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Rating: I don’t know what rare astral conjunction allowed the lunar landing in Fordongianus - a tiny town nestled within the rugged Sardinian land - of the American couple behind the space rock-psychedelic project Moon Duo; the opportunity to gaze at them from two meters away, after having eagerly listened to their vinyls, prompts an immediate action.
To warm up the audience before them, the appreciated local sprouts Fujima took the stage, delivering a lively & vigorous rock clearly inspired by Pixies (always praised, ça va sans dire) and Velvet Underground, featuring a suitably disordered guitarist; rumors say they will soon record an undefined “something”: we shall listen.
Returning to the enigmatic lunar spouses, it appears they decided to multiply between their European tour dates: behind an essential percussion set stood a strapping young man with a thick mane and insistent animal beat providing a basic rhythmically obsessive carpet perfect for Ripley Johnson’s acid and relentless guitar work, formerly of the Californian Wooden Shjips, of which Moon Duo seems to be a lyophilized version, and for the rotating keyboards of the long-haired Sanae Yamada.
Compared to the tracks captured on their two studio LPs, the live versions slightly lack the spatial multichromaticity that characterizes their enveloping psychedelic rock; the keyboards of the statuesque Sanae are somewhat sacrificed under the robust kilowatts expelled by Mr. Johnson’s guitar: the overall sound clearly gains in physical acidity, resulting in an increased level of engagement from the oceanic crowds below the stage, numbering around 250 units; a set lasting over an hour and a half where several tracks are heavily stretched, effectively transforming into authentic psycho-rock tour de forces with the guitar taking center stage amidst mounting dissonances and para-stroboscopic effects.
In the end, a beautifully rustic and successful little concert with the only - minor - flaw being the astronomical waiting time: our set didn’t start until past midnight thirty. Sigh!
There’s nothing left to do but to thank the young & industrious creators of the tiny Frames kiosk who organized everything so well for just 5 Euros each, beverages included, moreover only ten meters from the site of the original Ancient Roman Baths: a bit of healthy rustic culture, between one Ichnusa and another, never hurts.
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