Memories from another planet

These days I was listening to Italian songs, again. Regularly, every couple of months, I have this need to listen to known classic/cool Italian stuff; this time I was listening to fiorella mannoia, vinicio capossela e paolo conte..

As always, with every song I hear, there is a whole set of images, memories and connections that starts spinning around my head together with the sound of the songs.. this time my memories seemed to come from very far away...

So, I was listening to Capossela, “L’Indispensabile” and, together with images of Tiz’s old room, I suddenly remembered that I saw him live once. It was like 6 years ago or so, in this horrible place in Rome, at the borders of the city, where they do big-enough open-air concerts in summer, where actually the concert is an excuse for making you enter in this kinda fair-like space where you are supposed to spend as much money as possible buying food and gadgets and stuff and enroll to salsa courses, go to do fitness and I don’t know what else. Not to mention that the beer is not exactly cheap and the atmosphere generally unfriendly. Anyway, we decided to go because the concert was supposed to be good. I was with some friends, in a couple of cars, maybe some dogs but I’m not sure; because in that period we were always going out with a minimum of 2 dogs and a maximum of 5 or 6, so I guess some of them were there, but maybe not.

I almost don’t remember anything of the concert, i remember that the stage was far and that there were many people and that he (the singer) seemed drunk (which wouldn’t be a very surprising thing knowing him). Anyway, what I remember is that after the concert, like at midnight or so, we left that place as quick as we could and someone said that someone’s friend was having a party somewhere not far, in a place were there was a swimming pool. Somehow we agreed it was cool to go to a kind of cocktail party in a kind of private club with a swimming pool. So we did. The place was pretty deserted, the music pretty dead and none there seemed to have fun ‘cos they were too concerned of being elegant and appropriate to that place. But most importantly, none was in the swimming pool! and, if you know how warm Rome can get in summer, you must agree that it is a very stupid thing not to get in a pool when you have the occasion.

At this point there were for sure no dogs. We met someone someone knew so we could stay, have a drink, etc.. Suddenly, I don’t know why and how, we decided to refresh ourselves in the pool and, not having swim costumes with us, we needed to get in half naked and in underwear. That would be kinda awkward anyway, even more if you are the only people doing it, and even more because for me the all evening was a bit awkward given that I was there with a girl I was going out with in that period and with us there was also a guy with whom she was going out in that same period. Anyway, we undressed (in the changing rooms..! As if there is a shame issue in undressing when you are anyway going to jump naked in the pool!) and had our good time swimming, drinking beer and smoking whilst being in the water. Strangely enough none kicked us out, even though the people working there were looking at us with a mix of disgust, amusement and pity. After few minutes, some of the stiff people around, who before were looking at us as if we were monsters, just followed our example and jumped in the pool as well. The party became decent and we had our good time.

The evening continued but that doesn’t matter here, also because my memories get definitely too clouded.
Rho, if you read this and you can understand my English, please confirm if I remember correctly.. ‘cos sometimes it feels like all that happened centuries ago in a parallel dimension.

This is the guy who was doing the concert. Song "Che cos'è l'amor" (what is love):

Before starting his song he goes: "god is love, love is blind, Ray Charles is blind, therefore Ray Charles is god".. :)