Calibro 35 + Guest Star

A memorable, intimate evening took place on Wednesday, October 6, on the occasion of the recording of a concert by Calibro 35 at the RAI Auditorium on Via Asiago in Rome.

Admission was extremely limited for the show hosted by Gerardo Panno and Silvia Boschero, which aired two days later on the national broadcaster's airwaves.

The performance was enriched by the magnetic presence of three exceptional guests: Manuel Agnelli, Afterhours bassist Roberto Dell'Era, and Georgeanne Kalweit, best known as the voice of Delta V, now engaged in a new artistic venture called Kalweit And The Spokes, alongside Leziero Rescigno (on loan from Amor Fou) and Giovanni Calella.

Calibro 35 took the stage in their standard lineup, with Enrico Gabrielli on keyboards, horns and backing vocals, Massimo Martellotta on guitar, Luca Cavina on bass, Fabio Rondanini on drums and Tommaso Colliva in the production booth.

The band offered their well-established mix of themes lifted from 1970s Italian crime-film soundtracks and original compositions that draw on the same vein, so faithful in approach that it was impossible to tell the covers from the originals.

The idea behind the project is admirable, since the band's aim isn't merely to rehash famous songs, but to carry out a kind of archaeological research: recovering a priceless, largely unknown musical heritage that certainly deserves to be rediscovered and reappraised.

The flawless performances were interspersed with brief interviews with the musicians conducted by the two hosts; Calibro 35 were thus able to discuss their artistic choices and their present and future projects, which will see the band working on the soundtrack for the TV series "Romanzo criminale 2," scoring the film "Milano odia," releasing a collaborative record with Dell'Era, Dente and Il Genio ("Il Lato Beat Vol. I"), and heading out on a jaunt to the States, confirming them as one of the few Italian musical acts capable of exporting themselves.

As expected, the evening's key moments came when the three guests took center stage, lending their voices to a handful of the songs performed.

The first guest star to step up on stage was Roberto Dell'Era, a singer-songwriter who has served as Afterhours' bassist since 2006.

Backed by his trademark verve and a charmingly glam-inflected stage presence, Roberto once again proved himself a credible, accomplished singer, delivering reinterpretations of "L'appuntamento" (Ornella Vanoni's biggest hit, dating back to 1970 and already featured on Calibro 35's debut album) and "Il beat cos'è," a cover of an old Sonny Bono song recently released as part of the "Il Lato Beat" project.

Right after came Georgeanne Kalweit, who gracefully and stylishly reinterpreted "Tutta donna", a track some will remember as Lola Falana's 1967 hit.

Then Calibro 35 lit the fuse, running through the best of the two albums released so far between guest appearances ("Calibro 35" from 2009 and "Ritornano quelli di…" from 2010), excelling in particular on the more driving tracks, like "Eurocrime!" and "L'esecutore".

Gabrielli's flair and energy, Martellotta's intricate guitar work, the pulse of Cavina's bass (his parallel project Zeus! is releasing an album these very days) and Rondanini's Olympian composure (what chops, guys!) were truly a sight to behold.

And let's not forget Manuel Agnelli's moment: the undisputed icon of the Italian alt-rock scene treated the audience to his personal take on Corvi's "Ragazzo di strada", a fully successful exercise that drew rapturous applause from those present.

At the end of the show the atmosphere was relaxed, with the performers happily mingling with the fans who showed up, no star poses needed.

A truly great evening, one of those that aren't easily forgotten.

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