Premiata Fornería Marconi

(13 /7 / 2002, Caracas, Venezuela)

Fortunately, the Venezuelan lovers of the progressive rock have been able to have the option of enjoying several concerts where some of the big legends of the gender were presented: Peter Hammill, Rick Wakeman, Yes, Peter Gabriel, Steve Hackett, Camel, Roger Waters, Fish, Ian Anderson, Kansas and The Flower Kings. All these events have been unforgettable, of discharge he bills, but in my opinion and putting to a side my Italian roots, none so moving and full with as much joy and happiness as the one that she gave Premiata Fornería Marconi July's last Saturday 13, an event that will stay cool air as much in the memory as in the hearts of the spectators that they had the opportunity to admire to this legendary Italian grouping that combines the rock, classic and Baroque influences, the jazz and the romance of the Italian popular music was. The audience was surprised, nobody was expected such a wonderful concert, the whole public it was a lot of smiles when finishing the event, because of that it is the music of PFM, it is love and devotion for the life. The whole night was an injection of happiness, positive energy, charisma, feeling, romance, aesthetics, humor and virtuosity. It was incredible to see as the band it maintains their vitality, they will be able to be advanced in age, but the spirit intact, many people they maintain it they dreamt of seeing the Premiata of the seventies and they only waited a good concert, they never thought that they will witness a near performance to those that used to give in 70 80, much more energetic and with more force than the one captured in their last live album “www.pfmpfm.it il best”.

The Premiata deployed during the whole night a very dynamic handling of the atmospheres and the emotions that it was able to maintain captured to the principle audience to end. They made people to feel happiness, but suddenly there was there was melancholy, then humor, then romance and so forth, being able to complete a trip for the emotions trafficking for the one on the way to the music of the band. It was also pleasing to appreciate like he had a good time the band while they played, it doesn't care that takes more than 30 years playing, they continue enjoying with that they make. I could also verify a companionship and a work in team that I had not seen so accented in other groups that you have played in Venezuela. Another thing that I got me the attention the domain of the scene that they have all the members of the band, was there is usually always a musician that takes charge of interactuar with the public (he is almost always the singer), but in this case all were able to be very good hosts, beginning with Franz Di Ciocco, one of the best frontaman that have had the pleasure to see, was really pleasing to do it with the pockets of its pant full with ramrods, to jump from a side to the other one deploying all its energy, coming closer to each time to the battery to hit the plates (when he played him to sing), shining its actor gifts (it has acted in diverse Italian movies) and adding theatrical elements to the show, making mime's expressions, moving as a godlike of Broadway or drawing delicate silhouettes in the romantic moments. Well it could not move and only with the expressions of their face it expressed more than a thousand movements and words together and no way of their extraordinary ability for relecionarse with the public. Franco Mussida was a real gentleman, kind, receptive and hot when speaking the public, it was enough with which he opened the mouth and he already had the captured attention. Patrick Djivas and Flavio Premoli were the most serious, but even this way the sufficiently expressive ones to capture the looks every time that he played them to play. Until the two invited musicians they got the attention, Lucio Fabbri (violin, keyboards and guitar) and Pietro Monterisi (drums and percussion), being always shown jovial, extremely educated, kind and cheerful. The recital began with Flavio Premoli's voice intoning “La carrozza di Hans”, taking out the first screams of the public's admiration that soon would put on in movement thanks to its I made happy rhythm, driven by the guitar of Mussida who would take the microphone to finish singing the topic. Then would come “Penninsula”, loaded with Baroque passages full with aesthetics and the characteristic changes of time of the gender, where while Mussida, Djivas and Premoli drew chords, Franz Di Ciocco out with the language he enjoyed each blow that distributed to its drums. The first moment would come in that Di Ciocco he got up of the drums to come to sing, leaving the instrument in charge of the invited Pietro Monterisi (who has played with Glenn Hughes and the former –Black Sabbat Toni Martín), beginning with “Out of the Roundabout”, making Gallic of its charismatic and captivating voice, but it is in “Dove ...Quando” where it would shine to the maximum its vocal qualities accompanied by the fineness and sensibility of the piano of Premoli, many people could be observed about to cry during the interpretation of this theme full with romance. Other moments full with emotion were presented with “Il Banchetto”, with the happiness that identifies it, making the public to chant it and it accompanied with their palms and when Franco Mussida will take his acoustic guitar to interpret “Dolcissima María” (one of the themes more requested by the public), with the fineness and the elegance that it characterizes it.

In “Maestro Della Voce” Patrick Djivas underlined what came making during the whole night: to play the bass with great master and showing their roots of the jazz. Then they would play a topic whose name doesn't identify that it was taken out of a musical of Broadway played for Di Ciocco, full with excellent arrangements and an extraordinary game of lights. Pity of their last production in study “Serendipity” they only played “La Revolucione”. to interpret “Mr. 9 tll 5” and “Altaloma”, Di Ciocco he sit down in their drums again, leaving the voice in charge of Premolí (it continues singing well) that it continued delighting with their keyboards and Lucio Fabbri wrapped up people with the melodies of his violin. In these two themes the guitar of Mussida had a preponderant list wasting virtuosity, feeling and showing its versatility. In “Impressioni di Settembre”, Flavio Premoli made the public to float with the atmospheres created by the emitted notes of his Moog. The alone of diverse instruments were present, the same as they were always there like links of the show and I don't eat a forced fact so that the musician makes simple elegance of his dexterity. The alone of acoustic guitar of Mussida was worthy of a great teacher, full with the wealth of the classic music, the charm of the mediterranean jazz and with a lot of creativity, but that of electric piano of Flavio Premoli didn't lag behind, he made people to float, demonstrating all her dexterity and sensibility. Franz Di Ciocco at times he gave small discharges with the drums that you moved to the audience, but if of emotion we will speak anything as the alone of electric violin in charge of Lucio Fabbri interpreting "Guillermo Tell Overture" that in passing brought the former virtuoso's memories–violinist of the band Mauro Pagani. Soon after and to close the concert he would come “E'Festa” with their rhythm full with joy, lifting the public of their seats and where Promoli would return to he would make sound for last time its Moog to everything to give marking the rule. I have written all that I have written and but sits down that I have not been able to express what made me feel the music of PFM, regrettably the show it finished and they didn't sing “Chocolate Kings” (jejejejeje), but an injection of vitality receives all those that we could see these big teachers and it is what is always after listening its music: love for the life, desires of living even more the life!!!!!! really that this band is one of the biggest gifts that the music has been able to us to give in all its history. Thank you to the ACIC to have brought to another extraordinary grouping, they were written down another positive point in the history of the events in Venezuela, the most sincere congratulations for the whole organizing team. 

Roberto Palmitesta  
www.escenarock.com