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Rating: Friday, July 31, 2015, Wire (or "the" Wire, your choice) are in Brescia. We arrive at the Arenasonica at Parco Castelli well in advance and take advantage of it to quell the hunger that invariably demands we first give due religious importance to the imperative affair "guzzling beers and filling the stomach." We are thus at the counter for the receipt when, a few meters away, a guy with trendy glasses and an air that very much resembles Colin Newman passes by. Well, it's Colin Newman, the frontman of the group. We catch a glimpse of the band sitting at a large table, "festadellunità" style, devouring sandwiches with salami and downing liters of.....WATER (?!?!?). Out of this world! Anyway, wonderful!
For the local bands Dead Candies and Waka Waka, the latter a historic group in the Brescia noise rock scene, and the former fresh from the attention sparked by their latest new-wave-pop album "Square," the task is to adequately heat up the atmosphere until at 10:30 PM we're at the center of the arena, eagerly awaiting the myth. Here they are, let's begin: postpunk by the Madonna! The start of the show seems a bit too subdued. The first three or four tracks seem almost lackluster as if the band's energy can't truly explode and express itself beyond a certain point. Moreover, it quickly becomes evident that Newman's voice is starting to show its age a bit (but have some beer, damn it!!). Suddenly, however, the show shifts gears, and considering what occurs afterward, the first 15/20 minutes of the live performance will prove to be just a sort of calculated, calm break-in period. Abruptly, the guitars become powerful and sharp, the rhythm section becomes impetuous and driving, and the band enjoys themselves alternating captivating versions of historic tracks with convincing renditions of the more commercial and professional songs from the latest self-titled album. The "post-punk-Wire-school" creeps in in small doses: increased space is given to experimentation, the tracks inevitably transform into epic almost kraut-rock rides, devastating, prickly, endless electric walls rise unexpectedly. The peak is reached with ten continuous minutes of distortion-induced delirium that, like the claw of an enraged feline, wounds ears and eardrums mercilessly (we're talking about the same sonic delirium of Mogwai's live performances, to be clear). A pink flag ("Pink Flag," like the title of the band's debut album released back in 1977) proudly waves amidst the audience. The crowd is completely inflamed and captivated, while in the stands, the attendees seem hypnotized by the sound's force. A short break and here finally come Wire, more relaxed for the final goodbyes, with two calmer but atmospherically rich pieces.
An engaging sonic crescendo built with experience and great skill, undoubtedly a tremendous show, an hour and a half with History, with a group of sixty-year-olds who've aged wonderfully, dignified and genuine in their current offering. Meanwhile, the "blue moon" traverses the sky, bestowing mystical visions of the sky, but the star that shines the brightest over the arena remains that of Wire. A polar star that will likely shine for a long time in the music firmament, a point of reference for many bands (present and future).
In postpunk we trust!
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