It’s the year 2000 when Il Maniscalco Maldestro comes to life and makes its first steps. The band releases two demos, the first in 2001, the second one just one year later; and both were welcomed by the critics of the field. At that stage Il Maniscalco Maldestro was formed by Antonio “Tonjo” Bartalozzi (lead vocals and guitar), Simone “L’Iso” Isolani (guitar), Stefano “Borrkia” Toncelli (drums) and Thomas Santarsiero (bass guitar).

In 2005, after having recorded their debut album, the quartet comes to struggle, and just two of them, Tonjo and Borrkia, decide to go on with the Maldestro project. Then, after a few weeks, Lorenzo “Frencc” Franchi (guitar) and Bruno “Brunello” Salvadori (bass guitar) join the band. Finally, in december 2005, the debut album comes out under the “Videoradio” label and the artistic supervision of Sandro Ferrini and the four start to travel up and down the “Italian boot” to perform their new sound.
The critics welcome their debut album like a fresh blast of air, in a musical scene that is becoming flabby and always less hazardous. Some web portals such as Metallus, Hard sounds and rockOn, insert the album between the best releases of 2005, and the single “metamorfosi plausibile” reaches the top of “made in italy” chart, the official classification of the best Italian acts published by Radio Rock Fm; and “fase 5: metabolismo” remains at the top of the charts for more than a month.

In June 2006 the band returns to the studio in order to record an English version of its album, re-recording it entirely. But the decision to release a non-Italian record causes too much pain and headache to the Italian quartet and has therefore fallen more and more into oblivion…. In January 2007 the band is selected by “Sporco impossibile” (a free booking and promotion agency) together with other 3 Italian bands, for the second edition of Sporco Impossibile; which finished with a concert at the “Circolo degli artisti” in Rome.
It’s in the same period that the four start with the realization of the videoclip for “metamorfosi plausibile” directed by Luca Madonna and inspired by the well-known movie of the German Expressionist mouvement “Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari” (by Robert Wiene).

In June 2006 the band returns to the studio in order to record an English version of its album, re-recording it entirely. But the decision to release a non-Italian record causes too much pain and headache to the Italian quartet and has therefore fallen more and more into oblivion…. In January 2007 the band is selected by “Sporco impossibile” (a free booking and promotion agency) together with other 3 Italian bands, for the second edition of Sporco Impossibile; which finished with a concert at the “Circolo degli artisti” in Rome.
It’s in the same period that the four start with the realization of the videoclip for “metamorfosi plausibile” directed by Luca Madonna and inspired by the well-known movie of the German Expressionist mouvement “Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari” (by Robert Wiene).

Then, in february 2007, the quartet has to face a new drawback as Brunello decides to leave the band, with a new album at an embryonic stage and a list of concerts to play… the band is ramshackle, but doesn’t give up, and gradually starts to explore new frontiers despite the difficulties of being a now uncomplete group…
So it’s in the summer of 2007 that the band participates at “Volterrateatro ‘07″ with a theatrical performance on the road that captured the attention and caused many murmurs of the people; and just a month after that Il Maniscalco Maldestro comes to realize another movie, directed and interpreted completely on its own.
Finally, in September 2007, after months of research for a guy being apt to play the low frequences, the band finds Davide “Dado” Mei and starts working on a new album at “La Fattoria maldestra” . In March 2008 Luca “Kiella” Chiellini joins the mission and the colours of the band, embracing his accordion and sitting down beside the keyboards of what is now the “Maldestro quintet”.

In the hot summer of 2008 they win two contests that allow them two perform their new, richer sound. After the victory of the heineken jammin’ festival contest (selected among more than 2600 bands) they performed on the heineken jammin festival stage of 2008 (21/ 06/ 08…at the same day of Vasco Rossi and Marlene Kuntz). Moreover the victory of italia wave band toscana leads them to play on the main stage at the Italia wave love festival ‘08 (with Elio e Le Storie Tese, Tricarico, Sud Sound System and John De Leo). At the moment Il Maniscalco Maldestro is looking forward to new gigs and challenges that may lead the five of them to yet unknown territories.

In the winter of the year 2008 the band wins the “Talent Scout @ M.E.I.” contest which has been designed and sponsored by Kataweb (Gruppo Espresso); allowing Il Maniscalco Maldestro to perform on the main stage of the MEI ‘08 (the Meeting of Independent labels).

In March of 2009 il Maniscalco Maldestro releases its second album named “panna, polvere e vertigine”, under the La Fattoria Maldestra Label, promoted by Andrea Sbaragli’s a Buzz Supreme (Former Audioglobe and Materiali Sonori) and Sporco Impossibile.

The album can show off the extraordinary presence/feature/featuring of many “Maldestri” guests Marco“Don” Bachi (Banda Bardò), Marzio del Testa (Ginevra di Marco, Stazioni Lunari, Bugo, Cisco), Maurizio Geri (Caterina Bueno, Maurizio Geri Swingtet, BandItaliana) and Edo Rossi (Radio RockFM).

Once the album is released La Fattoria Maldestra and Loading Lab decide to co-produce a videoclip for the single “Sorridi al muro”; script by Lorenzo Franchi and directed by Lorenzo Franchi e Nicola Raggi, currently broadcasted on the Italian All Music channel.

In Spring 2009 a new project is born, thanks to the cooperation of Il Maniscalco Maldestro with the acting company Gli Omini, giving light to a performance of theatre and music, named “Gabbato lo Sound”; which had its début at the Volterra Teatro 09 Festival on the 25 Juli 2009.

We played with: Vasco Rossi, BandaBardò, Frankie Hi NRG, 30 Second To Mars, Marlene Kuntz, Linea 77, Tonino Carotone e gli Arpioni, Extrema, The Hormonauts, Settlefish, Afterhours, Strana Officina, Caparezza, Vanilla Sky, Elio e le storie tese, Tricarico, Jhon de Leo, Sud sound System, and others.

Tonjo – voice and guitar

Frencc – guitar and choir

Borrkia – drums and choir

Dado – bass guitar and choir