Fall Has Come

Do you believe in magic? You should do because it’s real and in this case it comes in the shape of Fall Has Come from Italy. Now it’s a well known fact that musicians and songwriters are all tortured souls endlessly searching for validation. ‘Nowhere’ I have to say has validation in spades. This is the second album by the Italian rockers and will grab you from the start.

Following the release of their highly acclaimed second album ‘Nowhere’ we caught up with vocalist and songwriter Enrico Bellota to discuss the band and his plans for the future.

When the phone call comes and the voice on the other end asks if you would like to spend a couple of days in Naples who am I to say no. A quick hop on a dodgy airline later and I find myself in front of the beaming smile of one Enrico Bellota. When I got myself ready in the morning I thought that I was looking good but standing next to Enrico I soon realised that it wasn’t me the girls were smiling at! Devilishly handsome that chap.

First order of the day was to down a couple of very tasty espressos before settling down to the job in hand. The first thing that I wanted to ascertain was the slight shift in direction from the much rockier first album ‘Time to Reborn’ to the far more emotional second album ‘Nowhere.’

“The first album was very much a fun project for all of us and it was received very well. After we had completed a tour with Evanesence we took a short break to reflect and look at where we were at.” Enrico continues, “ It was at that point that we decided that if we were to get somewhere then it was time to get serious. We have had many trials and tribulations in the past couple of years and through that we decided to make a much more personal album which reflects that and our love for friends and family.”

Whilst in reflective mood Enrico showed me to the car and we drove to his home town of Maddaloni. During the drive I asked if there was a third album in the works. “We have a lot of ideas floating around at the moment and we are writing. ‘Nowhere’ seems to have gone down well and receive some excellent reviews. For now, what we would like to do is promote the album further and then make a firm decision on the next album.”

As we entered Maddaloni it was interesting to see that there were many posters of Enrico who is fondly known as ‘The Maestro.’

“in my down time from the band I like to get out and about with people and play acoustic shows. I like to see the reaction on peoples faces as most of what I play is very romantic. The clubs are where I started and its something that I really wish to stay in touch with. It keeps everything real for me and also maintains a sense of perspective.”

Fall has come have drawn their influences from many bands, in particular, Skid Row,

Kings of Leon, 30 Seconds to Mars and the Goo Goo Dolls to name but a few.

“When I was younger I remember watching Sebastian Bach (Skid Row) on stage and thinking to myself, I would like to be like that. I remember many times where I sang their songs and copied his moves. Now I am in a band, I have my own moves.”

I finished yet another espresso while I waited for Enrico to finish laughing about his antics and return to present day and his own music. It is clear upon listening to both albums that the music has a very anthemic feel to it. “That is very much what we were after when making both albums. We love to play live and our fans are extremely important to us. Our aim is to try and involve them as much as possible and give them the full Fall Has Come experience. As we move eventually towards a third album this is something that we will endeavour to maintain.”

“For the moment though, looking towards the end of this year and into 2019 we are hoping to play more in the western part of Europe and are currently looking to see what is available to take us to the end of the year. In 2019 we would love to be able to play in the UK especially if we are able to get booked at some of the festivals there. The rock scene in Italy is expanding and there are some great bands here who are receiving great exposure. At some point we hope to be right there alongside them.”

Fall Has Come have just released their second video, ‘Awaken’ from the album and its trending well. An upcoming gig in Milan is sold out and they have recently been asked to support Stone Sour in Russia on an arena tour.

As a final thing, I wanted to ask Enrico if he had a message for his fans out there. “My message is don’t stop believing. I have been doing this for almost 20 years now and am only just starting to get recognition, But I never gave up. Follow your dreams. The fans are what makes this real for me and I am grateful to each and every one of them.”

Being a little bit silly I was going to ask Enrico what made the perfect cup of coffee but as he had just presented me with yet another killer espresso………..well……….think I know the answer!

Very happy with how it had all gone I was making my preparations to go when the phone rang. A bit of Italian at high speed went back and forth which was far too quick for me to follow led to the other Enrico (Pascarella, the big fella!) standing in front of me and telling rather than asking, “We are playing tonight. You will be coming.”

He’s a mean looking dude so I wasn’t going to argue and the amount of great looking food that then appeared looked much nicer than what I was going to have at the airport. And what the hell. There was always going to be another flight. It would appear that a local venue wanted to put something on at short notice and being local boys, Fall Has Come agreed to play. I was very happy about this as it was going to be an acoustic set. Much food and wine later and the boys grabbed their gear and we left. No car this time as it was only a short stroll down the road. Can’t remember the name of the place (red wine issue!) but it was a nice intimate venue which was mostly full by the time we arrived and the guys were given rousing cheers on arrival. One could be mistaken for think that the Chippendales were going to be on judging the ratio of women to men but given the handsome nature and winning smiles of the band it came as no surprise.

It didn’t take them long to set up and what we were then treated to was an acoustic set of most of the songs from Nowhere and a couple from Time to Reborn.

Awaken and Believe were particular standouts when played in this style but to be honest the whole evening was great and once again showcased the versatility of the band. It wasn’t one of those sweaty nights but rather a phenomenal local get together where pretty much everyone knew each other and sometimes these are the best nights. I made a great deal of new friends which is testament to just what a well pressed grape will do.

The rest of the night was a bit of a blur and I woke up at the airport! Next to me was the happy smiling face of Captain Handsome Enrico who looked no worse for wear which was just that little bit irritating as I felt like death but not one to admit defeat I smiled back as best as I could manage. It was very gratifying to know that Enrico had looked after the lightweight Englishman and made sure that I got to the airport ok. Before my flight we quickly ran over what we had discussed the day before and he told me how pleased he was with last night’s set.

Playing live is what the band live for and the audience interaction gives them a great sense of pride in what they have achieved so far in their careers. They are still very much on the promotion trail with Nowhere and this is gaining momentum. Nevertheless, Enrico is always writing and I’m sure that he will soon be itching to get the next stage of their career underway. Next I presume will be getting them to the UK and on that subject I just managed to hear last call for my flight home.

I had a great time with a great band and Enrico being Enrico, I was flashed a winning smile and went through to departures with a killer espresso in one hand and an open invitation in the other. Until next time my friend.