Bud Spencer Blues Explosion

About two hundred people showed up at Sottoscala Nove in Latina to see in person one of the most exciting revelations on the Italian indie rock scene of 2009, Bud Spencer Blues Explosion, the Rome-based duo made up of Adriano Viterbini (guitar and vocals) and Cesare Petulicchio (drums and vocals).

The venue's intimate setting is ideal for crowding in close to the two musicians and appreciating them up close, trying to catch their little secrets - the biggest of which is how just the two of them manage to build that powerful wall of sound rooted in early-70s electric blues rock.

From the very first riffs it's clear that Adriano's guitar technique represents a search for a perfect synthesis between (with all due respect, of course...) Hendrix, Page and the old delta bluesmen; what emerges is an extraordinary musician who will surely, in time, win over an ever-wider audience.

His charismatic stage presence, his roughing-up of blues conventions and his energetically electric approach make the comparison to Jon Spencer a plausible one, which only confirms how apt the duo's chosen name really is.

Cesare, for his part, is the exact opposite of a shy sidekick: his drumming is a co-protagonist of the band's sound, with its rock-solid drive and lightning-fast off-beat accents.

Much of the setlist is devoted to promoting the duo's recent second album, so the explosive (quite literally) "Mi sento come se...", "Esci piano", "Fanno meglio", "Frigido" and "Blues 2" all get a proper showcase.

The tracks are often stitched together by Adriano's explosive solos, which reveal a technique well above average.

Being just the two of them makes it easier to stay in sync, and it only takes a fleeting glance for them to launch into unplanned improvisations that represent the real added value compared to listening to the record.

The calmer, more reassuring tracks are left out, as if the two of them didn't want to interrupt the flow of explosive energy that characterizes the whole set, never allowing a dip in intensity.

Instead, "Hamburger In Love" and "Blues di merda" are brought back from the first EP, released two years ago.

The middle part of the show is used to test out a few new compositions, and the crowd's response is positive, even though the band doesn't reveal any substantial changes to their sound.

There's also a handful of covers that once again highlight Adriano and Cesare's musical roots: on one hand, the melodic vein well represented by the sonic transmutation of "Insieme a te sto bene" by Lucio Battisti; on the other, the constant nod to the great classics with a demanding, gutsy reworking of the Hendrix-esque "Voodoo Chile", in front of which BSBE hold their own remarkably well.

But the most acclaimed moment of the evening comes with the reprise of "Hey Boy Hey Girl", the Chemical Brothers track that has put them on the map in recent months.

After more than an hour of hyper-caffeinated, urban rock-blues, the two close out the set visibly worn out, but more than satisfied with the audience's excellent response.

As of today, Italy has its own Jon Spencer too.

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