British band The Carnabys took over Florence’s Hard Rock Café stage last Wednesday, bringing some rock and roll swagger to the Renaissance city. Musicians Jack Mercer, James Morgan, Mike Delizo, Ben Gittins and Alex Bloomfield may only be in their twenties, but their passion, soul, charisma and musical maturity are forces to be reckoned with.
With a timeless sound, they are already making a name for themselves on the London rock scene. Phil Manzenera, the journalist of Roxy Music commented, ‘I have seen the future, and the future is the Carnabys.’
The group have been together since 2010, but their first big break came about by winning the Hard Rock Rising, the Global Battle of the Bands competition in 2013. As winners, the Indie rock band had the chance to tour Hard Rock Cafés all over Europe and America. The Carnabys are also taking part in the Street to Sanctuary campaign, an organization that supports women and children who are victims of sexual slavery in Mumbai, India. In March and April, each limited-edition bracelet sold by the band will go directly towards creating ‘Jubilee’ houses for children and orphans.
I had the chance to chat with the up-and-coming band about their music and upcoming album after the Florence show. Musical inspiration for them comes from bands like The Kings of Leon, the Arctic Monkeys, The Koons and Razorlight. The band members all told me that their future goals are ‘becoming the best live band in the world, getting an album to number one, and always making sure we have lots of fun along the way.’
Unfortunately, due to a rigorous tour schedule, the band were unable to do much Italian sightseeing, but the weather, good food, fun Florentine lifestyle and lack of too much of a language barrier were some of the things they had enjoyed on their visit to Florence.
The Carnabys’ next album, completed last January, is set to be released this summer.
