Italian phenomenon group Måneskin sets the Saint-Cloud stage alight

This concert, their third in Europe this summer, was also their “last for a while”, recalled the group’s singer, Damiano David, on stage.

We spot them by hearing, first and foremost, the Måneskin. In the Rock en Seine venue, Thursday, August 22, from the spaces near the entrance to the Parc de Saint-Cloud, our ears assure us: this is not the place to be. Mechanically, our common sense draws us towards the heart of the din. It is 9:50 p.m., the Italian group, headliner of this second day of Rock en Seine 2024, has already been performing for five minutes. It is our sight, in a second moment, that confirms the first intuition. Large beams of white light burst from the large stage, an indication of a concert that promises to be grandiose.

It was not necessary to arrive late – a bad idea, we personally assure you – at the risk of finding ourselves relegated to the last row of a shapeless mass. The audience, already fired up by the performance of The Hives, finished an hour earlier, screams its throat as much as its vocal cords still allow it. Anyone would be sorry not to accompany Måneskin, in such a sincere effort.

In a universal language, that of music, Damiano David on vocals, Victoria De Angelis on bass, Thomas Raggi on guitar and Ethan Torchio on drums promise, from the first moments of the concert, to offer the spectators an experience they will remember.

The promise also applies to neophytes, that part of the audience to which one modestly confesses to belonging. They are quickly reassured: Måneskin plays his classics from the outset, including the Sweet and good which saw the quartet win Eurovision in 2021.

“Thanks to everyone world“, says Damiano David in clear French after the ballad Coraline. Then announce a “very special sound“, which the entire assembly immediately recognizes from the first notes played: Beggin’The song, a catchy cover of an original 1967 Four Seasons song, got the rockers noticed in 2017 on the talent show “X Factor Italia”.

As the concert progressed, the energy deployed by the group on stage ended up contaminating the last impassive spectators. During I Wanna Be Your SlaveDamiano David interacts with the audience, urging them to crouch down and then get up again to the rhythm of the choir. We then appreciate the captivating Blah blah blah, the electrifying In the name of the father [Au nom du père] and the power of Mamma. “All eyes on me, I feel like I’m a superstar” [“Tous les yeux rivés sur moi, j’ai l’impression d’être une superstar”]shouts Damiano David. Judging by the aura given off by the group and the way the crowd carries a fiery Thomas Raggi, Måneskin seems to have truly become a rock star.

As the concert seems to end with Kool Kids, Here is the group congratulated under a thunder of applause for two good long minutes.The sound quality was great“, greets a festival-goer, before walking away towards the exit. Then, suddenly, she turns back. The stage rumbles again. Thomas Raggi reappears, delivering an impressive guitar solo. The concert couldn’t end there. His three other friends join him to play The Loneliest.

This time, the end is near. We feel an emotional Damiano David as he thanks the crowd, impressed to face these thousands of spectators who cheer him and the rest of the group in return. The singer takes the opportunity to thank his entire team.There are also all those you don’t see, who have been accompanying us in the shadows for all these years.“, he emphasizes. “And now I want to be your slave,” the musician begins to (re)launch the final sound of the evening: I Wanna Be Your Slave.

The concert lasted almost an hour and a half, which no one seemed to have seen go by.It was incredible. I would say it was almost worth the Red Hot Chili Peppers live” exclaims Farah, 28, a big fan of Måneskin. Like many spectators, it was her first live experience with the Roman group. “I really liked it, I’ve been wanting to see them for a while, says Aline, 34 years old. I perhaps found it a bit of a shame that they played all their hits in the first part of the concert.“

For Måneskin, it is now time to rest. This date at Rock en Seine, which was their third in Europe this summer after Rock Werchter in Belgium and Les Déferlantes at Bacarès, was also “their last one for a while”, revealed Damiano David at the time of the thanks. Hopefully the group never loses its passion.

Rock en Seine continues Friday August 23 until Sunday August 25, with Fred Again, The Offspring and Massive Attack on the bill.