Massimo Volume

What was this double event, if not the sincere and rightful celebration of a legend? For Bologna, Massimo Volume are more than a source of pride, they're an identity: the silent scream of the outskirts at night, the apparent calm before and after the storm. For anyone from Bologna, by birth or by spirit, being there was almost a moral duty.

Opening the Friday night bill were fellow travelers Bachi da Pietra: a pairing that's far from new, but which this time finds its accomplice in the release of a split, declared by vocalist Giovanni Succi to be the first in Italy to see two bands "cover" each other. In a room still filling up, the unusual duo unhesitatingly unleashes its most electric side, sealed by the recent "Quarzo". A musical vision entirely their own has carried them to national recognition, an effectiveness built on few but essential elements; the clattering guitar sound drags heavily behind it the rumble of Bruno Dorella's tom, whose dull, stripped-down drum thuds simulate the grim passage of time. They're at their best on "Notte delle blatte", a kind of new manifesto for their sick blues, the merciless "Dragamine" and "Orologeria", almost a more reflective than roaring "Dazed and Confused". Rightly finding room too is a fine cover of Massimo Volume's "Litio", which the band will return in kind with an interesting reworking of "Morse".

And now, on to them. There's still real joy at their return, but above all at their staying power, with something close to a perpetual tour between Bologna and the rest of Italy. Since their first, unexpected reappearance, numerous dates have followed, right up to the release of "Cattive Abitudini", a body of songs that over time reveals a surprising maturity: assembled piece by piece over long years, carrying with it their weight and wisdom; the live dimension remedies what is perhaps the album's only flaw, reinvigorating its sound with the depth that only a public performance can give it.

"Mimì" Clementi, poète maudit of a visibly worn-out country: his lyrics speak once again of disorientation, broken ties and processed solitude ("Io non ti cerco/ Io non ti aspetto/ Ma non ti dimentico"). Alongside his own rigor and that of Sommacal's guitar, the harmonies of Stefano Pilia have now become a permanent fixture, the new prodigy of solo avant-garde, who brings unheard-of shades to the stage with modern techniques, a post-rock lyricism running parallel to and complementing the band's classic expressive line - a second soul, essentially; it's worth dwelling on this point, because it holds much of what defines their triumphant return, mediated by a new repertoire that's musically and "semantically" extremely rich.

So, the first night, encore aside, is dedicated to their latest effort: from the fitting, necessary opener "Robert Lowell" - which shakes the soul to its foundations more with every listen - to the twilight nostalgia of "Avevi fretta di andartene", from the nervous electricity of "Litio" to the genuine spiritual testament "Mi piacerebbe ogni tanto averti qui", the most sincere emotion you'll feel these days. It may sound trivial (or maybe not), but what makes any Massimo Volume show irreplaceable is their intrinsic ability to bare themselves without reservation, every time just as much as the last, tireless and sincere until the very last moment. Completely at ease because they're "among friends", as the legendary frontman puts it.

It's precisely this particular devotion to the Bologna audience, clearly reciprocated, that created the occasion for the weekend's second date at Covo Club: a setlist put together by the fans themselves, who in the preceding days were able to vote online for their favorite songs from the '90s to today. With this humble and much-appreciated "nostalgia operation", the four musicians arrange their classic repertoire thoughtfully and with sure impact, adding a few repeats from the previous night - songs that have evidently already taken their place in the audience's memory - in a whirlwind of words that, like Clementi's understated delivery, show no sign of aging. Titles ça va sans dire: "Il primo dio", "Atto definitivo", "Meglio di uno specchio", "Pizza Express", "Senza un posto dove dormire"... and then the obsessive redundancy of "Alessandro", the abrasions of "Fuoco fatuo", a "Stanze" more furious and primordial than ever, the devastating intrusion of "Ororo". Memories that truly belong to those who have understood the power of this music and its message; emotions untouched by the passing years, yet still able to convey the "lament of time"; chills, on the surface as much as in the deepest depths, the kind so few know how to reach and tell.

On Friday night Vittoria Burattini revealed to us that Emidio had a fever, despite having held the stage with his usual "quiet grandeur". The following night, as they came back out to perform, I asked him if he was feeling better, and with a smile he told me he was. I wanted to tell him "me too".

Thanks to Francesco Fanale for the photo contributions

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