Xtruppaw, Maltese Satire in the Limelight

As unpredictable as a rubber ball on a waterbed! See them live to find out.

We’ve already mentioned Xtruppaw’s first album in a previous article, but now is the chance to see them perform their mad assortment of tunes live at Xtruppaw Lajv at the Buskett Roadhouse, 12 September, Buskett, limits of Rabat. In the run-up to the gig, I managed to get in touch with front man Jeffrey Galea for some insider information about the goings-on down Xtruppaw way.

What’s the idea behind this concert?
Fun is what Xtruppaw is all about. Our gigs guarantee a great event where humour and satire are in the limelight. As our fans know, everything can be expected from our live performances, and we have never disappointed.

Apart from tracks off your first album, should we expect anything new?
Of course, we could not do without the famous tracks from our beloved CD (called “Is-CD ta’ l-iXtruppaw”). However, we’ve got plenty of new pieces to throw at our audience. There will be some from our forthcoming album, as well as a couple of surprises to impress, in one way or another”.

Since the songs are all in Maltese, is this concert for locals only?
What’s in a tongue? If it’s a good concert it doesn’t really matter which language the songs are in. Whether you’re Maltese, British, Australian, or Mongolian you can still enjoy the music and the atmosphere. There’s no better way to break the linguistic barrier than to start learning some new swear words in another language, and if you’re going to step into the irreverent, then Xtruppaw is what you’re looking for.

What has been the response to your album, concerts and general unconventional attitude?
Our album has sold well, but most importantly it has been vastly pirated, which is a very good indicator that people actually like it. Our concerts always have a great attendance – all of the venues we’ve played were packed to the brim. We take this as a sign that Maltese is now being accepted as a language that can be integrated with modern styles of music, without restricting its appeal to a specific age group or sub-culture.

What are Xtruppaw’s plans for the future?
Xtruppaw is as predictable as a rubber rugby ball bouncing on a waterbed… even to the members of the band themselves! All we know is that the future holds many surprises. We plan to release our second album sometime soon, and we will be performing again soon enough. As for fixed dates, well, we’re sorry but our cat has eaten the calendar.

Gigs
Don’t miss Xtruppaw Lajv at the Buskett Roadhouse, on 12 September. Tickets are priced euro 8 in advance from maltaticket.com and from Exotique, Vodafone, Agenda Bookshop, Bookends and Newskiosk outlets. Euro 10 on the door. Doors will be open at 21:00 and the first band will start at 22:30 sharp. See you there!

More information about the band can be found at http://www.xtruppaw.com.

And here’s Xtruppaw ‘promoting’ the gig.