The Last Bandit - The Lost Tapes 1989 -1996 (CD)

The Last Bandit formed in 1988, growing soon as a highlight in the Milano rock scene… Tall, rude, with an attitude and a presence that does not go unnoticed. You can just love ‘em or hate ‘em!

On stage, you couldn’t help but diggin ‘em right away… Back then The Sor­passo Club was the baptism of fire in town, and catching ‘em there, maybe after a few drinks to break the ice, you just got lucky and got the best out of ‘em.

Not before too long, they recorded “Vicious” (included in this “Lost Tapes” CD), a 6-tracks-demotape, home-cooked but in a pro studio and with a little help from some friends: Gianni Lee on the piano and Silvia Porro plus Isa & Cristina (from the girl band Lipstick) on backing vocals.

Even the rock press noticed The Last Bandit early on!

Their songs turned into an instant cult within the rock scene: in those days, rock fans went absolutely nuts for the school of bad boys like the Stones, Faces & Aerosmith. For those about the sound, attitude and stage presen­ce, and already addicted to acts like Hanoi Rocks, Faster Pussycat or The Dogs D’Amour, The Last Bandit became the best answer locally.

“Vicious” first pressing cassettes sell out so quickly, circulating so widely, that the collectors were creating bootleg copies of it, helping out to spre­ad the word about the band. At that point they turned into the “Next Big Thing” of the italian underground rock’n’roll.

Not only the fans or rock journalists were keeping an eye and ear on this band: the promoters booked ‘em as special guests of Litfiba (one of the mainstream italian rock acts in those days) plus they were also chosen to open for british glam rockers The Dogs D’Amour on their first long awaited italian tour.

The chemistry was there from the very beginning with The Dogs, and first night of that tour at Prego in Milano, The Last Bandit proved right away they knew well how to bring the house down and drive the crowd wild!

The record labels tried to sign ‘em fast, but the band declined some intere­sting offers, always looking for the perfect deal to come… which never came along and in the end they missed the boat…

A part from this, or perhaps to ease the frustration of not reaching their goal and not getting what they really wanted in terms of artistic freedom, the foursome rushed into a “tour” de force of non-stop concerts, anywhere, anyhow, for anyone offering a stage, an audience, a paycheck, drinks for free and something to eat.

Live shows got frequent, maybe too frequent for an independent band that always wanted more and more, living each performance like there’s no tomorrow!

Here comes the moment when those four guys getting into hard rock very young, start to get absolutely crazy about so called street rock, even more dragged into frantic rock’n’roll, adding to their setlist some burning cover songs from their earlier influences (Jerry Lee Lewis, Rolling Stones, CCR).

They rarely recorded their own stuff in a proper studio, considering the in­spiration and significant amount of tracks constantly written and played live.

These 11 tracks included here in the “Lost Tapes” are standouts of their in­credible production, with “Jesus Loves The Bandit” as the vivid example of a lil classic-gem, hidden universally but carved in the heart of their lon­gtime followers.

And last but not least, what the hell is that damn “rock n’roll for the best of us to be the worst”?

Only some special music by those who may have always been a bad exam­ple to most… which is perhaps one of the many reasons to (re)discover this musical treasure.

Enjoy their “Lost Tapes” and don’t forget that in the end…

...Jesus Loves The Bandits!

1. Rattle My Snake

2. Don’ t Change My Blues

3. Down To My Home

4. House Of Suzy B.

5. Young Rebel

6. I Don’ t Want To Go Home

7. Jesus Loves The Bandits

8. Down

9. Small Town

10. High

11. Love