About COMO the band

The full story of Como — the music, the performances, the friendships, and the Buenos Aires that made it all possible — is told in the memoir book titled ‘Give Me Your Love’ — Playing with Fire in 1980s Argentina by Alex Demilo Order Book

Como was a Buenos Aires new wave rock band that formed and performed between 1985 and 1986, during the first years of Argentina's return to democracy following seven years of a brutal military dictatorship.

The band was founded by Alex Demilo, an American musician and songwriter from Connecticut who had been living in Argentina since 1981, and Javier Brizzi, a Buenos Aires drummer, who met at a party and began rehearsing together the following day. Marcelo Cepeda, a guitarist who had never played bass before, completed the three-piece lineup.

Como performed original songs written and sung by Demilo in English — something virtually unheard of in the Argentine rock scene at the time — drawing influences from The Police, The Pretenders, The Clash, Talking Heads, and the Rolling Stones. Their sound was new wave and post-punk driven by Demilo's rhythm guitar and songwriting, Javier's powerful drumming, and Marcelo's instinctive bass playing.

The band rehearsed in a rooftop storage room in Buenos Aires that Javier called La Cueva — The Cave — which became their creative home and headquarters.

In less than a year, Como performed at some of Buenos Aires' most celebrated venues including El Taller, Exit, GAZ, Rocky Point, Airport, Prix d'Ami and San Francisco Tramway, where they played to an audience of over 1,000 people. They also performed three dates in Punta del Este, Uruguay — considered the most glamorous resort destination in South America — including a headline set at Rainbow Rock, the premier nightclub of the time.

Argentine rock legend Pappo — widely considered the greatest blues and rock guitarist in Argentine history, and a collaborator of B.B. King — attended a Como performance specifically to see the band and personally encouraged them afterward.

Celebrated Argentine rock and blues singer Celeste Carballo, whose band had opened for Bob Dylan and Santana, joined Como on stage unrehearsed during a performance at Exit.

Como's original catalog included songs written by Demilo — among them Give Me Your Love, I've Changed My Mind, Giovanna, Go Away Now, and Ode to the Great Depression — as well as Story of a Soldier, a song co-written by Marcelo about a fellow conscript killed during mandatory military service, which the band performed in Spanish.

The band dissolved in 1986 when Demilo's funds ran out and he was forced to return to the United States and then lost himself in a firey romance that took him to London and then San Francisco.  A return to Buenos Aires and a reunion of Como has never materialized.

Their entire career lasted less than two year.