I’m such a massive fan of Patty Pravo that seeing her live just once per tour isn’t enough anymore. So, when the Italian songstress made a comeback this year, I knew I’d be treating myself to not one, but a few dates! In the end, I settled for “only” two, in Cremona and Bergamo last May.

Because the two concerts were near-identical (same programme, same band, even the same outfit!), I’ll write about them in one post.

New songs

Pravo walked in to the titular ballad “Opera” (first presented at the Sanremo Festival just a few months before), setting a sublime tone. She complemented the song by saying that “the greatest transgression today is to be ourselves”. In Cremona, the remark somewhat fell on deaf ears, but Bergamo gave it an approving applause.

The first half showcased mostly material from the new album, highlights being “Cosa vuoi che sia” and the autobiographical “Ho provato tutto”. She also did a cover of “Ti lascio una canzone” (a bonus on the digital edition), dedicating it to Ornella Vanoni and not holding back kind words for the recently passed diva.

Classic hits

The core of the show were her signature hits from the beat era of the 60s: “Ragazzo triste”, “Qui e là”, “Il paradiso”. And of course, the immortal “La bambola”, recently covered by Madonna, which Patty didn’t neglect to mention. She contrasted the poppiness of these with the grief-ridden lament about a lost love (“Tutt’al più”) and a manifesto of resilience and optimism (Lucio Battisti’s “Il mio canto libero”). The latter is a constant in her live repertoire and I’d love it if she eventually recorded a studio version.

The show ended with a string of evegreens: “Pazza idea”, “…E dimmi che non vuoi morire” and “Pensiero stupendo”, all turning points in Patty’s long career which celebrates 6 decades this year.

Pravo maintained her elegant diva image, making dramatic hand gestures while singing. In between songs, she addressed the audience quite a lot, briefly introducing the next song or sharing a funny anecdote. She was candid and flirtatious, gracefully fixing her long hair.

Reflection

Were these my favourite Patty Pravo concerts? No – that would be her last year’s show in Pietrasanta. The outdoor stage in the woods was a fabulous setting, far better than Cremona’s Teatro Infinity 1 and Bergamo’s ChorusLife Arena. These were just too industrial, and much too big: in Bergamo, only about 43% of the tickets were sold.

But what that show had (and these were missing), were some of my personal favourites and a few rare tracks. Having now seen Patty four times in three years, I feel that the setlist has started to get – ever so slightly – repetitive. There’s only so much fresh life that the new songs can breathe into it, as wonderful as they are. Even though I relished every moment of these two concerts, a major setlist revamp would be a welcome move next time.

I felt sympathetic towards a fan in Bergamo who, sat right in front of me, would request such obscurities as “Il vento e le rose” or songs from Ideogrammi. In response, startled Pravo half-heartedly promised a tour of all those rare tracks one day. Let’s hope she sticks to it!

And even if she doesn’t, I hope it’s not long before she goes on the road again.

Setlist

“Opera”, “Angelus”, “Cosa vuoi che sia”, “Nel giardino dell’amore”, “Noi due”, “Ragazzo triste”, “Qui e là”, “Il paradiso”, “Ti lascio una canzone”, “Ho provato tutto”, “La bambola”, “…E mi manchi tanto”, “Cieli immensi”, “Il mio canto libero”, “Tutt’al più”, “Se perdo te”, “Pazza idea”, “…E dimmi che non vuoi morire”, “Pensiero stupendo”

Band

Daniele Natrella – drums
Alessandro Chimienti – guitar
Pino Iodice – guitar, backing vocals
Elisabetta Pasquale – bass guitar, backing vocals
Cristiana Polegri – sax, backing vocals
Luca Proietti – piano

Read more about Patty Pravo on Wikipedia, follow her on Instagram, and listen to a special playlist on YouTube. For Patty tour dates and tickets, click here!