Pixies

A mini Italian tour that proved more troubled than expected, that of the Pixies, originally scheduled for the summer of 2020 and postponed twice due to the restrictions imposed to tackle the pandemic. But in the end the moment arrived, taking shape first with the prestigious support slot (which in 1991 would have taken on the meaning of a premature changing of the guard) for Pearl Jam, on Saturday 25 June, in the vastness of the Imola racetrack, and then with the planned return in August down in Lecce. In between, the Rome date on Monday 27 June, held in the Cavea space of the Auditorium Parco della Musica named after Maestro Ennio Morricone. With the little chairs that for years made up the floor seating now removed, this summer everyone stands under the stage in the Cavea: a few more tickets get sold and the events take on more of an "arena" feel.

As expected, the set by Gomma kicks off at 8:15pm sharp, under a cloudy sky that at dusk tries in vain to ease the brutal heat of these days. "Opening slots are never easy," Ilaria Formisano will say towards the end of the set, half an hour delivered with real vehemence, dusting off the guitar-oriented sounds of the best Italian alternative rock of the 90s, including tracks like "Holy cow" and "Drum", which in no time have risen to the status of minor classics of our independent scene. Three albums released so far, which make Gomma one of the most interesting acts on the Italian underground circuit. Opening for the Pixies is a big responsibility, but also an official investiture. And the band pull it off admirably.

The 90s, as we were saying, the decade the Pixies helped shape with their pre-breakup albums, adored by those (among them a certain Kurt Cobain) who would soon after know how to cash in on it better than they did. The four albums released between 1987 and 1991 (the first two in particular) remain essential for fully decoding the indie-garage-rock scene of those years and for better understanding everything that happened right after. Today Frank Black and co. are fully aware of what they represent and, even without ever interacting with the audience, build the backbone of their shows precisely on those records, since almost the entire setlist is made up of songs from "Come On Pilgrim", "Surfer Rosa" and "Doolittle", leaving only a few scraps for the post-reunion albums.

A concert that, aside from a few rough edges (Joey Santiago doesn't always seem fully focused), takes on the shape of a true "greatest hits" set. A full 36 songs played in an hour and 55 minutes, sequenced without a single pause, like an uninterrupted stream of consciousness, during which the Pixies play pretty much everything you'd expect. The performances are a touch too polished, it's true, at times lacking in bite, but the thrill of hearing these evergreens again sweeps away any further complaint. With "Where Is My Mind?" confirming itself as a generational anthem and the Boston band's most popular track, and "There's A Moon On" perfectly placed to build a bridge toward their next album, "Doggerel", due out on September 30.

Among the standout moments is the drawn-out intro to "Gouge Away", during which the crowd dances as if possessed by some mysterious force, as well as the de-fanged noise of "Vamos", the imperious attack of "River Euphrates", a "Gigantic" in which bassist Paz Lechantin steps into the shoes once worn by the beloved Kim Deal, and the unkillable "Debaser", played as if it were the last song on earth. And yet another ten or so songs still follow, including an encore worked out on the spot: Frank signals he can't push his voice any further, so drummer David Lovering takes center stage for the closing "La La Love You".

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