by Riccardo Giori
The 28th edition of the Ferrara Sotto Le Stelle festival began with a sold-out, sold out by Blonde Redhead who played on Monday evening in the courtyard of the Estense Castle for the first date of the Ferrara festival, preceded on stage by the very Italian Any Other, pseudonym of Adele Nigro, a Veronese singer-songwriter born in 1994.
An eagerly awaited return is that of Blonde Redhead, an American-born Italian-Japanese rock band who already played in Piazza Castello in 2003, now back to celebrate 30 years of their career. Taking up the tools they started with Falling Man, song from the 2004 album “Misery is a butterfly”, continuing with an intense live performance for an attentive audience in rigorous silence. The continuation of the concert was marked by some small technical problems as during Dr Strangeluv and Elephant Woman which they had to perform after a false start, but it mattered little to the thousand present who finally greeted the band with a very long round of applause to the tune of Kiss Her Kiss Her And Rest Of Her Life.
But thereThe date certainly more in line with the artistic soul of Ferrara Sotto Le Stelle was Tuesday evening with Dry Cleaning. British post-punk band formed in 2018 and with two albums under their belt, gathered fans from all over Italy in the courtyard of the Estense Castle for the only Italian date of their summer tour, which was led by the Italians New Candys, alternative rock band formed in Venice and active since 2008. Leafy, Hot Penny Day, Stumpworkthese are some of the songs played, saving the best known ones for the finale Scratchcard Lanyard And Magic of Meghan. A warm and intimate atmosphere created by the spoken singing of singer Florence Shaw, far from the noisy atmospheres of the great European festivals, staying long after the end of the concert to chat with several fans who asked for photos and autographs.
This evening Ferrara Sotto Le Stelle returns with Daniela Pes and Birthhh, while on Friday it will be the turn of the singer-songwriters Dente and Ibisco, and finally on Saturday with The Murder Capital and Letherette at the opening. After a few weeks of break we will then start again with Monday 8th and Tuesday 9th July at the Delizia Estense in Benvignante with Fantastic Negrito and PFM Canta De Andrè Anniversary, to end on Thursday 3rd October at the Teatro Comunale of Ferrara with Einstürzende Neubauten.
