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Rating: It ends in triumph, with the crowd in a frenzy and Mike Patton exiting arm in arm with the piadina vendor from the gardens.
But how did we arrive at such an ending, with the “Piadina Romagnola” man waving to the cheering audience? Let’s start from the beginning.
My friend Paolo and I arrive at Giardini Margherita around 9:15 PM.
- There aren’t too many people... - we comment right away, then, half an hour later, we are all packed in like sardines.
Michelone takes the stage to arrange all his gear. Among the crowd, someone moves around brandishing a toilet brush (we only see the brush) and holds it up, towering over everyone, for at least fifteen minutes. I’m still wondering why.
At this point, the other three Fantômas take the stage and the concert opens with the introduction of “Delirium Cordia.” The execution is perfect, but the audience is making a lot of noise, and the majesty and liturgical flavor of the music are lost among the screams and “What the heck is this?!?” from some rowdy fans.
The first impression is that “Delirium Cordia” might express its potential best when performed in a theater, listened to in religious silence.
It’s certainly not for this reason that the four on stage, in the next half hour, devastate the audience with a schizoid and paroxysmal sonic assault. From “Director’s Cut,” they take “Cape Fear” and “Twin Peaks;” the rest is all from their first self-titled CD, also known as “Amenza al Mundo;” in between, Patton hints at snippets of “Il cielo in una stanza,” “That’s Amore,” and “Malafemmena.” Here closes the first, extraordinary part of the concert.
A very brief pause, then back on stage for another 40 minutes. More long excerpts from “Delirium,” the more reflective moments of the evening, this time fully enjoyed thanks also to a more attentive audience; then, once again, the schizophrenia of “Amenaza” and a crushing “Ave Satani.”
Technically, the live execution of Fantômas is exactly identical to their recordings, with surgical precision. However, here there is all the extra fury and adrenaline that only live performances can provide.
The Fantômas are a well-oiled machine whose gears turn marvelously. Dave Lombardo sends everyone into ecstasy every time he moves an arm, King “Telespalla Bob” Buzzo is there, with all his hair and just this alone gives meaning to the evening. At his side is that technical monster by the name of Trevor Dunn. All concentrated at 200% to offer a high-quality performance and drag the audience into that unique atmosphere that only this group can evoke.
As for Mike Patton, it’s even superfluous to talk about his enormous charisma, the expressiveness and intensity of his singing, his way of being on stage. Those who know him already know all these things; the others should go see one of his performances as soon as possible!
He is simply great. Period.
Instead, let’s talk about how, after a rambling speech about “Bologna la grassa,” Michelone turned to the guys in the Romagna piadina truck to ask for a sausage piadina.
It’s encore time: “Chariot Choogle,” “Experiment in Terror,” and the inevitable “Simply Beautiful;” by now, we’re all relaxed.
Here comes the grand finale. The piadina vendor climbs onto the stage to bestow the long-awaited snack to our hero, who enthusiastically, between a sip of beer and a bite of piadina, exclaims, “Ohhh, a nice piadina full of crap!” At this point, it can close gloriously, the notes are those heavy ones of “Der Golem,” Patton is possessed, and behind him, the piadina vendor, seemingly an honest man between 50 and 60, writhes, mimicking him.
Wonderful.
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