“KOOL KIDS” in Dublin to finish off 2023.

The topic of Måneskin always stirs controversy. For some, their success is seen as a fantastic signal because an Italian rock band is taking the world by storm. On the other hand, there are those who harbor skepticism and believe that their fame is consistently inflated by the media.

As always, the truth lies somewhere in between. It's clear that their constant pursuit of provocation has often put them on the front pages of newspapers. Personally, I don't find it scandalous to see Damiano wearing makeup and  performing in heels and a thong when there are frontmen like Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day) or Matty Healy (the 1975) that masturbate in front of thousand people during their concerts, or to see Victoria hailed as a female rock icon when there are already plenty of women who have broken through in pop-rock (just think of Hayley Williams of Paramore).

But I believe the issue is different. The quality of the music and the influence of an artist can be two different aspects. The question of whether “Måneskin sucks” or not is subjective and depends on personal tastes. However, it's important to remember that the quality of music can be evaluated differently for everybody.

Similarly, an artist's influence can be measured through their impact on culture and society, regardless of individual opinions on their music. For example, Måneskin has achieved great international success, won the Eurovision Song Contest, and helped draw attention to the Italian music scene like no one has ever been able to before. So, even if one doesn't appreciate their music, the influence they've had is undeniable and should be acknowledged.

With that being said, how do they sound live? 

Performance

There's no denying it – whether you like them or not, Måneskin really kill it live. They move on stage with great naturalness and experience, playfully banter among themselves, and take moments to get in the crowd while performing their songs.

The attention is obviously focused entirely on Damiano, who, compared to the other three, is truly phenomenal. His gritty voice and outstanding charisma control the crowd effortlessly. Even though he moved less than expected (probably due to the heels limiting him), and in many parts where he could have pushed vocally, he seemed to restrain himself.

Victoria and Thomas seem to really enjoy themselves while playing and love interacting with the audience during the performance. It was a bit sad to see Ethan somewhat forgotten in the background. Having to stay seated the whole time, he could only engage with the crowd after the concert, where he indulged in crowd surfing. Unfortunately, the rest of the band was already backstage.

It's incredible to see how Måneskin have managed to break through internationally, and witnessing the audience, despite the language barrier, going crazy and singing their Italian songs at the top of their lungs. I heard many people outside the arena saying, "It was the best show of my life," which indicates that the show was truly top-notch.

For their performance and influence, I have no doubt in saying that they are already the most famous Italian band of all time. They might not represent the absolute best that Italian music has to offer, but if they are achieving this much international success, some credit must be given to them, right?

Setlist

Being a very young band, they have a limited discography, with three albums, the first of which consists solely of covers. In their recent concert, they played almost the entirety of their latest album, "Rush!" and six songs from their first album of original compositions, "Teatro d'ira vol.1" along with several covers.

The concert flowed well, and the arrangement of songs seemed quite fitting, with energetic moments blending well with more tranquil ones. In our opinion, placing songs like "Zitti e buoni", "Coraline", and "Beggin" at the beginning of the setlist was perhaps a bit daring. We would have preferred to see them slightly more spaced out and not "wasted" in the first twenty minutes of the show.

The acoustic segment was enjoyable (even though we couldn't see anything, as you'll find out later), where they always add a cover right after “Trastevere”, varying depending on their location. Being in Ireland, they decided to play "One" by U2. While they didn't perform it poorly, considering the recent passings of Sinéad O'Connor and Shane McGowan, a more original and up-to-date choice could have been made. I believe they chose all the covers before the tour started so we can’t really complain about that.

A particular and possibly unique moment was when they invited about twenty fans onto the stage during the song "Kool Kids".  I've seen bands invite people on stage to sing or play an instrument, but having such a large group freely roam the stage is definitely a first for me. I can't quite decide if I liked it or not. On one hand, it's undoubtedly fun and cute; on the other, I cringed a bit as initially, everyone gravitated towards Damiano and Victoria, completely forgetting about Ethan and Thomas.

It's worth noting their decision to play their most successful song, "I Wanna Be Your Slave" twice during the concert. In our view, the one at the end would have been enough, and we would have replaced the first one with "Moriro da re" or "Torna a casa", as their Italian songs are arguably better than their English ones.

Production

Undoubtedly, it was the most beautiful light setup I have ever seen. These lights were arranged in the shape of multiple interlocking quadrilaterals, forming a nesting-doll effect, constantly changing positions throughout the songs, as if manipulated from above like marionettes.

We had seen a similar setup at a Muse concert where mirrors were used in a similar way, but this time it was on a much grander scale and far more intricate. Apart from that, the band members contributed more to the entertainment than other pyrotechnic effects (I don't recall the use of fire or explosions), although the lights alone certainly did their job.

It's worth highlighting their entrance to the tune of "Don't Wanna Sleep", where Måneskin initiated a build-up of about 2 minutes behind a massive red curtain, with only their shadows visible. Damiano started singing, and at the end of the first verse, the curtain dropped, giving the sensation of jumping onto a moving train. This entrance technique is also employed by other bands like Slipknot, and I find it absolutely awesome!

Venue and crowd

The audience, as one might expect, was mostly young, with a higher number of girls than boys. It's the type of show that's not particularly strenuous; people sing, dance, and move, but without too much pushing, making it more than suitable for those who aren't fans of mosh pits or circle of death. Additionally, for those in the standing area, there's a good chance to get up close to the band members since they (accompanied by security) ventured into the crowd several times.

A significant drawback was the acoustic stage. This is a mini-stage placed in the middle of the standing audience where they play a couple of acoustic songs. Unfortunately, due to its positioning, we couldn't see anything at all except for Damiano's platinum hair, as the stage was in the lower part of the sections with seats. We were seated centrally, but not high up enough to justify any visual limitations. There were at least 10 rows behind us, and if we couldn't see anything, it means a significant portion of the arena unfortunately missed out on this part of the concert. To make matters worse, there was no way to see anything because it was the only part of the concert not shown on the big screens, why?

No specific notes on the audio, except for us realizing that we absolutely needed to buy earplugs as soon as possible.

Finishing touch

There was no opening band, which, for those who arrived very early, could make the wait feel endless. We conclude by wishing Damiano a belated happy birthday, as he recently turned 25, and with a few other rumors. It seems that Måneskin will take a break, during which Damiano will debut with his first solo album, and Victoria will embark on a world tour as a techno DJ. We'll see…

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