Luca Spanio

Luca Spanio will be playing with his band at the Blue Cafe on August 2.
Queen has been the most influential for student who came to study at music school in Los Angeles.
By Kathryn Watson


When then-23-year-old Luca Spanio hopped on a plane and left his home, his family and everything familiar in Venice, Italy, to further his musical education and career in Southern California, he didn’t know quite what to expect.

“Pretty much, I left everything,” he said. “I just came here with one big bag and a guitar.”

Now, his talent on the guitar has earned him an envied spot at the Blue Café in Huntington Beach on Sunday.

Nearing his 26th birthday Monday, the Italian native with flowing, maple-brown hair and a quick smile has completed his formal musical education and is setting out on a four-month tour from Los Angeles to Orange to give fans an in-person taste of his acoustic guitar and rich voice. Spanio described his style as a mix of Queen, Jeff Buckley, the Beatles and Oasis. The chief influence on his music, however, has always been Queen.

“Everything started with the Queen songs,” he said. “People started to know me because of Queen.”

Instead of copying Queen’s music note by note, Spanio tailors Queen songs to his personal taste.

“This We play the songs that we like in our way,” . . . is not a cover band he said, referring to himself and his new bassist and drummer.

Spanio first acted on his passion for music at age 15 after his mother gave him a book filled with Queen lyrics and the band’s story for Christmas. With the guitar handed to him by his father, Spanio embarked on his career.

Spanio earned a certificate of Theory and Ear Training at the Conservatory of Music “G. Tartini” in Trieste, Italy, before he left his homeland in August 2006 to attend the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles. Spanio completed the school’s program a couple years back and now lives in Hollywood.

Last year, Spanio recorded nine songs on an EP, six of which are his original pieces and three of which are tweaked Queen songs.

Spanio acknowledged that his Italian upbringing has probably influenced his approach to music more than just a little.

Spanio likes to incorporate opera-like tones into his music, which is fitting, because “Italy is where opera was born,” he said.

“Maybe, if I was born here [in the United States], my influence would be different,” he said.

His gentle Italian accent, more than anything, distinguishes Spanio’s music.

“When I sing, I try to hide my accent. But sometimes, it comes out,” he said, his accent unmistakable in conversation.

“It’s not something you hear every day.”

Spanio expressed his enthusiasm about the plethora of opportunities the U.S. offers — opportunities that wouldn’t be available to him in Italy, where the price of living is much higher than even California and where musicians aren’t taken seriously, he said.

“You can actually follow your dreams and be able to survive” in America, he said.

What does Spanio miss about his homeland? The food. Especially pizza. Spanio can stomach and even enjoy American pizza, but it’s just not the same.

“I’m crazy for pizza,” he said with a childlike smile. “Italy is still the best place for pizza.”

However, what Spanio truly misses the most is his family — his parents, his 19-year-old sister and twin 17-year-old brothers. Spanio is eager to reunite with them this September, as he hasn’t seen them since they last flew out to California in December 2007.

For Spanio, his music isn’t about him. He stressed that the audience is his favorite part of performing.

That’s what you do music for,” he said. . . . “People come to the show to forget their problems

And Spanio provides that desired distraction with his array of jokes and generally jovial nature. He even inserts a song from the children’s cartoon “DuckTales” into his playlist. But his comedy and music shouldn’t be the only enticements to attend, he said.

“I think girls, you know, especially, should come to the show, because I’m kind of cute, you know,” he chuckled.

Eventually, Spanio hopes to gain enough of a following to be able to play all of his own, original tunes instead of interspersing them with Queen renditions.

Spanio realizes the massive amount of time and effort required to make a lifelong career out of music.

A musician must not only know how to sing and play an instrument well, he said, but also how to handle the business side of the career.

“There are a lot of musicians here [in the Los Angeles area] who are trying to make it,” he said.

“You have to do everything that you can.”

Spanio’s drive comes mostly from his dread of one day, having to look himself in the mirror with the realization that he hasn’t accomplished what he set out to do.

“I don’t want to fail,” he said. “So I have to keep going.”


-If You Go-
Who: Luca Spanio
When: 9 p.m. Sunday
Where: The Blue Café, 17208 Pacific Coast Hwy., Huntington Beach
Contact: (562) 592-1302
- Huntington Beach Independent

If you happen to find yourself at a coffee shop on Friday night, changes are Luca Spanio is there with his acoustic guitar, ready to wow you with his reworked interpretations of Queen.
With a voice reminiscent of Freddie Mercury coated in an Italian accent, Spanio sings with a passion that goes beyond him being a mere cover band. In fact, his Queen covers are used strictly to lure in his audience, as his real talent lies within the complex compositional structure of his original work.
His EP lacks percussion, but Spanio still manages to write epic melodies utilizing classical recording techniques-using strings and background vocals to complement each other.
Spanio will perform Aug. 4 at the Talking Stick in Venice. - Campus Circle

Luca Spanio performs highly charged acoustic renditions of songs from the rock band Queen. Bump into someone on the street of Southern California, and you've probably bruised a talented guitarist, singer, songwriter or arranger.
Even if you can do all four, it's not easy to break out the pack in the music industry, and Luca Spanio has a handicap: He's from Italy and he doesn't know English that well.
But Spanio, 25, does know marketing, so he created himself a brand -or you could call it a gimmick. He's the guy who does acoustic covers of Queen songs.
His show, which comes to the Viento y Agua Coffee House Thursday night, is not a Queen tribute, because he also performs his original compositions.
When you hear the originals alongside the Queen covers on his CD, which will be for sale Thursday, they fit together well. The famed rock band and Spanio share a highly charged style in which emotion is taken to the top and, often, over it.
"At the beginning, when I started doing live shows, nobody knew me, so nobody was going to come to see me play my music," he said in a recent phone interview. "So I covered some Queen songs, because everybody knows Queen.
"First of all, there arent' so many bands that play Queen songs around here," he said. "And in the way that I do them, acoustically, it's pretty original songs."
The album is a do-it-yourself project Spanio recorded digitally at home. It was a learning experience.
"It was just practicing and reading some books about how the big groups used to do it, like Queen, Aerosmith and the Beatles," he said.
He placed mikes by the low strings toward the sound hole on his guitar for two tracks, then moved them to the high strings on the neck and played two more tracks.
"This is not really correct," he said. "I mean, the studio has different techniques, but I didn't really know how to do it."
In addition to playing all the instruments, he wrote and recorded arrangements for strings and choir, then did some rough mixing at home.
"Then I went to the studio, and I said, 'This is how far I've got. I can't get it better that this. Can you improve my mixing?' "
Spanio is proud of the way the strings and choir sound.
"When I was in Italy, I studied music theory in the classical way, and that's how I arranged the strings and choir, with the classical rules instead of the modern rules,' he said. "And I put them together to get one into the other. If you look at the paper, if one note is missing on the strings, it's in the choir. So the two fit together.
"In pop style or modern style, you can do whatever you want. There are no rules. In classical, there are certain rules -for instance there are movements of notes that you have to avoid- so that you have a better sound, a fuller sound."
Of course, when he plays Thursday night with a bassist and a drummer, the sound won't be the same as on the CD. But don't expect a lower-key laid back sound.
"Every time I sing a song, I try to sing the way I feel that moment," Spanio said. "So even if it's in a coffeehouse, if there are lot of people and they give me energy, I'm not going to be quiet, because it's the way that I'm feeling right now."
Spanio graduated from conservatory in Italy and was particularly impressed with two of his guitar teachers, both of whom had studied at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood. Spanio came to study there, following in their path -and also because the rock scene in Italy wasn't as good as the one in Los Angeles.
While studying guitar, he also took private voice lessons.
Now that he's finished school, he's trying to make a living playing live and looking to place his music in commercials and films. It's a long shot, but in addition o musical skills, he's also picked up some American business know-how.
If he can come up with some more ideas to mach the Queen one, he should be just fine. - Press Telegram

In recent months, the Internet has been abuzz over an Italian musician who perform acoustic version of songs by the rock band Queen. Luca Spanio takes the tunes and rearranges them as needed.
"I play the songs that I like in my style", Spanio said. "I pick Queen because I love Queen, but I cannot sing like Freddie Mercury, nobody can. They say that I'm a good singer, but Freddie
Mercury..."
Now settled in Hollywood, Spanio plays guitar, bass, flute and keyboards. In February (2008), Spanio performed at the Emergenza Music Festival in Los Angeles, a worldwide competition and showcase for independent artists, and he is currently gigging at venues throughout Southern California. He also recently self released, "Queen Acoustic..and More..", a CD with copy songs, as well as original tunes. You will be able to catch Spanio's act live at Sierra Cup in Monrovia on Saturday.
In Italy at age 15, Spanio's mother gave him a book with the story and lyrics of Queen for Christmas. It ispired him to pursue a career in music.
"I went to my father and I said, 'I want to play piano.' He said OK. So the day after, he came back with a guitar. I said, 'OK, I was asking for a piano, but anyway' ", Spanio said.
He worked at conquering the guitar, studying with both rock and jazz teachers, as well as taking voice lessons. Spanio studied theory and ear training at the Conservatory of Music G. Tartini in Trieste, Italy and furthered his voice and guitar education at the Musicians Institiute in Los Angeles.
"I came here to have a band, but at the beginning it was hard finding people", Spanio said. "So for this reason I started Queen. I don't care if I don't have a band, I can play guitar and sing, so I can do it by myself".
Queen's material is comfortably in Spanio's range and, when he performs, he recalls his roots, by using an Italian lira as a guitar pick. He doesn't have a favorite Queen song, although currently he's partial to "Bring Back That Leroy Brown", a ragtime-inspired piece, because of its complex composition. At his shows, Spanio likes sparking the crowd with "Fat Bottomed Girls".
"I introduce the song like, 'I'm going to sing this song for all the beautiful girls here tonight'. They go,'Oh, he's going to sing a romantic song' and I play 'Fat Bottomed Girls'.'Thant's not funny'. But it's very funny actually", Spanio said.
Spanio takes a methodical approach to his own compositions.
"I draw a map of the song and then I write the music and then I listen to the music and I try to understand what kind of feeling the music evokes and then I write the lyrics", he said. "I write mostly in English. Sometimes it's hard because my vocabulary is not so big. I have to try to pick the right word to say the right thing".
Many of his songs are personal, but his main goal is to tell a story.
"One song is about a guy who was cheating on his girlfriend and he is saying that, but it happened, it's something that everybody deals with", Spanio said. "Inspiration comes from everywhere, especially if you're a musician, you're pretty open to everything else. Since I'm not from here, everything amazes me".
Spanio used his various music skills to the fullest for "Queen Acoustic ...And More". He arranged and recorded choir and strings, as well as employed an uncommon method of recording. Spanio recorded the same guitar track several times and used various techniques to record up to 10 different guitars per tune. The result is an all-around fuller sound.
Spanio is writing new material in preparation for another album and he can be seen on the web at Youtube.com. He also has a show at the Musicians Institute on Jan. 16.
At Sierra Cup on Saturday, he will be joined by Canadian bassist Scott Mezei, who is currently studying at the Musicians Institute. Expect a mix of Queen cover songs and original tunes, plus some humor.
"I try to be funny because you cannot be too serious playing music", Spanio said. "I try to joke with the people in front of me. I try to sing good because everybody there will compare me to Freddie Mercury.
"It's a different way to hear Queen songs and you'll spend two hours having fun, I hope. The bass player is very good and I don't play so bad".
Spanio is hoping to add a drummer to his band soon and laments that most musicians want to be paid to play, but it's hard when you're just starting out.
"You're doing this because you like it, not because you want to get rich and famous. If you get rich and famous it's fine". - Pasadena Star-News, San Gabriel Valley Tribune and Whittier Daily.

Sometimes acoustic, sometimes rock, sometimes funk, and sometimes a little of them all Luca Spanio beautifully creates a wonderful sound with his amazing vocals and fantastic guitars that will leave you breathless. If you are a fan of music that has meaning, then Luca Spanio is the perfect choice for music lovers around the world. In this spotlight with our Webzine, Luca speaks to us about his music and being an artist living in America from another country.

Isaac: What was the best part of 2008 for you musically?

Luca: The best part of 2008? Well, musically, I did a lot; I recorded my first EP, I organized a short tour all around the Bay Area, I played my music between San Francisco and Los Angeles with Las Vegas in the middle, and I had radio shows and press interviews. When you do so much in just one year, sometimes it's hard to understand what the best part of what you did was. But, if I really have to pick something, maybe was recording my EP; having a good recording that you can sell, it's always the first step of your career.

Isaac: What do you feel was your biggest accomplishment for 2008?

Luca: Playing live. When you're a solo indie artist, that does everything by himself you work like crazy, and sometimes you feel frustrated, but when you have a gig, and you play in front of 10-15-20 or more people that really appreciate your music and what you're playing. Well, it's hard to describe, but that makes you think "That's why I'm a musicians...not for the glory, or the money...but for what I'm feeling right now. And then of course, also for the girls...hehe...'

Isaac: Describe the music scene in area.

Luca: I'm from Los Angele and everybody comes here to play music hoping one day the big producer is gonna notice them, so there's a lot of competition. Here you can find all kind of music, from jazz to country, from hard rock to acoustic funk-rock (the style that I play). Here we have the Sunset Strip, where Guns 'n' Roses used to play, so you can still find sometimes L.A. Guns perform. The only thing that I don't like is that in some places (not all of them) you have to pay to play, and it's something that (for what I know) exist just in L.A...

Isaac: What has been the best venue to perform at and why?

Luca: The best venue? Honestly, I don't know. I played in different and many venues last year that it's hard just pick one. I remember each venue for different reason; I remember I played in Fremont at Essanay Cafe, and on my second song the owner said that my voice was a little bit too loud. It's funny because the volume of the mic wasn't even that laud, so I was thinking "What am I suppose to do? I mean...I'm singin', not screamin'. I can sing with no mic at this point cos...", the gig went really good and actually that one was one of the best gig on my tour around the Bay Area. I also played at The Knitting Factory in Hollywood more than once and I liked it. But, sometimes I don't really care of the venue. I'm really happy of the show when people came and really enjoy the show. People are the ones who give me emotions and make my gig great, so it doesn't matter if I'm in a small cafe or in a big club.

Isaac: Elaborate a little about whom were your biggest influences in the music industry and why?

Luca: The big influences for me? Well, I really like Queen, because of the music and because they were great musicians. I think Freddie Mercury was the best singer ever, and I really like the sound of Brian May and what he did. I also really like The Beatles (…'cause, c'mon, everybody loves The Beatles...) and all the hard rock group from the 70, like Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Deep Purple. I started playing electric guitars (like everybody probably) and those bands are the one who inspire when you're a little kid with a guitar in your hand. When I went to Musicians Institute, I started playing James Brown songs. And then I started to love funk music.

Isaac: Let's talk about what you feel you will bring to the music industry?

Luca: Well, you always have to think to write something new, something original. It's hard because nowadays you have all kind of music and different sub-divisions. I think about music as something that has to make you feel good and forget about your problems, so I like to be sarcastic during my shows. Sometimes I say something on stage and then my bass player comes to me and says "I can't believe you said that". And then my situation is different from any other musician. I'm from Italy, and I perform original songs and some cover of an English band, with an acoustic funk-rock sound, in Southern California. With a Canadian bass player and a drummer from Texas, I mean, it's definitely something you don't see every day. And then my accent makes everything sweeter...hehe...

Isaac: If you had an opportunity to work with one artist or group, who would it be and why?

Luca: Probably Brian May. He's my idol and play and work with him will make my life complete (at least now...hehe). I love to write music for 4 to5 and more electric guitars. I wrote and recorded last year at the wedding march for 12 electric guitars and I also put a video on YouTube with some pics of "Tim Burton's The Corpse Bride". Brian May did a lot of this with Queen. Pretty much almost every song has a part played with 4 to5 electric guitars and sounds so amazing to me.

Isaac: How would you describe your music to others?

Luca: My music is a mix between the funky rhythms of James Brown and Red Hot Chili Peppers and the rock of Queen, Led Zeppelin. People say that my voice sometimes sounds like Freddie Mercury, sometimes like Jeff Buckley, and also fans of Oasis love my music. On my website, I have songs from my old EP, but I'm recording with my drummer and my bass player, so with them you can really feel the funk in each song.

Isaac: What type of feedback have you received from fans about your music?

Luca: I play original songs and some covers of Queen. But with my style, so sometimes people don't know if I'm playing an original song or a cover. I like when fans from Queen come to me saying that they really enjoy the show, 'cause it's always hard when you compare yourself with somebody like Freddie Mercury. And then I like to be funny on stage, shaking my hips and showing my back to the public...hehe.When I play with my band, the sound is very full, the drummer is very good and he plays some very good funk-rock stuff that makes the crowd hot. I receive all the time compliments about my voice. And my fans really like what I say on my songs. I remember one fan coming to me after one of my show saying "Freddie Mercury would love to hear his songs in acoustic as you play them, you sing with your heart and we can feel it"

Isaac: Where can fans locate you at online?

Luca: I have a personal website (www.lucaspanio.com) where you can find everything about me, my CDs, T-Shirts, news about my new gigs, every link for Facebook, MySpace...probably my personal website is the best way to know everything about me. And then of course, I have MySpace www.myspace.com/lucaspanio and www.myspace.com/queenacoustic

Isaac: What can fans expect from you in the next five years?

Luca: I don't know. Honestly, as an artist, I'm always looking for the perfect song to write, the perfect album to record, and the perfect sound to find. Music is something that always changes, and if you consider that you'll never write the perfect song, or you'll never write the perfect album, your music will always change. Also, because everything around you will change, and we are artists, so we are influenced by the events around us. Of course, I'll try to put always some characteristic elements, like the choir, in every song I'll write, but probably in the next five years my songwriting will be different (hopefully better) than now. Just think that last year I recorded an EP just by myself, with no band, and now I'm recording new songs with a band, so the sound will be different from last year.

Isaac: Time for some shout outs to your family, friends, and fans…

Luca: hehe…I'm from Italy, so my family at the beginning wasn't happy that I was moving here, but now they're used to it (beside my mother…hehe). I'm always online so I'm always talking with my friends and fans. I like to talk with my fans (especially the cute girls...just kidding), cause I think it's important have a kind of relationship between you and them. At the end, they are the ones who pay you, buying CDs, T-Shirts and they can make a gig a great success. So, I have to be nice with them...hehe...

Isaac: Final words…

Luca: I'm always right, even when I'm wrong (this is the line I have on my T-Shirts. I think it is funny, every time I say it people laugh…also, because of my accent). - Junior's Cave

Luca came to America to study guitar and singing at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, and for his first CD he's recorded an acoustic celebration of the band he loves: Queen, with also original songs.

In live performance Luca sings like Freddie Mercury while picking ala Brian May on a sea blue guitar, offering sing-a-long favorites like "We Will Rock You," "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and elegant rarities, plus a selection of original tunes.

Queen Acoustic was recently the hit of the downtown LA Hippodrome Art Walk shuttle bus, and has performed at The Derby, Charlie O's, Rainbow Bar & Grill, Knitting Factory, Kibitz Room and The Joint. On Tuesday, July 29, there's a rare chance to enjoy the music of Queen Acoustic and the stunning cooking of chef Luigi at "Colori Kitchen".

For more on Queen Acoustic, including song samples, visit
http://www.lucaspanio.com - Michelle Mills

By Sheena Metal

Whether in Italy, Los Angeles, or on tour, singer/songwriter Luca Spanio is hoping to prove that he is a champion.
It’s hard enough to cultivate your music, then perform, produce, and promote it in your own home town. But when you’re thousands of miles from home--in a different country and on a different continent--the daunting task of making and selling CDs and building a fan base, moves from difficult to near impossible. But not completely unheard of, as every day, brave souls come to Los Angeles from all around the world and attempt to work their way into rock ‘n’ roll stardom. Sadly, most go home, defeated but a few rise to the top and make a place for themselves in the Entertainment Capital of the World using talent and sheer determination as their tools of success. Italian singer/songwriter Luca Spanio is one of the lucky ones who’s making his music career work in the City of Angels and now taking it on the road.

Sheena Metal: You are from Italy. How does the music scene in the United States, specifically in Los Angeles, vary from what you're used to at home?

Luca Spanio: Here there is more variety. You have blues clubs, open mic nights every week for acoustic acts, jazz clubs, rock shows, etc. Here you have more music and more places where to play and that makes it more easy to live like a musician.

SM: What made you decide to come to the USA and why did you pick L.A.?

LS: I wanted to sing in English and it’s hard to do that in Italy, so the 2 options were the United States or London, England. I picked Los Angeles because I wanted to go to a good music school, and I picked Musicians Institute, here in Hollywood.

SM: Do you write songs in English or in Italian and what is it like to translate the lyrics from one language to another?

LS: When I write a song, I write the music first. Then, I try to focus on what kind of emotion the music gives to me and I put in the lyrics. I don't translate songs. I usually try to write English songs, but then I remember that girls love the Italian sound, so I put a few Italian songs in my shows. [Laughs]

SM: Is the guitar your first instrument and do you play any others?

LS: Honestly my first instrument is my voice. I can sing anything but I cannot play everything on the guitar. And I also played bass guitar on my CD, piano and a little harmonica.

SM: What musicians have influenced you throughout your life and why?

LS: My first real influence was Beethoven. When I heard the fifth symphony, it was like a shock for me--and I'm still listening to him all the time. I studied classical music in Italy and he is still, by far, my favorite classical composer. Beethoven’s music was so powerful; even with no guitar. Then, I discovered The Beatles--their melodies were cool, The Beatles was my first band I ever loved, the little choir, the structure of the songs. And then Queen came and I started playing guitar and after them all of the 1970's bands like: Led Zeppelin, The Doors, and Deep Purple influenced me in my playing. I’ve studied jazz too and I really love Django Reinhardt (his music was so innovative), Charlie Parker and George Benson. During my school years here in California, I played with Scott Henderson who is a master of fusion-jazz and I’ve also met Joe Diorio another master in jazz guitar.

SM: Part of your show is to perform a set of Queen songs, but you are covering them in a way SO much different from hearing the original band live. Do die-hard Queen fans ever question the artistic liberties of your arrangements?

LS: Nobody’s ever complained. I don't try to sing like Freddie Mercury or try to sound like Queen. I just play my favorite music in my own way. I think that the people who come to my shows already know that it's going to be something different.

SM: What’s the hardest thing about doing a set of songs by a band as loved as Queen? Do you feel obligated to deliver the goods, so to speak?

LS: Yes. When I see people wearing Queen t-shirts at my shows, or when I see people right in front of me people singing every single word of every single song, it´s very important because those people are the ones that truly know Queen’s music, and in my mind I think "Oh, they love Freddie´s voice, are they going like me?” or “Will I sing well enough for them?" But, at the end of the show, they seem to all look happy [and they buy CDs] so I guess they really liked me. [Laughs]

SM: Any reason why you didn´t try to put together a full electric Queen Tribute band?

LS: A cover band to me must to sounds like the original, and emulating the sound of Freddie Mercury’s voice is pretty impossible. What I’m trying to do is not a tribute band or a cover band, it’s just a way to create a show where I can sing and play my favorite band’s songs mixed with my original ones.

SM: How is the reaction different for your original songs?

LS: Thankfully, it’s not and at the end of my shows they buy my CD with my original songs on it, which is great. Most of the time people come up to me and say, "You did a good job with the Queen tunes and I really liked your original songs, the melody and the lyrics fix really well together."

SM: It seems that you mostly play solo acoustic show with both your original tunes and the Queen cover set. Do you prefer energy to a full live band experience?

LS: Honestly, I prefer the full band--you turn on stage and you're connected with the bass player, or you look at the drummer and you know at that point, you have to stop the song. The vibe on stage with other people is something you cannot substitute.

SM: You just came back from a tour of the San Francisco Bay Area, with a live show almost every day and multiple radio show appearances on top of that. How do you do with that kind of hectic schedule?

LS: Pretty well. I mean, it is hard staying on the road for ten days, --moving from city to city, going where you don’t know anybody and spending most of the time by yourself. But it was an experience that I will do again for sure.

SM: What do you like about touring and what are your favorite types of venues to play?

LS: I like that you never know who you're going to meet tomorrow night or where you're going to play. Everything is like a big surprise every day. I don't really have favorite venues, but I do like the ones with the big stages. Sometimes even that doesn't really matter. The people in front of me make a venue good.

SM: What was the best thing about this tour?

LS: Well, I played in four different cities, met so many new people, sold lots of CDs and t-shirts and I actually got paid. I think the best thing about this tour was the tour itself. Everything was great.

SM: Is it true you’ve recorded live tracks from your recent tour?

LS: Yes. On my website (http://www.lucaspanio.com) I have the songs from the CD I took on tour. You can also find them on My Space at: http://www.myspace.com/lucaspanio and http://www.myspace.com/queenacoustic. Soon, I will put the two radio interviews I did on tour on my websites, as well as some live shows I got the opportunity to record on the Bay Area Tour.

SM: Do you have another tour lined up?

LS: I have a little tour booked in Las Vegas at the end of the year and I’m planning an east-coast tour for 2009.

SM: Where do you hope to be career-wise in five years and why?

LS: Wembley Stadium? Yeah, I can say that. [Laughs] I don't know--being a musician nowadays is very hard. Today you're on top and tomorrow you're nobody--and right now I'm working to be on top.
For upcoming dates, CD info or more information contact: lucaspanio@yahoo.com.


Sheena Metal is a radio host, producer, promoter, music supervisor, consultant, columnist, journalist and musician. Her syndicated radio program, Music Highway Radio, airs on over 700 affiliates to more than 126 million listeners. Her musicians’ assistance program, Music Highway, boasts over 10,000 members. She currently promotes numerous live shows weekly in the Los Angeles Area, where she resides. For more info: http://www.sheena-metal.com.
- NoHo Art District

Luca was born in Italy and is now living in Los Angeles in pursuit of a career as a guitarist/vocalist. This self produced CD brings Luca's acoustic versions of Queen songs along with some of his own originals. You can really hear the European influences with ballads reminiscent of the Scorpions. I was impressed by the polished sound of his acoustic guitar; it was able to stand alone. The electric guitar solos fit perfectly and don't overshadow the vocals. The CD was recorded at L.S. Studios in Hollywood, mixed at Thud Studios in North Hollywood and mastered at Barn Productions Los Angeles. Luca is touring all over California so log on to www.lucaspanio.com to get latest dates. - Your Music Magazine