Immanuel Casto in concert at Bologna’s Estragon – Review
Estragon, in Bologna, tonight hosts porn-groove phenomenon Immanuel Casto.
This is not a new project for me. I first met this character in 2010 when the lead singer of DNR (a band in which I played keyboardist from 2007 to 2010), played me the song Anal Beat; in the office for the next two weeks became the hit of the moment. That was a signal of how far the phenomenon would expand in the years to come. The second meeting I had with Casto was last year at Red Ronnie ‘s RoxyBar where he performed and presented some of his songs as well as the game of his invention SQUILLO (of which I am an avid player). Sorry but the premise was a must. Back to us at this time.
The tour is titled“Dreaming of Krakow,” and Casto is joined by the enchanting voice of Romina Falconi, whom most will know from her participation in the 2012 edition of XFactor; the image of Immanuel Casto and Romina Falconi towers on the stage. I remember Romina back in the MySpace days 😉 And she has come a long way from there.
The anticipation is festive, to some of the girls I have by my side I asked “How would you define this pre-concert music?““Sought-after trash, perfectly in line with some of the characters in the venue” I won’t mention names because I don’t even remember them. The start of the late concert. We have to wait until 11 a.m.; but soon the wait is unraveled and the audience begins to warm up. The opening track is almost a teaser, and I find it a good choice; Casto debuts with“Tonight we will make love. All… So we ask you, are you ready to have your pc opened up?” It’s a great start with the track Crash. And in sequence also comes“Zero Carbohydrates” anticipated by Casto’s line, which I would call cult of the evening “I would start by warming up the glutes a bit because you know, the butt has to be kept in training for the passage of heavy loads.”
The concert is decidedly straightforward, the audience goes along with it: some passionate and some fascinated by the genre. I believe that the texts, when thoroughly analyzed, launch a flood of messages and provocations that in this day and age should be addressed in the places where our future is decided, but we know, in those places people are thinking about more than that. You may disagree with me, but the overflowing Estragon tells of a musical phenomenon that goes far beyond what it may superficially represent. In addition, the Casto-Falconi pairing (or pile-up) seems to me to be very successful and apt. The use of electronics is just right, seasoned to the point, and it is on Anal Beat that the audience explodes. During the concert there were six songs presented by Romina Falconi as a soloist: sorry but as a soloist it disappoints me, I’d rather have a beer to wait for Casto again… Casto re-enters and sings a very special version of “Fever” in which Romina Falconi ‘s voice finally shows itself for what it is: a great voice. In my opinion, they have sewn songs on her that perhaps do not do her full justice, and I sincerely hope that in her future artistic journey she can take the right path. All of this is justified by the fact that during the song “Fever” she was enhanced to the fullest and the audience enjoyed it, whereas during her solo speeches the audience(at least half where I was) did not appreciate it.
“Fist Fucking” and the track“AnusMouthHand,” in my opinion, the shoddiest tracks in the repertoire. They unfortunately convey a sense of boredom compared to the rest, an almost forced repetitiveness to want to fill the lineup (?). I hope not. Perhaps it is just some of Casto‘s less strong songs put on the set list. The evening is progressing and coming to an end. Casto gives us two more hits that are a true critique of today’s world in which there are girls who are willing to sell their bodies for paltry money and at the same time for ridiculous amounts of money: “Escort25” and “50 mouth 100 love” are the songs that conclude the concert.
What to say. I had long marked myself to go and hear him live, and all in all he is among the concerts I enjoyed this year. Only flaw, overdoing the presence of Romina’s solo songs in the setlist but surely there must be a reason and I am certainly not the best judge to where to syndicate this choice. Romina has enormous potential, an artist about whom I am sure we will hear a lot in the future. His voice and presence however bewitched me. Otherwise an enjoyable concert, with some dull moments, but well worth seeing. I greatly esteem Casto’s provoking on the one hand and at the same time seeking attention to sensitive issues that are often never seriously addressed, a great way to destabilize this Italian audience now under the soporific effect of no one knows what…the message I will take home tonight will be:
“After all, this country is like that. There are pedophile priests hiding behind the Sunday service. The perfect fathers of families who can’t wait to divert the routine and escape to an exchange club. Girls who are willing to do anything to earn that famous 50 euros. Human beings willing to do anything to take care of their image. But also normal people, who have realized that you can also smile and joke while singing lyrics that are ironic about these modern times that we still don’t know where they will take us…”
See you next Immanuel&Romina, a beautiful winning couple.
Goodnight Bologna.
