Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Live - Valle Giulia Roma - 09/07/2002

THE REVIEW

That it won't be the best BRMC concert is clear from the start.
The barriers of Valle Giulia only open at 9 PM, and all those waiting in line (not more than about sixty people) can hardly hide their regret for not being on the other side of Villa Borghese, where Kruder & Dorfmeister have been performing for about an hour.

Around 10 PM, we learn that the supporting act, the Belgians Millionaire, won't be playing (some say they've gone missing in the capital), and that our own Zen will take their place.
After more than an hour, it's time for the much-awaited BRMC.

The first thing that stands out is that the American band seems to actually hail from some lost country in Greenland or, even worse, in Siberia. Throughout the concert, the three keep their faces down on their instruments, never a smile or a gesture to the audience, except for an occasional and painful 'Thank You'.

And if the stage presence is zero, the live performance certainly isn't worth 20 euros. Besides the initial 'Red & Tears', which is immediately followed by a reprise, the rest of the songs are played just like on the record, never an improvisation or a skillful variation (indeed in 'White Palms' they eliminate the well-matched acoustic ending).
Add to this the on-stage presence of a completely absent drummer, who more than once even throws the other band members off time, and you have a complete picture of a decidedly underwhelming concert.

The debut album rightfully brought them to general attention, and their live performances have always been spoken of positively, but they just showed up at Valle Giulia. Or maybe they too wanted to be on the Pincio terrace with Kruder & Dorfmeister.