The name of the Mad-Dog came from a small inscription on a Green Day poster. Renato Marchisio shared the story on Wednesday, November 11 on The Flight, on RTL 102.5, where the Sassari band joined the show from the headquarters of X Factor 2026. On the eve of the fourth Live, the conversation began with messages from Sardinian listeners and turned to the group’s first covers, taking in rehearsals and life in the loft.

The Green Day poster and the name chosen for a competition

When one of the hosts asked whether the name had anything to do with Joe Cocker, Marchisio explained that the group had to come up with a name quickly to enter a competition. On one of his Green Day posters, he had noticed the words Mad Dog. He liked the way it sounded, suggested it to the others, and the name stuck.

At first, the four musicians from Sassari played only songs by the American band. Marchisio named Dookie as the album that set them on their musical path, recalling tracks such as Basket Case and Welcome to Paradise. Those covers eventually led them to write original songs, as we explain in our feature on the origins of Mad-Dog in Sassari.

From Rebel Rebel to the two Hell Factor performances

During the interview, The Flight played Rebel Rebel by David Bowie again—the song that took Mad-Dog through to the third Live. Speaking about their look for the next show, Marchisio hinted that the band plans to continue with the style they tried out for Bowie, which Paola Iezzi also liked, leaving the details for the night itself.

For Hell Factor, the group will reprise Club Foot by Kasabian in the carousel, the round featuring songs already performed in the competition. In the open round, they’ll perform Elenore by The Turtles, which Marchisio compared on air to Scende la pioggia, the Italian version sung by Gianni Morandi. With three eliminations scheduled, the singer explained that the group wants to focus on the two performances and enjoy being on stage.

There was also time between questions to talk about the loft’s bunk beds. Marchisio said he sleeps on the top bunk, with Camilla below him. The host dubbed his spot “the penthouse.”

The fourth Live of X Factor 2026 will air on Thursday, November 12, at 9:15 p.m. on Sky Uno and stream on NOW.