On the left, the entrance to the Teatro Repower in Assago, where they'll spend the next few days "rehearsing and rehearsing." On the right, a makeshift press room, crowded with journalists and photographers, all eyes on them. For the Mad-Dog from Sassari, it's their first taste of fame: they enter hesitantly, almost intimidated, then gain confidence without losing their trademark spontaneity. Starting Thursday, October 22nd, with Marco Mengoni as guest on the first episode, they'll be among the twelve performers on the X Factor 2026 Live Shows, after winning over Paola Iezzi at Last Call with The Killers' "Somebody Told Me."
Renato Marchisio, 17, vocals and guitar; Davide Dore, 18, bass; Jacopo Sale, 21, drums; and Luca Pintus, 20, guitar, have clear ideas: "Winning? We're not interested, our goal is to release our new songs." They're overjoyed, even though they haven't fully grasped what's happening yet. The tension, they say, was especially palpable before the auditions, when they didn't know what to expect : they just wanted to "make themselves known to a wider audience," because "making a living from music is difficult." With their coach, Paola Iezzi, they felt understood right away: "She respects our personalities and is keen to ensure they don't compromise them."
Formed in 2023 as a Green Day cover band, Mad-Dog have developed an indie rock identity, contaminated by diverse influences, from Rage Against the Machine to the Beatles, from Queen to Blink-182, by way of Lucio Battisti and 883. At the end of 2025, their first album, “Shame on Youth,” was released, self-produced at home, with autobiographical songs that tell “the contrast between the shame of growing up and the most angelic youth.”
Their apprenticeship in Sassari's clubs and festivals was crucial, "the most important thing" for learning to be on stage and prepare for a challenge like X Factor. It was a demanding experience, but one that's missing today, just like the city, which supported them "even when, honestly, no one knew us." Their guiding principle remains spontaneity: "We want to be honest, ourselves, hoping that our true nature will be understood." And also the belief that the time for bands has finally come: "Because it's important to play and grow together."