Bepi & The Prismas
S3nù

The Bepi is a strange character with a white cowboy-like hat, drooping mustache, and long blond hair who has been wandering between the Bergamasca and Brescia regions for some time.

There are those who say he is an American who ended up there somehow, some say he is from Bergamo, and others claim that it's unclear where he comes from. In reality, Bepi is from Rovetta, in the Seriana Valley, and in recent years he has been becoming a genuine institution (I'm not joking: on the level of Davide Van De Sfroos) in those parts. Moreover, he combines, besides his excellent qualities of being somewhat cabaret-like and very characteristic of these areas, also great musical skill.

He offers a highly enjoyable folk-rock, well supported by his faithful and talented Prismas, consisting of the drummer Stefano il Guidone Orobico, the bassist Mauro Sèt Carico, guitarists Stephan Còchet Coscrèt de Mauro and Simù de Milà, keyboardist Ray Riturnèl, and backing vocalist Luisa Contadinella Ucraina, as well as Matteo Burtulòt Barbèta, the sound engineer.

The stories Bepi tells are slices of everyday life in the area, from the anthem for the local idol (Rovetta is the same town of cyclist Paolo Savoldelli, who also sings with Bepi in the song "Falco Saoldèl", dedicated to him) to an unpleasant adventure that recently happened to me as well, namely being stuck in the car behind two trucks, never finding a way to overtake them, and just as you manage… bam! The police stop you with a ticket and three points off your driving license. After all, those who know the roads of the Val Cavallina, the Val Seriana, and the Val Camonica know it well ("I dù camios").

"Bigio BG" is a delightful country from the wild west, while "Bank blues" is a brilliant blues, a "tranquil" conversation between a client and a banker, starting with the client furious because he can't withdraw some money to buy himself a camper and concluding with the banker "duping" him with a "solution" that can satisfy both the client and, above all, the bank… You’ll be rolling on the floor laughing. Then there's a good poke at the musical superstars with all their delusions of grandeur when touring ("They say on the contract they want steaks, maple syrup, and want the dressing room with walls painted red and scented with Shanghai perfumes").

"Cara… " shows that to be "rock-blues", you don't necessarily need to be in some part of America, but you can live in a Lombard valley and simply have a dad’s Abarth 112 at your disposal. A good dose of rock'n'roll is provided by "Moto Gussi R&R" (I won’t explain the lyrics, it's worth listening to!). Then there's the anthem for the favorite team, his being Atalanta. There’s also talk about a common adventure in a clinic with its usual waits and queues. "Reginaldo", all things considered, seems to me the only piece you can overlook, whereas "I boròle de Tone" is a piece that, more than being heavy-metal, seems to take aim at some of the exaggerations typical of heavy-metal bands.

In the end, there's a hilarious parody of Enrico Musiani with "Oia 'ffa nent", where the Prismas demonstrate they can also handle dance music well…

The whole thing is closed by an entertaining conversation between a local radio DJ, Tony Tranquillo, and a series of "bizarre" listeners invited to vote for the "best interplanetary band of the century" in a contest between the Rolling Stones and Bepi & the Prismas. I'll let you imagine who wins…