Francesco Antonio Buffone – The Gulps

Name? Francesco (@francescoantoniobuffone).

What’s your job? I haven’t got a steady job but I’m working between a food market and music in London.

What did you study at university?  No money to go to university so I went straight to work.

How did you start your job? A friend of mine from my own town gave me a chance to go and work in London and I didn’t refuse it, this kind of chance come just once into your life.

If you had the possibility to remove social networks from the world, would you delete them? Yes all of them.

What about globalisation? I think globalization is a good thing if we use in the right way.

Do you think, for example, that killing a mosquito is the same thing as killing a dolphin? In other words, do you think that the lives of living beings are all on the same level, or do you evaluate them on the basis of their functionality in relation to human beings? Life have is own circle animals kill animals humans kill humans, animals kill humans, humans kill animals.

Your favorite style icons? Al Pacino.

How do you think wars can exist? Difficult to say, I don’t wanna get political but as a song of Grateful Dead said in a phrase: “Selling guns instead of food today”. I think said everything 

What do you think about NFT? What’s that? 

If you could have a super power which one would you choose? I’ve got super power already 

If it were solely up to you, what would be your first action to take in favor of gender equality between men and women? I think men and woman are equal already but still we didn’t find the balance in between.

If you could live in one historical era, which one would you choose? Good question but I think the 70s.

If you could spend a day with an historical figure who would you choose ? Jesus.

If you could compose the best band in history who would be in? My band.

 If you could compose the best band today, who would be in? The Gulps.

If you could talk for 15 minutes in the world of vision what would you say?  Make art not war.

How much money would they have to offer you to make a porn? Depends but ll say for free.

Who would you eventually choose as your partner? Tori Black check her out.

In your opinion, is it right that states exist? Or would you prefer a world and humanity united under one “flag”? I don’t mind about the world being divided into States, but we should come together more with all the cultures in the world.

Is it right in your opinion to place limits on immigration, or should everyone be able to go anywhere? People should be able to go everywhere without passport.

What is your position regarding the war between Ukraine and Russia? I don’t do politics.

What do you miss most about Italy? The sea.

How many people have you slept with in your life? More than twenty.

What is your favorite position in sex? All of them.

The most handsome guy you know?  Me.

What about the girl? Jennifer Aniston.

Can you tell us the most interesting anecdote about your eventual experience with drugs?  Ride the Snake.

What do you think about Banksy’s experiment to sell his works on the streets for cheap? Do you think that the value of a work, in the eye of an observer, is given from the context in which it was seen? He is making his living from art, let him do it.

Can you give us a definition of art? Everything can be art.

What is the night you spent the most money to have fun? I don’t remember but I think in a private members club I spent like 100£ for four cocktails.

The best guitarist in history? Eric Clapton.

Where have you been on vacation when you were young? No much really but Puglia, Sila. Never been to Rome.

Where are you going on vacation now? Spain and California.

What’s the topic you are most expert in? I don’t know, maybe music?

What was your job before becoming a musician? I’m still don’t earn enough from music to survive but I worked in bars restaurants and market places.

Where are you from? Calabria babe.

Which languages do you speak? English, Italian, Spanish.

Do you think Hegel was right to put music as art at an higher level, or do you think the figurative arts, especially at an emotional level, are on the same level? Difficult to say but somewhere in the middle. 

Favorite movies? Jurassic Park.

Favorite directors? Steven Spielberg.

Favorite songs? The Music Never Stopped.

Favorite bands? The Gulps.

Favorite books? Doctor Zivago.

Favorite authors? Agatha Christie.

Favorite artworks? Sergent Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band cover from The Beatles.

Have you ever had a homosexual experience? No but never said never.

The craziest experience you’ve ever had? So many but ll keep for me.

What’s your favorite historical character? John Lennon.

Can you define yourself with an adjective? Cute.

What’s your favorite The Gulps song? King of the Disco out in May on Its creation Baby record label Alan McGee boss.

The most appreciated one? Stuck in the city.

Who is the band member you are most attached to? All of them.

Did you or the other guys use drugs while recording the albums? Yes of course. 

And during concerts?  Yes 

Which ones in particular? I m not qualified to talk about this but a few of them.

What’s your best gig in your opinion that we can find on Youtube? Paste Magazine in NYC 2020 before pandemic.

What is the most rock and roll anecdote you can tell us about The Gulps? We make lots of parties and we have a song about called In the Kings House, In short we leave like kings.

What’s the best band right now in your opinion? Fontaines DC.

The most underestimated? The Gulps.

How did you join The Gulps? Who did you meet first? I met Harry the Singer and Simon the bass player at the ICMP, is a music college and one day he asked me if I wanna enjoy in a rock and roll band and I said yes let’s do it, this is it.

Who’s the clever one in your opinion? We are all of us cleaver and it’s very difficult to say but I guess the drummer Raoul.

And funniest? Maybe it’s me.

And the most talented as musician? I think we are all talented as a musician.

What is your top five of your songs? King of the disco, Stuck in the City, New Era Technology, Lola Cola, Kings house.

What is your song that you are most attached to? King of the disco.

Why? Because is a fuckin hit like our Manager Alan McGee said.

Can you tell us an anecdote behind a The Gulps song? I lost my soul stuck in the city.

The best song you wrote? I think King of the disco. 

The craziest thing you’ve seen at one of your concert? Mmmm once Charlie fall down on stage with but he was still playing while he was on the floor.

Who was the one with more success with girls? I think each of us but to be honest I m the one that is very lucky with girls maybe is the Italian touch I don’t really know.

Who was the one who got stoned much more? Simon, Raoul, Me.

Which of them are you most attached to? All of them to be honest we are like a family.

Favorite TV series? Duke of Hazzard.

If you were an animal which one would you like to be? I think a shark.

Have you ever had sex with more than one person? Yes I did and I would like to experience a orgie.

Have you ever cheated on your fiancée? Yes unfortunately but was worth it.

Have you ever cheated on a friend? I don’t know.

Do you have some regrets about things you wanted to do but you didn’t do? If so which ones? I’m trying to do everything but I think once I didn’t go to the Paul McCartney concert because I didn’t have the money to go instead my dad bought me a guitar and here I’m.

Do you have some remorses for something you did but you should have done differently? Remorse are for looser.

Do you have some dreams that you are trying to realize? Dreams are part of my reality so I m wanna be a rock and roll star and a guitar hero.

What time do you usually go to sleep? Never.

What time do you usually wake up? Depend what I did the night before, you understand me right?

What’s your favorite city in the world? London baby.

Do you believe in some religions? My religion.

Typical day? Woke up breakfast plug the guitar into the amp and God Knows.

Do you have many friends? Yes I guess.

What’s the first thing you would do if you win the lottery? Buy a Gibson Les Paul.

What’s the thing you like most? Play music.

Your favorite dish? Pasta tuna.

Do you have some phobias? Spider? 

Last book you read? Bobbie Gillespie biography.

Favorite fashion brand? Versace.

The most precious material thing you own? Myself.

What do you usually drink at the bar?  Gin tonic.

What do you usually have for breakfast? English breakfast the best.

An advice you can give to someone that want to do your job? Never give up.

Best party you’ve been to? All of them but the best I think was Space Mountain Festival in Granada our producer Youth make a festival every year in his house. I’ll suggest to come with me this year.

Do you think that if people couldn’t post on Instagram about it, they would take part as well to social movements? It’s difficult to say I don’t know.

What do you think about the existence of royal rulers for birthright? Anarchy in the UK. 

What drugs have you done? I prefer not to say but a few.

If so which one is your favorite? Weed Babe.

And which one you use more often? Marijuana.

Are you in favour of the liberalisation of soft drugs? Yes please.

And hard drugs? No they could be dangerous.

How important is it for you to be rich from 1 to 10? 0.

And fame?100000000099.

How important are fame and money to impress a partner? I think at some point a lot but who cares money goes money come.

 And what about beauty? I live blonde girls.

And intelligence? Naaa.

The smartest person you know? Peter my Old Mate.

Do you consider yourself smart? Sometimes.

If you can choose 5 celebrities to have party with who they would be? Joe Walsh, John Lennon, Ronnie Wood, Andy Warhol, Pino Daniele.

Do you feel envy for anyone? If so, for whom? No really.

Can you tell us something about you that nobody knows or very few people know? I don’t know myself yet maybe I can tell you in few years.

What’s your best talent? Okay the guitar I guess.

What are the clothes you can’t stand to see on a man and on a woman? I’m very open minded so but will be nice if everyone can be naked.

What’s your favorite artist? Eric Clapton.

What’s your favorite show business character? Peppino De Filippi.

Who are the people that inspired you the most? Pino Daniele, Eagles, my friends.

If you can choose a famous woman for a night, who would it be? Pamela Anderson.

And for a relationship? Jennifer Aniston.

What’s the item of clothing you spent the most money on? I think trousers.

Your ideal holiday? Antigua.

What is your motto?  It is what it is and never give up.

If you could choose someone to follow you on Instagram who would you choose? Ronnie Wood.

Can you tell us a number from 1 to 89? 1.

There are more and more models who do not respond to the “classic” aesthetic canons, do you think that brands really try to change the social dynamics or do you think they are choices dictated by marketing reasons to exploit the politically correct? I think there are people up there who decide what to do every single day but I say A bit both, the world change fast and we need to be able sto stay on the top of the world every single day.

If you could choose a person you know to read this interview, who would it be? Alan McGee.