Ian Hunter & The Rant Band
Live @ Alcatraz, Milano 05.05.10

THE REVIEW

Since I had made an effort to see him in Paris, it seemed even more appropriate to make an effort to see Ian Hunter in Milan. Plus, he was playing with the band this time, whereas the other time it was a semi-acoustic set, so I was quite happy. Everyone has their own idols to pay various tributes to.
I was nonetheless happy with Gianni's concert, even though it only started after the end of the soccer game, religiously broadcast on the Alcatraz's big screens: strange Italian rituals, our man must have thought, secluded in the dressing room while men in T-shirts and shorts stole the stage from him.

At least we avoided the opening act. Fortunately, we also avoided overtime.

The concert started (not too energetically, to be honest) with "Once bitten..." and went smoothly and enjoyably. On the setlist, there were new songs (The great escape, Flowers, Man Overboard) which - being good - seamlessly blended with the d'antan pieces, great renditions (Angeline, All the way from Memphis), and also the standout cover (Sweet Jane) to lift spirits midway through the show, before moving to the piano and going straight to the end. The band was skilled and well-coordinated, especially the lead guitarist, a certain Mark Bosch, put in a lot of effort, aided by the mix which favored his Gibson over Andy Burton's keyboards, whatever James Mastro was playing (guitar or mandolin), and even Paul Page's bass. The drummer (Steve Holley) never caused too much noise, but it seems Ian prefers it that way.
In truth, it was precisely this atmosphere of skill+moderation, perfectly suited to the vest & tie outfit of the legendary, bespectacled frontman that left me a bit puzzled... It's not that I expected them to roll around on the floor, and actually, for Mr. Hunter's age (my goodness, I'd sign up to reach seventy and be in such shape! Even physically, he was slimmer than his guitarist!), he moved more than well, but a touch more verve wouldn't have been unwelcome, after all, it was also his first time performing solo in Italy... Or even just a few more classic hits in the setlist, you know!

Oh well, it seems that the Beautiful Country - even without the sun and as wet as it was on Wednesday - doesn't excite him much! Or it may be that to please the audience of old folks (including myself) who come to see him, what he's done is more than sufficient. And Gianni - being the old fox he is - knows this.
Though light-years away from the legendary incendiary atmosphere of "Welcome to the club," it was nonetheless a more than respectable show, confirming at least to my ears that Ian Hunter is truly Mr. Rock'n'roll, and I feel sorry for those who don't know it, because only he makes music so beautiful, round, and wonderfully enjoyable... And a note of merit also goes to our friend Giuan's voice, which, although it let him down a couple of times, redeemed him excellently another couple of times and proved to be quite good, definitely better than what Lou Reed occasionally shows off.

If he comes back around these parts, I'll go see him again, too.