2 August, 2002, Urbino, Italy

review by Marco

Six p.m.: we arrive to Urbino, dirtys and sweats for the travelling under the August sun. Mark is quietly sit down at the table of a little bar on the main street together with the other members of the crew. I'm too tired and too shy, I hadn't the courage to approach him to ask the autograph, some photos and other stupi souvenirs (and after, if he said to me "don't break me the balls, man!" what I can do? I can only start to cry!). Anyway we turn to him and Mark realizes that he had been recognized and he greets laughing and gratified (or so it seems). Then we go to the room to prepare all the equipment for the concert (walkman, camera, camcorder).
The festival is called "Frequenze disturbate" and is placed at Fortezza Albornoz, in the high side of Urbino with a breathaway panorama over the monuments of this beautiful medieval city. Stands and bars are scattered everywhere and also the people that I can't calculate, more or less 1500/2000 presences. First played other two bands (Midwest and Dot Allison) but everyone is here for Mark.
Mark appears on the stage with Nick Olivieri (QOTSA bass player of course) and Troy Van Leeuwen (Failure, A Perfect Circle are some of the last projects that he contributes), both at the electric guitars, but Nick add only the rhythm lines and some backing vocals. We know this is particular project, and I have no idea if it's only an episode organized as best one can or if we'll see again in the future (I hope so…for you friends!! This is truly a different way to explore his music and to exalt his voice).
First song is completely a solo vocals and I think it's a gospel standard or kind of ("…beautiful city…allelujah..") and we enter immediately into the right climate of the night. So the central nucleus of the concert, alternating some new songs (anyway that I've never heard) that probably will appears on the next album and some songs from the last work. The trio uses some time to find the correct way, but tonight his voice is so evocative that he could sing with a background of an electric saw and no one could realize it. He had now reached a remarkable vocal technique without lost a bit of feeling. The final is creepy: Where Did You Sleep Last Night with a prerecorded musical sampler of drums. People are going into raptures (almost all of the first lines are keeping in hands some media to capture sounds and images of the concert) and pretend the encores that arrive punctually. Another short solo vocals song (this time is On Jesus Program) and (surprise) an excellent version of Carnival). But at the end the best track of the night: Fix is proposed in a distorted rendition, impressive for the beauty, with long guitar solos of Troy and Mark who repeats obsessively the refrain, smoking several and several cigarettes. People want more, but nothing do, we go home sure that we lived another excited night thanks to Mark Lanegan.
Now I wait for the reviews of the italian magazines, and I know that - like always - I will read another rain of praises.
?BEAUTIFUL CITY?
ONE WAY STREET
?NEVER COME DOWN?
KIMIKO'S DREAM HOUSE
DON'T FORGET ME
AUTOPILOT [from QOTSA 2nd album]
CREEPING COASTLINE OF LIGHTS
?TRAVEL IN BLACK?
A BLUES STANDARD
WHERE DID YOU SLEEP LAST NIGHT
-
ON JESUS PROGRAM
CARNIVAL
?I'M GONE?
FIX

news from Alessandro

This is the set list of the gig played yeasterday by Mark with Nick Olivieri and Troy Van Leeuwen (With 2 Electric guitars and some samplers) Sound engineer for the show was HUTCH (Form QOTSA Team).
1) Improvisation "What a Beatiful City"
2) One Way Street
3) New song ?
4) Kimiko's Dream House
5) Don't Forget Me
6) Autopilot
7) Creeping Coastline Of Light
8) New song (Cover in Black)?
9) New song (You Are Colorado)? Break Encore
10) Where Did You Sleep Last Night (long version with noisy ending) Break
11) On' Jesus Program (Solo Voice)
12) Carnival
13) New Song ( I'm going, i'm gone)?
14) Fix
15) Instrumental ending by Nick & Troy