Tutti Fenomeni

Three albums into his career, and the trajectory of Tutti Fenomeni keeps getting more and more interesting: a singer-songwriter who's now making a name for himself well beyond the boundaries of that oblique it-pop scene from which he sprouted at the turn of the decade. Three albums are enough loot for Giorgio Guarascio, his real name, to put together a solid setlist, offered up to an adoring crowd ready to sing every song back word for word.

We caught the opening night of the arena tour in support of his recent “Monday” (a record that finally seems to have won over most critics too), a tour that kicked off with two sold-out shows at Rome's Atlantico – no small feat given the number of overlapping music events happening in the Capital that same night, forcing fans to pick and choose. At the very same time, in various venues, gigs were taking place from Ditz, Marta Del Grandi, his friend Fulminacci and Tullio De Piscopo. But Tutti Fenomeni has by now built a die-hard fanbase that doesn't waver.

Giorgio's playing on home turf here – he's Roman, born in 1996 – and the fans' affection is palpable. His is a narrative that speaks to anyone currently in their thirties, delivered through a thoroughly personal style. Between name-dropping, cynicism and elaborate wordplay, Tutti Fenomeni churns out catchy choruses, potential hits for the indie circuit, and – in the live setting – a decidedly guitar-driven edge. His lyrics draw partly on personal experience, and partly amount to bold jabs at a present day that can, at times, feel like a lot to bear.

Giorgio doesn't neglect the classics – we can start calling them that by now – from his first two albums, pulling out seven tracks from “Rare privilege” and four from his debut “Funeral goods”. The show kicks off, somewhat surprisingly, in total solitude, under dim lights, with an a cappella reading of the lyrics to “La felicità del cane”; applause follows, then he launches straight into “Vanagloria”.

Halfway through the set, during “Cantanti”, he weaves in excerpts from Achille Lauro (“Incoscienti giovani”), Francesco de Gregori (“La donna cannone”) and Antonello Venditti, tributes to fellow true-blue Romans, just like him. The song isn't even over yet when Kid Yugi joins him onstage – the two recorded the duet “Eroina” together, and an excerpt of it gets a reprise here.

In the closing stretch, the clarinet adds an extra touch of elegance to the sound of the band, made up of Giovanni De Sanctis (bass), Francesco Aprili (drums), Francesco Bellani (synth) and Giorgio Conte (guitars). Well-regarded by producers who carry real clout (Niccolò Contessa and Giorgio Poi have both produced his records), Guarascio is starting to claim a bit of vindication after the harsh bad luck that initially hit him hard (along with many of his peers): “Merce Funebre”, his debut, was in fact never properly promoted, having come out in January 2020, just days before the lockdowns imposed to deal with the pandemic. Thankfully, all that now feels like a distant memory, and those songs are breathing new life – “Marcel” above all stands out as one of the most enjoyable, upbeat moments of the set.

The show closes with the sweet notes of “Love Is Not Enough”, one collective final embrace for a song worthy of the best homegrown indie-pop has to offer.

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