atarassia grop bologna city rockers

Bologna City Rockers 22: report and photos

Hard Skin, Nabat, Saints&Sinners, Atarassia Grop, Clear Cut, Middle Finger and Frode live @ Sottotetto, Bologna

We haven’t brought Radio Punk’s merch around since the 27th of August in Viterbo. A pretty long break, considering that  during this year we’ve been bringing our dinosaur all over the nation, as if we were organized hooligans. We certainly missed the concerts’ air, greeting punks and skins, friends and comrades. We missed power chords, sing alongs, the moshing, the tupa tupa and tupa tupa. Which better chance to get back on track than the 22nd edition of Bologna City Rockers?!
So we gather up bag and baggage and head to Sottotetto aka the place with the highest stage in history and we put out our merch, including the banner dedicated to Massa, member of Radio Punk’s family that would have celebrated his birthday at midnight. Stefano Massa always in our hearts.

The kind of mood in the air is the one of big events, infact Bologna City Rockers has got us used to immaculate organization and bombastic names. The show starts early, or on time, with Frode, simple oi!, very direct and with angry lyrics. Unfortunately most of the audience hasn’t arrived yet and the band’s performance is probably affected by this. Anyway I liked them and I’d like to see them again in front of more people and in a smaller place.

Up next come Middle Finger, street punk band with melodic and powerful riffs that impresses me quite much because people start coming in and also because of the charismatic presence of the singer.
They’ve been a great discovery of this BCR edition. Check them out, you won’t be disappointed!
At this point we get to know that Pretesto are not going to play: a real shame because we were very curious to hear the oi-core band from Turin. In the meantime Clear Cut get ready to jump on stage.
The band, one of the few oi! local bands I had never seen live, doesn’t disappoint me at all and manages to give us a compact and violent range of their blasting oi songs.

As Clear Cut’s show comes to an end we take a look around and we soon realize that the moment we were all waiting has finally come. One of my favorite bands, one of the very first punk, oi or as they define themselves “Combat Burdèl” bands I have listened to is about to start playing. Right from the first note I get goosebumps, chills, emotions and memories. Here are Atarassia Grop! They start with “l’oltretorrente” and follow with “non si può fermare il vento” and “Siamo sempre insieme a voi”, “vi odio” probably my favorite antifascist hymn together with Tear me Down’s “10 100 1000 Acca Larentia”, and finally “sciarpe tese”, most likely the first song of its kind I heard when I first approached the football world. The heart goes where it wants, so thanks to Atarassia Grop for these 30 minutes of pure pathos and thanks BCR for bringing them back!

With a stupid smile on my face I get back to the merch table and the time comes for the Czech band “Saints and sinners” to play. The only problems for the trio from Praga are that they play after Atarassia Grop and are probably unknown to most of the audience. Anyhow the good thing of concerts should be the opportunity to know new bands so… Anyway as other English singing bands of the kind , they’ re not my favorite, but they know how to manage the stage, the frontman’s presence is not easy to ignore and the songs are melodic at the right point, without becoming sickening.
In front there were half of the people there were with Atarassia Grop, but I’m sure it was a good chance for them to be known more. I liked them and if they came back I would go see them.

Now it’s Nabat’s turn, a band I’ve seen playing great shows this summer at Distruggi la Bassa and Tuscia Hardcore. I’ve seen them at least a thousand times and I could listen to them every day and sing like a freak. Apparently it’s the same for the kids as they bring total mayhem under the stage, diving and moshing as there were no tomorrow. I’m happy that Nabat play songs from “Banda Randagia”, an album I think is great as much as the new song presented today, still now the refrain is imprinted in my brain “porto la mia croce sono uno skinhead” (“I bring my cross, I’m a skinhead”). A great ending with their big time classics and Nabat going beyond legend.
After getting a mouthful of air outside it’s time to go back inside to see the last band. Hard Skin, sarcastic oi band that everyone knows for their sympathy! I don’t speak good English, but I have to say that they made a good impression on me. The trio plays a happy and light-hearted oi! – don’t ask me about the lyrics and themes – that got me going! They might be our Billy Boy e la sua banda. Anyhow our kids were enthusiastic and for the first time we managed to stay sober at Sottotetto! Next time will be better, we promise!
And so we come to the end and, as always, we’d like to thank Bologna City Rockers and Hellnation which organized another great show, Anfibio, Tornado Ride, Nutty and Bug Radio Show for the companionship and anyone else who tried to get us drunk, failing miserably. A big greeting to everyone and nevermind this report, I was sober, I could have written a bunch of bullshit! I’ll see you guys on Friday at Vecchio Son!

Live Report by Tom
Photos by Zoe – Radio Punk
Translation by Dende

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