The story of Noah Forgot the Dinosaurs is one of tragedy and triumph, rags to riches and riches to rags. Originally Know as “Il Porco Dios†(roughly translated as the pigs of God) and formed in the Vomero Quarter of Napoli circa 1974 by founder member Giuseppe “Il Riff†Riccio, recluse musician and fiery Pizzaiola infamous for his dough kneading and spinning.
A chance encounter over an espresso in the Piazza Dante led the ever lonely eavesdropping Giuseppe to overhear a conversation between a man know as Angelo Bellastrini, renowned amongst the upper echelons of Neapolitan society for his “tremolo†mandolin playing talent and his a former school pal Giancarlo Contini, a high brow elitist lothario and well established “batterista†in many of the bars around central Napoli. The pair romanticised of a “nuovo musica†breaking away from the mainstream and creating their own style. Despite his contempt for high society and popular culture Giuseppe decided to offer his services to the pair as an innovative guitarist who had recently stayed in England and had learnt the new chords changes of British glam rock. The trio made a pact to take music forward “FORZA LA MUSICA NUOVAâ€. Over the next few months the trio became inseparable, an organism living breathing, roaming, the filthy streets of Napoli, perfecting their “new†sound. All they needed now was a front man, however short of Operaistas and Balladistas these came few and far between in this part of the world.
An autumn jaunt to visit the mighty volcano of Vesuvius would prove them wrong. As the three boarded the famous Funicolare Del Vesuvio, the sound of the famous LUIGI DENZA song “Funicoli Funicola†sung in a drunken falsetto of the likes the trio had never encountered echoed down the volcano “Jamma, Jamma†like an avalanche of noise. As they squinted into the sun the silhouette of the returning cable car soon entered their vision, standing on it was a rather frail looking man swaying as if with the cool breeze clasping a bottle of wine and gesticulating like a tormented willow. The trio looked at each other and nodded agreeably. The ever inquisitive Bellastrini decided to approach the man and ask his name, He drunkenly announced himself to be Aspreno Di Santo, a down and out living out of the back of a fiat cinquecento and part time worker on the cable cars. He spoke of past glories where he had sung falsetto in many operettas around the Campania region with some of the greats, however a penchant for women and wine had been his downfall. Pitying the fool the Trio decided to take Di Santo under their wing as their singer. The trio had become a quartet and so was born “Il Porco Dios.†The band went on to enjoy great success around Napoli and it wasn’t long before word had spread and the band where soon in demand throughout the length and breadth of Italy, they became brothers sharing their tales, women, wine and beds (rumour has it even each other) living “La Vita Bella†until the 1982 world cup.
Whilst playing in a small taverna near Lazio shortly after the Italian victory of 1982 tragedy struck. Contini made a typically elitist remark overheard by the local faction of Ultras, a small riot ensued and despite the brute force of the band members, especially Riccio Contini was brutally murdered. â€Il Porco Dios†could not go on without their drummer and compadre and grief stricken they decided to part and go their separate ways……….
TO BE CONTINUED