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Rating: On Wednesday, April 6, 2016, I attended in person a splendid, special, and very intimate concert. I had already seen a show by Anastacia in Padua two years earlier in 2014 when she came with her "Resurrection tour," but perhaps because I was in the stands or because the acoustics weren't exceptional, I didn't have the chance to get emotional, excited, and relaxed like I did on Wednesday.
I should mention that this one in Bolzano was the third concert of the 26 that Anastacia is to perform in Europe, six of which are in Italy. The first three? Padua, Milan, and Bolzano.
I've been following Anastacia since her very first album, from that "I'm Outta Love" (from the debut album "Not That Kind") which came out at the end of 1999, so 17 years ago (I was 16 years old). I'm not a die-hard fan like with the Minogue sisters or Madonna, but I know all her albums and many songs from her career; furthermore, I was very shocked by the fact that she was struck by cancer twice and that despite everything, she knew how to take life in stride and face the disease and, like Kylie Minogue, win the battle against breast cancer.
Returning to two days ago, I arrived at the Stadhalle arena at 5 PM and (strangely) there weren't many people; usually, for someone of this caliber, there’s already a line, but I also discovered that there were still 600 unsold tickets. The blame goes to the lack of advertising or the poor reviews of the first night in Padua? The fact is that at 7:30 PM, we entered, and this time I was in the front row with part of the Italian fan club.
At 9 PM, the lights went out (in Bolzano they are very strict, and it seems that all concerts must end by 11 PM). So no delays, Anastacia entered the stage after a series of drums and sang a new song, unfamiliar to most as it wasn't part of Ultimate Collection, perhaps she wrote it specifically for the tour. Not bad, the voice was right, that of a force of nature satisfied with a small, bare stage, without scenery; as choreography, only two dancers and her phenomenal band.
After the first song, she moved on to "Stupid Little Thing" which, with the CIAO BOLZANO, made the 3,500 attendees go wild (in the meantime, the date had sold out - the 600 latecomers arrived and bought their tickets at the last minute). The atmosphere warmed up a bit, and Anastacia continued with "Paid My Dues," one of her most popular songs from the early 2000s. From this moment she alternated two slow songs with a fast one and in the meantime shouted, gesticulated, talked to the audience in German, English, and Italian, joked, laughed, and got emotional. At times I caught her eyes, and I must say she is indeed a beautiful woman; you can see she had to fight something strong and intense, the energy she has is only positive.
Among the slow ones, she sang a beautiful "Everything Burns" and "To You I Belong" (which was a duet with our Eros Ramazzotti). We were halfway through the setlist when "I'm Outta Love" from 1999 started, her debut, her beginning, everyone danced and sang, she was energetic, cheerful, radiant, happy; then it moved to "One Day in Your Life" another great, grand single that everyone remembers.
Many other famous tracks alternated with more romantic songs, always with her unmistakable voice. It was almost 11 PM when, after leaving the stage, she was called back by the audience to close this greatest hits show with "Left Outside Alone" from 2003/4 and to bid farewell to her audience with these words "Love yourselves, have fun, but most of all live, live, and live."
What can I say, it was two very beautiful hours, in the company of a special, unique, and dynamic artist.
Unforgettable evening.
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