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Rating: Let me preface:
I watched the festival in bits and pieces, so I'm writing what I can.
The location isn't bad: an immense square surrounded by an embankment that serves as a grandstand and at the same time prevents the sound from dispersing into the void, a big limitation of outdoor festivals. Everything is well organized and served (parking is easy and nearby, there are many restrooms, and plenty of food and drink).
Day 1.
When I arrived, Evan Dando had just taken the stage. Unmistakable in his orange "favorite T" (he dedicated a song to it back in the Lemonheads days). An "acoustic session" of his with a guitarist providing the rhythmic foundations. A mix of songs from the new album "Baby I’m Bored" and some memorable throwbacks to the Lemonheads days such as "My Drug Buddy" and "It's A Shame About Ray." Time has passed for him too, or perhaps it stopped in the first half of the '90s when more than half of those listening to him bored were living their childhood. Honest but faded. Rating 3/5
After carefully setting up all the instruments on stage, Turin Brakes take the stage. A truly touching performance, played with extreme care and harmony. Olli Knight is impressed by the heat: "It is very very hot up here and it’s good. Where we come from it’s always cold. We’d love staying here." Warm, however, is the voice modulated like an instrument, which is really essential for an acoustic duo (here supported by session men on drums, bass, and keyboards). The performance takes the best from the two albums released so far ("The Optimist LP" and "Ether Song"). Really moving "Long Distance," written in France and dedicated to a friend as they announce from the stage and the beautiful concluding "Pain Killer." Goosebumps. Rating 5/5
Dandy Warhols. Four albums in and I never considered them. Why? Now it's clear to me. They are a group that has nothing to say. They have no ideas. They are not innovative. At one point, the singer realized this and asked the audience why they were so calm, where was the proverbial Italian temperament?? They try to liven up the atmosphere with "Bohemian Like You," a trivial tune used to death in the Vodafone commercial, followed by "Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth," the only truly great song written by the band. What would they have been without Vodafone? Nothing or little more. Rating 1/5
Day 2.
I was curious to see this much talked-about duo. What a bore! There is no music or fashion magazine that hasn't dedicated a cover or at least an article to them. Kudos to their manager or Art Director. Yes, because the White Stripes are really not much. Unmistakable in their strictly white and/or red outfits, her on drums and him on guitar. The sound is obviously poor, especially if you sprinkle it with blunders, off-time beats, and off-key notes. Who do they think they’re fooling? Coppino was right to slam them in a review on this very site!! Absolute zero. Rating 0/5.
"We are Queens Of The Fucking Stone Age!" With an introduction like that, you can't help but like them. The performance by QOTSA is truly excellent. They play in a truly choral manner and superbly orchestrated by Nick Olivieri and Joshua Homme. A selection of tracks from "Rated R" and "Songs For The Deaf" (unfortunately, I don't have the first and eponymous album), also sung by Mark Lanegan (Ex Screaming Trees), as on the album. Beautiful "Song For The Dead" and "You Think I Ain't A Dollar..." and the fitting conclusion with "No One Knows." Truly overwhelming and convincing. Rating 5/5.
After much discussion, let's see these Audioslave. From the first notes, it's clear that Tom Morello won't disappoint. The magic of the sounds that only he could pull out of his Fender always elevated him a notch above the rest of the world. But, what a surprise, he appears with a brand new Gibson Les Paul. But the sound doesn't change. On stage, pulling the strings is Chris Cornell, in a very fashionable T-shirt, with his hair "styled" upwards ("It's been a lot of time since I’ve been here in Bologna"). A powerful voice, you have to admit, well integrated into the instrumental parts. And so far, nothing new. But the problem is right here. Ideas are few, as on the record, and in the end, even though they play like few others in the world can, they end up being boring. After the twentieth "AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHH" from Cornell, I find myself sinking into a dreadful stupor. I realize it’s a generational issue: all the Kids (<25 years) are ecstatic while the over 30s are more ...calm. Rating 3/5.
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