JIM CARROLLon music
Italia Wave had it all for €60: football, debate, even music
Italia Wave is the festival that has everything: football, politics, comics, films, a triathlon and, yes, music.
Held last weekend in Livorno in Tuscany, its third home after stints in Arezzo and Florence, Italia Wave’s strength lies in the width and depth of what’s on offer. You could call it a music and arts festival, but that doesn’t explain the presence of former professional footballers Francesco Toldo and Predrag Pasic. They were here to talk about Inter Campus, the Milan club’s youth academy, which works with young players in deprived areas worldwide.
Then there was Gian Carlo Caselli, Turin’s chief prosecutor and former anti-mafia legal kingpin, discussing the Italian Constitution with Subsonica lead singer Boosta. You wouldn’t get that class of thing at Oxegen.
Musically, Italia Wave was also as diverse as you can get. While there was a strong reliance on UK stadium acts – Groove Armada, Faithless and Underworld all headlined – there was also reggae (Julian Marley), Catalan turbo folkpop (Ojos de Brujo), meat-and-two-veg indie (Editors) and a Finnish take on Afrobeat (Jimi Tenor’s collaboration with Nigeria’s Kabu Kabu).
On the new music front, there were a couple of acts on the bill that Italia Wave had come across at the Eurosonic showcases in Groningen earlier this year. On the Record liked the cut of Danish grime-pop princess Lucy Love and French 1970s-style soft-rock revivalists Jamaica, while Italian acts My Awesome Mixtape and Il Genio (see below) warrant further investigation.
Add in a low ticket price (€60 for entry to all five days and nights of the festival) and a fantastic location by the sea and you can quickly begin to see the attraction of an event such as Italia Wave for locals and visitors alike.
IL GENIO
One of the standout Italian acts to catch our attention at last week's Italia Wave festival, Il Genio are an indiepop duo (extra members come on board for the live show) whose new album Vivere Negli Anni Xis bursting with taut, well-worked electro thrills.
myspace.com/ilgenio
JEFL & HYDE
Nenagh’s Jefl & Hyde play robust indie rock with a grand sense of ambition and scale to the songs. First band to feature in New Music with senior and junior county hurling medals. Download their EP for free from their Bandcamp site.
myspace.com/jeflandhyde
CONSTANT SUPPLY
Letterkenny-based duo armed with strong songs, sparkling arrangements and a drum machine. Their debut EP, Alleviate, was recorded with Villagers/Cathy Davey producer Tommy McLaughlin. myspace.com/ constantsupply
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