Here it is again. The legendary Komandante, Il Blasco, the Kom, the rocker from Zocca, him, the inimitable and stainless Vasco Rossi. His legions mobilize without ifs or buts to create the framework that for decades (at least four) has accompanied the live performances of the man who rewrote all possible statistics and forecasts. Tonight everyone is here for him to inaugurate the first of a series of seven consecutive sold out events at the San Siro Stadium in Milan. Seven days, practically a week.
Four hundred thousand spectators (60 thousand per evening) but perhaps more, for seven concerts. And for all we know, it could easily have been double that amount and the outcome wouldn’t have changed one iota. Then he will move to Bari for another four dates (which we write him to do, obviously sold out) but it is in Milan that Vasco beats himself. With the seven shows it will be thirty-six times that he will have played here in front of a total of over two and a half million spectators. No one like him ever. A sold-out Meazza is a feat that would make even the most seasoned rock star tremble, to be pinned to the chest like a medal, but for Vasco it’s business as usual. So here he is giving an unforgettable performance to his ‘gang’. A transgenerational and extremist fandom: for many Vasco is rock and no comparisons or interference are accepted. Those who were able were already at ‘data zero’ in Bibione, organized only for the fan club with 30 thousand spectators. An audience accustomed to collecting tours rather than individual concerts. In Milan there are those who spent the night in front of the entrance gates, those who crossed the country by any means just to be present. And who bought tickets for all seven dates.
The evening begins right on time, at 8.45pm sharp, with a breathtaking entrance onto a monstrous stage 87 meters wide, 25 meters deep and 28 meters high and characterized by two enormous ‘V’s and gigantic video walls. With the first guitar chord the crowd explodes into a roar of applause and screams, anticipating a night of pure rock magic. The setlist is a journey through the decades of Vasco’s career, mixing timeless classics with more recent songs, and has a more ‘hard and pure’ thread, perhaps less sentimental than past tours. After the attack with ‘Blasco Rossi’, ‘Asilo Republic’ starts with a ‘dedication’ to Prime Minister Meloni, and the name ‘Giorgia’ pronounced several times in the song. He doesn’t spare any digs at his deputy, Matteo Salvini during ‘Enough’. ‘The mistakes you make’ makes its live debut, fresh from the publication of the soundtrack of the ‘Il Survivsuto’ series.
Vasco screams, opens his arms, holds on to the microphone stand, incites the crowd and gets excited. “We are always here, lucid and alive, finally in Milan – says he-him. We are here to rock, it is the most powerful show in the universe, the first of the magnificent seven: seven times San Siro”. From the adrenaline rush of ‘Gli Spari Sopra’, to the anthem ‘C’è chi dice no’, the hardest pieces are always alternated with the ballads that made him famous. ‘Sally’, ‘Canzone per te’, the poignant ‘Gli Angeli’ and, without neglecting the generational anthems ‘Sono Solo Noi’, ‘Bollicine’, ‘Vita Spericolata’. And then the twenty-minute medley, all feminine. There are more playful moments with ‘Rewind’, with several bras suddenly becoming unbearable to wear. And the inevitable epic closing with ‘Albachiara’ that Blasco doesn’t even have to sing, because the fans take care of it. Vasco is Vasco. Unattainable. The man of records and a living legend of Italian music. Over the years he has created a unique emotional bond with his audience, with whom he dialogues and sometimes has lively discussions even via social media, on which he is very active, sharing moments of reflection and sometimes of fun. This live is about him, his long career, the challenges he faced and the unconditional love of the fans who have always supported him. But it also talks about all of us, each song is a snapshot of our life. The first of seven evenings for this incredible 72 year old at San Siro is a triumph of music, emotion and energy with the promise of another six equally spectacular evenings. (by Federica Mochi, Adnkronos)
