For band members, the start of solo careers is often the precursor to separation. For them however, after a roller coaster year, it is a new beginning. Also because Fiks, Plant and Theø have always embodied, through La Sad, a sort of multi-headed hydra: each with a distinct history, sensitivity and musical tastes.
We went back to meet them. Both for the start of the three solo projects, where everyone will return to their origins experimenting with new sounds. Both for the start of the La Sad 4Life Tour: first date on December 21st at the Vox in Nonantola (Modena) to close on January 31st at the Gran Teatro Geox in Padua. To greet their fans before a break and tell them about the last year, which has been a whirlwind: Sanremo with its follies, the album with various collaborations (Pinguini Tattici Nucleari, Articolo 31, Rose Villain, Naska, Rettore) , a sold-out summer tour.
«We went from living together in a hole to selling out. But let's not let it go to our heads”, they say. The spirit is that of the last date of last season at the Carroponte when they staged a fake interruption of the concert, with a woman who went on stage screaming that they were “three junkies who can't sing”. They still laugh: “We exorcised everything with a gag, but sometimes reality isn't far away.” The new concerts will be a complete journey through their history. There will be moshing, sweat and screaming. And of course their pieces, which transform pain into strength.
Guys, what year was 2024 for La Sad?
Fiks: A meat grinder. Twelve months ago we were faced with a thousand decisions for participation in Sanremo. And a year that filled us with unexpected emotions, between ups and downs. Because when you're in the midst of strong situations it's also easy to go crazy. But we enjoyed everything that arrived.
Theø: Also because immediately after Sanremo we released the album I hate La Sadfull of important feats, then immediately the tour. So non-stop until a few weeks ago.
Plant: And now we're already excited for the new tour, we've done rehearsals, we've locked ourselves in the studio to record other songs.
On the last date of the last tour at Carroponte, a lady went on stage shouting that you are “three junkies who can't sing”. Was it all true or was it a fake?
Fiks: That woman was wild! She jumped the barriers, punched the security guard twice in the face, stole our microphone and started insulting us…
Theø: We played, but reality isn't that far away. When we leave the house there is still an old woman who looks at us and says: “How disgusting!”. We exorcised with that gag.
Plant: Angela, who went on stage, is our “sister”. He's from the La Sad gang. It was also on the album cover I hate La Sad.
This shows that journalists no longer verify the news…
Fiks: Shame on you!
And how do you respond to those who, in reality, criticize you by saying that you are «toxic” e «you don't know how to sing»?
Theø: That they are right (laughs).
Fiks: Once upon a time we were more annoyed. Instead now, after everything we have achieved, we either laugh or try to stop this hatred. Otherwise it becomes a circus that goes on forever. What are you doing, telling an old woman to fuck off?
After your participation in Sanremo I imagine a lot of things have changed. I'll make you a list. First: the audience?
Theø: At the beginning, and even before Sanremo, the audience was made up almost exclusively of kids aged 17 to 26. With the Festival the age has changed a lot. There are many children who appreciated us first for the “characters” and then for the music. Also because, when they are little, they don't understand the depth of the texts. And a lot of adult audiences joined, due to the nostalgia effect on the punk sounds of the past.
Fiks: Nowadays people of all ages stop us. For children we are cartoons, while everyone else has understood that we are not three imbeciles, but that we carry messages that can save lives. In fact, those who listen to us write it to us more and more. It's not even a question of punk, because people who didn't listen to this genre appreciate us, but find in our songs a way out of the many problems they're going through.
Plant: There are also a lot of parents, they bring their children to our live shows, then they come to tell us something positive. Many have given tickets for the new tour to their children as a Christmas present, because they find their children the same age and can encourage each other.
Another thing that has changed, the girls. I saw that all three of you are engaged.
Fiks: I already did before, so don't look at me…
Plant: You can hear it in the new lyrics, they are more full of love and hope, and not just broken hearts. Today there is protest and love.
I asked you because, sometimes, artists who get engaged lose part of their audience.
Fiks: Others increase it. Look what happened to Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson…
With success, money changes. Make a punk gesture, say how much you have in your account…
Fiks: Nooo, you'll have to step over my dead body! The difference is that we live on our own.
Theø: Compared to when all three of us lived together in a hole, well, yes, something has changed.
Plant: For now we haven't become rich, even though before Sanremo they promised us three pink Lamborghinis. Where are they? At most they gave us three scooters…
Another element that changes with popularity are friends. Are they more those you lost or those you gained?
Fiks: It happened to me that, since before I was the crazy one and they were afraid to approach me, now that I've been to Sanremo I'm a musician too for some people. It's not such a beautiful thing, but in Italy it often happens. But that's okay, we love everyone.
Plant: For me, the more you climb into this environment, the more alone you remain. You are surrounded by people who are only around you for work-related interests. There is no real desire to become your friend.
Theø: It's like that for me too. So, the further you go, the more you realize that true friends remain the same as they once were. But even in this case, by staying away, you lose someone.
Photo: Onofrio Petronella
Before Sanremo you talked about some personal problems that inspired your songs. Do those problems also disappear with fame?
Plant: Once the economic issues have been resolved, having a house and a bit of comfort, some previous problems are no longer there, but there are others. In fact we put them in new songs.
Theø: I didn't experience fame well. I never wanted to appear. I've always lived my life attracting people's attention for my appearance, between colored hair and tattoos, I've just never done it for that. It was just how I really felt. If I could be myself without attracting all this attention, honestly, I would have preferred it. This stroke of success destabilized me. Over time you learn to manage it.
Fiks: I escaped from Veneto because people were afraid of me. Now that I've recovered a bit, many problems from the past are behind me and so I'm enjoying this moment.
With your explosion, punk-pop has returned even stronger, in various forms. From Naska at the Forum to Punkcake at X Factor. Do you feel you have contributed to this rebirth?
Fiks: This is a retrograde country, which arrives at new things by going backwards. But it's true, we have opened doors on some things. Or we reopened them.
Theø: The punk scene has never been lacking. She just needed a breath of fresh air, or someone to bring in some new energy.
Plant: There are many punk bands in Italy. We like Punkcakesattitudethey are strong. Instead Naska is a friend, we were at the Forum with him. Together we brought punk back to a high level.
The punkest thing that happened to you, apart from the photo with Orietta Berti?
Theø: The moment we met the Ricchi e Poveri is unforgettable.
Plant: Crazy. Angela was more enthusiastic than us…
Fiks: To do the Sanremo red carpet they take you first inside the theater and then outside again in a van. When we entered the van, we were wearing black latex leather straitjackets with masks over our faces. We were beasts! Instead they were dressed like big hearts, all in pink. We thought we were scaring them, but instead they caressed our studs saying: “You're really cool!”. However in Sanremo every situation is crazy and surprised us. We thought we were terrorizing the old people passing by on the street, but they were the craziest ones and took our arms to take selfies. We felt like we were reliving the scenes of the Beatles' arrival in Italy that we see in documentaries. They were all super fanatics!
Earlier you mentioned being back in the studio, even for solo projects. It's not like after your success you're getting carried away and splitting up, eh?
Fiks: No no, ours is just a break. We were born as solo artists and, in addition to La Sad, we take back what everyone left on standby to renew it.
Plant: You've known us for a long time, you know very well how we've always behaved even before. Our first piece, Summersad, came out as the union of three distinct personalities. We follow a flow that has brought us this far, to experiment by talking about more personal issues and to mix our sounds with different sounds and create new ones.
Theø: We used to live together, so everything we did or thought about music was done together. Now that everyone also has another life, we have other things to tell. But it's not the end of La Sad, because it will never end. It's a new season.
Ok, you seem ready for La Sad is 4Life. What new features will you propose?
Plant: Don't we have an orchestra with winds and strings?
Fiks: We can't afford it yet. But it will be the 360-degree La Sad world, from the beginning when we met until yesterday. Everything will be there. As always, between one song and another we inserted a lot of important messages and just as much bullshit. We will interact with the fans because we want to give them so much, since they are so grateful to us.
Theø: A show that will retrace our journey, from running away from home to Sanremo and beyond.
Next dream to achieve after tour?
Fiks: I'm so focused on this that I can't think of anything else.
Plant: The intent is the same as the origins: to make music that makes us feel better and to make others listen to it to make them feel better too. We want to leave a mark, help and help.
Theø: We have sent such a strong message that, even if for a period of time it will be divided into three solo paths, it will not fade. Indeed, it will be a way to make it explode more and more.
The dream collaboration?
Fiks: We won't tell you what's scheduled now, otherwise we'll lose the surprise effect. Since we've been together, our dreams have always been two: Blink-182 and Rancid.
