This is a guy who rebelled against his Italian family, rejecting the pressure to go into the family business like a good Italian boy, fled abroad after he found out the love of his life was having an affair behind his back, ending up in Amsterdam and experiencing all it had to offer, which for a 17 year old, was quite a lot - some of it legal, a lot of it not, but out it meeting the characters and having the experiences that would come to serve him well in the future in his song writing. 

In Amsterdam Paolo gravitated towards fellow bohemians and musicians forming a band and playing whenever and wherever the opportunities took them including an opening spot supporting The Australian Doors. When eventually his time in Amsterdam had run its course, the next move was across to America and the melting pot that was the city of Chicago. From the moment he arrived there his fellow traveller and driver was arrested on the Lake Shore Drive leaving Paolo stranded in a City with no friends and hardly any money, this was going to be another series of adventures and experiences that would add to his increasing cultural repertoire.

Now it was the vibrancy and edginess of black culture, of hip hop, of blues and jazz and again finding himself in the midst of incredible characters who would expand his musical experiences and lay the foundations for his song writing and performing. After Chicago it was time to return back to UK - but it was a very different Paolo Morena that arrived back, than the one that had left in such a hurry years earlier. Now Paolo knew that music, playing and performing, was what he wanted to do, what he was meant to do. The road ahead was still not obvious though and the twists and turns included falling in love with the girl who was to become his life partner and following her to Australia to affirm that. 

Living from hand to mouth for much of that time and working as a waiter Paolo finally met fellow musos in London which lead eventually to the formation of The Morenas where all the hard work and travelling and musical experiences of the past, finally came together in a rock band, fronted by Paolo which attracted major investors and led to some great tour supports, radio and press coverage. These were exciting full on rock and roll years and seemed to begin with to be where Paolo's life had been leading. But as is so often the way in bands, as time moved on so the gap between the members in the band widened. As the songwriter and front man the pressure on Paolo grew as did the realisation that the Morenas was not going to be the culmination of his experiences but just another stopping point along the road. 

The break up of the band was another life lesson but one that took longer to get over and gather the thoughts and ideas. The songs were there, the performer was there, and the ambition was there. Now all Paolo needed was the vehicle to enable him to show it all off. That's when he became loopy.

www.paolomorena.com