Heading to Australia for the first time later this year, Italian rock-wunderkinds Måneskin have been making a bona fide impression internationally almost in spite of their pop-lite introduction to the spotlight.
Formed in Rome in 2016, the quartet first came to wider prominence a year later when they came second in the Italian version of X Factor. Their global profile, however, really went through the roof upon winning Eurovision 2021 with the song “Zitti e Buoni” before an estimated television audience of 183 million.
Popularity is one thing, but with it came the kinds of potshots and online criticism that are generally par for the course when it comes to X Factor and Eurovision winners.
“Some of the stupid comments we get are probably because of having done The X Factor and Eurovision,” bass player Victoria De Angelis told The Guardian in January.
“People are so narrow-minded that they can’t see beyond the idea that if we went on Eurovision we must be shit. They can’t listen to our songs with an open mind and judge them based on what they really think.”
Vocalist Damiano David has literally gone on the record in response to those criticism, on “Kool Kids”, a track on the band’s recently released third album, Rush!, which has reached number one in 15 countries.
“Well, cool kids, they do not like rock; They only listen to trap and pop; And everybody knows that rock’n’roll is shit; But I don’t give a fuck about being a cool kid.”
“That was written three days after Eurovision so our feeling was, ‘Fuck off, we won and everybody has to eat our shit,’” David somewhat indelicately told The Guardian in the same interview. “Before Eurovision we went through a very tough year; everybody was trying to stop us doing this kind of music and doing Eurovision. Nobody believed in us. So we had this feeling of being the underdogs that won.”
If 34 platinum and seven gold certifications at home in Italy, several UK Top 10 singles, 7.3 billion global artist streams, collaborations with Tom Morello and Iggy Pop, an opening slot in Las Vegas for The Rolling Stones, and a Gucci campaign endorsement sounds like winning, that’s probably because it is.
And while most of what Måneskin sing about is being true to yourself and having a good time, it’s not as though they don’t have a social conscience. “Gasoline”, another track from Rush!, was inspired by the events in the Ukraine, although De Angelis qualifies that in essence it’s more a call for basic freedoms.
“We believe we’re not here to influence anyone,” she told Rolling Stone France last month. “It’s not our job to do so. There are experts to talk about these issues. What matters to us, as we are musicians, is music! We are musicians, not politicians. We don’t want to tell people who they should vote for. We don’t want to influence younger people who look up to us and follow our ideas and tell them whether they’re right or wrong.
“Yet, when we see injustice – whether it is racism, homophobia, misogyny or war – we speak up and we don’t care if people agree or disagree with us. There are many fucked up things nowadays and war is one of them! There are many things we can’t change but every time we speak up about something, it’s because we really care.
“We feel close to our Ukrainian fans. We did a fundraising campaign to help them and made the song “Gasoline”. But it’s not about expressing our opinions on the reasons that triggered this war. We sympathise with the people. We support freedom of opinion.”
But can they bring it live? In crowd-surfing spades, it would seem. Covering a December 2022 performance at the Southside Ballroom, Dallas Observer correspondent Mike Brooks – a self-described old-school rock reporter – confessed to seeing the light.
“The Gucci connection made me nervous,” he stated, “but halfway through the show it dawned on me how refreshing it is to see a rock and roll band that looks this good. And, yes, there is substance there. It’s rock and roll, glammed up and played with skill and enthusiasm.”
Måneskin 2023 Australian Tour
Ticket information available via ticketek.com.au
Monday, November 20th 2023
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, QLD
Wednesday, November 22nd 2023
Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, NSW
Thursday, November 23rd 2023
Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne, VIC
Saturday, November 25th 2023
Adelaide Entertainment Centre Theatre, SA
