concert review of April 13, 2024, Inalpi Arena, Turin

Subsonic

Inalpi Arena, Turin, 13 April 2024

live reports

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These have not been easy days for Subsonic those that preceded the date at the Inalpi Arena, what was intended to be a great celebration party of this first (and successful) tranche of the promotional tour of Augmented reality, the embrace of the family in the hometown, where everything was born in the mid-90s. But unfortunately the tragic event that marked the concert in Florence brought with it heavy consequences and on Saturday more than ever the warmth of the audience in beloved Turin was called upon to act as a soothing balm, to which we could cling to bring home a performance worthy of this name.

Big party at the Savoy court on Saturday 13 April: the Turin – Juventus derby in the late afternoon enlivened the area of ​​the Olympic stadium bordering the Inalpi Arena and also delayed the start of the concert a little, postponed to 9.30pm. The atmosphere inside and outside the arena is joyful, also thanks to the draw between the two home teams, and the people who take their seats enjoy the wait by scanning the futuristic stage and anticipating the wonders announced in the interviews in terms of visuals and of platforms that will take the band members to different heights at various moments of the live (with all due respect to poor Max Casacci who suffers from vertigo).

Around 9.30pm the lights in the hall go out, the screens in front and behind the stage come on, marking the intro of Human Dogs: Subsonica take their place behind the grates to sing the song that opens their latest album, received with great acclaim from both fans and critics. A truly effective intro, despite the piece being dark and obscure, which leaves room for a series of extracts from their tenth album. Morning of Light And Fist of Sand they are already hits to sing and dance to, also thanks to the frequent radio play enjoyed by the first two singles. Africa on Mars the quartet dedicated to novelties closes and the concert continues with the great classics: da Things I Don’t Have to Poisonfrom Aurora Dreams to Free Allin a crescendo that reaches its climax with The Glaciation, Discolabirinto And Rapid Cloudsthe audience is caught in a vortex of music, sweat and happiness that doesn’t even leave them time to take a breath.

After about a dozen songs, here’s finally a moment of pause with sounds with slower bpms, like Missiles and Dronesthe always exciting Inside My Voids and a vintage repechage like Northern Junglededicated to the mists that in the past massively enveloped the realities of northern Italy.

Each piece is an opportunity to tell a bit of history of the Piedmontese quintet, closely linked to this city which has grown and changed with them and which is carving out an increasingly preponderant role on the international scene. The boys never miss an opportunity to underline their bond with Turin and with the home crowd, tonight more important than ever, as Samuel will remember with his voice cracking with emotion and as Boosta and Max will do on several occasions. As on the occasion of The Sky Over Turinduring which he makes his foray Ensi, first guest of the evening, as well as friend and collaborator of Subsi. Even though I, as a true boomer, when I listen to this song I can’t help but think of Construction sites in Turinvaluable cover by fellow citizens Sberlicchio Brothers.

On stage there is a continuous alternation of guests: first Fabio Celenza with some of his monologues which made him famous online and then again Ensi and Willie Peyote For The Bubble Burstschoral performance which will follow Number onecover by Ensi himself (and the boomer moment continues in my mind, thinking back to when Subsonica and Linea 77 twinned to perform 66 Diabolus In Musica) And Waiting for the Sun of Neffa.

No fault, accompanied by the visuals of the Turin collective High Files, doesn’t seem to have the push I would have imagined live. But it’s a matter of a moment before the evening regains the energy of the beginning and turns to the final bars: The Flood, Lazarus And Ogoshi petrolthe Frankenstein created by the band with the fans, in which they exorcised the anathema that accompanied them after the great success of Microchip Emozionale.

The ending is entrusted as always to All My Mistakesthat piece that when it ends leaves in people’s eyes the whole range of emotions that animated the event and sends them home at peace with themselves, happy to have participated once again in this liturgy/celebration that Max has accustomed us to , Samuel, Boosta, Ninja and Faba over the years. Roads he then reminds us that the time has come to take our journey home, wherever it may be, with the awareness that for years now we have shared a piece of the road with these five boys who have grown up with us (my first time with them dates back to 1997). And who find themselves and their fans precisely in the live dimension and who also on this occasion gave us a brilliant, engaging and futuristic performance on a technological level, being careful to keep the price of the tickets down.

And when on the notes of Needle In The Camel’s Eye by Brian Eno the lights of the building come back on, bringing to mind the soundtrack of Velvet Goldmine (which I highly recommend watching), my thoughts turn to the summer upon us and the dates that will surely bring us back to populate the very personal dancefloor of Subsonic. In fact, it was yesterday’s news that we will remain in the bubble for a while longer: tickets are already available. I don’t have to tell you that it’s money well spent, right?

Setlist

• Human Dogs
• Morning Light
• Fist of Sand
• Africa on Mars
• Things I Don’t Have
• Poison
• Aurora Dreams
• Free All
• The Glaciation
• Labyrinth divider
• Rapid Clouds
• The Center of the Flame
• Missiles and Drones
• Inside My Voids
• Northern Jungle
• Universe
• The Sky Over Turin [feat. Ensi]
• The Bubble Bursts [feat. Ensi e Willie Peyote]
• Number one [feat. Ensi e Willie Peyote] [cover di Ensi]
• Waiting for the sun [feat. Ensi e Willie Peyote] [cover di Neffa]
• No fault
• Downpour
• Lazarus
• Ogoshi petrol
• The Smell
• All My Mistakes
• Roads

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As an Amazon Associate, we receive a small percentage from qualifying purchases. By using our links, therefore, you will not spend a cent more, but you will contribute to the maintenance of the site.

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