Concert review - EX–OTAGO: welcome back guys, it seems like you've always been here (Info and Setlist)

Seven dates in the month of November, concluded with the live show in Milan on Tuesday 28 November, made up EX–OTAGO’s “Club tour 2023”, which also led them to record sold out events.

A series of concerts during which Maurizio Carucci, Simone Bertuccini, Olmo Martellacci and Rachid Bouchabla took to the stage and the “new entry” guitarist Giorgia Sudati (“the only Giorgia that Ex Otago supports”) who replaced the resigning Francesco Bacci.

Our new show is all about the songs, the lyrics, and the audience.

The audience has always represented an element of the band for us. We are always very grateful to the people who come to see us, we see them as friends and consequently we want to spend time with them, mix with them, sing with them.

It will be an essential show, in which things will happen, we will experience exciting moments together. “– Ex-Otago
These are the words with which the Genoese band accompanied, after four years, their return to the live scene preceded by the singles “La Fine”, “Con te” and “Mondo Panico” feat. Fabri Fibra.

The concert starts off straight away, the “otaghi” are eager, even though they are at the end of the tour, to show their state of health which seems good from the first songs. The formula is always the same: a union between Hindi, pop and songwriting, all in the name of the rhythm that has, since the beginning, conquered the public and which they confirm in this live show.

The bang of the beginning continues with the version of “Gli occhi della luna” which sees the presence of Jake La Furia on stage, as on the single. The reading they stage is pulsating and powerful. We’re off to a very good start. The Genoese band confirms the “focus” of the concert, only in some moments leaving room for more “reflective” ballads (but not much).

On stage Carucci and his companions have fun and convey their good feeling to the public, with funny skits that win over a very friendly audience. The frontman on stage jumps, dances, sweats, plays the keyboards and sometimes also takes on the role of entertainer in the interventions between the songs.

The thrust of the live performance continues up to “Stelle” (the song written for Fabri Fibra) where the energy leaves room for more intimate moments. The singer remains on stage on all subsequent songs, accompanied by the different musicians of the band. “Stelle” is voice and piano with only Carucci on stage, the following songs (“Con te” and “Le Macchina che passa”) see him accompanied by keyboards. It then continues with Giorgia’s electric guitar (“Infinito”) and concludes with the singer and the acoustic guitarist sitting on the side of the stage (“Costa Rica”).

It then resumes with the entire band (who have also changed clothes in the meantime) engaged in “Mondo panic” in which the feat with Fabri Fibra is “virtual” with the rapper’s voice recorded. During the performance of the following “Non very distant” Carucci waves a Palestinian flag.

To introduce “Our Skin” there is a spoken intro in which the words of a trans person tell his story of gender transition. At the end he starts the song which for the occasion completely loses Willie Peyote’s contribution. We move towards the end and “Con te” is performed (but it is not the only one) in a choral manner with the participation of the audience, which is truly a further element of the band. A few notes, an arpeggio and an intro are enough and the audience immediately recognizes the songs welcomed with applause. The last three songs are part of the encore “ritual”.

They’ve been absent for four years and yet the public certainly doesn’t seem to have forgotten them. For their part, the four (five with the “new entry”) seem to have returned with all the best intentions, with a good load of energy and enthusiasm (perhaps also thanks to the “last day of school” atmosphere at the end of the tour).

We can only hope that their return is not for just one occasion, a fire that burns on these few dates. Let’s meet again soon. Thank you.

LADDER

Intro
Angry boars
The Eyes of the Moon Feat Jake La Furia
Relax
Let’s go home
Sea
Children
The youth of today
The night calls
Everything OK
Stars
With you
The cars passing by
Infinite
Costa Rica
Panic World
Not very far
Our skin
With you
It takes a lot of courage
This night
Just one song
When I’m with you

SCORE: 8.00

Review by Luca Trambusti for musicadalpalco.com (Click to read the entire article)

THE TRAILER

EVENT DATE

On the stage of the Fabrique in Milan packed for the occasion, Ex-Otago surprisingly announced TU NON TRADIRTI MAI, the unmissable live show that will light up the heart of Genoa @ Arena del Mare, on 12 July 2024.

12 JULY @ ARENA DEL MARE – GENOA