BOLOGNA CITY ROCKERS 15 – February 3rd, 2018 – Sottotetto, Bologna

2018 starts off with a bang for our concert season. We had waited for this evening for a long time: Oi Polloi, Nucleo Terco, S-Contro, Coru&Figau, The 80’s, The Unborn, Rebelde, Tondino Bois; all cleverly assembled by the Bologna City Rockers crew at the Sottotetto Soundclub.

We leave with loads of beer boxes and excellent company, so that the journey runs so quietly that between one chat and another we almost go the wrong way!

We arrive at the now familiar Sottotetto on time for the first group, Tondino Bois, a simple and exuberant oi! band from Tuscany, that makes us immediately get into the concert atmosphere. A note of merit for the group’s faithful supporters/friends who never move from under the stage, showing enthusiasm for every song and involving the whole audience in the end with “Frana La Curva” by Erode.

Tondino Bois – Credit to https://www.facebook.com/benedettabassiphoto/

The time to take a look at the distros, greet old friends and hand out Radio Punk flyers (oh, yes, we are workaholics), and it’s the turn of the proud Sardinians Coru&Figau (heart and liver).We already know them thanks to the benefit compilation for Gimmy. Strong and powerful Street Punk, thanks to the particular feeling among the four; congratulations to the boys who literally gave “heart and liver” on stage.

Coru & Figau – Credit photo https://www.facebook.com/benedettabassiphoto/

The next band arrives from Viterbo wearing ski masks. We’re talking about The Unborn, a band that mixes street punk with scenes inspired by thriller, horror, noir and sci-fi movies. The first impact is positive thanks also to Motorhead influences and their presence on stage, their performance runs smoothly without big twists and turns.

The Unborn – Credit photo https://www.facebook.com/benedettabassiphoto/

Rapid stage changeover and it’s the turn of Rebelde from Forlì, who with their mix of oi! and hardcore punk give us a powerful and angry set, thanks also to their anti-fascist lyrics. We are very happy about their return and we enjoyed them a lot! Among the best of the evening, great!

Rebelde – Credit photo https://www.facebook.com/benedettabassiphoto/

“Old perspectives for a tomorrow looking to the day before yesterday”. Here, with this quote taken from their Facebook page, we introduce to you The’ 80’s, a quartet with two members from Colonna Infame and two from Plakkaggio. The band makes everybody sing, resurrecting with a romantic vein some tracks from the Italian oi scene of the eighties. Finale with “Rivolta” that makes everybody lose their vocal cords.

The ’80’s – Credit Photo https://www.facebook.com/benedettabassiphoto/

From Madrid, Nucleo Terco, a street punk or better “proletarian rock” band. We were really excited because it was one of the first groups of the kind we had listened to and, as expected, they were great on stage with all their energy and desire to fight, on and off stage. A setlist full of all their masterpieces sung with ferocity; on “Esquirol” we exploded!

Nucleo Terco – credit photo https://www.facebook.com/benedettabassiphoto/

Opening another alcoholic beverage we realize that it is the time of S-Contro, a piece of punk hardcore history from Turin, reunited on stage for the occasion. Despite the understandable rust that only sometimes could be noticed, the group performed well taking people a few years back, hyping skins and punks with masterpieces of the genre such as “King Of Fools”,”Campioni di Cosa?”,””Ma Che Cosa Resta di Noi” and the great No Tav song “Oggi Comandiamo Noi”.

S-Contro – Credit photo https://www.facebook.com/benedettabassiphoto/

The historic Scottish band Oi Polloi, like Nucleo Terco, is here for a single Italian date.

For about an hour, the band makes people move, sing and sweat with their legendary and very personal street punk mixed with a political attitude typical of anarcho-punk.

Despite our disappointment for the absence of the long-awaited “Nazi Scum”, the band performed all their masterpieces. Anti-fascist, anti-Sexist and pro-working class political speeches together with a great involvement of the audience despite all these years of tireless activity made this concert a blast!

Oi Polloi! Oi! Oi! Oi! – credit photo https://www.facebook.com/benedettabassiphoto/
Oi Polloi – Credit Photo https://www.facebook.com/benedettabassiphoto/

In conclusion, this first live of 2018 was definitely unique and special, thanks also to an excellent final DJ set that made us dance until the end!

And now, our first top 3 of 2018!

TOP 3:
1-Rebelde as an icing on the performance cake give us a modified version of Erode’s “Affanculo” with, instead of the invitation to fuck off, a beautiful angry blasphemy!

2-The incredible organization of the evening, like all the BCR ones. We want to congratulate these boys and girls who are working a lot to reunite the scene and make us sing like crazy under the stage.

3-Beer & Borghetti: a lot of beer for the whole evening and a great ending with the Borghetti provided by Sottotetto. It felt like being at the stadium!

Until next time, folks!

Live report by E.Z. & T.S.
Translation by E.C.