There will be music until there will be a story to tell...from Rome Italy

Claudia McDowell: Vocals
Fabrizio Fontanelli: Acoustic Guitar
Alessandro Matilli: Piano & Keyboards
Alessadro Cicala: Lead Guitar
Alessandro Fiori: Drums
David Medina: Bass & Upright Bass


Rome based Mardi Gras are a rock act with a difference.

Their journey is a musical one made of rock ballads, poetry and prayers put into music and a lot more. The name comes from the Creedence Clearwater Revival's album title. The band has a strong connection with Ireland and has been a regular visitor to the country, forging connections with some of its best homegrown musicians. These include Glen Hansard & The Frames with whom they played as support, Mundy, Mark Geary and Liam O'Maonlai who has just come back from a recording session in Italy with the band.

The Irish magazine "Hot Press" reviewed their very first demo in the "Demo Dip" section
hosted by Debbie Shkow who said “.. from the sound of this demo they would be worth the bus fare into town - if not quite the plane fare to Rome."


After a bunch of live gigs all over the country and their involvement with Amnesty International, who invited Mardi Gras to perform their song “The wait" during a conference about America and the death penalty, the band eventually released their first full length cd "Drops made" in 2006.

Since then Mardi Gras tour Italy, and play support for such acts as Glen Hansard & The Frames (Swell Season - "Once" Movie), Circulus , Micah P. Hinson, before headin’ for a comprehensive Irish Tour (even headlinin’ Whelans in Dublin) with Mundy, Tko and Siobhan O’Brien as a support acts.

"The wait" is currently listed on Neil Young “Songs of the times”, a section of his official website, where the Canadian songwriter listed all the peace and protest songs since the 11th September aftermath.


Online, the band has enjoyed great success, becoming one of the most popular Italian independent acts with a continuously growing fanbase and have attracted attention internationally on European and US based radio stations.


Reviews of Mardi Gras' first full-length CD, "Drops Made", have been very favorable both in Ireland and Italy and include a blessing from Irish music aficionado, Jackie Hayden of the Hot Press who said - "They re a tasty acoustic act. Good stuff that repays a little patience"

Their comeback single “Song from the end of the world” is out on 2010. The ballad is aired by a bunch of Us and European radio stations, leading the band to tour again Italy, playing even support to such acts as Noah and The Whale and Billy Bragg.
Their rendition of the live classic “Land of hope and dreams” is included on the second Bruce Springsteen Italian Tribute assembled by the journalist and writer Ermanno Labianca for his Route61 Label.

Watch this space for their upcoming album "Among the Streams" which is due to be released in 2011, featuring guest appearance from Irish legend Liam O'Maonlaí - a welcome offering from a band that is one of the hardest working bands out there, it is sure to be a treat for the ears.