Raw Power

Raw Power was formed in 1981 by Mauro and Giuseppe Codeluppi (voice and guitar). Since the beginning the band had great troubles finding a stable line-up. As a matter of fact, the only two members still in the band in the 90’s from the original line-up were the two founders-brothers. The vinyl debut “You Are My Victim” was released in 1983 through a small independent Italian label. In 1983 the band signed a deal with American indie-punk label Toxic Shock (Skin Yard, House Of Large Sizes…). “Screams From The Gutter” (Toxic Shock 1985) was most likely their best album so far.

A rough mixture of seminal punk and sharp hard core. The same year the band flew over to the States for their first US tour (and have since then returned to tour the USA a total of six times). The reaction to the “Italian punk rockers” was great all around the States, and the album sold more than 40.000 copies strictly through independent distribution and shops.

“Wop Hour” (Toxic Shock – 1986), “After Your Brian” (Toxic Shock -1986) “Mine To Kill” (Southern – 1989), “Live Danger” (TVOR -1991) and “Too Tough to Burn” (Contempo – 1992) helped to develop their heavier, more riff oriented sound. Raw Power, with only a small cult following in Italy, were considered in the States as one of the best examples of the “Crossover” sound, the music which evolved from punk and known to a much wider audience through bands like S.O.D., C.O.C., D.R.I., and Attitude Adjustment. During their long tours in the States Raw Power shared the stage with bands like the Circle Jerks, Adolescents, D.O.A., Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Agnostic Front, Dead Kennedys, Suicidal Tendencies, and in a small club in Seattle in 1986 a then unknown band called Guns’n’Roses opened for the Italian cult.

The band never enjoyed much more than cult status in Europe. Even though the band continued to play explosive live performances all over Europe, they never managed to get a foothold. This was due to the fact that Raw Power suffered from a lack of professional managers and structure, especially in their home country, where they never had the support they deserved and needed. Raw Power never had the chance to express in a studio album the great potential that the band is able to unleash in a live concert. Their first recording for Godhead, “Fight” (1995), with the great interest MTV showed for their clip, was just a step in the process of re-creating in a studio what they can do live, which is the musical equivalent of a nuclear bomb.

This bomb exploded on the 1st of March, 1996 at the Mafia, a club in Reggio Emilia, Italy. That raw, live sound was captured in the only way possible, live, for their latest release, “Live From The Gutter” on Godhead records.

Twenty-seven songs, recorded with no overdubbing, perfectly reproduce the barely controlled aggression and raw attitude that recall that “Screams From the Gutter” period, which has been ever-present at Raw Power gigs.

In 1998 the band had several new songs ready for release and began shopping for a label in the U.S. to release them. The end result was “Reptile House”, their greatest album yet, released on their original label Toxic Shock, now known as Toxic Ranch Records. Three American tours in support of the album followed. Then in the year 2000 they released “Trust Me” through a new, and short lived American label called Hello Records. The record was given fantastic reviews, and at the bands 20 year mark, they were stronger than ever. In the summer of 2001, the band flew to Atlanta, Georgia USA and started the most successful American tour to date. The band was wildly welcomed in most major American cities. No matter how many member changes, label changes, etc., the two brothers that started Raw Power remained the core of the band, and as far as the world knew, would never stop!

In 2002, Raw Power went back into the studio to record yet another full length release. The new material was a celebration of the bands longevity, and the band decided to call it “Still Screaming After 20 Years”. Shortly after the record was finished, on October 6, founding member Giuseppe Codeluppi suffered a fatal heart attack while playing soccer. Many thought the band would not recover from such a loss, but now in 2003 they are more active than ever. There has been no replacement for Giuseppe, the bands leader. Now the band consists of 4 members, carrying on the name and the music and proving the words that Guiseppe wrote…..“Raw Power WIll Never Die!!”

2004 and 2005 has seen the band touring again like in the past with probably especially in Italy more shows then ever, but we have manage to put an appearance again in Morecombe UK for the HITS Festival, followed by 6 shows in the UK, for the first time, then again Europe, Germany, Holland, we went to Prague for the first time, Spain and France. Unfortunately 2005 was also the year where we had to replace for health reason Roberto our drummer, in his place we now have Fabio.

Then in 2006 on top of yet another mini tour in Germany we headed back to the West Coast of the US for a two weeks tour, and of course we also did a very good show in New York as part of the Save CBGB’s campaign. 2007 started very well, first of all we had Tommi replacing our old guitarist Luca. He isn’t new to Raw Power as he played in the band at the time of Too Tough to Burn.

So, we had several shows again in Italy, and Europe then in June we managed another 2 weeks on the West Coast, tour that we did in August 2008 again but this time adding in a couple of shows in Mexico and Texas. Then in late 2008 we had our friend and long time bass player leaving the band to pursue other projects, and so we welcomed back Marco in the band after about 10 years.

2009 has been a very special year indeed, as we had a deal with our Seattle friend David Portnow to get there, tour a couple of weeks in WA, ID, OR and record a new record 7 years after the release of “still screaming”. So the record was done in early Oct and is soon to be released by Pig records.

A DVD/CD box set was released by Beer City April 13th 2010. This set is entitled ‘The Reagan Years’ and contains all the Raw Power albums from the 80’s as well as tracks from various 7″s and comps. The DVD contains two live performances Raw Power did in the 80’s on two of their US tours.

Spring of 2013 Raw Power started work on a brand new full length titled ‘Tired and Furious’. Immediately following their US Tour Raw Power went into Signaturetone Recording in Minneapolis, MN to record mix and master ‘Tired and Furious’.The cover art was drawn by the legendary Joe Petagno. With Raw Power‘s highly talented line up and energy. Combined with the out standing individuals involved in the making of this full length.‘Tired and Furious’ ended up being one of Raw Power‘s best albums to date. It came out on Beer City and the release date for the CD was April 15th 2014. The vinyl version came out on the 19th of 2014 which also fell on Record Store Day. It is exclusively distributed by Independent Label Distribution and their affiliates.

“Raw Power Will Never Die!”