Belladonna (band)

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For other uses, see Belladonna (disambiguation).
Belladonna
OriginRome, Italy
GenresRock noir
Years active2005–present
LabelsUnsigned
MembersLuana Caraffa
Dani Macchi
Valentina De Iullis
Anastasia Angelini
Mattia Mari
Websitehttp://www.belladonna.tv

Belladonna is an Italian Rock noir band.

Career

Metaphysical Attraction

Belladonna was formed on February 14, 2005 in Rome, Italy by Luana Caraffa and Dani Macchi after forming "a songwriting partnership".[1] During the course of the following months Belladonna wrote and recorded many songs, eleven of which would become their first full album: Metaphysical Attraction. It was during this time of transition that Caraffa and Macchi created a new music genre: Rock noir. The two songwriters, Caraffa and Macchi, experimented with minor keys and piano arpeggios. They found that by adding haunting feminine backup vocals combined with a method thespian female role singing lead, they could create a dramatic performance of theatrically rendered lyrical storytelling, not unlike Film noir. Within months of creating a MySpace account in 2005, Belladonna became the most played Italian band on MySpace next to Lacuna Coil.

As Belladonna's celebrity status grew in 2006, they were interviewed by major media outlets such as GQ. Glamour magazine did a two-page photo spread on the band and their MySpace fame. In early 2007 National Italian television La7 resounded Belladonna's web popularity in a news story that described them as "the most listened to Italian band on MySpace".[2] Along with that, they participated on a benefit compilation for The Kristin Brooks Hope Center called Fight to Survive, contributing their hit song "Black Swan."[3]

In August 2007, Belladonna released the music video of Mystical Elysian Love which was filmed on location in Berlin, Germany. The video reached #73 on the worldwide YouTube most watched music videos chart on the same day it was released. In November 2007 Belladonna was the headliner musical act for the Erotica 07 event at The Grand Hall, Olympia in London. Sharing the stage with Belladonna at Erotica 07 was burlesque artist Dita Von Teese, Marilyn Manson's former wife. The attendance of the Erotica 07 event was estimated at over 100,000 people.

In 2008, two tracks from Belladonna's first album Metaphysical Attraction, Black Swan and Foreverland, were nominated in the Ballot of the 2008 Grammy Awards for Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals (Category 16) and for Best Rock Song (Category 20).

The Noir Album

In June 2008 Belladonna collaborated with Sylvia Massy at Radiostar Studios to produce recordings for their second album. Sylvia Massy has produced bands such as Tool, System of a Down, Skunk Anansie, and Johnny Cash. In December 2008 Belladonna embarked on a promotional tour that included a show at The Fly in London.

Belladonna's second album The Noir Album was released on March 6, 2009. The band played showcases at the Key Club in Los Angeles (CA) on March 16 and at South by Southwest Festival (SXSW) in Austin, Texas on March 18. In May 2009 Belladonna appeared the cover of the USA magazine Muen with Lacuna Coil.[4][5][6] From September 2009 the album's first single Till Death Do Us Part received airplay on UK's BBC Four, where Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson aired it on his Friday Rock Show.[7]

On tour around the world

In June 2009 Belladonna played a show as special guests to Guns N' Roses/Velvet Revolver bass player Duff McKagan's band Loaded, and in an open air music festival in Milan with Mars Volta, Korn and Nine Inch Nails[8][9][10][11]

In October 2009 Belladonna performed at the Fonda Theater in Los Angeles alongside other well-known Italian artists such as Franco Battiato, Giovanni Allevi, and Afterhours.[12][13]

On the November 26, 2009 Belladonna played a UK showcase at The Garage in London.

In 2010 Belladonna toured Belgium once and the UK twice, and gigged regularly around Italy.[14][15][16][17][18][19][20]

Collaboration with Michael Nyman

In December 2010 Belladonna released Let There Be Light, a single written in collaboration with English composer Michael Nyman and based on his The Heart Asks Pleasure First from the soundtrack of the Jane Campion movie The Piano. Michael Nyman himself plays piano on the track.[21]

And There Was Light

In August 2010 the band started pre-production on their third album And There Was Light, which they recorded in November in Los Angeles., produced by Dani Macchi with the help of Grammy-nominated producer Alex Elena and of Metallica's Metallica (album) engineer Mike Tacci, and mixed by Macchi in the band's studio in Rome. The album features several musical guests, including Imani Coppola and Ruby Friedman, as well as spoken word contributions by British occultist Aleister Crowley and German psychologist Carl Jung[22][23]

In May 2011 And There Was Light was released on iTunes worldwide. The album enters the Italian iTunes Top 100,[24] and reaches the number one spot in the CD Baby chart of the best selling rock albums worldwide.[25]

In Sept 2011 Belladonna are mentioned alongside Nine Inch Nails, Moby and Marilyn Manson in Mötley Crüe's frontman Vince Neil's autobiography Tattoos and Tequila as one of the most important acts that have been influenced by Mötley Crüe in recent years.[26]

Touring Europe

Belladonna went on tour around Europe during 2012, playing shows in Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Czech Republic.[27][28]

In May 2012 Belladonna‘s guitar player Dani Macchi was voted Best Italian Indie Guitar Player in a poll organized by MEI, the official Italian Indie Labels Association.[29]

The Sweet Child O' Mine single

In March 2013 Belladonna release a cover of the Guns N' Roses track Sweet Child O' Mine and make it available on iTunes, and as free download on their SoundCloud page.[30]

Shooting Dice With God

On the 22nd of April 2013 Belladonna release their fourth album Shooting Dice With God.[31] The video of the first single off the album, Karma Warrior, gets featured as an exclusive preview on the Rolling Stone Italy website.[32]


The band goes immediately on tour all over Europe to support this album release.[33]

Band members

Current members

Discography

Albums

Filmography

Black Swan (2005) – is a short film produced by Belladonna. Directed by Dani and featuring Luana as the ruthless agent Rosabel, the eight minute short features three Belladonna songs; Black Swan, Foreverland, and Holy Flame which were specifically written and recorded for the script to reflect Belladonna's flavor of delivering story driven music in a theatrical atmosphere.

Remember Me, My Love (2003)[34] – Belladonna's song Killer was featured in this movie by Gabriele Muccino. A music video of Killer was shot by Australian director Richard Lowenstein. At the time Belladonna were known under their earlier moniker Zoo di Venere.

External links

References

  1. ^ "Dani Macchi Interview". Guitarhoo!. Guitarhoo.com. December 17, 2012. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
  2. ^ Belladonna: 'Rock Noir Seems To Aptly Describe What We Do'
  3. ^ [1]
  4. ^ Belladonna share Muen Magazine's cover with Lacuna Coil
  5. ^ Belladonna on Muen Magazine
  6. ^ Belladonna's concert in London
  7. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tl7mAOLLQUo
  8. ^ Belladonna with Duff, Mars Volta, Korn and Nine Inch Nails
  9. ^ Belladonna with Duff, Mars Volta, Korn and Nine Inch Nails
  10. ^ Belladonna as Loaded's special guests
  11. ^ Belladonna's set of pictures with Mars Volta, Korn and Nine Inch Nails
  12. ^ Belladonna at Hitweek L.A.
  13. ^ Belladonna at hitweek.it
  14. ^ Belladonna @ Purple Turtle in London on sonicshocks.com
  15. ^ Belladonna @ Purple Turtle in London on sonicshocks.com
  16. ^ Belladonna Thunder MCC Music And Bike Festival at Powderham Castle in Devon on thundermcc.co.uk
  17. ^ Belladonna Thunder MCC Music And Bike Festival at Powderham Castle in Devon on jphedge.com
  18. ^ Luana interview on femmemetal.net
  19. ^ BELLADONNA UK TOUR July 2010
  20. ^ Phoenix Rising live @The Purple Turtle London July 13, 2010
  21. ^ The collaboration with Belladonna mentioned on Michael Nyman's website
  22. ^ Belladonna release "And There Was Light"
  23. ^ Belladonna release "And There Was Light"
  24. ^ [2]
  25. ^ [3]
  26. ^ Belladonna mentioned in Vince Neil's autobiography
  27. ^ Belladonna European Tour 2012
  28. ^ Belladonna Czech Republic Tour Oct 2012
  29. ^ Belladonna's Dani Macchi voted Best Italian Indie Guitar Player
  30. ^ Belladonna release their version of "Sweet Child O' Mine"
  31. ^ Belladonna new release out today
  32. ^ Belladonna's new video "Karma Warrior" featured on Rolling Stone Italy's website
  33. ^ Belladonna announce tour
  34. ^ Belladonna at IMDb Edit this at Wikidata

1,2 Fireworks magazine Issue #24 (July/August 2006), pg. 72

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