ROME – On May 1st, the Concertone, music, testimonies and stories. All the same, but all different. The traditional demonstration promoted by the trade unions on the day of Labor Day is trying to recover a bit of normality.
He renounces the square again (after the purely television show last year, in full lockdown), but the live dimension resumes, with the full-bodied cast alternating in part in the presence of the Cavea of the Auditorium Parco della Musica, hundreds of guests, spaced and wearing a mask, partly in connection from different locations in Italy and beyond (Lp from Los Angeles, Noel Gallagher from London). An alternation that allows the artists not to meet and to sanitize the stage at each passage.
What remains unchanged, apart from that capricious weather at the beginning of May that bathes the structure designed by Renzo Piano at times, is the management of Ambra, now in its fourth consecutive year. Beside her Stefano Fresi, in addition to the incursions of Lillo Petrolo. And not to be missed is first of all Bella Ciao, the soundtrack of every self-respecting Concertone, brought by the Modena City Ramblers, and then the controversy of the moment. Which this time is even preventative and involves Fedez.
The League, with which the artist has an open account in terms of controversy, warns that if the singer uses the concert on May 1 for political purposes for personal purposes, “Rai will have to challenge the contract and let the unions take charge the full cost of the event “.
For his part, he claims freedom of expression and assumes any responsibility. “It is the first time that I have had to send the text of my speech to be submitted for political approval. Can an artist freely express his ideas on a stage? Or should it pass the scrutiny of politics? ».
Meanwhile, the concert, also broadcast live on Rai3, Radio2 – also visual – and RaiPlay, goes by quickly, the lineup is substantial. The artists on the bill are over forty, most in presence at the Cavea, others connected by symbolic places (the Sud Sound System in front of the gates of the Ex Ilva).
There is a lot, a lot of Sanremo: from Gio Evan to Gaia, from Bugo to Fasma, passing through Folcast, Gaudiano, Wrongonyou. And in the evening are expected Max Gazzè, Coma_Cose, The Representative of Lista, Colapesce Dimartino, Fedez, Francesca Michielin, Extraliscio, Noemi, Francesco Renga, Ermal Meta, Madame, all passed by the Ariston for the last edition of the Festival.
The opening from a desolately empty and gray Piazza San Giovanni is entrusted to the Orchestraccia, with a tribute to Giorgio Gaber, also remembered by Ambra and Stefano Fresi who are reading one of his texts. At the Cavea the start is given by Alex Britti, who closed last year.
Chadia Rodriguez arrives and leaves her mouth open by taking off her top and remaining topless (covered with rainbow hearts) and then screaming: “Free love, but with who we want and how much we want.” Motta thanking “for giving me the opportunity to return to our favorite place in the world, the stage”, closes the first part of the live.
For the highlight expected Piero Pelù, Antonello Venditti, in connection from Piazza San Giovanni, Gianna Nannini, Edoardo Bennato, Enrico Ruggeri (from the Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital in Bergamo), Michele Bravi.
On the event there is also the seal of the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella: “The Concertone will also be celebrated this year, which will also have to respect particularly austere methods: it also wants to be a sign of recovery for music, entertainment, culture, so that they can be used again live and can contribute to the restart ».