•
Rating: Sophia (Robin Proper Sheppard ex God Machine) + Malcom Middleton (ex Arab Strap)
Live @ Casa139, Milan
Every time I attend a concert by Robin Proper Sheppard, aka Sophia, my memories go back to what I believe was 1992, when I was just over twenty and went to Bloom in Mezzago to listen to my most beloved band at the time (an undying love over time...): the God Machine.
Unfortunately, the frail health of the band's bassist, Jimmi Fernandez, or other reasons beyond his control, caused that much-anticipated concert to go up in smoke, and in my little heart, the hope remained that maybe one day I would listen to them live. The group soon disbanded due to the premature passing of J. Fernandez, and I never had the chance to listen to them live again…
Perhaps that's why every time a Sophia concert approaches, I am more excited than in other circumstances: it's as if I renew the thought of that hope that was and bask in my thoughts imagining the emotions I would have experienced.
Let's get back to us and last night. There are four of us: Anna, Nicola, Andrea, and me.
We are south of Milan, on Via Ripamonti, waiting for the door of Casa139 (as the venue is called) to open and let us in. We linger at the entrance along with two or three other couples, and from afar on the sidewalk comes Robin, walking slowly and as affable and smiling as always, greeting us in his dark coat and entering the door followed by a girl who, like us, was waiting outside and followed him with a nod. We will discover later, halfway through the concert, the identity of the girl whom Robin introduced to us from the stage as his number one fan in Italy, always present at his concerts.
After a short wait, around half past nine, we cross the threshold of the door and enter what was once an apartment, now become a cultural center (www.lacasa139.com), and we do a bit of "waiting" in the area reserved for the bar, over a beer and a chat, waiting for them to set up the stage and remove the cord that prevents access to the spiral staircase.
I, as usual, am fidgeting and to while away the wait, I look around eagerly at all those new unknown faces entering the room looking for some familiar face or simply some curiosity.
Finally, we go up; the room that welcomes us is just as I imagined: modestly sized, with soft lighting, a mixer at the back of the room, and a small stage where an acoustic guitar, a tattered stool, two speakers, and a piano leaning against the wall stand. We immediately take seats in the front rows and settle down sitting on the parquet floor, and everything seems so familiar it feels like being in my living room. We are at most two hundred, two hundred and fifty souls... Lucky souls, I say...
"Magnificent, exactly what I expected and hoped would happen..." I think to myself and wonder why venues like this don't exist in my area... Vague questions that have no answer...
The concert is opened by Malcom Middleton, ex-Arab Strap, on whom I will not dwell because I do not know extensively either the band or the character, and also because I feel I've already been verbose. In short: a thoroughly enjoyable concert, a preview of the solo album to be released soon, which unfolded between a handful of melancholic and easily listenable acoustic songs by a very calm and introverted singer, so typically Scottish in his red hair and beard (I apologize to his fans, but to write something decent, it would be helpful to know at least a few songs or be at least slightly more acquainted with the subject...).
Robin takes the stage about ten minutes later, greets us jovially, and heads toward the piano; he opens the key cover and plays two low notes with emphasis, as if he were a seasoned pianist, then jokingly heads toward the microphone to gather applause for his brief composition… Well, if this means breaking the ice, Robin has done it magnificently; he takes the stool, moving out of the direct light of a spotlight, picks up the guitar and begins with "Is it any wonder", just as in 1996 he opened his first album with Sophia. The sound is sweet, just hinted, and the notes follow like they are velvet, and the voice whispers sweet words, "...love has no meaning..." sliding among the simple chords of the guitar and then again "If only" from the second album, so melancholic and Robin sings it with closed eyes and then "Oh my love" from the successful album "People are like seasons" which becomes incandescent in some passages where the pick sweetly violates the guitar strings, making them vibrate in a sound that becomes full and rich. The songs follow one after another, with some novelties from the just-released album "Technology won't save us" and some gems from previous records including "Directionless" and "The death of a salesman", absolutely moving, and the beautiful "Swept back" started and then resumed later because Robin couldn't find the key. After all, he says if he had to sing it like a pop song, it would be easy… and he hints at it in a decidedly less melodramatic tone, then instead performs it correctly, creating a unique atmosphere. And we all listen in silence, with crossed legs and heads slightly upturned.
There was no lack of hilarious moments in which he forgot the lyrics of songs, stopping abruptly and accusing us of leading him astray by humming the next verse, or when he mentioned a dream he had and everyone laughed… oops, I correct myself, almost everyone laughed, for example, I didn't laugh at most a courtesy smile considering not being completely proficient in English!!
A concert that did not betray the expectations of us lucky attendees: sweetest songs sung and played with heart by an artist who, contrary to the mood of his songs, proved to be cheerful, he confided in us that he was in love, playful, and sociable with us, the audience, with whom he also mingled after the concert to sign autographs, autograph CDs and exchange a few words.
A simple, sincere, affable man, and damn in love with life despite his personal vicissitudes, I believe, have marked him deeply; that's how I see Robin Proper Sheppard, alias Sophia, alias God Machine. Unforgettable.
In March, he will return to Italy with the full band and I warmly recommend you don't miss out.
I'll be there.
Loading comments slowly
