•
Rating: The beating heart of the Talking Heads was the secret of an exceptional band that marked fifteen years of the rock music scene with its continuous contamination. That heart was formed by the drums of Chris Frantz and the bass of his beloved companion Martina Weymouth, one of the most dynamic and engaging rhythm sections ever heard resonating within a ribcage.
The Tom Tom Club was their outlet until '91 from the "talking heads," brilliant and playful funky-disco-rock that led them to significant success before becoming the main occupation among productions and other projects; their 1981 debut album remains a must at any respectable party. And it is precisely "Tom Tom Club" from 1981 that dominates the setlist of a warm evening in Genoa where not even the proximity to the sea alleviates the oppressive sense of heat from a week dominated by humidity and scorching sun. Martina wields her red Hofner, blonde hair in two pigtails, a perfect physique that suggests the bassist is still in stunning shape. It begins with "Who Feelin' It" from "The Good, the Bad and the Funky," followed by "She's Dangerous" and then "Punk Lolita", a cover of The Heads, which are the Talking Heads without Byrne. The start is engaging and immediately physical, Frantz behind his drums keeps the rhythm with vigorous gusto while the rest of the band, with singer Victoria Clamp prominently featured, goes wild. "Under The Boardwalk" is the only concession to slower atmospheres, the track in the Tom Tom Club's version is a summer classic. "Suboceana" is fantastic in its melodic fluidity and rhythmic sensuality, from the first album a sparkling and rhythm-loaded version of "On and On". The arrival of the super classic "Genius of Love" is greeted by the audience with great satisfaction, an easy, easy song but with a deadly intrinsic charge in its instrumental part with Weymouth repeating the same dance she shows in the version performed in the film "Stop Making Sense," setting the audience alight. A surprise follows with a very hot cover of "You Sexy Thing" by Hot Chocolate while right after typewriter noises open up to "Wordy Rappinghood."
The finale is marked with Talking Heads with a superb version of "Take Me to the River"; afterward, Martina turns her back, but those few ominous bass notes are already felt in the air, and an exceptional "Psycho Killer" can begin, and the audience can let themselves be carried away singing the chorus up to the final crazed euphoria.
The first time in Genoa, one of the few in Italy as recalled by Frantz, allowed a heterogeneous audience, although regrettably small, to savor a piece of music history, and the reviewer to follow live just a few meters away that stunning bassist Martina Weymouth in all the excursions on the keyboard of her Hofner.
Loading comments slowly
