PHOTOS AND SETLISTS: Isola Rock Winter warms The Factory

How many festivals, to your knowledge, take place both in winter and summer? Absolutely none, except for Isola Rock! This event was organized by Associazione I Butei and Angela in particular, which we deeply thank for their professionalism and kindness. I arrived at The Factory around 18:00 since doors were scheduled to open about half an hour later. I met with our photographer Silvio Colombo, who, as usual, was shooting pictures for us and got a drink at the adjacent bar.

At about 18:30, we walked to the entrance of the venue, but we were told that there was a little bit of delay with the soundcheck of the groups, so we patiently waited outside. As advertised on social media, there was a burrito stand for the whole event, so we decided to invest this time in dinner. And we made a smart decision! Not only were the burritos incredibly delicious, but we could kill time instead of waiting. The clock strikes 7 PM, and we finally enter The Factory.

Us

We were greeted by the duo Us who performed an acoustic set while the audience was drinking and enjoying the vibe. If you know me, you know how much I love acoustic performances, so of course, this wasn’t an exception. Pietro and Paolo’s voices perfectly intertwined together, and the atmosphere was absolutely magical. They set the bar pretty high for the following acts, and even though the audience wasn’t very responsive, they deserved more praise.

Setlist:

Je Sò Pazzo (Pino Daniele cover)
Sweet Home Chicago (Blues Brothers cover)
Molly’s Lips (Nirvana cover)
Deep Sky
Easy Money
Cocaine (Eric Clapton cover)
Comfortably Numb (Pink Floyd cover)

Nekomata

While I wished that Us played for longer, it was time for the first metal band of the night to enchant The Factory. And Nekomata has delivered a satisfactory performance. Even though they don’t play a subgenre that I can fully appreciate, they were putting their heart and souls into this show. I have thoroughly liked the closing track of their set, “Abusement Park“, which also gives the title to their latest release. It is definitely an interesting band on the Italian scene!

Setlist:

The Spark
Digital Decide
Call To Arms
Sic Semper Tyrannis
Algorithmically Imperfect
Red Queen’s Portrait
Abusement Park I – II

Stranger Vision

In Italy, we have a way of saying that if something goes a bit wrong, it’s the “beauty of the live show”. And for the second band of the night, this couldn’t be more true. The whole band begins their set, but the singer’s microphone isn’t turned on. Ivan, though, is a professional and has very quick thinking of grabbing Riccardo’s one. I hope on his resumè he has “problem-solving” as a special skill! After this minor hiccup, the band is very entertaining and is capable of delivering a very well-structured concert.

Setlist:

The Road
Handful of Dust
The Thunder
Soul Redemption
The Deep
Desolate Sea

Edge of Forever

I had very great expectations of this band for many reasons: the main one was that this is the title of one of Brother Firetribe‘s songs, and I love that band so much. And the namesake didn’t disappoint. Marco, on drums, was a showman, playing very enthusiastically. The group has classic rock and metal influences, with good melodic lines and stage presence. At a certain point, Nik, the bass player, was playing the piano as a prank, and the whole audience cheered! It was fun, indeed. I have to mention the wonderful Alessandro on vocals and keyboards, simply breath-taking. What a band!!!

Setlist:

The Road Goes On
Get Up On Your Feet Again
Native Soul
Calling
Carry On
Breath Of Life
Shift The Paradigm
Prisoner
Feeding The Fire

White Skull

Isola Rock Winter closes its doors after the last band, White Skull: the female lead vocalist Federica with both guitarist and bass player singing backing vocals, makes the harmonies much more powerful. Tony, one of the guitarists, was shirtless… how could he do that on this almost freezing night? Alex, on drums, was nailing the rhythms almost effortlessly. Their tracks are a combination of symphonic, power and even folk elements. Their stage presence was acceptable, but I personally expected more from a headliner band. Federica also pointed out that they were happily playing the newest tracks, but the audience, of course, wanted to hear the old hits. I think the equilibrium stays in a good balance of new and old. All in all, a very magical night!

Setlist: