “Vita libertà”, released in 2016. Taking on such a long period of silence is certainly a rather courageous choice. Tell us why this choice.
BB: The 8 years of silence between one record and another were not the result of a choice, rather none of us wanted to speed things up and we only wrote when we really felt the need. We then realized that, through the use of our abilities and talent, we could take away some extra satisfaction, so we are convinced that it will definitely take less than 8 years to release our next album.

RP: You have shared the stage with important artists from the Italian and non-Italian scene, such as Sham 69, Cock Sparrer, Non Servium, Nabat and many others. What do you think of the current Punk/Oi scene?
BB: The hardcore punk scene is in a period of deep crisis. It is hard to fill the halls, to find dates, to go out without losing money, to get a refund. I believe that both the bands and the fans as well as the promoters should work to keep this movement alive. There are micro-realities that have understood what is the right way to go, like the “Venezia hardcore” (an Italian crew), which in recent years have given life to an absolutely new and wonderful phenomenon. We should take example from more professional realities, like the German scene, to improve the Italian one.

RP: In your lyrics you often talk about your city, Turin. How strong is the connection with your origins for you?
BB: The connection with our origins is visceral. Playing in Turin, being part of that scene and being inside it, were our goals from the beginning, for us who come from the hinterland. There was a “pack” and we wanted to be part of it, so once we got the first satisfactions, we decided to tell about them through our songs, like “Costruito a Torino”, “Lei” and “Motorcity”.

RP: You are admittedly anti-fascist. Do you think it is important to take sides politically, even through music?
BB: We chose to talk about politics only in a cover of Non Servium. We have always avoided doing it because in our lyrics we talk about our lives and we have never fought or made political struggle our priority; this has never been a true vocation: we are simply street boys, in love with the punk subculture. I think it is important, however, to have a clear idea of ​​what is right and what is wrong and this sensibility has never failed us, both in the choice of where to perform and with whom, always respecting our audience but above all our ideals, which are anti-fascist. I believe that our political faith, even if not included in our songs, is clear.

RP: Recently you have announced, through a post on your social pages, that you want to take a break from the scenes. Would you like to tell us more about it?
BB: We chose to take a break because we really felt the need and we had to figure out where we wanted to go. When you play at our levels, coming home on Sunday night, then going to work on Monday morning and having a family to follow, it has a cost in terms of sacrifices. We are writing new songs, we will announce some good news in the next year and, after the stop of 2020, we will definitely go back on stage. I have a strong desire to see Bull Brigade live again.

RP: Thank you so much for your time, guys! We hope to see you soon on stage! If you have something to say to our readers, this is the time!
BB: Thanks to all of you, it was a pleasure to do this nice interview. Our vinyl “A way of life” is really good, so pre-order it (motorcity.prod@gmail.com), because independent bands like us need a big support. Thanks again and a hug to everyone.