Raw Power

Raw Power is an Italian hardcore punk band from Reggio Emilia. They were formed in 1981 and are still active today.

Biography

Raw Power was formed in 1981 in Poviglio, Italy, by brothers Mauro (vocals) and Giuseppe Codeluppi (guitar). Through the years the band has lived through several line-up changes and the two brothers were the only stable members until Giuseppe's death in 2002. The band's name came from The Stooges's third album. Previously, the Codeluppi brothers had played in another band called Off Limits. Other members in Raw Power's first line-up were Silvio (guitar and vocals), bassist Maurizio Dido (who came from punk band Chelsea Hotel) and teenager drummer Helder.^[1]

Their debut album You Are The Victim was released in 1983 through a small independent Italian label (Meccano Records) and was followed by some compilation appearances in the same label (the two Raptus compilations). Unsatisfied with the LP overall sound, they recorded a 19-track demo still in 1983. This tape included the song «Fuck authority», which appeared in Maximumrocknroll's international punk and hardcore compilation, Welcome to 1984.

A small tape label from San Diego, USA, called BCT Tapes released in 1984 their demo (untitled, aka Brown Studio Tape) and some of their live stuff in the Last White Christmas compilations (recorded in December, 1983).^[2] Through the BCT contact, in the same year the band flew over to the States for their first US tour, which happened in August-September, 1984^[3] (the band have since then returned to tour the USA a total of six times). Second guitarist Silvio was replaced by Davide (ex Chelsea Hotel) before the tour.

While touring in the USA in 1984, the band signed a deal with American indie-punk label Toxic Shock (Skin Yard, House Of Large Sizes...). The resulting album Screams From The Gutter (Toxic Shock 1985) sold more than 40,000 copies strictly through independent distribution and shops.^[4] Almost simultaneously, BCT released a Live in the USA tape (BCT 17, 3/85), compiling some of their best shows.

In 1986, Toxic Shock released the EP Wop Hour and the LP After Your Brain.

Mine To Kill (Southern, 1989), Live Danger (TVOR, 1991) and Too Tough to Burn (Contempo, 1992) were later released.

During their tours in the U.S.A. Raw Power have shared the stage with the Circle Jerks, Adolescents, D.O.A., Bad Brains, Agnostic Front, Minor Threat, Dead Kennedys, Suicidal Tendencies, among many others. As a trivia fact, it can be mentioned that in 1986 in a small club in Seattle the band Guns N' Roses opened for Raw Power.^[4]

In 1995 they recorded the Fight album for the Godhead label, trying to achieve a sound more akin to their live shows. A videoclip was made to promote the album, which was broadcast by MTV.^[4] Their next album for Godhead was Live from the gutter, recorded live on March 1, 1996 in the Maffia Club from Reggio Emilia (Italy). It contains twenty-seven songs with no overdubs.

In 1998 the band came back to old label Toxic Shock, who had changed its name to Toxic Ranch Records, releasing Reptile House. It was followed by three American tours promoting the album. Then in the year 2000 they released Trust Me through Hello Records.

In 2002, Raw Power went back into the studio to record Still Screaming After 20 Years, a celebration of their two decades as a band. Shortly after finishing it, on October 6, guitarist and founding member Giuseppe Codeluppi suffered a heart attack while playing soccer and died.

European tours followed in 2004-2005. In 2005 Roberto the drummer was replaced by Fabio because of health reasons.

In 2007 Tommi replaced the guitarist Luca.

Current Members

• Mauro Codeluppi "MP" - vocals
• Tommi Prodi - guitar
• Marco Massarenti - bass
• Fabio Ferrari - drums

Past Members

• Giuseppe Codeluppi - guitar
• Davide Devoti - guitar
• Silvio Stefanini - guitar
• Niccolò Bossini - guitar
• Luca Carpi - guitar
• Maurizio Dodi - bass
• Alessandro Paolucci - bass
• Alessandro Ronchini "Ronko" - bass
• Helder Stefanini - drums
• Paolo Casali - drums
• Emanuele Castagneti - drums
• Fabiano Bianco - drums
• Roberto Colla - drums
• Fabio Ferrari - drums
• Andrea Cavani - drums

Discography

Studio albums

• You Are the Victim (1983)
• Raw Power (1984)
• Screams From the Gutter (1984)
• After Your Brain (1986)
• Wop Hour (1986)
• Mine to Kill (1989)
• Too Tough to Burn (1993)
• Fight (1995)
• Reptile House (1999)
• Trust Me! (2000)
• The Dirty Rotten Power (2001) (split with D.R.I.)
• ...Still Screaming (After 20 Years) (2003)

Live albums

• Live in the USA (1985)
• Live Danger (1991)
• Live from the Gutter (1996)

Compilation albums

• We Can Do Whatever We Want (1986)
• Rat Music for Rat People, Vol. 3 (CD Presents, 1987)
• Burning the Factory (1996)
• The Hit List (2004)
• Fuck Authority (2005)

References

External links

• Official site
• Main article about the band in Kill From The Heart site
• Info about Raw Power's first US tour (1984) in KFTH
• 1994 interview from Suburban Voice magazine (PDF file)
• Info on Raw Power's 1998 US tour
• Discography at Discogs.com