Article by Chiara Amendola | Photo by Andrea Ripamonti
I swear I will not be sarcastic, I will tell the whole truth, only the truth, nothing but the truth.
I'll start with a strong statement: i Blue they decreed my indie turning point.
Not because their music is specifically evocative of this scene, mind you.
Fresh from a questionable past as an avid fan of boy bands in the late nineties, Blue gave the green light to my distinctive narcissism and critical sense – I was approaching sixteen and wanted to feel “grown up” – showing myself from the outside and with detachment 'imprudently excessive and borderline attitude of a certain type of fandom.
From that moment I put pop aside and discovered a new world that has influenced my whole life.
Today the band to whom I paradoxically owe so much is in Milan with a celebratory tour that we all deserve to witness, and I am here to thank them for the epiphany received 20 years ago.
In their career, Blue have sold over 15 million records, disbanding, as usual, and then getting back together and representing Great Britain at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2011, from there the re-enactment and fame in small steps with several albums. Training has remained constant throughout these years: Antony Costa43 years old; Simon Webbe, 45 years old; Duncan James, 46 years old; And Lee Ryan41 years old. Apart from a hiatus from 2005 to 2011, the quartet has never really run aground. They represent a rare example of longevity in this genre.
The forum is full of women like me: over 30 and looking for joy, we are all hungry to relive nostalgic memories through the soundtrack of our adolescence.
I must admit that age has not been cruel to the four members of the band, when the lights dim I see 4 charming and distinguished men appear on stage.
The live starts right and decisive with AllRise And Riders followed closely by the melancholy (squared) You make me wanna: we all jump up suddenly and an intimate amarcord starts for those present. I must admit that I didn't expect such a pathos-filled beginning, my eyes would like to water but I've become too cynical to give in, I still resist letting myself go.
Several songs reinterpreted live have a new, slightly revisited and funky sound but the words and the style in which they are performed remain the same as always. .
Throughout the set, the guys show that they still have a lot of fun together. The majority of the concert is essentially a Best Of Blue compilation, with their greatest hits and a few interlude covers: Too Close, Guilty, Bubblin, Sorry seem to be the hardest word, Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours.
All members show their individual talent behind the microphone. Although Blue's rise in the world of pop was caught between an unfortunate boyband hiatus and the coolness that returned to the genre several years later, they have always remained a phenomenon to be reckoned with and this is evident not only in the successes they have racked up over the course of a 22-year career in one of the most fickle, impatient and ruthless industries, but also in the endurance of their voice – as individual artists in their own right and as a refined unit.
The encore turns into an irresistible singalong which starts with the vivacity One loveperformed with an echo of stadium choirs, and ends with the melodramatic Breathe Easy in the version Whoever tells me. The latter immediately becomes an opportunity for Lee Ryan to once again amaze the audience with his powerful and captivating voice that has stood the test of time flawlessly, but it is also a moment to get closer to the fans by singing in Italian. At this point I have no more brakes and I let myself go into an almost desperate but cathartic song.
We find ourselves exhausted at the end of the concert, re-emerging from an emotional boiler room that leaves us in a state of grace. I admit it, even if i Blue they are not indie, punk or shoegaze, their concert is good for the mood and strips us of those social labels that we often wear, even if unfortunately it all lasts less than an hour and a half.
As I walk back to the parking lot I hear someone continuing to sing on the subway bridge.”One love – for the mother's pride, One love – for the times we've cried, One love – gotta stay alive I will survive” and I think pop music still remains one of my favorite languages to describe the world.
Click here to see photos of Blue in concert in Milan (or browse the gallery below)
BLUE: the setlist of the concert at the Forum D'Assago
AllRise
Riders
U Make Me Wanna
Haven't Found You Yet
My city
RnB section (This is how we do it/Dance with me/single ladies)
Too Close
Guilty
Best in me
If you come back
Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word
Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours
Bubblin'
Fly By
Curtain Falls
Encore:
One Love
Breathe Easy – Whoever tells me
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
