The storm is coming: new music and new bands in Venice. La Tempesta al Rivolta

If music, like pop queen Madonna sings, really makes people come together, that cannot but find its final confirmation at concerts. A concert, big or small, makes you forget about everything: you are there just to enjoy the music and the vibrant atmosphere. It may be a famous band or a still unknown one, but music is the sovereign.

That’s what happened on Saturday 7th December during La Tempesta al Rivolta (literally ‘The Storm at Rivolta’), near Venice: a festival where Italian and international indie and alternative bands had the chance to perform and spread their music.

Organised by Italian indie label La Tempesta Dischi, founded with the purpose of promoting indie music and Italian alternative music abroad, the concert offered three stages, each one hosting different kind of bands and music from 7.30 pm until 4.00 am.

A small stage, the Spazio Brocante (Open Space) was featuring a mix of music, dance and circus stunts whose highlights were contemporary circus company Magda Clan and Swedish duo Kristal and Jonny Boy who, helped by dream-like, malincholy sounds and contemporary dance moves, brought a taste of Northern atmosphere to sunny Italy.

When waves of people were waiting for their favourite artists under the stage, queuing at the food stand to get a beer to warm up from the cold night, screaming and jumping with excitement, it was difficult to reach every single act, but that was the point of this music gathering, wasn’t it?

In the meantime on the so called Palco International (Nite Park), Italian bands with an ‘international taste’ were performing: acoustic indie folk Giulio Frausin, that is The Sleeping Tree, whose solo debut, ‘Painless’ has just been released. Or folk rock band Green Like July, from Milan. With other bands like the two-years-old Universal Sex Arena and Hardcore Tamburo, there was literally no time to breath as the performances on this stage went on until the next morning.

However, no doubt the thrilling highlights were on the main stage, Palco La Tempesta (Palco Hangar). Full of young people kneeling at the stage like at an altar, an energy bomb was thrown when politicized alternative rock band Il Teatro Degli Orrori appeared on stage. People started jumpein from the very beginning, inflamed by the theatrical moves and speeches of singer song-writer Pierpaolo Capovilla. Like prayers, everybody was singing along with him songs like ‘Compagna Teresa’ and ‘A sangue freddo’.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIn3Z54fi5Q

A little time to chill out because the concert is reaching its peak. Three guys in costume and wearing weird masks on their face are now ready to start: Tre Allegri Ragazzi Morti, whose alternative rock adorned by pop melodies succeeded in warming up the souls: raised-up hands, beers and a chorus of fans who knows all the lyrics of ‘Il mondo prima’ or ‘La mia vita senza te’.

Midnight is no more the time for Cinderella to go back home. It’s one o’clock and we’re waiting for Massimo Volume: their latest album ‘Aspettando i barbari’ (2013) has been critically acclaimed for the melodies and the depth of lyrics, almost read by their leader Emidio Clementi.

A real storm of music, people, different sounds but only one essence: spreading and promoting new bands through the wind of indie and alternative music. There’s a big economic crisis going on, Italy has changed so far and it’s still changing. Pop melodies and ‘Volare oh oh’ are not the only way now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD_PKV397WQ

Marcella Sartore