Antonello Venditti
Circo Massimo 2001

THE REVIEW

Sunday, June 24, 2001. A day still vivid in the memory of the Romans. A.S. Roma had just won its third championship a week ago, and Antonello Venditti chose to celebrate his team by gifting the red and yellow fans with a concert (as he did in 1983) that would go down in history for gathering 1,700,000 people (official figure) in the very center of Rome.

The band is as follows: Derek Wilson on drums, Fabio Pignatelli on bass, Toti Panzanelli, Maurizio Perfetto, and Mario Schilirò on guitars, and Amedeo Bianchi on sax.

The concert begins with an instrumental version of "Modena," where the electric guitar replaces the sax, following the melody with a certain "Gilmour-esque" flair.

We immediately move to "Su Questa Nave Chiamata Musica," quickly followed by "Shake." Promotional duty, as these are two tracks from the artist's latest album ("Goodbye Novecento," released in 1999), performed and received with enthusiasm nevertheless.

"C'è Un Cuore Che Batte Nel Cuore di Roma" is the first of the classics that the entire audience is eager to sing, and you can hear it from the first words! Then it progresses to the more rhythmic "Il Compleanno di Cristina."

The moment arrives for the choral "Stella," where Venditti seems to be moved by the audience's great participation, before diving into the decidedly catchier "21 Modi Per Dirti Ti Amo."

We have thus reached the middle of this live performance, marked by the unusual and fun "Grande Raccordo Anulare," where Corrado Guzzanti (also invited to the party) performs the famous parody of Venditti, combining some famous melodies of the artist with locations in Rome's suburbs (Acilia, Casalotti, Grottaferrata...).

Guzzanti exits the stage amidst applause, and Venditti introduces "Notte Prima Degli Esami" with a special dedication to the students about to take their final exams in a few days.

"Ci Vorrebbe Un Amico" is, in my opinion, the best moment of this concert. This piece was usually performed by Venditti alone at the piano (from 2004 on, it would always be offered with a somewhat debatable arrangement), while here we find an arrangement very faithful to the original, which particularly involves the audience that literally erupts during the last refrain, when Venditti has the good intention of inviting President Franco Sensi on stage for a well-deserved crowd bath. 

"Alta Marea" is the other great classic that never disappoints.

We thus arrive at the end, with the triptych dedicated to Rome, team and city: "Roma Capoccia" performed with Nicola Piovani (Oscar winner for the soundtrack of "La Vita è Bella" n.d.r.), and, to close, "Roma Roma" and "Grazie Roma" unfortunately inexplicably performed in playback, but with the fans who nevertheless make themselves heard for the last time.

The record closes with the unreleased "Che C'è," a pleasant song that nonetheless feels familiar. The usual Venditti lyrics, where love for a woman and for Rome blend. 

In conclusion, I believe that this "Circo Massimo 2001" is a good live album. Perhaps not the best, but certainly a genuine and inspired performance by Antonello Venditti and at the same time a testament to a concert that marked the history of Italian music.