Turin explodes. About music, people and stars. The countdown to finding out the Eurovision winner’s name has officially begun, but many fans waiting to find out prefer to spend time chasing down the VIPs. It’s the sport these days. We start with social networks, thanks to the network of fan clubs, useful to discover your favorite places and improvised music in the city’s squares. And then from the virtual to the real: off, around Turin, hoping to meet some big names.
Thursday evening was Mahmood and Blanco’s time. With everyone focused on watching the Eurovillage stage hoping to see them rise, the duo representing Italy in the competition broke from form by showing up in Piazza Vittorio in the middle of the night. And he started singing.
But first the entrance to the effect. They sat on the scooter, yelled “Azzurro” at the top of their lungs and then continued with “Chills”. The song Mahmood sang on the morning drive to the city center, in which he declared his love for the city, “Turin is very cool, splits”, they also played with the Kalush Orchestra in a club. Because, Kalush writes on Instagram, “music has the power to unite”.
Join the fans too. Yesterday in front of the Hotel Principi di Piemonte, where for hours you thought there was the Maneskin, the stars of the day and super guests of today’s finale, in which they will sing live for the first time the last single “Supermodel”, new friendships and stories were made in the made names of music. Rebecca, 24, flew in from Boston, Mass. to be there on Tuesday. A madness born on the wave of his love for the maneskin. But only the last. He smiles and shows the tattoo on his back that says “We are out of our minds but different from them”. He knows everything about the band, but he’s still a beginner with the Italian. “I love her”. I love them, he says, “the music is amazing, then the stage presence. I changed my life for her.”
Waiting for hours in front of the hotel, although without any certainty, yesterday there were over a hundred. There was also Roberto Sali, 58, the “deputy mayor” of the Achille Lauro fan club, as the group’s other members from across Italy call him; “They elected me with one vote, the mayor is Achille Lauro”.
Coming from Varese, he booked the week in Turin as soon as Eurovision was announced, 800 euros from Monday to Sunday. But what if the Maneskins competed too? “There is no competition with them. They are crazy who is more than them. I’ve seen them in 54 concerts since March 11, 2018 in Nonantola.” And Alessia confirms it: “They are the new Rolling Stones”.
On the night of the victory, Roberto was with the rock band in Sanremo and also in Rotterdam. “Here’s the video in the hotel,” he says and shows it to everyone. He is part of Mammeskin, “these are the fans over 30, then there is the official fan club”. Carola, 23, even went to Caselle to intercept her: “But I have the wrong time”.
Mika is also among the coveted stars: “I don’t care about Maneskin, I’m there for him – says Alessia Grasso, medical student, 20 years old -. I love him on the X Factor, I started reading about his life and struggles and you kinda found me in middle school.” She hopes to meet him after rehearsals: “At least I can see him coming back”.