Now that the clouds have chased away the sun and restored the weather situation to what is considered 'normal', it is a good moment to report on the weekend’s events. I do not mean two days of spotless sunshine but two nights of good music at d:qliq: the two Panoplie Italian Nights (third edition).

Friday night was devoted to punk... meaning punk as an attitude, not as a music genre. The two-dish menu served that night was complete and nutritious: Atleticodefina and Massimo volume.

The "athletics" offered a brilliant concert. They are an energetic rock band with sometimes catchy tunes and always good lyrics. The new Revolwo songs sound wonderfully on stage and Mr. Defina was at his best even when he was merely introducing the songs. I only missed two things: the song "Il modo migliore" and the drum player Giorgio Prette.

As we had no Prette for the first band, the second one had to compensate for it. "Massimo and the volumes" played something like a mass of some exotic religion (and ecstasy came naturally with "Il primo Dio"). This band is really an experience you have to live at least once in a lifetime. Their music is hypnotic, their musical skills are overwhelming, and their lyrics are punching the audience's guts or souls (depending on how you feel music) with every line shouted by the poet E. Clementi (don't ask him who is Massimo). Yes, when it comes to texts, I would say you will find nothing better. Or at least, deeper. However, the electro-tantric rhythms that come with the lyrics and the powerfulness of the performers are another charm of this band.

Then Saturday was the night for pop. On stage, we had the pleasure to welcome two very different projects but with an air de famille. First, Ariadineve. Their excellent multi-task singer-performer-technician-dancer-actress was getting all the attention and applause, but behind and around her the band was very talented. They played uncomplicated pop but with an excellent performance and a very emotional attitude. By the way, was it me or the song "Lo specchio" contains remembrances of Benvegnù's Scisma?

After the snow, the genius. Il Genio took the stage to delight us with their proposal of electronic pop with ironic lyrics and an attempt to extreme modernism. The only problem was the sound: we could hardly hear Ms. Contini's voice. The low volume of the singer's microphone was a common flaw to all the bands participating in the PIN3 event, but to the singer and bass player of Il Genio it was particularly cruel. Alessandra Contini has a very interesting... whispering... moaning... whining... voice. Hers is a very suggestive and sexy voice. Before I run completely out of adjectives, I'll summarize by saying that hers is a top-quality voice, but very low in quantity, so to say. It was therefore quite difficult to hear her muffled by the guitar, the bass, the synthesizer and the drums. She realized, of course, and became more and more moody with every song they played. Her constant claims of raising the volume of her line seemed to produce no results, except for her increasing bad temper.

If today they find the corpse of a sound technician, I know whom to suspect...

In conclusion, thank you Panoplie for these two nights. And if you have anything to remove the "Pop porno" refrain from my head, I will be even more thankful.

Rumour has it that Panoplie are having a break: after P. Benvegnù's gig in Bettemburg, they will not be organising any concert until 2010... These are catastrophic news, but I will not comment them right now.