OfSandra Cesarale
Checco Zalone and Francesco De Gregori in concert for two evenings at the Baths of Caracalla. Tickets sold out, 4,500 spectators, two hours of live performance with 29 songs in the setlist: those of the singer-songwriter, those of the comedian and director and the covers contained in the album «Pastiche», recorded by the unusual duo and published in April
He doesn’t say a word Francesco De Gregori on the League that made its voice heard General during the electoral rally in Milan with Salvini and Vannacci. But think about it Checco Zalone to throw a jab, in his own way, when the Roman singer-songwriter is not on stage. And before singing Immigrant he says: «I wanted to give it to Vannacci for the electoral campaign. He rejected her. He chose General of De Gregori and he even paid for it. I would have offered it to him for free.” And, at the end, even Francesco, alongside the band’s vocalist, starts singing the refrain: «Immigrant, how much change will I have already given you/ Immigrant, you drain all my turnover».
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The two concerts sold out
Scenes from a concert. The Baths of Caracalla, on Wednesday 5 June, hosted the first of the two Roman dates (the only ones scheduled so far in all of Italy) of «De Gregori-Zalone piano, voice (and band)». It will be repeated on Sunday 9 June. Tickets sold out, 4500 spectators for each evening. Two hours of live with 29 songs in the set list, including those by De Gregori, especially the lesser known ones, those by Zalone and the covers contained in the album Pasticherecorded by the unusual duo and released last April.
«Me and De Gregori together? Like La Russa making out with Schlein”
The intellectual singer-songwriter – they renamed him the Prince, but he doesn’t like the definition – and the comedian and director who is a box office hit. Apparently a mismatched couple. Checco jokes: «Zalone and De Gregori on the same stage is like seeing La Russa making out with Schlein. It’s not a beautiful thing, but it’s exceptional.” «Both exceptional: both La Russa and Schlein», replies De Gregori. Laughter in the arena. It’s a game, fun for the two friends but it flows very well. The couple is close-knit and has fun and the roles are well defined. Zalone plays the piano, like a consummate musician, when he serves he sings and fires off jokes. De Gregori, with hat and glasses, guides the music where he wants it.
«Bella ciao» and the Mameli anthem
The beginning is all for Zalone who attacks the piano Deborah’s theme by Morricone. Then he sings Piano bar and, at the end, addressed to De Gregori: «Let’s dispel the myth that it was dedicated to Venditti, also because the pianist who inspired you was better than him». «This is a piece of Italian history», says De Gregori before Chef from Salò. Zalone: «Damn, let’s not go into details». But in the intro he mentions the chords of Hello beautiful and ends the song with a few notes of the Mameli Hymn.
The tribute to Nino Manfredi
De Gregori has fun, plays along, tells the public to buy their album (“Popular music is so defenseless that even purchasing advice is legitimate”). In Zalone’s song, Alejandrocitations appear at Pablo. “De Gregori’s Taliban – says Francesco – won’t be happy, but I don’t care tonight.” He doesn’t shy away from the duet on the notes of Sexual men. Sing Story of Pinocchio by Nino Manfredi and remembers when the actor recorded it in front of him, who was «a young man from the shop. I carry it with me with affection for those times and for Nino Manfredi who was a great actor.”
I thought I was being unfair… then the Pope arrived”
In the middle of the evening Zalone leaves the stage to «Maestro», as he calls him (“I’m going, I have a concert with Vecchioni”) who, with the band, performs a handful of lesser-known songs. I hear the steam whistle it is a tribute to Giovanna Marini, who passed away on 8 May. Then it’s Zalone’s turn (“Because I too have written songs worthy of these masterpieces”). Introduces Butt flat on a Brazilian girl and her (non-existent) b-side: «In just one song I put blackface, catcalling and body shaming. I thought I was the most incorrect person in Italy… well then there was the Pope.”
A special evening
It’s a special evening and De Gregori lets the spectators sing songs like The cannon woman. But Zalone had anticipated it at the beginning of the concert: «Francesco made me two promises: if you sing with him he won’t get irritated and he will explain his songs, because my audience is wealthy but more ignorant».
De Gregori, 20 concerts in Milan
After these two dates, De Gregori will be on tour with the band. And he prepares “Nevergreen (Perfette sscienzate)”, for 20 concerts at the Out Off Theater in Milan, for only 200 spectators per evening, from 29 October to 23 November (as he had already done at the Garbatella Theater in Rome in 2019).
June 6, 2024 (modified June 6, 2024 | 1:13 pm)
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