Le Marche Music Festivals

[damiano]

One of the things that I really miss from the UK is the varied music scene and particularly a bit of indie or a good festival.
This is always reinforced during the Summer, when I'm happy to listen to local folk music or something a bit different, but many of the festas here in Le Marche continue to trot out the same bland music that seem to combine the Tweets with some form of horrible salsa and Pop. (I'm sounding a bit like Victor Meldrew).
Anyway there are two festivals that can really be recommended, San Severino Blues and Castello Della Rancia at Tolentino (20th to 29th June), the line up of bands is quite eclectic.
The line up for Castello della Rancia- includes Radio Babylon a really good Ska band on Friday 20th, Funky and Housy Disco after the bands on sat 21st and the band Meganoidi (Indie in English) playing Saturday 28th Musica al Castello sound a bit of allright. (listen to their vid on the linked page).
San Severino Blues have an indie band called The Niro playing, their latest record was produced by radiohead producer.
Joe Jackson will be "stepping Out" on Saturday 6th and of the other bands theres a New Yorker called washboard Sam who combines skiffle, ska, blues and sounds a larf, also Raphael Gualazzi whose influences are Jamiroquai, ben harper and sounds quite mellow and could go down well with a Prosecco.

[annec]

Thanks Damiano. Any tips for first two weeks in July? We'll be out there then with teenage son with VERY definite musical tastes (John Bonham is his hero, need I say more??) and daughter who is much more eclectic. Would love to find something on that we could all go to and enjoy. (Mum and Dad will listen to anything and I am not averse to embarrassing Mum dancing...)

[damiano]

Anne
San severino covers these dates and whilst your kids may not have heard of some of the groups, they are all acclaimed in Italy plus of course Joe Jacksons whose latest CD has been given great reviews in the UK. I've looked up the bands in the first 2 weeks on you tube and they all sound really accomplished, but would depend on musical tastes
4 July The Niro play alt- indie

YouTube - The Niro - Liar

5 July Danny Bryant is a blues rock guitarist like clapton (may appeal to your son)

YouTube - Danny Bryant - blues guitarist - live...

6 July Joe Jackson new wave- alt remember its different for girls etc

YouTube - Joe Jackson Is She Really Going Out...

11 July Petra Magoni e Ferruccio Spinetti sound marvellous!- covers and own material but all stripped down with a double base and the most incredible voice- I suppose a bit like Goldfrapp

YouTube - petra magoni e ferruccio spinetti -...

I'm definitely going to try and get to at least one. The first 3 are in San Severino and the last at Castello della Rancia.

[damiano]

Heres a track by the band "Radio Babylon" playing Friday the 20th. Can recommend them as we were skanking for nearly 3 hours when they played last year (tip;don't wear flip flops- my feet were tattered)

YouTube - Radio Babylon Live - Promisquity

and the following weekend is meganoidi who seem to have moved from Ska (ist clip)to indie (2nd)

YouTube - Meganoidi - King of ska?

YouTube - Meganoidi - For those who lie awake

There are plenty of other bands during the week, many covering rock bands from Black Sabbath to Metallica (not my bag)

[annec]

That's fantastic damiano, thanks so much. I've found the poster for the festival online. Do you just turn up? Do you have to book tickets beforehand?

[villa sibillini]

We've not managed to get to the colmurano festival yet, but its on over the weekend 11th and 12th July. Loads of live acts and very, very lively.

[Arthur]

Can highly recommend Radio Babylon.
When we were in San Ginesio september 06 we discovered there was a "wine festival" on for 3 nights - part of that was Radio Babylon playing up on the walls above the big car park. I guess we expected Bob Marley imitations in "accented English" but no, most of what they did was their own stuff and in Italian, and excellent. We're back in SG tomorrow, but unfortunately too late to get to the gig.
Have found a free monthly whats on newspaper in Val di Chienti shops in the past which sometimes has a lot of information on local music.
Will miss out (again) on San Severino Blues - unfortunately as the Blues is my favourite form of music.
Lots of local festas seem to include music - keep your eyes open for posters along the road as you drive around. Last august in this way we discovered the Vino Cotto festival at Loro Piceno - as part of that there was a very good blues/ r'n'b band (Scotty and the Big Brother Band I think it was) in the park.

Rock on.

[darling]

We went to a great festival last night. The festival was in Barche, nr Fano. Lots of different types of music. We really enjoyed it. This year was the first time they've had it.

Throughly recommend it fr nest year.