Calibro 35

The lights go down and we're instantly transported back in time. Vintage look, music straight out of old Italian crime films, funk broadsides: Calibro 35 deliver the perfect formula that has turned the band from a niche phenomenon into a major point of reference on the Italian music scene. The occasion to see them live was the double Rome date at the Monk in support of their latest work "Nouvelles Aventures", with which the supergroup confirmed their intention to explore new sonic directions after the brief Morricone-themed interlude.

Somewhat surprisingly, the band is introduced on stage by Maria Chiara Giannetta, lead actress of "Blanca". The show's opening is in fact dedicated to the hit TV series, for which Calibro 35 scored the soundtrack of the second season. After this brief prequel, the actual concert kicks off with the outro from "Momentum", "Glory – Fake – Nation" and the irresistible "Stainless Steel". The latter, driven by its famous opening riff, is the first chance for Enrico Gabrielli to show off his versatile talent. The flamboyant keyboardist is in great shape, moving effortlessly between keyboards and sprawling sax solos.

The tracks from their latest album aren't long in coming, and in fact take up the entire central section of the show. The airy, driving rhythms of "Eteretaco" and the hazier, more atmospheric "Apnea" follow one another without a break. Massimo Martellotta on guitar and synths is the one who stands out most in this stretch. In a band with no real frontman, the spotlight shifts from track to track depending on whichever instrument takes the lead at any given moment.

There are no lulls, and the crowd stays locked in, lighting up whenever the best-known songs come around ("Gun Powder", for instance, draws plenty of applause). From their back catalogue they dig out "Trafelato", one of their first big hits, written a full fifteen years ago, before plunging back into their more recent aventures.

It's a pleasure to watch the intricate web the band builds, one that never leaves you missing the absence of lyrics in their songs. Zappa-esque echoes and prog flights of fancy sit comfortably alongside their new super-funk direction. The ever-crackling keyboards are an irresistible draw, and the rhythm section grows remarkably in the second half of the show (great addition in Roberto Dragonetti on bass), not least because the tempo keeps ramping up alarmingly. With "Vendetta" they really put their foot down on the accelerator, launching into an adrenaline-fuelled chase that ends with the final showdown in a Milan wrapped in the lysergic fog of "Milan Au 30ème Siècle".

There will still be time for encores, with the inevitable "Giulia Mon Amour" and "Notte in Bovisa". The general ovation shows just how much the crowd enjoyed the show. It's curious how, at one of their gigs, even knowing their style and its various offshoots inside out, you still feel swept up by a gust of fresh air.

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