Commander, indeed Kom for his audience, he has always been. Now it’s also Che Gue Vasco. Vasco’s face on the big screens takes up the iconography of the symbol of revolution Cuban during «Some say no». She jokes, but up to a certain point. The rocker starts with the tour – eleven dates including zero in Rimini for 450,000 tickets sold – and this time he also puts a good deal of politics on the Bologna stage.
Vasco makes himself understood from the first passage. His shows are fun, provocative, energy, rock, sweat, the secular mass par excellence, but for some time now the first song on the lineup has always been a not too encrypted message to his people. For this tour he chose «Tell the moon», a ballad. «Look at reality» he sings wrapped in a fluorescent green leather jacket. And what he sees around does not convince him. «It is important to face reality, because today in the air there is a sweetened narration from tells us that everything is fine – he says before going on stage -. Politicians should think about that and solve problems, instead they only think about consensus». And he pulls the ears of the leaders during the show. On the refrain of «T’immagini», the one who makes “favole favole favole”, first inserts the names of Meloni, Salvini and Berlusconi and then, for a level playing field, also adds “communists” and “Cinque Stelle”. He doesn’t like fairy tales, he renames those of parties “bullshit”. «I reject all of them except Pannella, but alas he is no longer here – he says behind the scenes -. You hear great speeches, but I never hear decisions on real issues. I don’t give a shit about the distinction between right and left… There is also a narration of grandeur of Italy which I don’t see in reality. Italy counts for nothing in the world. Dear and grace if we are in Europe…».
Someone will get angry and tell him to just sing. «Music can bring energy, it can change a day, involve and provoke. Well, I feel like a provocateur. The artist must shake consciences and try to keep the listener awake. Those who understand understand, those who don’t understand get nervous as well. Maybe it’s time he reacts and wakes up too.” Who understands is the audience who find themselves in front of a stage 70 meters wide by 26 high, with a giant screen in the center in the shape of a V, its initial. The embrace of Emilia Romagna hit by the floods arrives immediately on «Stendimi» («I’m here to bring a little joy, solidarity and energy»). He goes on dry and straight with a taut rock and dry guitars on which the winds place embroideries. The ballads are suspension points from which to restart with energy towards the next block for about 2 hours and 40 minutes of show. After the interlude in which he leaves room for the band, Vasco starts again with the pedal pressed with «XI commandment» and «There are those who say no», «The shots above». The encores are the classics with «Sally», «Siamo solo noi», «Vita spericolata» and, it cannot be otherwise, «Albachiara». Next year it could be the turn of the San Siro record. Which is already his with six dates on a tour and could raise the bar to ten.
“I’d even be willing to do it: I book the stadium for the whole month of June,” he says. “I didn’t come to San Siro this year, it was busy… there were too many superstars”, he smiles slyly from the top of his 29 shows in the Milanese stadium compared with those who struggle to do one just to wear the medal. «Every artist has the audience he deserves, I keep mine. It’s not the numbers that count… but the measurements do.” By launching this tour you had said that aimed to enjoy “last time”. Panic among fans. “It’s a joke I always make: one minute you’re there and the next you’re gone. As long as I have the strength I continue to give concerts. I’ve also thought about a smaller situation, I really like it and sooner or later I’ll do it, but for now there’s this overwhelming response ». The future is also a new song: «Now I’m going to the dressing room and working there… I don’t know when but it will come out. For an album, I don’t know. Record companies aren’t interested in records anymore.” The Sanremo Festival does not appear to be on the agenda. «When I was a guest and I brought back the microphone (he had put it in his pocket at the end of the performance in ’82) I closed a circle. I should go back to the race but I’m not old enough».