Verdena

The biggest discovery in the wake of the release of the first volume of "Endkadenz", a work that raises the bar on an artistic path already as excellent as very few others in the history of Italian alternative rock, is that Verdena are starting to gather quite a few detractors. Browsing the web, it's not hard to find a growing irritation towards a band as beloved by fans as it is poorly tolerated by those who'd rather not acknowledge their staggering merits. The only advice for everyone can be to go see them live, a dimension in which their qualities come across even more amplified. Among other things, the band has always kept ticket prices low, a gesture that alone would be worth attending for.

Rome is the eighth stop of what looks set to be a long, triumphant tour; the band arrives here on the back of a string of sold-out shows, and the Atlantico is no exception, packed as rarely before. The evening opens with Jennifer Gentle, whose lopsided psych-rock warms up the crowd for about three quarters of an hour. But the real anticipation is for Alberto, Roberta and Luca, who, without wasting time on chit-chat, kick things off with three tracks from the new album (from which eleven out of thirteen tracks will be performed): the epic "Ho una fissa", with its highs and lows loaded with emotion, the fast and fun "Un po' esageri" and the more experimental "Sci desertico", built on synthetic textures. The first part of the set leans on the two most recent records (from "Wow" come "Loniterp" and "Per sbaglio"), then the gears shift and here comes "Starless", real chills for those who've followed the band from the start, the only pick from "Just a Big Rock", making up the decisive six minutes of the night.

The show flows smoothly, Alberto splits his time between guitar and piano, Roberta hops around having fun, Luca unleashes disarming power, perhaps a touch more composed compared to previous tours, but the tightness they display is ever more enviable. "Attonito", driven by waves of fuzz, paves the way for the furious "Lui gareggia", barely more than a minute of rare sonic violence, then "Canos" leads into the acoustic interlude made up of "Nevischio", "Trovami un modo semplice per uscirne" and the ever-evocative "Razzi arpia inferno e fiamme": applause breaks out mid-show.

The slow, steady "Inno del perdersi" leaves everyone entranced, tonight it's the best of the new songs, while "Valvonauta" once again proves to be one of the most effective generational anthems of recent years.

"Puzzle", "Scegli me" and "Muori delay" follow each other in quick succession before "Rilievo" brings the first part of the set to a close, with a blazing finale built entirely around chasing percussion.

A few minutes later and it's back on with the notes of "Nuova luce", then the technical-knockout combo of "Luna"/"Don Calisto" leaves everyone breathless, stops hearts, drives the crowd to exhaustion, to an ever more unconditional love for the Lombard trio.

It's left to “Funeralus” to close out the night, its dreamlike atmospheres perfectly matched by special lighting effects that seem to hide the band on stage.

Everyone might have their own quibbles: maybe almost none of the new tracks are on par with a “Starless” or a “Luna”, maybe too much of the old genuine energy is being sacrificed today in the search for new directions, maybe Roberta was cuter as a brunette, sure, but when these (former?) kids pick up their instruments and play, well, they tear the place apart, and move you like few others can.

And we're already counting down to their next Roman date, July 14th at Postepay Rock In Roma, when the setlist will also include songs from the second “Endkadenz”. In the meantime, though, let's make the most of the first one. Much to the dismay of an ever-growing number of detractors.

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