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Rating: I leave the house almost unwillingly, Saturday night, it's cold, it's raining. A friend told me "are you coming to Circolo degli Artisti tonight? Greg Dulli is there with the Twilight Singers." Why not? I like Dulli, he's a rocker, I like Afterhours, and I really appreciated his collaboration in Ballate. He deserves my presence; I’ll be there in half an hour.
The street is slick, smooth, fast, few cars, selected music, my red bullet streaks through the dark. I wonder "How are you?" I'll tell you, I can't deny it, all in all, I'm happy. Twenty-seven minutes and I'm there, one soul among many. She’s waiting for me out front, dressed in black, smiling, she seems happy. The venue is small and dark, a box full of smoke. A couple of beers, some chit-chat, you look good, long time no see, finally, we managed to see each other for a concert, yes I know I never have time, you know it’s work, this city devours you, swallows you, we're all the same in the end, always rushing, always distracted, always a bit lost.
It starts... the Twilight Singers come in, there are four of them, typically American even in their differences from one another, there's a New Yorker in a crumpled jacket, disheveled and bored-looking at the piano, and a Californian surfer on guitar. Last to enter is Dulli, a Dan Aykroyd double, a bit fatter, shiny black shirt, cigarette in mouth, and glass in hand. Total excitement and then... no more talking, they start.
I'm Ready from the latest album "Powder Burns," pure adrenaline rush, a full, powerful, and clean sound, very tight rhythm, and Dulli screaming like a madman, amazing. The first mosh pit starts after a minute and a half of the concert, a record, the room is incredibly small and packed, people are brawling, and I almost end up on stage. Our friend Dulli is having fun and speeds up, carefully mixing old and new songs, keeping a firm grip on the situation. He's the kind of guy who's at home on that stage, he's relaxed, he enjoys himself, and makes us enjoy too, he stretches the songs as he likes, piercing solos, powerful and very long, the black guitar burns with love in his hands. The fifth track has a grand finale, the audience explodes. Ten seconds of pause and darkness, and then suddenly the metallic, distorted arpeggio of Live With Me starts, and through the smoke, Dulli approaches the mic and announces "Ladies and gentlemen..... Mister Mark Lanegan"... and it's him, it’s really him, he's right here, two meters away from me, leaning against the microphone stand, eyes closed, and he begins half an hour of panic.
Lanegan isn't a stage animal, he's shy, he's distant, he's attached to the microphone even if he seems to be elsewhere, but he sings incredibly, I've never heard anything like this live, his voice gets under people’s skins, you can hear the hearts beating, five ballads, soft and smoky blues, Dulli beside him vibrating, sweating and smoking, Lanegan tears everyone's soul out and just as he came, suddenly he turns and leaves. We're still breathless, still all with eyes closed.
Uncle Greg wakes us up by starting the amazing They Ride in a faster and meaner version, and I’m surprised by this man's energy, he has such a force, such anger in his heart, it's impressive, he plays with class and violence together and he definitely wins me over. When it seems like everything is about to end, Mark Lanegan reappears, and again there's a rapture, they head towards the end with an amazing Sideways In Reverse 10 times more powerful than in "Bubblegum," which drives us crazy, the room seems to collapse, people have lost their minds. A beautiful closure with The Lure Would Prove Too Much, a sparkling and melancholic ballad that indicates the end.
Thank you Rome, good night, and Merry Christmas shouts Dulli, exhausted. But he seems happy.
"I did well to come, despite the rain and the cold. It was one of the most beautiful and surprising concerts of the year, I'm happy" thinks the solitary man in his red car as he speeds through Rome’s shiny streets in the night.
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