Zermatt Unplugged 2015: sing, sing, sing.

After last weekend, where I spent my time at one of the most acclaimed electronic music festivals - the Caprices - of Switzerland - the Caprices - , I'm finding myself again travelling back home from another mountain destination, Zermatt. Reason for that was the closing weekend of the Zermatt Unplugged, a little quieter festival this time, with a big focus on acoustic acts, where well established musicians are the main attraction, and new talented artists have a platform to play in a very international environment.

The festival is held in Zermatt, probably one of the most famous mountain townships of Switzerland, and it runs for a whole week. Despite the locations in Zermatt's center, there are several concerts that are played where the snow never melts, like the G hütte, where Jazz superstars from London gave their best every day at lunchtime or the stage at , a space dedicated to the new talents.

I had the pleasure to discover some great talents during the past two days, which I really hope to hear live again soon. After arriving in Zermatt late in the afternoon, we had bite in the centre and headed to one of the late night gigs of the evening. The young german/french band Yalta Club convinced a packed the Pink, that their happy folk can dust away every kind of sadness. Or, Swiss songwriter Tobias Carshey's set outside right next to the Matterhorn Museum was pure magic.

Tobias Carshey at the Matterhorn Museum

Where's the beach?

Personally, one of the greatest discoveries for me was a band founded in France called Sunset Sons. They started playing in the local surf bars there until they were discovered, started touring and made us very, very, happy with their latest EP "The Fall Line", released this March. The British/Australian quartet offers songs that vaguely remind to Kings of Leons sometimes (this could also might be because of the voice of lead singer Rory), but with lighter melodies, that actually made me wanna catch the ocean breeze again (yeah, I'm still suffering from holiday blues...sorry :p) and the refrains are made to stuck into everybodys head. They're hard to forget. Please. Come back. Soon!

Sunset Sons at Foyerzelt



Me, my friend Paulo and lead singer Rory

Sing

Main act of the festival's last day was Travis. The well known scottish band, who is currently recording their 8th studio album, played into the total sold out main tent. Their acoustic set was very enjoyable, there were some unexpected moments here and there, like picking the wrong guitar for a song, but lead singer Fran Healy could make the audience laugh by playing with the fact that the band isn't much used to do live gigs while being in the recording process. They surprisingly started with their massive hit "Sing", which I was more expecting as an encore, and smoothly continued their set until they ended playing another unforgettable hit, "Why Does it always Rain on Me?". Even it's been a while since the release of "Sing", they are still very influencial and an evergreen. Plus: if Travis wouldn't have made music, a great artist like Amy Macdonald wouldn't have been inspired to learn to play guitar and composing worldwide selling albums.

Travis in the Main Tent (photo: Zermatt Unplugged)

"Did you really pay to see me?"

Shocked about his own sold out at the Vernissage was british songwriter Billy Lockett. After supporting Birdy's and Nina Nesbitt's tour, I can imagine that it could be a weird feeling to see people coming for your music, and not for somebody else's. Billy Lockett became famous through his Cellar Sessions on Youtube, before touring around with the ladies. He tells amazing stories and has strong lyrics, like the ones in "Pathways", dedicated to record labels. Another thing I totally appreciated about his 1-hour set was his cover of "Budapest". I love when an artist is also experimental with the songs of others, because they can get a total new sound. Billy was very open to the public, which really enjoyed the show, and was also avalaible for a chat and some photos. His EP is already out for purchase, but we obviously hope to be able to download a full album soon. 

The sold out Location Vernissage (photo: Zermatt Unplugged)

Billy Lockett (photo: Zermatt Unplugged)

Practical Infos

How to get here: Zermatt is reachable by train from Zurich Mainstation in approximately 3:30 hours. Please keep in mind that Zermatt is a carfree town, so I wouldn't reccomend to get there with a vehicle. You can buy your Train tickets here.

Where to sleep: Zermatt has plenty of Hotels for every taste and budget. You'll find the best offers over hotels.com

Zermatt Unplugged: Takes place every year in April. The festival's line up, and so the tickets, are released very soon, mostly in December of the year before. The main acts are sold out very quickly, especially when the concerts are played in smaller venues. More information about Zermatt Unplugged and the ticket purchase is avalaible here.

Where to eat: There are plenty of places to have a good bite in Zermatt. For the young and the lovers of simple things, Sparky's Bar is your choice. The restaurant is located into the Matterhorn Hostel and offers a small choice of food for a reasonable price. A Reservation is reccomended, due the small size of the Restaurant.

The Cuckoo Club is a high end live music and cigar lounge at night, and offers a great choice of breakfast until 2PM duringt the day. To relieve my holiday blues I chose the classic egg benedict, just because they smell like breakfast in Hawaii for me :)

If you like views and want to enjoy some Swiss cuisine, you totally should sit on Hotel Alpenrose's terrace. Their Menue doesen't leave any wish open: Spätzli, Röst, Cheese Fondue, Raclette, Table Grill and various salads are avalaible. The biggest plus: the sun shining bright on your plate and a great panorama, Matterhorn included.

A Special thank you to Zermatt Unplugged for having me

Songbird Festival Opening #2: Reza Dinally / Leslie Clio - melancholia vs. catchy pop

The second evening of the Songbird Festival had again on stage two artists that couldn't have been more different from each other musically speaking: Reza Dinally and Leslie Clio. At the legendary Montana Hotel, that celebrates itself as "Aprés Snow Culture" venue, I was happy to find an intimate concert hall, way smaller than the previous one, including some vintage stucco on the Roof: how charming is that?

Montanasaal

The venue was perfect to host indie-rocker Reza Dinally & Band, that released his first album one month ago, additionally by getting some help via crowdfunding. Because, sad reality, "Music Lovers aren't enough anymore to put a whole work together".  Six years after releasing his first EP, "Depths of Montmartre" was born. The record could Sound brand new to some Reza Dinally fans: they may were some people expecting an acoustic album, but this one gets actually a bit heavier and louder than his previous EP. It's some genuine rock that brings us on a journey... and it gets sweeter when you listen to it once again. And again and again. So the wait was totally worth it.

The live performance was the confirmation that this timeless work has potential to be defined one of the best Swiss records of 2014. And there is no surprise that their album release at Bogen F in Zurich was a complete sold out. Reza Dinally took myself in a complete new dimension, the audience around me disappeared and there was just an inevitable floating along the band's sound. Reza's warm voice, combined with the gloomy melodies, are a true delight. It became one of these records that I use to play in the evenings; it fits to the winter's darkness and it lightens the cold season up. Surely one of my personal discoveries of this musical year.

Have a listen to Reza Dinally's work here:

The second and main act of this cold Saturday night in Davos was the German Pop Sensation Leslie Clio. I was still in an in between state when her Show began, and well, it felt a bit like a bad awakening. Leslie Clio was acclaimed as THE act of this year's festival: I might chose the wrong night, or I might wasn't ready for this, but I was more convinced about the last three artists than the actual one I had in front of me. Maybe it was my own shock's fault as well, after switching so fast from the warmth of indie-rock to modern soul-pop. Leslie's song are catchy and well played live, especially if you think that her whole band was rearranged and was on stage for the very second time.

Her self irony was a big plus in the beginning, it broke the ice fast, but it started to get eventually out of the place when time passed and when it came to perform some serious songs. Her dancing through the crowd was well accepted, but after the fifth time the surprise effect was gone. However, the audience seemed to enjoy her hits "Told you So" and "I couldn't care less" live, also played up and down in our Radios. These were also the moments where her goofing around and smashing heels on the drums made me laugh with everybody else. She is for sure a particular personality, unpredictable like Lily Allen, with a smooth, sweet voice, that only needs to dose her acting on stage, depending on what she's about to perform. Besides the nervous live show, "Gladys", her actual Album, released in 2013, is very enjoyable and its melodies will remain stuck in your mind instantly.

The proof here: listen to the successful single "I couldn't care less"

Even if there's a wee bit of disappointment about the last act (tastes are different, fortunately, right?), the show was a success and the athmosphere during the festival is awesome. The opening weekend couldn't have a better start. The Songbird Festival Davos, with ist diversity, suggestive venues and carefully Chosen line up, is definetly a place to be every year in December. It shows clearly, that Switzerland has loads of healthy and insanely talented musicians... And I can't obviously wait to hit the mountains again in 2015.

The Songbird Festival Davos runs until December 20th, 2014 with the following acts:

Tobias Carshey / Ella Ronen & Mark Kelly / Me, Valentin and you (solo)

Kirchner Museum, December 10th, 2014

Reto Burrell / Famous October (Sarah Bowmann & Coal)

Escher Raumdesign, December 11th, 2014

Kutti MC / Luca Little

Hotel Schatzalp, December 12th, 2014

Jaël Malli / The Smile Effect

Hotel Schatzalp, December 13th, 2014

Gustav / Liselottes

Hotel Seehof, December 17th, 2014

November and Me / Bob Spring

KaffeeKlatsch, December 18th 2014

Lea Lu / Tobey Lucas

Waldhotel, December 18th, 2014

Ritschi / Skor

Montanasaal, December 19th, 2014

Caraway / James Gruntz (SOLD OUT)

KaffeKlatsch, December 19th, 2014

Pegasus / Baba Shrimps

Zimmerei Künzli, December 20th, 2014

Grab your ticket here

A big Thank You to Michel Pernet & his Blofeld Team for having me

Songbird Festival Opening #1: The Drops / Willam White - young freshness vs. positive vibes

The 7th Edition of the Songbird Festival taking place in the Swiss mountains of Davos couldn't have a better start by having on stage two acts totally different from each other: the young pop/rock quartet of Basel based band The Drops and our national Reggae Sweetheart William White.

The Festival starts punctual every year in the beginning of December, with the winter sport season, when all the snow lovers find their up to our mountains. I have to admit, I've never learned any sort of Skiing or Snowboarding (this might be the result of living in south Italy most of my teenage years), but it isn't something that would stop myself to hit the mountains during winter. There is a lot going on during the season here, especially when the festival is running, so don't be afraid of the cold! Besides the big names of the Swiss music scene, you'll find uprising gems, most acoustic acts, playing unplugged sets in several bars in town.

Songbird Festival Official

The opening night was held in one of the most exclusive Hotels of Davos, the Intercontinental, well known for its golden egg-shaped design, and a huge, modern cottage interior. The official announced concerts take place mostly in Hotels, legendary cafés or even in museums sometimes. The Drops' and Willam White gig was a successful sold out at the Intercontinental Ballroom, and,  I was quite surprised to find a seated location, especially for a rock and reggae concert. I made the experience in the past already, that people tend to be stuck into their chairs the whole time, even if they feel to dance along the songs during the show. Seats may are a good idea for a chilled out acoustic or classic concert, but a little less if there are some guitar riffs involved. Fortunately, the whole shy athmosphere of the beginning turned into a big party later on; it was great to see people putting all the chairs aside and transform the ballroom into a big dancefloor.

The Drops opened the first official festival night:  they're fresh wind for our national music scene: young,  passionate and powerful. Their songs are catchy, sometimes they remind of a fresher Coldplay version, on the other hand when the guitar riffs get louder they really take me back to Mando Diao's golden era ("Happy Clapper" has exactly that light touch). One of the prooves might be their Youtube Hit "Eleanor", official Music Video for the first Single of the Album "Flying Dutchmen", released two years ago.  This track was also winner of the SRF3 Talent Award back then, and very well deserved. I already had the pleasure to see these guys live as the opening act for the band My Heart Belongs to Cecilia Winter four years ago in Zurich, and somehow I knew that they're gonna take it very far. They have some genuine fun on stage, and a big plus is also their interaction with the audience after the show: always there for a chat or some photos, The Drops are very open minded and down to earth. The Drops threw a good warm up for the main act, an amazing job actually, I wished they could play a little longer... Their new record is planned for next autumn, and I'm quite sure that there are some amazing stuff coming up with their new project. So stay tuned!

Have a listen to "Eleanor" here:

The headliner of last night's festival opening was Swiss Reggae superstar William White, and I was overwhelmed of this man's passion and power! I am pretty ashamed to admit that this has been an absolute premiere for me: I never attended a reggae concert before. But there's always a first time for everything, right? And it couldn't be better! William White started his musical career 15 years ago, is already a big Name in the music Scene here in Switzerland, and is starting to get recongnition for his work also internationally. The Independent Artist was the man who transformed the room into a well thrown party. Switching from reggae, to blues and also to some salsa tunes, making us laugh between the tracks with his jokes, it was pretty clear that sitting there wasn't an option for Long. Wrapped from the very first note, I had the feeling of being part of a private jam session, when in some moments the Barbados born artist turned around to his band while playing and spreading positivity through the room. The whole seven piece band was involved and part of it, which is a thing I love the most during a live gig. The extended show included some famous tracks like "For Your Love" or "Open Country", also the title of his actual work, but there weren't covers missing as well, like Bob Marley's "Caution". At some point, the crowd showed some initiative by throwing the chairs where they're surely not needed, so that every space in front of the stage was free for dancing.

I rarely left a Show wrapped in positivity like it happened last night. I might should listen more Reggae... William White is already saved in my playlist for sure, so I would say it's a pretty good start. I couldn't walk out of Intercontinental happier and thrilled to attend opening night #2 at the Hotel Montana on Saturday.

"Open Country" was recorded in Portland, Jamaica, and includes collaborations with Ziggy Marley's guitarist Ian Coleman or bassist of Burning Spear Devon Bradshaw. The Album was also recently released in the UK in digital form.
William White will be on tour again next year solo and with band. Find your Dates here.

With The Drops :)

A Special Thank You to Michel Pernet & his Blofeld Team for having me

Jungle (UK): the rise of Modern Soul

Red painted walls, smoke coming from the stage, a huge chandelier at the entrance, round tables that aren't for table dancing anymore: that's the location where I had the pleasure to attend the show of one of the most outstanding bands of the British Music scene. I'm talking about Jungle, modern soul collective from London, already acclaimed this summer at several Festivals around the globe.

Jungle's concert took place yesterday at Komplex Klub in Zurich, former Dollhouse Stripclub, a club venue that kept the original interior and the vibe of being somewhere tabooed. Lush! I love this kind of places! The show was a total sold out, and you could easily notice that by seeing people still standing in the queue outside when the guys where playing already.

The concert was opened with "Platoon", a track that made Jungle famous worldwide last year, a wonderful choice to break the ice. There were fingers snapping, people dancing, no place was more appropiate to have all those different kinds of mirror balls everywhere: the 70s were back within seconds. I'm not kidding: the best confirmation for my statement were a couple of ladies and gents, being in an age and looking like they really were present during the hippie happenings almost 45 years ago. So if they were dancing, then it means the show was good.
Jungle have oldschool Disco and Soul running through their veins, that's for sure, but what it's making them unique are the modern and psychedelic beats added in each song. You can think about Daft Punk, can hear some MGMT out of it, or even feel Jackson 5 out of it, but you'll admit at the very end that's nothing exactly comparable to Jungle's sound. If I had to give to this wonderful collective's music a Definition, I'd say modern Soul with a touch of Disco. Period.

Photo: Jungle Official

A packed Komplex Klub

Frontmen Tom McFarland and Josh Lloyd-Watson, on stage with their band ("composed of friends and friends of friends"), proved to have a great control of their voices live and sounded amazingly good. They could have might interacted more with the audience, but I belong to those persons who thinks that as long an artist's performance is done right, I'd forgive them not talking. Could be the nerves, or as a human being, could be a bad day as well.
After warming up the already overheated club with songs from their only and current album like "The Heat", "Julia" or "Accelerate", the final explosion of emotions, the coronation of an evening catapulted a world I thought I missed out, was given by closing track "Busy Earnin'" and the encore with  "Time".

Watch Jungle closing with "Busy Earnin'" here:

Jungle were booked as opening act for Pharrell Williams after releasing their debut album. You could imagine why: Josh and Tom's voices are a delight, their singing is very similar to Pharrell's, but, unfortunately for him, they are way better live. These band is on the right way to shine. I can't wait to see them play again! And what do we learn? Yeah, vintage inspired music will never die, because it's still the strongest one to touch People, brings generations together and it's timeless. We got the proof yesterday night.

If you missed Jungle live in Zurich yesterday, you have the Chance to experience them tonight at Les Docks in Lausanne. Get your ticket here

Rest of the world, grab your Dates here! There are Shows planned for Europe, US and Australia until March 2015

A Special thank you to Mainland Music for having me.

How you should spend 36 hours in Milan

Ciao a tutti!
I have been in Milan the last time surely 7 years ago, so I it was definetly time to go again. And, oh boy, I spent one of the best weekends of this season! Being one of Italy's biggest cities, Milan belongs automatically to the epicentre of happening. There's a lot of sightseeing and culture in here, but as we know, the time on a weekend can be quite limited. So if you're planning to be in North Italy you might be glad to have some tips for a big city like Milan. So let's start this mini survival guide: Milan in 36 hours.

1. Live Central

That doesn't exactly mean to live right next to the Dome, believe me, go local! One of the best spots you could live at is the lovely Zona Tortona. Located obviously in and around Via Tortona, next to the Metro Station Porta Genova. The former industrial and working class quarter left loads of space for little alternative boutiques, traditional and trendy Restaurants. The cute canal oasis Navigli is just 10 minutes away by walk and there's a good Connection through Metro line M2 from central station, Milano Linate is the closest airport from here.

We spent our night in Milan at the Hotel Mercure Milano Solari, in a two stories room with balcony, for a fair Price of EUR 74.

2. Celebrate Food <3

My arrival in Milan was around midday, perfect for brunch. I decided to make a reservation at God Save the Food, where you can get the very best of the american (Burgers, Eggs) or the italian (classic cornetto with coffee or other sweets like cake) breakfast. Ideally accompained by one of their delicious homemade smoothies, everything tastes delicious. The restaurant offers a sitting space outside and is very bright and friendly inside. Even if it's good sized, I would reccommend a reservation for brunch on weekends.

Egg Benedict with smoked salmon

We went to Milan because of a concert. The show start was communicated for 9 pm, basically no chance to have proper dinner. But lucky us, we were in the city that invented one of the best afterwork events ever: Aperitivo! Usually starting at 6 pm until 10pm at night, almost every bar offers a buffet of warm dishes and cold appetizers that are included in the price of the first drink you'll have (around 10 EUR). Being the perfect solution for us, I opted to visit the beautiful Navigli area and go to Spritz to have our aperitivo. Spritz Navigli is perfectly located on the water, which can be very suggestive on summer nights. In our case it was pouring outside, so we had to sit inside, which wasn't bad either. Spritz offers 20 different kinds of the italian classic "Aperol Spritz", besides different cocktails, or national liquors like Sambuca. They have a huge buffet and they serve good sized drinks; definetly a must!

Navigli - photo by Metropolischt

On our last day we decided to go more traditional and visited the very nice decorated Ristorante Boccino. Besides the nice interior, they have very attentive waiters. We were informed that they had fresh truffle avalaible, so it was clear that we were going to order dishes based on that. My friends had some beef sashimi and I had tagliatelle, both with truffle on top. They also serve mouthwatering desserts, homemade as well. We had lunch there, I would make a reservation for dinner, because of the romantic vibe of this place, I really can imagine it perfect as a packed dating spot.

Truffle Tagliatelle

Photo by Metropolischt

If you'll find yourself travelling through Milano Centrale, you totally should enjoy some coffee, aperitivo or buy some italian food at Bistrot Centrale. A very welcoming spot into the madness of the train station. Coffee is the best start you can have for your Italian trip and their focaccia was my delight on my way home.

Photo by Metropolischt

3. Culture

Admitted, in 36 hours (trip included), there's not a lot left for sightseeing. I just decided to bring my friends to the world famous Duomo, beautiful inside and outside. In Addition we had a walk with another ton of people throug Corso Vittorio Emanuele for some Shopping. If you have one more day to spend I'd reccomend for sure to visit the Scala Theatre and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele as well.

4. Spoil your Soul with Music

As I mentioned before, I went to Milan because of a concert. And yes, there I go again: Paolo Nutini. And I'm absolutely not ashamed of visiting Show #4 this year, because it's totally worth it. His voice might be one of the best of the past couple of years, and it's an everytime confirmation. Paolo's latest record, "Caustic Love", is for sure one of the most acclaimed ones of the year. Don't get me wrong, I am very pleased for this amazing Artist to be as successful as he is right now, but I miss him playing in small venues. His concert in Milan was Held at Mediolanum Forum, huge complex for approx. 15000 People, and the Show itself and the vibe in there were so great. I just hope that if he chooses Zurich as a tour destination, he'll Play in a smaller place, just to get the intimacy back that I had when I saw him in Munich in May. It gives a "smokey jazz bar athmosphere" to the whole thing, which I think fits so well to his music!

Photo by Metropolischt

With himself joking about the bad weather ("no pioggia, no arcobaleno" - "no rain, no rainbow") he wrapped the audience easily around his little finger, by speaking italian with that charming accent.
My personal Show Highlights were for sure his single "Iron Sky" played with Chaplin's movie "The great dictator" projected on a wide screen on the back. I still could see this song in a 007 movie. A big surprise was MGMT's cover "Time to Pretend": I think the last time I've heared him singing this song was a couple of years ago. It's one of my favourite tracks ever, talking about how good we are nowadays in faking and pretending to be who we aren't, forgetting about genuine things in life like family or real friends. Funny is, I think Paolo Nutini's version has much more substance and emotion than the original performance!
The italian crowd literally freaked out, and singed the most along the second cover of the evening, which was Fred Buscaglione's "Guarda che Luna", released in 1959, declared to be one of Paolo's favourite Songs. I won't stop telling you: go to one of his Shows! I promise that it won't be the last you wanna see. Confirmation is also the double sold out at SSE Hydro in Glasgow within a couple of hours.

Paolo Nutini just released his new single "One Day" today, watch the offical Video here:

Have a listen to his MGMT Cover "Time to Pretend", here live at Paleo Festival Nyon 2010:

Paolo Nutini will be live on stage between December and January in the UK and hitting his first Australian Tour in March 2015

If there's no Nutini avalaible, I'm pretty sure you'll find loads of other concerts to visit. As I said, Milan is one of the central events spot in Italy, keep yourself informed on Vivi Milano. Buon Divertimento :)

 

 

5. Bring a second pair of shoes

I already mentioned the bad weather on the first day. It was more than bad, it was apocalyptic. I had the pleasure to walk a whole day in my (poor) wet boots. So you won't make a mistake by taking a second pair of shoes with you during the autumn and winter months :)

Thank you to these Darlings for sharing the madness