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Rating: The Atlantico in Rome (formerly Palacisalfa) is packed with its three thousand capacity. There is great anticipation for the first Roman outing of Kasabian, a band ready to become the new diamond tip of rock made in the UK. Personally, I've been following them for three years, and even though I find their early works more original, I appreciate the psychedelic sixties turn of their last two albums.
The band takes the stage at 9:32 PM, precise and without a guest, and kicks off with "Days are Forgotten," one of the key tracks of "Velociraptor!". With six on stage (with a second guitar and keyboards), the energy is high from the start. Sergio Pizzorno is very glam with his feathered collar and fringed hair. Tom Meighan, in a leather jacket and Ozzy-style glasses, immediately commands the stage. They fire off "Shoot the Runner," "Velociraptor!" in sequence and the three thousand at the Atlantico are conquered. Tom steps aside for Sergio, who first regretfully tells us he doesn’t know Italian (with that surname, a bit of a flaw, I'd say...) and then performs a very pumped-up version of "Take Aim." The very excited Meighan returns for "Club Foot," their first true anthem, dedicates "Re-Wired" to all the ladies and gives his best on "Man of Simple Pleasures" and "Fast Fuse" (I confess this one has its charm live; on the album, it never caught me). "L.S.F." is a must, the song with which I first discovered them; while we all sing the chorus together, Pizzorno wants us to believe we're at the goodbyes. Usual three-minute pause as they wait for the crowd to demand their return (but why still do these things? No one believes it anymore...) and then comes the intro to "Switchblade Smiles." Then ...Get loose get loose... "Vlad the Impaler" becomes a duet between Sergio and Tom, creating chaos with guitar changes, whirling microphones, and bras caught on the fly. The finale is entrusted to the incendiary "Fire": they make us crouch for the climax, then we all jump together and continue to rock until the reprise. And here's to the goodbyes. Good live show and well done by them, the only note is the mere hour and a half of concert, but the quality was there, and the enthusiasm too.
They had given me the ticket a couple of months ago, thankfully I didn’t go all the way up to Milan to see them last November, otherwise, I would have been doubly frustrated to discover - not only yesterday’s date - but also the one scheduled for July, at Rock in Roma. Indeed, it is a magical moment for the four from Leicester: great praise and sales of the latest "Velociraptor!", and even five more summer dates in Italy. Recommended, even if you just like the singles.
Setlist:
Days are Forgotten
Shoot the Runner
Velociraptor!
Underdog
Where did all the Love go?
ID
Take Aim
Club Foot
Re-Wired
Empire
Man of Simple Pleasures
Fast Fuse
Goodbye Kiss
L.S.F.
Switchblade Smiles
Vlad the Impaler
Fire
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