{{Short description|Italian comedy punk band}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Skiantos | image = | image_size = | caption = Skiantos in 1975 | landscape = yes | alt = | background = group_or_band | alias = | origin = Bologna, Italy | instrument = | genre = {{flatlist| * Comedy rock * punk rock * new wave }} | occupation = | years_active = {{flatlist| * 1975–1980 * 1984 * 1987–2012 * 2016–present }} | label = {{flatlist| * Universal * EMI }} | associated_acts = Stefano Righi | website = {{URL|skiantos.com}} | current_members = {{plainlist| * Roberto Morsiani * Luca Testoni * Massimo Magnani * Gianluca Schiavon }} | past_members = {{plainlist| * Roberto Antoni (deceased) * Fabio Testoni (deceased) }}}}

'''Skiantos''' is an Italian comedy punk band formed in Bologna in 1975. They have released ten studio albums, two live albums and five compilation albums. They participated in the Gods of Demential festival on 12 January 2007.

==Background== The group formed in the mid-1970s, and their initial repertoire mainly consisted of cover songs.<ref name=Deregibus>{{cite book|last=Enrico Deregibus|title=Dizionario completo della Canzone Italiana|date=8 October 2010 |publisher=Giunti Editore, 2010|isbn=978-8809756250}}</ref> After some demo tapes, the project became more concrete in 1977 with ''Inascoltable'', an experimental improvised live album which was only distributed on cassette and which according to Freak Antoni was recorded in "a night of improvisation for ten people in love of music".<ref name=nondis>Oderso Rubini, Andrea Tinti (cured by). ''Non disperdetevi. 1977-1982 San Francisco, New York, Bologna. Le città libere del mondo''. Shake edizioni, 2009, {{ISBN|9788888865898}}.</ref>

The group's concerts, especially ones earlier in their career, were characterized by provocative performances with references to Futurism and Dadaism at the forefront, including the musicians throwing vegetables into the audience.<ref name="Deregibus"/><ref>Gianluca Testani. ''Enciclopedia del rock italiano''. Arcana Editrice, 2006. {{ISBN|9788879664226}}.</ref>

In 1978, the group made their official debut with ''MONOtono'', an album considered the manifesto of the band, characterized by "raw sounds, out of time music, voices out of tune and lyrics that reveal a non-vulgar aggressiveness, made of no sense, paradoxes and puns."<ref name="Deregibus"/>

On April 2, 1979, Skiantos participated in the Bologna Rock punk rock and new wave festival, where their performance attracted much publicity. The band brought on stage a kitchen, a table, a TV and a fridge, boiled some spaghetti and then ate it, without playing anything; the audience protested, and Antoni responded, "You do not understand a fucking thing: this is avant-garde, you piece-of-shit audience."<ref name="nondis"/>

The same year, they released the album ''Kinotto'', containing their hit ''Mi piaccion le sbarbine''.<ref name="Deregibus"/> Shortly later the leader Freak Antoni left the group, dedicating to some solo musical and literary projects with the stage names Beppe Starnazza and later Astro Vitelli.<ref name="Deregibus"/><ref name="nondis"/> The original lineup of the group reformed in 1984, when they released the album ''Ti spalmo la crema''.<ref name="Deregibus"/><ref name="nondis"/>

Roberto "Freak" Antoni, leader of the band, born 16 April 1954, died in Bologna on 12 February 2014, at the age of 59. Guitarist and vocalist Fabio "Dandy Bestia" Testoni, born 2 July 1952, died on 16 March 2025, at the age of 72.<ref>{{cite news |title=È morto a 72 anni Fabio Testoni, conosciuto come Dandy Bestia, chitarrista e fondatore degli Skiantos |url=https://www.ilpost.it/2025/03/16/fabio-testoni-dandy-bestia-skiantos-morto/ |access-date=17 March 2025 |publisher=Il Post |date=16 March 2025}}</ref>

== Personnel == {{col-begin}} {{col-2}} '''Current members''' * Roberto "Granito" Morsiani – drums, vocals (1989–2007, 2016–present) * Luca "Tornado" Testoni – guitars, vocals (1992, 1993, 1996–2012, 2016–present) * Massimo "Max Magnus" Magnani – vocals, bass (2003–2012, 2016–present) * Gianluca "Giangi La Molla" Schiavon – drums, vocals (2007–2012, 2016–present) {{col-2}} '''Former members''' * Roberto "Freak" Antoni – vocals (1975–1980, 1984, 1987–2012; died 2014) * Fabio "Dandy Bestia" Testoni – guitars, vocals (1977–1979, 1984, 1987–2012, 2016–2025; died 2025) * Andrea "Jimmy Bellafronte" Setti – vocals (1975–1980, 1991, 1999) * Stefano "Sbarbo" Cavedoni – vocals (1977–1980, 1984, 1999, 2003) * Bubba Loris – vocals (1975–1978) * Mario "Come-Lini" Comellini – vocals (1975–1977) * Linda Linetti – vocals (1980) * Sandro "Belluomo" Dall'Omo – keyboards (1989–1992) * Andrea "Andy Bellombrosa" Dalla Valle – guitars (1977–1980, 1999) * Gianni "Lo Grezzo" Bolelli – guitars (1977, 1979–1980) * Carlo "Charlie Molinella" Atti – tenor saxophone (1987–1991, 2009) * Franco "Frankie Grossolani" Villani – bass (1977–1980) * Stefano "Ringo" Sarti – bass (1977) * Lucio Bellagamba – bass (1987–1989) * Marco "Marmo" Nanni – bass (1989–2003) * Leonardo "Tormento Pestoduro" Ghezzi – drums (1977–1980, 1999) * J. Tornado – drums (1987–1988) * Fabio "Tormento Pestolesto" Grandi – drums (1988–1989) * Sergio Piccinini – drums (1987)

'''Touring musician''' * Nevruz – drums, vocals (2019–present) {{col-end}}

== Discography == {{colbegin}} * ''Inascoltable'' (1977) * ''MONOtono'' (1978) * ''Kinotto'' (1979) * ''Pesissimo!'' (1980) * ''Ti spalmo la crema'' (1984) * ''Non c'è gusto in Italia ad essere intelligenti'' (1987) * ''Troppo rischio per un uomo solo'' (1989) * ''Signore dei dischi'' (1992) * ''Saluti da Cortina'' (1993) * ''Doppia dose'' (1999) * ''Sogno improbabile'' (2005) * ''Sesso pazzo'' (2006) * ''Dio ci deve delle spiegazioni'' (2009) {{colend}}

===Singles & EP === *1978 - "Karabigniere Blues / Io sono un autonomo" *1980 - "Fagioli / Mi piaccion le sbarbine" *1999 - "Gratis" *2002 - "Virus" *2006 - "Sesso pazzo" *2009 - "Phogna - The Dark Side of the Skiantos" (EP)

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [https://www.skiantos.com/ Official website] * {{IMDb name| 3426493|name=Dandy Bestia}} * {{discogs artist|Skiantos}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Italian punk rock groups Category:Italian comedy rock musical groups Category:Italian rock music groups Category:Musical groups established in 1975 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1980 Category:Musical groups established in 1984 Category:Musical groups established in 1987 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2012 Category:Musical groups established in 2016