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Rating: From the Strait of Messina heading West, Peloritani, Nebrodi, and Madonie make up the Sicilian Apennines.
The Madonie Park holds places of particular interest from a naturalistic and historical point of view. Just two villages that are part of this area, such as Gangi and Petralia Soprana (we are in the province of Palermo), have earned the title of the most beautiful village in Italy in the first two editions of the famous television program.
And it is in another village, Castelbuono, perched on a hill, that for 26 years one of the most important indie festivals of the summer has been held: the Ypsigrock.
An event that has grown from a local one over the years, managing to involve big names without forgetting the quality of the offerings. A sure thing in the vast array of such festivals.
We must set out, regardless of the fact that it’s close to Ferragosto, and going to Castelbuono means a mandatory stop in Cefalù, where there will be throngs of people.
This year's edition features four evenings with headliners Verdena, Slowdive, The Comet is Coming, and Young Fathers.
The name that stands out more than others, not to detract from the other proposals, is the second evening with guests Slowdive.
This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of the seminal "Souvlaki" album, initially overlooked but later reevaluated to become a cornerstone of the shoegaze movement over the years. The English band, after disbanding in the mid-nineties, resurfaced in 2017 with the self-titled album that represented an excellent comeback. They are performing in Sicily for the only Italian date, with a new album "Everything is Alive" set for release on September 1.
The chosen location is the evocative Piazza Castello, right next to the walls of the imposing medieval construction dating back to 1300.
Opening the evening are the TRAAMS, a British post-punk/post-hardcore trio returning to the scene after several years of pause. I arrive when they've already started playing, and in two minutes, their magnitude is so strong that it leaves me pleasantly impressed. I had listened to something on Spotify and remembered them differently. Lots of stage presence and substance. The crowd enjoys it and starts pogoing. This time, to avoid the third shower of the day, I do some light hopping and then return composed, wearing my floral shirt. I’ll need to look into them further.
Next is Liela Moss, the former voice of Duke Spirit, with sometimes ethereal synth-pop that never fully warms me. She finishes her performance by bringing her two young children on stage to dance. After positioning myself in the second row, centrally, my thoughts are focused in one direction only.
At 11:15 PM, Slowdive enter a square that had already sold out in presale and start with the cinematic "Slomo."
The aforementioned “Souvlaki” is ransacked and honored with five of the fifteen tracks on the setlist. I was waiting for "Souvlaki Space Station" and was pleased. The first compositions, drawn from EPs, like the eponymous "Slowdive" and "Avalyn I," immerse everyone in a deep forest inside a fairytale. Syd Barrett's cover "Golden Hair," concluding with a loud, long instrumental tail, is essential. "Sugar for the Pill" also marks the moment of singing in unison due to its calm gait.
From the new album, the single "Kisses," a good dream-pop number, is played, and together with the other two unreleased tracks (the freshest being "The Slab"), it gives good hope for the imminent release of the new work.
A few timid thank-yous, very few words, and lots of distortions and effects. Rachel is at the center of the stage dressed in black. Always smiling, whether she has a guitar or a tambourine in hand. Neil, on the right, is more sly with his classic cap.
What surprises me is the diversity of the audience. It ranges from twenty-year-olds to the hardcore forties crowd. This shows how Rachel and Neil, besides maintaining their historical fan base, also thanks to the reunion, have gradually acquired new listener demographics that likely weren't even born when they were starting in the Reading area.
There’s more to say. Castelbuono seems to have become a crossroads of such different but so close people. From the elderly lady who watches the young musicians from her balcony to the food area folks frying panelle and arancine, to the connoisseurs and the occasional tourists. The clock seems to have stopped, the imaginary camera returning pleasant frames with warm colors like the visual projections on the main façade of the castle.
The symbiosis created between the stage and the audience indicates that it wasn't just a concert but more of a spiritual experience that’s not easily described in words. Certainly, the more intimate location and keen organization (the spectator is not treated like a parcel as elsewhere) played their part in the success of such an almost liturgical vision.
I’ve seen various concerts in 2023, and the sensations and images from this one will remain etched in my memory for a long time.
Setlist:
Slomo
Slowdive
Avalyn
Catch the Breeze
Star Roving
Souvlaki space Station
Crazy for you
Sleep (Eternal cover)
Sugar for the Pill
Kisses
Alison
When the Sun Hits
Golden Hair (Syd Barrett cover)
Encore:
Dagger
40 Days
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