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Sophia (Robin solo + Vito) - Apr. 15 '06: Qube, Rome (IT), with Vito |
| Robin's
take on the tour so far and the gig at Qube Disco I was INCREDIBLY nervous the first few nights (legs shaking, knees weak) but I'm really enjoying (in a sad way, of course...) doing the acoustic concerts and love how it's allowing me to focus, on a personal level, on the songs and lyrics again. I must say that Vito are sounding simply amazing. They've worked so hard preparing for this tour and after only having played a mere 10 concerts as Vito before this tour started, have jumped straight into the deep-end of 6 week tour and are really tearing the place apart. And the Sophia/Vito Collective? I really can't say how much it excites me to experiment with this line-up. The noise that we are creating together is of seriously immense proportions and really quite incredible if I don't say so myself. I was hoping that we would have more extra time on this tour to work through more Sophia/May Queens material together but despite our best intentions (and the Italians lovable yet exasperating lack of technical organisation) we just haven't had the chance yet. We still have 5 more weeks though... I'm sad to say that the Qube club in Rome wasn't the most ideal atmosphere for an acoustic show (SM/Bondage (!) Indie-rock club 'aftershow' party that opened it's doors DURING the Sophia show...) We spent 7 hours driving, 150 EUR on road tolls and 250 EUR on diesel to play a club that left people standing outside the venue, delaying both mine and Vito's concerts for almost an hour and then opened the doors to the clubs other 'floors' allowing the club goers to filter into our concert because WE were running late. It was a ridiculous venue for an acoustic concert and unfortunately the promoters made a disastrous decision to have us play there. I won't allow all the blame to rest on the shoulders of these various circumstances though. The truth of the matter is that after starting what everyone in the band considered to be one of my most relaxed and confident shows of the tour I slowly became more preoccupied with what was going on in the venue instead of what I was playing and singing and the result was that the songs were losing their focus. And in my opinion, a song without focus is a song without meaning and song without meaning is pointless. I suppose I could have finished playing The Desert Song over the din of noise (instead of stopping it after just one line) and then continued with The May Queens, and hey, maybe even trashed all of my gear out of anger and spite and people would have left thinking they really saw a great show but, well, maybe I'm not such a good performer? I'm sorry if you, like the rest of us, had such a bad time in Rome and I wish and hope I can make it up to you sometime in the future. Robin Proper-Sheppard, 17/04/2006, Sophiamusic.net forum Review 1 Osterferien in Rom, wir machen um den Papst ein großen Bogen und landen im "Qube", einer Großraumdisco auf drei Etagen, jenseits der gängigen Touristenattraktionen, irgendwo an der städtischen Peripherie. Der freundliche Busfahrer hilft weiter und bald reihen wir uns in die mäßig große Schlange der sympathisch wirkenden Gleichgesinnten ein. Nach einer kleinen Weile wird der Pilgerstrom dann auch vorgelassen. Zunächst irrt er durch die Räumlichkeiten, bis sich auch der Letzte in der obersten Etage wieder findet. Nach kurzer Wartezeit betreten VITO die Bühne. Die von Robin Proper-Sheppard für das Flower Shop Label gesignte Band, bietet einen kraftvollen Set, der auf drei Leinwänden mit künstlerischen Filmchen untermalt wird. Instrumental wissen sie zu überzeugen, erinnern ihre Kompositionen doch an solch edle Indiegrößen, wie etwa MOGWAI und SIGUR ROS. Einzig der Gesang geht auf die Nerven. "Zu viel Pathos!" schießt es mir durch den Kopf, ein Eindruck, der sich bis zum Ende des recht kurzen Sets nicht mehr losschütteln lässt. Dann betritt Robin Proper-Sheppard die Bühne. Er spielt fünf akustische Versionen seiner Popsongs, die zumeist von seiner letzten SOPHIA Veröffentlichung stammen. Dazwischen kurze Geschichtchen; er erzählt von seiner Tochter und berichtet uns, dass er in einem römischen Plattenladen seinen ersten Akustikset überhaupt gespielt habe. Das Publikum wird lauter, zweimal muss Proper-Sheppard seine Songs abbrechen. Die Bässe der Gruftidisco stören zunehmend die Atmosphäre. Zum Glück kommen die Mitglieder von VITO zur Hilfe. Während sich die Halle immer mehr mit "Partypeople" füllt, fragt der zunehmend verärgerte Proper-Sheppard in Richtung des Veranstalters, ob es denn eine gute Idee sei, einen Akustikset zeitgleich mit einer Gruftidisko stattfinden zu lassen. Als die Geräuschkulisse immer undurchdringlicher wird, holt die Band zum großen Schlag aus. Der finale Rocksong wächst zum Statement aus. Den Rücken zum Publikum gekehrt, beginnen die Musiker mit ihrer Teufelsaustreibung. Schmerzend prasseln redundante Soundwälle auf die Zuhörer nieder. Auch der extreme Stroboskoplichteinsatz artet fast in Stress aus. Gebannt halten wir aus. Keine Zugabe. Wir sind beeindruckt, mit piependen Ohren verlassen wir den Konzertraum, werfen noch einen flüchtigen Blick auf die durchgestylten Gruftis im zweiten Stock. "First and Last and Always" kann das soeben gehörte nicht im Geringsten überlagern. Stephan, www.wohnzimmer.co.uk Review 2 Difficile offrire un commento di ciò che accade al terzo piano del Qube sabato 15 aprile. Sono di scena i Sophia e l’epilogo è dei più vergognosi. Piccola premessa: il Qube è una discoteca su tre piani; pagando 5€ in più rispetto al prezzo del normale biglietto d’ingresso, si poteva accedere all’ultimo livello e dunque al concerto, al termine del quale anche la sala che lo ospitava si sarebbe trasformata in discoteca. Ma procediamo con ordine... Dopo una lunga fila che mescola senza criterio i futuri spettatori dell’evento e i discotecari del sabato sera, riusciamo a raggiungere il terzo piano dove, in netto ritardo rispetto all’orario segnalato, finalmente si comincia. Aprono i Vito che, per chi scrive, all’oscuro del loro debutto "Make Good Areas Disturbed", risultano una gradita sorpresa. Sebbene l’acustica e il 'tunz tunz' proveniente dai piani inferiori li penalizzino, i Vito (due chitarre, basso, batteria, tastiere e voce) ammaliano i presenti con ballate a metà strada tra i Black Heart Procession e i Sigur Ros, sottolineando quanto il gruppo islandese stia influenzando le nuove generazioni sonore. Dopo poco più di mezzora, lasciano il posto all’attrazione della serata. Robin Proper-Sheppard, nome che si cela dietro il progetto Sophia, si presenta sul palco completamente vestito di bianco, senza band e con la sola chitarra acustica. Annuncia che proporrà in versione acustica una prima parte, per poi chiudere proprio con l’ausilio dei Vito. Si lascia intravedere un concerto bellissimo. Per non far torto a nessuno, Robin compila la scaletta con le richieste del pubblico e quando inizia a cantare, con quella voce a tratti sporca, a tratti cristallina, sempre stupenda, nessuno può fare a meno di abbandonarsi al potere evocativo che i brani, sebbene orfani degli splendidi arrangiamenti ascoltati su disco, riescono a comunicare. E perfino quando per tre volte sbaglia il cantato di "I Left You", giungendo per divertita esasperazione a rifiutarsi di suonarla, gli spettatori, che gli perdonerebbero tutto visto il clima amichevole creatosi, applaudono e sorridono con lui. A questo punto accade quello che avrebbe rovinato la serata: la sicurezza del locale, probabilmente stufa di tenere a bada la miriade di ragazzini nerovestiti (al terzo piano si balla 'dark, new wave': per accedere è necessario conoscere un pezzo dei Cure, mezzo dei Joy Division e pittarsi il viso di bianco) e non rendendo giustizia ai suddetti 5€ in più per il concerto, rende libero l’accesso alla sala. Robin si lamenta del rumore, come promesso fa salire sul palco i Vito, attacca con "Desert Song N°2”, smette perché il rumore supera i limiti del buonsenso, cerca di annichilirlo suonando forte, più forte, con i Vito che gli stanno dietro come indemoniati, poi se ne va, giustamente contrariato, senza un cenno di saluto. Tutto molto italiano. Simone Ungaro, Sensorium.it Vito tour diary Everybody prepaped for long drive to Rome by being exceptionally hungover. At least the sun has eased off a little. Arrive at Qube Disco late afternoon and greeted by acres of galavnised metal, foul smelling bleach and a 4 x 1m banner facing the stage advertising the Italian Gaydar website….what are they trying to tell us? Very strange show starts well for Vito, but halfway through Sophia set (the most quiet and fragile part) the doors open for the Goth disco that is scheduled to follow the show. It becomes impossible for Robin to carry on, so the show closes early and we have to load out through the swaying and gyrating Goths. Amazingly we succeed and say ciao to Pietro, our Italian promoter as he scooters off into the night. Vito Photos by Federica Arnotti   Photos by Tania Tampieri        Photos by VITO     |