Il Maestro

[Fatalist]

My favourite article in the NMA magazine which I have just finished after reading every last word of it, savouring it over a fortnight, was Joolz's on the Swiss gig and the Italian contingent.

So why no Italian leg of the current tour - and off memory can't recall NMA doing many gigs that way over the years with the clear recent exception of Palestrina?

I love reading Joolz's stuff anyway, she has an amazing way of interpreting stuff and recording it in such a thought provoking way.

It tickled me to think of the band doing a show down in Calabria (a fair way south of Rome) and playing Green and Grey as first encore. Or even starting the set with it as they did briefly around the time of Glastonbury a coupla years back. They wouldn't be paying for accommodation or pasta that night :~ D

Great effort with the mag, well designed by Brian DC and just a treasure trove of interesting info.

[Danny]

So why no Italian leg of the current tour - and off memory can't recall NMA doing many gigs that way over the years with the clear recent exception of Palestrina?

Well, quite simply because as I saw clearly myself when I was living there many years ago (and I'm reliantly informed by friends who still live there things haven't changed), they are virtually unknown in Italy. Of course they have a few very dedicated fans here and there, like everywhere else, but anywhere apart from Rome they'd struggle to get 100 people in one place to go and see them. I remember this gig in Milan ages ago (I think it was 1998), when it was FREE to get in and still there were probably only about 50-odd people there.... about half of whom not Italian, and a further 10 of the remaining ones coming from Turin, 90 miles away (I was living there at the time and brought them with me )

Like I said above, my Italian friends/contacts tell me things haven't changed much and therefore the few fans there normally go see them in Switzerland or France (if they're from the north both places are within reach, and with cheap airlines you can go further afield too of course)...

[Fatalist]

Oh, that'll explain it then ; ~ D

The Italians clearly don't know what they're missing out on

[Tony S]

Il Maestro was wonderfully written !  Very amusing. I've no idea if it's a true story or pure fiction though !?

[arwen]

I remember reading here on the board years ago that it was a true story.
It as Joolz herself who wrote that here, so it's reliable info.

[Simon73]

YES FOR SOME reasons the band has never been well known in Italy like it is in Germany, Austria, France and other countries (not to mention England for sure.......). I am Italian and I went to see Justin in Milan playing his amazing solo album. I can tell you we were not many and there I found the only person I ever met in my country who knew them. After so many years (we were companions at the university, we met because I was carrying a NMA Impurity T shirt) we were there, standing in the front with our arms HIGH to the sky. That was a beautiful moment. Smd I ******* keep shivering listening to the new album. This new ambum is astonishing listeming after listening. No hymns and choruses a la "High" or "Water" or "Today is a good day" etc but so fantastic and deep...........
love to all
simon