Written by:	Abattoir
Published:	28.08.2023

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS - Live In Vienna (14.07.2023)

The ultimate legends of creating unique music and unconventional lyrics, Red Hot Chili Peppers have gone through a lot of bumps and obstacles over their 40-year-long career. Yet, a lack of creativity and motivation has never been an option when it comes to the production of new music, and in 2022, the Californians put out not one, but two full-length albums: Unlimited Love and Return Of The Dream Canteen. Concurrently, these releases brought along a (surprising) change within the ranks, which the fans welcomed more or less positively, the second return of guitarist John Frusciante. Consequently, Red Hot Chili Peppers have embarked on a worldwide tour, which is still in progress. Around 100 shows will be executed in total. Although I had seen them already in June 2022 in Bratislava, the month in which this extensive tour officially commenced, I decided to attend their show this year as well, this time at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna, which is the biggest one in Austria. It was expected that there would be at least 40.000-45.000 attendees. I’m not sure that this was the actual number at the end, because there were some empty spots in the higher parts of the stands.




Nonetheless, leaving numbers aside, RHCP began their show with the usual intro jam before officially kicking off with a fairly diverse set list featuring five songs off their latest two albums and lots of other popular tunes that brought them international fame years ago. Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Chad Smith, and John Frusciante already make a strong impact by just appearing on the stage. Known for their improvised jamming in relaxed fashion during and in between songs, occasionally still acting as they would have in their early 20s, the band went with the flow and put on their best effort, even though they have actually hit 60 years of age (except John). It’s obvious that they still enjoy doing their craft, looking very connected when performing in front of thousands of people across the globe. Of course, the earnings are not bad when you perform approximately 100 shows, averaging around 40.000 attendees per show. Even the stereotypically less temperamental Austrian crowd was pumped up, active, and in chanting mood throughout most of the performance.




Red Hot Chili Peppers tend to mix up their setlist from show to show quite a lot. That’s why I never bother much checking their prior live shows to see what they choose to play. In this case, I was glad they performed "Blood Sugar Sex Magik", "Suck My Kiss", and "Soul To Squeeze". Simply put, by seeing/hearing Red Hot Chili Peppers live, I always confirm my feeling that they are still one of the most intense live bands not coming from the metal/hardcore music scene. I can only imagine how their live shows looked like back in the '80s and early '90s. This was the fifth time I'd seen them live, and it definitely won't be the last.



MÅNESKIN - Live In Trieste (16.07.2023)

Just two days after the tiring trip to Vienna and back to my home, it was time for the next stadium concert in the very closeness of our Slovene/Italian border. The Italian rock quartet Måneskin was performing in Trieste, at the stadium Nereo Rocco. A lightning-fast rise to the status of being a worldwide popular rock band began in 2021 when they won the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam and released a collection of songs on the album Teatro D’Ira. Since then, the frequency of their touring has been growing exponentially, with the group playing around the globe in the past two years. With the release of the highly anticipated new album Rush! earlier this year, they’ve embarked on the so-called 'Loud Kids Tour'. This gig was the first one of their special five-date summer stadium tour in Italy, with the other four dates performed in Milan (twice at the stadium San Siro) and Rome (twice at the Stadio Olimpico). Nereo Rocco in Trieste is the smallest one of all these three, with a capacity of around 30.000 people. It was almost sold out.




As I'm often curious about seeing something new live, something that I've been acquainted with only superficially, this concert came along just the right time, even though I had spent 140 EUR to see live a band of which I only knew around 5-6 songs. I was aware prior to the event that they can put on one hell of a live show, which, in the end, strongly contributed to my decision to attend this event. Since they were still in the midst of an intensive touring schedule, I expected a high-level performance from them, and rightfully so. For the band, of which all members are still in their early twenties, it was seen clearly that they have adapted quite well, in a relatively short period of time, to the big stages and performing in front of a crowd of thousands. From the perspective of someone who is basically a newcomer to their music, I was pleasantly surprised. It’s definitely something different: lots of catchy tunes that hook your aural senses in an instant. I was especially impressed by the flamboyant talent of the guitarist Thomas Raggi. As lots of Måneskin’s lyrics are in the Italian language, the impact on the symbiosis with the predominantly Italian crowd was even stronger. It’s well-known that the Italians are one of the most emotional people, therefore singing along, chanting (as you would be at the football match), cheering, and dancing are almost a necessity. The band also spiced up the atmosphere by performing a couple of songs on the improvised smaller stage in the middle of the stadium field, as well as directly among the audience itself.




A 2-hour long set that, for me, went by quite fast encompassed almost all tracks of the group’s latest album, Rush! I can admit that, despite my high expectations before this event, I was still positively surprised. I enjoyed the whole energy, ambience, and special connection between the band and the crowd. Like I said in the beginning, these are the bright sparks of attending live shows despite not knowing well the particular band’s music beforehand.