Once you're there...

Let’s face it: we’re on the verge of something that is going to happen and from which we are all going to learn a lesson. If you are driving in the UK in this period you must have noticed that the streets are packed with scared drivers. When I say “scared”, I do mean it. I know it because I am afraid as well. Afraid of what ? Well, something bad is going to happen in a few hours and once it becomes reality, there is no way to go back.
Get in your car, turn on your stereo, put your seat belts on and chill out thinking that you’re going home after a long day in the office.
Everything is fine until you drive by the first service station (or “garage” as you want to call it): the monster is there.
The price for a litre of Diesel is £ 0.99 and within a few hours the first pumps will start selling it at £ 1. Once you pass that psychological threshold it is too late: they have won again. Of course there is a big fuss about it, people complain and say this is not acceptable but..how long will it last ? Just give it a week or two and we’ll be back to normality this time hoping “they” will be fair and that they will be good with us for a while.
In Italy I heard that Codacons (one of the biggest consumers association) said “people should not fill their tanks completely and perhaps they should empty their boots, the ashtrays, use the car only if absolutely necessary and even drive slower”. Rubbish: totally rubbish. It’s all about time and we’ll be begging multinationals such as Shell and Esso to be fair once again. They will tell us it is not possible to do otherwise and will give us a radio or a bag every 25 tanks we fill up.
I know I am not giving the solution to this problem, I know there are other subjects worth my and your time, I even know I’ll fill up my tank this afternoon simply because I need my car in my everyday life but as the day I will tell all these people to fuck off gets closer, I realize that this is just the tip of an iceberg which includes ostracism towards electrical cars, alternative ways of locomotion, environmentally friendly politics, peace in the middle-east, strange viruses, weird video-messages…


Yesterday I was in the BBC studios in White City checking out a few songwriters. I had an amazing time also because I could see Arsenal win with a thrill due to Riquelme missing a penalty at the very last minute. I hate saying that but I knew he was going to miss it because in that penalty there is the whole career of a player who started being called “the new Maradona” when he was 16 and ended up playing for Villareal. Another lesson learned.

Quando non servono le parole

Primo giorno da solo in casa dopo quasi 3 settimane di lavori con i miei splendidi operai ed un week-end da brividi con una persona che mi ha regalato quest'emozione discoidale.
Come non pensare che ha ragione lei quando dice che tornera' presto, molto presto ?
Glielo auguro. Io aspetto.

State bene cosí

Chi mi conosce sa che cerco di tenermi il piú possibile lontano dal turpiloquio al quale so dedicarmi in occasioni tanto rare quanto epocali.
Per questa ragione spero di non offendere la sensibilitá dei 4 lettori (cosí facciamo contenta pure la quinta lettrice) che passano di sfuggita qua sopra.
Giorni fa mentre pennellavo, tiravo su tavole, giravo viti e buttavo cartoni nell’ambito dei lavori di italianizzazione dell mia nuova casa mi veniva in mente questa considerazione.
Premettendo che l’unico modo che io e il parentame sparso tra le quattro mura avevamo di tenerci aggiornati erano gli SMS mandatici dall’Italia (a tal proposito ringrazio la sesta lettrice di questo blog – ma di lei mi occuperó in seguito) e quindi l’impressione che ho tutt’ora e’ alquanto rarefatta, pensavo al seguente concetto.

Fermo restando che chi vota per il centro-sinistra e’ “coglione” (che questi siano in numero paro o disparo cambia di poco la questione), pensavo che il numero delle “teste di cazzo” in Italia fosse quantomeno la metá. Invece cosí non e’. Qui qualcosa non quadra.
Comunque la mia conclusione e’ come da titolo.

Per il resto tutto bene. La nuova casa si sta rifacendo il trucco grazie soprattutto ai due lavoranti e consanguinei senza cui tutto questo non sarebbe stato altro che un sogno. Riavró internet fra poco meno di due settimane ma nel frattempo sono giá contento di poter dormire nel mio letto. Davvero tutto mio.

Bang, missed, gone...

See you in a week or so. Sad to leave, happy to get there.
Try not to miss me. Hit me if you can.

Bits & pieces e altro ancora

As promised: life has changed and I think it's done it for good this time. I mentioned I got the keys to my new home yesterday and it feels kind of weird to know that that place is mine and I can paint it all black or purple if I want to.
Ok maybe I won't do it but, still, owning something that stands, doesn't move, doesn't talk too much, doesn't want me to listen to what it says and stuff like that is something I have never done before. Never.
I feel too rational today so I reckon I won't be able to explain anything more than that; numbers flow in my mind and time is not really on my side as I have to organize my removal as soon as possible and other minor things that cause minor problem that create major issues and so on...
For now I can say that you learn to enjoy life a bit more when you have a mortgage to pay...

My day went on very well as I had to rush to see Depeche Mode at the Wembley Arena. I promised myself I wouldn't write a report this time as it was a gift I bought to myself a few months ago, so I just enjoyed the show and, believe it or not, it was one of the most amazing gigs I have ever been to.
Even though now I am dying to let everyone know how unique a DM show in London is, I woulndn't have the time to write an article about that, so I will spare the world (yeah..right !) the details of a terrific happening, of thousands of people whispering "Shake The Disease", of grown-up ladies moved to tears as "Enjoy The Silence" found its way through the crowd, of me watching a piece of history shine on a relatively simple stage. Too much to describe.
I am happy to say that eveyone was greeted into the Arena with a form that has to be filled up and sent to the promoter in order to get a free book about the evening. History.

Per finire: ecco la recensione dell'ultimo degli Atreyu. Un dischetto non male che ha il solo difetto di essere peggiore del precedente. Come ho scritto su Kronic non so cosa sia successo ma per un po' non sono riuscito a staccarmi da "The Curse" seppur riconosca che fosse robetta per adolescenti ma, ancora una volta, non me ne puo fregare di meno: mi gasava guidare sulla M4 con "Bleeding Mascara" nelle orecchie. Altra storia.

Keys !

And now it's Depeche Mode time...

La fine del fine settimana

Non mi piace quasi mai scrivere di album che apprezzo perché non so come fare per mettermi nei panni di chi quell' album non l' ha ancora ascoltato. Se un disco mi piace e’ perché l’ho sentito una miriade di volte in un lasso piú o meno corto di tempo; quindi l’impresa si fa pure piú ardua.

Venendo a noi: ho finalmente recensito il debutto dei Wolfmother. Per me e’ uno dei dischi dell’anno con buona pace di tutta la roba davvero innovativa che il piú delle volte apprezzo e di cui non riesco a fare a meno. A volte ci vuole un sano deja-vu per farti capire dove stai andando. Comunque ecco la recensione.

Stesso discorso come sopra: scrivere di concerti che mi coinvolgono particolarmente non e’ per nulla semplice e sono sicuro di non riuscirci neanche un granché bene. Comunque qui potete trovare il mio report sul concerto Will Haven/Crowbar di cui parlo qualche post piú sotto.

Bei tempi quelli. Una settimana fa e sembra passato un mese.

Domani forse la mia vita cambia all’improvviso. Ma ne parliamo domani.