Lisa Maffia & Romeo
It was great to catch up with Lisa Maffia and Romeo, two of the founding members of UK garage and hip-hop collective, So Solid Crew, at the recent Kisstory Festival on Blackheath Common. The brother and sister duo who have been performing to sell-out crowds for more than 20 years now headlined the main stage at Kisstory to thousands of adoring fans, performing their classic hits including ’21 Seconds’ and ‘All Over’.
We caught up with Lisa and Romeo backstage to get this exclusive interview, just after their performance on the night.
Lisa had previously agreed to the interview while Romeo declined politely at first… saying he hasn’t done an interview for 20 years. Yet, he got in on the action and joined Lisa to tell all about embarrassing Lucozade incidents, looking like a pirate at Raver Tots and his top notch survival instincts!
ARE YOU ENJOYING KISSTORY & HOW GOOD WAS THAT PERFORMANCE FOR YOU?
Lisa: It was amazing! The vibe as soon as we stepped out was insane. We knew we had got them already, it was so good! They are real Kisstory fans.
Romeo: Really good energy from the crowd man, really good. Couldn’t be happier.
YOU GUYS ARE GENIUS AT PERFORMING TOGETHER. WILL YOU ALWAYS CONTINUE?
Lisa: Always!
Romeo: We are here for the long run, definitely.
ARE YOU RELEASING ANY NEW MATERIAL SOON?
Lisa: We write a lot of music and we play a lot of music and are always working on tracks behind the scenes.
Until that right song comes along, we’ll wait.
All will be revealed soon!
WHAT IS THE MOST EMBARRASSING THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO YOU?
Lisa: I choked on chewing gum on stage in front of 50,000 people at Radio One Live in Bournemouth. I couldn’t believe it!
Romeo: I don’t do embarrassing stuff.
Lisa (interjecting!): Excuse me! Do you not remember the time you spilt that drink all over you?!
Romeo: Oh yeah! One time I was driving with my boy to a gig and I spilt Lucozade on my trousers in the car and I had to go straight on stage. I had white trousers on and it was bright orange Lucozade in the crutch area. No one noticed – hopefully.
Lisa: Yeah right. It was suspect!
Romeo: Oh no this was bad too! I was at Raver Tots one time and I had gone to high five one of the kids and he slapped me straight in the face and I lost one of the lenses to my glasses. I had to stand there on stage looking for my lense…. like a pirate!
Lisa: Kids are the best!
IF YOU HAD TO TAKE 3 THINGS TO A DESERT ISLAND, WHAT WOULD THEY BE AND WHY?
Lisa: A walkman, my lipgloss – cos my lips always get dry – and of course, my bro, Romeo!
Romeo: Food, a firestarter – stuff to start a fire, a pot and I’m gonna bring 4 things – a tent to sleep in. I’m a survivor! Haha!
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE REST OF 2024?
Lisa: Enjoyment. We are booked up all the way till November, hopefully December will be a lot calmer, so we can finally chill out!
Romeo: Touring. I love it. Big up Kisstory and Surrey Rocks. Bless. Romeo done!
