Porto Antico Prog Fest - Genova

2018’s Prog Fest was organised at relatively short notice and it was held on a single evening. The format mixed two bands performing original music, Ancient Veil and Sophya Baccini’s Aradia with two bands contributing towards a ‘tribute night’, Get ‘em Out from Milan playing Gabriel-era Genesis, and Outside the Wall playing Pink Floyd from 1973-1980.
Ancient Veil began proceedings with a really enjoyable 45 minute set that included pieces from their three studio albums, Rings of Earthly Light (as Eris Pluvia), Ancient Veil and the latest release I am Changing, a performance that reflected their 2017 live album Rings of Earthly... Live with its material taken from two 2017 appearances at Genova’s La Claque club, released earlier in 2018. Their music is predominately prog-folk, largely due to the variety of wind instruments played by Edmondo Romano which are sometimes used to give a Celtic feel, but Alessandro Serri adds some jazzy acoustic guitar and during the epic 17 minute Rings of Earthly Light suite, played guitar parts with the Steve Hackett-invented finger tapping technique. The scope of this song, which at times invokes Genesis and Focus, is the reason it’s my personal favourite.
I took a dinner break and returned to witness Get 'em Out embark upon Supper’s Ready, their last number of the evening. It’s impossible to underestimate the affection that Italian prog fans hold for early Genesis but there are a couple of explanations for the appeal, one offered by long-time band associate Richard MacPhail who thought the appreciation came from the emotional content of Genesis’ music, presented as long-form, romantic, almost operatic suites which form an important part of the country’s musical heritage. Steve Hackett linked their success to the theological association of the storylines in many of the songs which, as well as in Italy, seemed to strike a chord in fans from other catholic countries. Hackett also thought that Italians were quick to pick up on the Greco-Roman myth told in The Fountain Of Salmacis.
Enhanced by back projections and the costume changes of vocalist Franco Giaffreda, decent reproductions of Gabriel’s Narcissus flower and Magog head, Get ‘em Out proved to be an excellent act providing an accurate interpretation of the classic 1972 Genesis song, including the set design and instrumentation and much as MacPhail describes in his book, despite them being a tribute act, each section was cheered because so many of the audience knew every note and nuance of the song, singing along or mouthing the words.
I’d been looking forward to Sophya Baccini, having toyed with the idea of buying one of her albums. Hailing from Naples, Baccini is a flamboyant vocalist with involvement in a number of musical collaborations, from her heavy rock band Presence to her work with some of the most recognisable names in Italian prog, like Banco del Mutuo Soccorso’s Vittorio Nocenzi, Lino Vairetti of Osanna and appearing as a guest on Delirium’s 2009 album Il Nome del Vento. Her current project, Sophya Baccini’s Aradia concentrated on their 2013 album Big Red Dragon (William Blake’s Visions), material that carries the ‘dark prog’ tag, and highlights her ability to combine operatic vocal with experimental electronic elements. I was disappointed with the quality of the sound, something mostly out of the band’s control, though the vocals were muddied by the use of delay so that it was difficult to determine whether the singing was in Italian, the Neapolitan dialect or English (she sings in all three); the only track I could fully discern was Satan from Big Red Dragon. Keyboard player Marilena Striano was also plagued with monitor problems at the beginning of the set but she did go on to provide some of the most interesting moments in a performance that conformed to ‘dark’ but was lacking in adventurousness. The rhythm section of Isa Dido (bass) and Francesca Colaps (drums) was solid enough but displayed no invention and while guitarist Peppe Gianfredo played with a nice tone, his lines were fairly predictable, devoid of the creativity and experimentation I was hoping for.
Outside the Wall is a well known and acclaimed Italian Pink Floyd tribute band and judging by the enthusiastic reaction of the crowd, easily met expectations. I thought they did a decent job if you ignored the frequently-forgotten words, though they rhythm section of Mauro Vigo (drums) and Fabio Cecchini (bass) were, in common with the Waters-era Floyd, arguably the weakest link; Vigo’s timing was a little off and Cecchini added a few too many redundant funky frills. Performing most of The Dark Side of the Moon, including accurate sound effects, the title track and Shine On You Crazy Diamond from Wish You Were Here, plus Comfortably Numb, Another Brick in the Wall (part 2) and Run Like Hell from The Wall (despite the audience, after being asked, indicated they wanted a selection from Animals). The most accomplished piece was The Great Gig in the Sky, with an outstanding vocal performance by Elisabetta Rondanina. Martin Grice from Delirium, a reliable presence at the prog fest (his band hail from Savona, a short distance west along the Riviera), added the Dick Parry saxophone parts on Money and Us and Them which he reproduced accurately and with feeling. I also enjoyed the film that they used to accompany them, made up mostly from genuine Floyd footage for Dark Side and The Wall interspersed with original cuts.
Although I would have preferred a bill of all original acts performing over two days, the size of the crowd, possibly reflecting the draw of the music of Genesis and Pink Floyd, seemed much bigger than at the 2017 Porto Antico Prog Fest. This is important because the event has to draw in punters to ensure it can continue. I had a great time, meeting up with the Black Widow Records team who organise the event, saying hello to Mauro Serpe from Panther & C. and watching proceedings with all the members of last year’s surprise star turn, Melting Clock.