November 18, it's slightly cold outside, the sky is gray, and I'm in my apartment "at the Uni," strangely, when I should normally be home since it's the weekend. The reason is very simple, tonight there's Fiumani, that is, the Diaframma, which is one of my favorite bands so I'm making this little "sacrifice." I dress up and try to get ready when suddenly I realize I've lost my phone (with which I intend to take some video memories and a photo with the legendary Federico, not to mention it contains various things including videos from other concerts); I start swearing and, panicked, I turn the room upside down without finding it, only to then go to the place where I last saw it (a restaurant) and luckily retrieve it, handed over to me by the waitress. With that said, I start heading to the desired place and upon arrival (and since I hadn't had lunch, I even allow myself a proper dinner, permit me).
Thinking I'd arrive a few minutes late, fortunately, nothing has started yet, and in fact, the room is still half empty where, looking around, I find him, Federico speaking with the rest of the band and signing autographs and taking photos. I'd like to approach him, but I can't bring myself to do it and decide to postpone everything to the end of the concert. The hours pass, and the room fills up more and more until it's completely full, with people of all kinds (from goths, nerds, metalheads, etc.), having said that, the band makes its way to the stage, and the show begins. I get in the front row and watch everything, occasionally disturbed by the screams of some silly goose (which in the meantime has probably made one of my eardrums burst), Fiumani up close is almost intimidating, tall and thin like a leaf, with a tuft that almost doesn't look real, he's fifty but looks less than half his age: he moves, he jumps, offering an incredible performance alternating rock cantautorial pieces with those of the early new wave period (sung by him instead of the great Vannini) between lighter and heavier ones (causing a slight pogo in the rear). The best moments are reached when he pulls out classics from the repertoire such as "Siberia", "Tre volte Lacrime", "Caldo" etc., and this testifies to the audience's appreciation. Ecstasy is reached when he pulls out very rare pieces like "Altrove" and "Effetto Notte," being mesmerized by the sound, the power, and the beat of the drums, so much so that I say to myself "Damn, this is art. Screw all the electronic crap, screw all the trendy so-called elite bands, screw everything." At one point, Fiumani says goodbye, leaves, and the audience calls for him while on the other side, we're assured that in a matter of seconds, he'll give us an encore, and no sooner said than done, he comes back with the other musicians and returns to his position; at one point, he plays the riff of "Eroi nel vento" even if in the end, he gives up (causing some brief underwear-wetting moment for yours truly who almost had a moment but then just "only" came).
The Diaframma perform "monster" and close the evening (this time for real). I go to the little room where he meets fans, and I take the opportunity to get a picture with him, also buying the CD and having him autograph it. After everything's done, I return to the apartment, and in the meantime, images of the evening play in my mind like a film, and I say to myself, "It's true, he's a dinosaur on the verge of extinction; when people like him are gone, we'll be much more alone."
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