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Rating: Thursday, October 12, at the Gabbia in Bassano, Alexisonfire took the stage. Before them were Johnny Truant, Gaia Corporation, Airway, Cruel Boxes, Unbreath, and more. Well, to tell the truth, one band was missing: Emanuel, the supporting act for the entire European tour of our five Canadians, except in Italy, needless to say. So, 5 bands plus the headliner, 12 euros, how could you not come? Maybe many asked themselves this question, yet the turnout was poor, 100 people, maybe a handful more. I arrive at the venue, and it's already 10:00 PM. Time for a beer and a few silly photos with my die-hard concert buddies, and Gaia Corporation takes the stage, from Rome, the side-project of Vinx from Vanilla Sky. At their first live performance, they exit to applause: their screamo has little or nothing to envy from the big names of the now-overinflated overseas scene. Now it's time for the English speakers: first up are the English Johnny Truant, and then Our Guys. What to say about Johnny Truant? They aren't the band I'd travel miles for, also because the genre they play isn't really my thing, yet the performance offered is noteworthy. Angry metalcore, relentless for half an hour, without a moment’s breath: engaging to the point that I think many are here just for them. Quite a few are singing, thrashing around, and crowding in front of the stage to enjoy the English performance, "as happy as kids on Christmas day," according to the singer, who seems amused in the end.
Ten minutes of break and then they come on, Alexisonfire. Back in Italy after two concerts supporting Rise Against, thank goodness! I position myself close to the barriers, and behind me are about fifty people; it's also 1 AM, maybe some have already left. They introduce themselves and hint at the worst: "we lost our instruments, this is one of the band's worst days"
, oh no, not today, it's not right! Well, just play, we're here for you. They start with "No Transitory" followed by "Get Fighted", my favorite, and I'd say it's not a bad start. Of course, burning through two tracks like these right away is a bit risky, but Our Guys handle it well. They follow up with extracts from the first album, highly acclaimed like "44 Caliber Letter", and from the new one, "Control", "White Devil" and "Happiness By The Kilowatt", their slowest song, entrusted to the sweet vocal cords of Dallas, who doesn’t seem to put his heart into it. Then follows a new track "BB King", part of the split with Moneen that they'll release in November. On stage, the five feel at ease, and it shows; the bassist thrashes like a madman, the singer constantly stage-dives and passes the microphone to all the kids: just like at Estagon in Bologna, George Pettit again proves to be a wild animal, screaming and thrashing like someone possessed... he's the hero of the evening (I would’ve awarded him even just for his pure 90s style look!). The guitarists also don't hold back when it comes to stage presence, even though both seem rather tired. And so, we reach the finale: they wrap things up with "Pulmonary Archery" and "Accidents", which with the "uoh-oh-oh-oh" chorus involves everyone present. At the end, they greet everyone and leave without returning, even though more than one expected them back. 10 songs for 45 minutes might be a bit short, but they certainly don't leave a bitter taste.
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