An intimate show, full of energy and deep emotions, happened in Naples yesterday at the Acacia Theatre.
Damien Rice performed for “Breath Project”, a charity auction in favour of an environment cause, to raise money to reforest a mountain in Sapri (near Salerno) called Monte Olivella. The show registered the sold out in a very few minutes after the tickets sale started, because the location has a capacity of 900 seats only.
Other artists joined the project like the Spanish street artist Escif, author of the artwork cover of Damien’s “My Favourite Faded Fantasy” album. Escif imagined this environment artwork – the biggest one ever made in Europe – like a battery in charge, which will increase its power day by day following the trees growth process. Some Merchandise will also be available on Indiegogo. The Italian artist Edoardo Tresoldi gave his contribution too. He is one of the most influencing artist in the world, also a sculptor and set designer known for his creations made with the transparency of mesh and with industrial materials he uses to transcend the time-space dimension and to narrate a dialogue between Art and World.
Damien Rice show was opened by the italian singer Massimo De Vita, from “Blindur”, an italian folk and alternative rock band.
Massimo lit up the bench by playing two songs of his repertory: “Aftershock” and “Come sassi”. So the energy started to grow and later on evolved with what should be remembered as one of the most amazing shows of Damien Rice in Italy.
The atmosphere was already infused with a sense of magic and with such a sense of freedom and liberty that maybe only Naples can give.
It had a magical response when Damien emerged out of the dark onto the stage alone with his acoustic guitar.
“Delicate” was the first song, followed by “The Professor & La Fille Danse”, “My Favourite Faded Fantasy”, “Older Chests”, introduced with the usual self irony and wide willingness, because he is that kind of artist who’s always at his best when on stage.
The show kept on going with “Volcano”, “Colour Me In”, “Accidental Babies”, “Nine Crimes” and the love song of songs: “I Don’t Wanna Change You”, then “Amie”. Damien also honored Leonard Cohen, who recently passed away, with “Famous Blue Raincoat”, and before closing the first part of the show he played “The Greatest Bastard” and the sweetest version of “Cannonball”.
At the end of the gig, he asked Massimo to join him on stage for an extraordinary version of an old Neapolitan song called “Era de Maggio”, a truly beautiful song written by Salvatore di Giacomo and Mario Costa, presented at the Festival di Piedigrotta in 1885.
Both Damien e Massimo, then performed in the dark along with two dancers, Jessica Dressner and Moira Cappilli, and a searchlight pierced the gloom. I imagined this was made up to try to overcome those limits, which exist only because of our five senses perception.
Soon after our own perception from the hall became quite different and it felt like being elevated on to a higher level, an effect only music can achieve.
As a result I felt that an impairment like deafness – which I personally have – or Massimo’s blindness can overcome the condition of limit, as sound and vibes can find their own way through other energetic channels.
The show ended up with “The Blower’s Daughter” and “Cheers Darling”, performed with the two dancers and a bottle of red wine. Massimo joined them for the curtain call.
The show was an extraordinary experience in all ways for all of us, and something we will keep forever in our hearts.
Luana Salvatore
editor@riocarnivalmagazine.it