By: Sophia Skelton

The Italian rock band Måneskin rose to international popularity after winning Eurovision 2021 and putting out their cover of “Beggin’” by the Four Seasons.

Their Madison Square Garden debut on September 21, 2023, complete with a sold-out audience, gave them a major stage to showcase their fire and talent. Måneskin prides themselves on being shocking and sexually provocative on stage. Lead vocalist Damiano David especially tries to create a personal connection with his audience, often holding a gaze that feels like he’s looking right at you.

A buzz and tension within the arena grew as the show time crept closer. A glance around showed that while the seats were mostly filled with young fans in their 20s, a large portion of fans around the age of 50 were also present. Rock is truly a genre that extends to all ages, and Måneskin has a unique allure as they present a mixture of pop rock, glam rock, alt rock, and hard rock.

The set lasted about an hour and 45 minutes with no opening band. The stage was veiled by a satin red curtain, creating an even greater feeling of anticipation within the crowd.

Don’t Wanna Sleep” suddenly blasted through the arena and lights behind the curtain menacingly, yet seductively, outlined the musician’s bodies so only their shadows were visible. When the curtain dropped, Damiano David (vocals), Victoria De Angelis or Vic (bass), Thomas Raggi (electric guitar), and Ethan Torchio (drums) strutted down the stage to a screaming audience.

Their sound was astounding. Impressively, Damiano’s voice held the same authentic, raspy, raw, and enticing sound as in their recordings. The minute he started singing, the audience let go and allowed themselves to get lost in the music.

Måneskin really brought the energy, however, I feel the audience did not reciprocate at the same level. The fans screamed, danced, and sang along to the songs, but for a sold out arena, I was surprised the sound of the crowd was not deafening. Older aged fans could be a possible reason, but it also seemed that a significant minority did not know the words to many songs. Despite this, there was magic and electricity that reverberated around the arena.

The band members’ fashion, which is always unique and eye-catching, did not disappoint. Vic, basically topless, wore silver, sparkly star nipple covers with silver strings hanging over her chest. Damiano sported a small opened vest that he ultimately took off, broadcasting the array of tattoos on his arms, stomach, and back. He also wore pants with shallow cuts on both hips where sparkly

ring connected the fabric. Thomas wore white pants with a white, beatles-esque buttoned army jacket. Ethan donned a dark colored vest that came off at some point in the show while he allowed his long dark hair to shake and whip around as he wailed on the drums.

Their most popular songs and some from their most recent album Rush dominated the setlist, but there were a few special outliers. Despite often making fun of their cover of Beggin’, they played it to acknowledge the song that got them where they are now, debuting at The Garden. They also played “Back to Black” by Amy Winehouse, honoring her birthday the week before and explaining her role as an inspiration for the band.

The boldest moment of the night occurred when Damiano addressed recent articles claiming that Måneskin was “the last real rock band”. He denied these claims and responded by saying they may not be the last real rock band, but they could be the first RAP band. Then, they launched into a hard rock version of “Humble” by Kendrick Lamar. The crowd’s energy skyrocketed.

Måneskin, while incredible musicians, also knows how to entertain a crowd. Vic casually walked into the crowd, playing bass as security tailed her, desperately trying to keep fans back. Vic and Thomas both crowd surfed while playing flawlessly on bass and guitar. During one song, while Thomas performed a guitar solo, Damiano shined a giant light into the crowd, allowing him to properly see his audience. He waved it around the arena to the music, exciting fans as the light passed over them. Damiano, grabbing a video camera during another song, filmed himself with the audience as he sang while the video was projected up on the screens.

The final two songs of the concert were a surprising choice. “The Loneliest,” the second to last song, is a rock ballad about love and things coming to an end.

Next, they played “I Wanna Be Your Slave”, a high energy song about desire and the different roles of sexuality, which registered to me as a harsh transition. It took a minute for the audience to catch up to the change in energy from a slow, contemplative song, to a hard rock finisher.

Måneskin pulled out all the stops for the encore. Thomas came out by himself and played a guitar solo so full of passion and thought that it took a hold of one’s heart and did not let go as the rest of the band joined him on stage. They played “Kool Kids” and a second rendition of “I Wanna Be Your Slave”, as they allowed about 25 audience members onto the stage to dance around them.

In my opinion, the debut was a success. True passion, incredible talent, and their ability to be completely themselves rubs off on those who experience their music. Get to a show the next time they return to NYC! Måneskin and their expedition of modern rock is only just beginning.