Maneskin's provocative insolence in Montreux

Italian band Maneskin performed at the Auditorium Stravinski on July 12. In front of a very varied audience, the group imposed its own style. While the band's personality was clearly visible, the personalities of its members were absent.

The Maneskin group kicks off immediately with Zitti et Buoni, the song that helped them win Eurovision in 2021, gradually pushing them to the top of several international music charts. The band's energy, particularly that of lead singer Damiano, seems to permeate the crowd. Children, young people, adults and the not-so-young are swept along by this wave of catchy nonchalance. For the first fifteen minutes, there's not a second's pause between the three songs that open the concert! And there's barely a moment between the remaining songs. A fine performance of endurance from these four (very) young Italians.

Dripping with glitter from the outset - with the exception of the guitarist, who sports glitter on one of his guitars! - the pop-rock band delivers most of its biggest hits, such as I wanna be your slave or CORALINE, but also covers. The audience sways to My generation of the famous British rock band The Who or, in a different vein, on a track that may have surprised even the most purist in the room: Womanizer by Britney Spears. A heresy for a concert that claims to rock? Perhaps, but this cover is so seamlessly introduced into the show that it doesn't stand out any more than it does.

Unique eccentricity, but no impulsiveness

The band's extravagance seems to get the better of them, to assert their confidence and reject any form of mockery from the audience regarding the famous surprise cover. But it's also simply the way they perform: the singer chews gum and at times verges on negligence. By contrast, the other band members, notably the bassist and guitarist, give their all, even if it means ending up on the floor after certain tracks. The fact remains that the singer's nonchalance takes up so much space that his companions are sometimes obliterated, except during their solos of course. The drummer, placed at the very back of the stage, goes almost unnoticed.

Although few words were spoken to the audience during most of the concert, and only by the singer (a little personal encouragement from the other band members would not have gone amiss to make this concert unique), the band invited a few privileged people to join them on stage for the last song. A bit paradoxical and ill-feeling for a concert where spontaneity was sometimes lacking.

Write to the author: erica.berazategui@leregardlibre.com

Header image: Italian band Maneskin at the Montreux Jazz Festival on July 12, 2022 © Marc Ducrest

You've just read an open-access article. Debates, analysis, cultural news: subscribe to support us and get access to all our content!