BAND BIOGRAPHY

Rocking Fingers were founded in summer 1995 by Angelo Fumarola, self taught guitarist and singer influenced by rock-blues-country, suddenly his brother Dario Fumarola on bass and friend Gabriele Giannuzzi on rhythm guitar joined the project.

Since they had in common the passion for Dire Straits, they decided to play a Tribute to the famous british band, by the way the one and only DS Tribute Band in Puglia (region of south Italy, the place where they live) started during a time when the word "tribute" was not so popular and overworked like nowadays.

Unlike many tribute bands born for other reasons, Rocking Fingers have always distinguished themselves by true passion and genuine pleasure to celebrate and to pay homage to the music of their "heroes" with respect and love.

Through the years just before estabilishing the band, Angelo had been adsorbing the style of Mark Knopfler (legendary guitarist and leader of Dire Straits) which consists in picking the strings only with fingers using the knopflerish "finger-style" tecnique, so "Rocking Fingers" was chosen as band's name. After the collaboration of several drummers, in 2001 the lineup became stable with the entry of Antonio Marra.

As the live performances increased, Rocking Fingers conquered countless appreciation, popularity and esteem of the audience, musicians and people 'behind the scenes' in the live circuit of pubs and festivals of regional, national and international level.

Rocking Fingers have become a solid landmark in the community of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler Fans all over the world, represented by dedicated websites and forums, in addition the band also took active part to conventions, fans' gathering and performances with other bands and special guests.

On 29th august 2009 Rocking Fingers played outside Italy for the first time, invited as "Dire Straits Tribute from Italy" in Belgium at the festival “Feest In T Park” in Gistel, having huge success and receiving enthusiastic comments such as "the best tribute band in 8 years of festival", "the best Dire Straits sound ever heard".

The band's lineup is a quartet in the tradition of the early original Dire Straits and unlike other tribute bands who just only "imitate", Rocking Fingers have adsorbed the sound, the feeling and the language of the unique "Dire Straits" style, interpreted with fidelity and with a feature of improvisation and arrangment which is widely recongnized as the added value of their quality level.

Their setlist includes many songs: from the late 70s clean, laidback sound of the early Dire Straits, through the 80s rock of "Alchemy live" up to the 90s without forgetting some song of the Mark Knopfler solo career.

Everybody recongnizes the sound of Mark Knopfler in the accurate natural "fingerstyle" guitar touch and the vocals of Angelo Fumarola and the rest of Rocking Fingers get on well and complete that sound with tecnique, taste and feeling: the fluid guitar chords of Gabriele Giannuzzi, the precise bass of Dario Fumarola, the powerful drums of Antonio Marra.
 

A Rocking Fingers's concert is an event that can't absolutely be missed by every true fan of Dire Straits and good rock music.

ANGELO FUMAROLA - lead guitar & vocals

GABRIELE GIANNUZZI - rhythm guitar & backing vocals

DARIO FUMAROLA - bass

ANTONIO MARRA - drums

Other musicians who collaborate or have collaborated
with Rocking Fingers:

ANTONIO DONADEO - drums

ANDREA RIZZO - drums

STEFANO BIANCO- bass

and others....