Stadio

Stadio ("Stadium") is an Italian band formed in 1977. The current members are Giovanni Pezzoli (drums), Roberto Drovandi (bass guitar), Andrea Fornili (guitar), and Gaetano Curreri (vocals and keyboard).^[1]

Biography

The group has a long-standing arrangement as an accompanying band to Lucio Dalla, a Bologna-born singer. Stadio had its first notable public appearance in the mid-seventies, when the group appeared in the first album of Dalla. The album, called Anidride Solforosa, was released in 1975 and greatly increased the band's popularity.

The members of Stadio in this album were John Pezzoli playing the drums, Marco Nanni playing the bass and Fabio Liberators playing the keyboard. The same musicians were featured on the 1977 album Com'è profondo il mare (How deep is the sea?).

The next Lucio Dalla single was released in February 1979 and a new Stadio member was introduced: guitarist Ricky Portera. This release, on the eve of the "Banana Republic" tour, saw Lucio Dalla and Francesco De Gregori (normally accompanied by Cyan) side by side. The line-up included the keyboard player and backing vocalist Gaetano Curreri, a future singer of the band. The official founding of the group came in the spring of 1981 during the summer tour by Lucio Dalla, when Stadio offered their first two songs, "Grande figlio di puttana" (Big motherfucker) and the energetic "Chi te l'ha detto" (Who told you that?), respectively the B side and the A side of their first single, which came out at the end of that year. The two songs are included in the soundtrack of Carlo Verdone's film Borotalco, along with the song "Un fiore per Hal" (A flower for Hal), also published on the band's first LP Stadio which came out in the spring of 1982 for RCA Records and with the participation of Lucio Dalla, Ron and Jimmy Villotti (his guitar intro in "Big motherfucker") as guests.

"A flower for Hal" is a long suite, sung by Ricky Portera with Lucio Dalla. It was repeated in the song "La mattina" (including on Q-disc Chiedi chi erano i Beatles - "Ask who were the Beatles"). They often appear on backing vocals for Stadio (under the pseudonym of Domenico Sputi).

Stadio throughout the Eighties

The year 1983 saw the release of singles and one song that would indelibly mark their careers: "Acqua e sapone" (Soap and water), recorded for the eponymous film by Carlo Verdone. That same year, Stadio was accompanied by Ron, who also recorded the live album "Tutti i cuori viaggianti" (All traveling hearts) which resulted in the recruitment of rhythm guitarist Marco Bonino, and bassist Claudio Golinelli (a regular contributor to Vasco Rossi) in the place of Marco Nanni who played saxophone and percussion.

In 1984, they featured at the Festival di Sanremo with Allo stadio (At the stadium) as the final act. The song was published on the album "La faccia delle donne" (The face of women) which was released soon after the Festival.

A few weeks before the festival, during the 1983 album tour, the drummer Pezzoli was badly injured in one eye while assembling drums. Massimo Cappa, a young drummer, was asked to replace Pezzoli. Cappa participated in the Festival and the subsequent television output of the band, and even toured with Lucio Dalla, who also appeared in the music video "Dentro le scarpe" (Inside the shoes). This became the theme song of the television program L'Orecchiocchio (The Ear-Eye).

In 1984, they participated in soundtrack of the Luciano Salce film "Vediamoci chiaro", featuring the song "Ti senti sola" (You feel lonely) and Liberatori's original music. They also performed the song "Porno in TV" written for them by Lucio Dalla.

At the end of the same year, thanks to the opportunity offered by the Q-disc support, they released the mini album Chiedi chi erano i Beatles (Ask who were the Beatles), which also includes the eponymous song, one of the biggest hits of Stadio. Meanwhile the band had reinstated Giovanni Pezzoli to play percussion after his serious eye injury. The other lyrics were written by trusted lyricist Luca Carboni. The song "Vorrei" (I would) became part of the soundtrack of the Carlo Verdone film "I due carabinieri" (The two carabinieri) along with "Ba... ba... ballando" (Da... da... dancing) and "La mattina" (The morning), both appear on the Q-disc. In the song "Vedovo Armando e signora" (Widowed Armando and Mrs), Lucio Dalla features as a backing vocalist. This mini-album was the last with the original lineup.

In December 1985, after several live television appearances with Lucio Dalla to present the album Bugie (Lies), Fabio Liberatori, tired of his life on the road, decided to leave the group to pursue a career as a music producer. He went on to work with Paola Turci, Ivan Graziani and Mario Castelnuovo, and especially with his friend, movie soundtrack composer Carlo Verdone. He was replaced in concerts by Neapolitan keyboardist Aldo Fedele. Liberatori later returned to work with the group on two albums in the nineties: Di volpi, di vizi e di virtù (About foxes, about vices, about virtues) and Dammi 5 minuti (Give me 5 minutes).

In 1985 and until 1990, the band added multi-instrumentalist Roberto Costa as a producer and member. Costa will also arranger and performer of nearly all the bass and keyboards instead of Liberatori and Nanni, increasingly relegated to mere participation in live. In the book dedicated to the band "Chiedi chi sono gli Stadio" (Ask who are the Stadio) by Melisanda Massei Autunnali, Marco Nanni emphasizes precisely his discomfort in being virtually ousted from work by the band (in favor of Costa) despite the pictures and television appearances were always present.

In February 1986, the Stadio back again in Sanremo festival, without Liberatori who left the band on the eve of the event, singing at contest "Canzoni alla radio" (Songs on the radio), with which, however, for the second time in a row, are ranked last. In the album of the same name that follows are included " Lunedì Cinema" (Monday Cinema), for some years the opening theme of Lunedifilm, heading in the monday evening dedicated by Rai Uno transmission of big movies, rocking absolute nightmare (written for them by Roberto "Freak" Antoni) and generational "Giacche senza vento" (Coats without wind) (lyrics by director Ambrogio Lo Giudice). The same year the Stadio take part in the American tour of Lucio Dalla from which will be drawn on successful album live "Dallamericaruso". On that occasion the group performs on his own "Big motherfucker". Immediately after this experience, Ricky Portera out from the group.

In 1987, keyboardist, Beppe D'Onghia began working succeeding to Fedele (which will own the place of D'Onghia as keyboardist of Luca Carboni) and early next year comes the first collection, "Canzoni allo Stadio" (Songs at Stadio style), which contains two inedit songs: "Bella più che mai" (Beautiful more than ever) with Saverio Grandi, a song destined to become a classic of the band, and rhythmic "Tu vuoi qualcosa" (You want something) presented at Festivalbar and that for a period will also be theme song of soccer talk show "Il Processo del Lunedì".

In 1988, the Stadio participated in the Dalla/Morandi album playing both the album and the long tour in which will perform some songs from her repertoire to start from two unpublished songs of the Stadio.

In 1989, releases of: "Puoi fidarti di me" (You can trust me), driven by the success of the single of the same name written by Luca Carboni.

The Nineties

Between 1989 and 1990 takes the final "break" with Lucio Dalla. Curreri wants for his band more space, since it is able to promote the Stadio songs only during breaks from work of Dalla. The last official collaboration between the group and Lucio Dalla was in the album by Robert & Cara (Robert Sidoli and Carolina Balboni, chorists of Dalla) for which Curreri and D'Onghia wrote the song "I segreti dell'amore" (The secrets of love) (curiously the album will work their old guitarist Ricky Portera). Soon after, the band starts a new life without his mentor and with many internal problems caused by the absolute instability of the private project of its main "sponsor".

In early 1990, Marco Nanni, after a last TV appearance singing "Nel profondo del cuore" (In the deep of the heart), controversially left the group and joined Skiantos with whom he remained until 2003. In its place, comes Massimo Sutera.

In the late summer of 1990, after the long involvement of the band at Cantagiro, Beppe D'Onghia decided to return to work even with Lucio Dalla (will, in subsequent years, also producer and arranger of Dalla). Shortly thereafter also Sutera, after a stake Stadio with a show dedicated to the Beatles, decides to enter in the Dalla team and is replaced by the young Roberto Drovandi (former bassist of Luca Carboni). Gaetano Curreri and Giovanni Pezzoli are the only original members. To them was added a few months ago Andrea Fornili on guitar, already he sailed sideman for Loredana Berté, Eros Ramazzotti and Miguel Bosé and who has long worked with Curreri (together realized several TV commercials and the soundtrack of the film "Stasera a casa di Alice" with the supervision of Vasco Rossi). Join group also the producer Luca Orioli who will play the keyboards (in the studio) and will take care of the arrangements and returns to his old friend Aldo Fedele as keyboard player in concerts with Alessandro Magri, also on keyboards and computer programming.

The even end of 1990, however, accepts the tempting offer Pezzoli's Dalla and part with him in the Change tour. Curreri this time accepts the participation of the tour From Pezzoli provided temporary and prepares in the studio (together with trust Saverio Grandi) the new work of the Stadio.

From about the middle of the tour, the Stadio must start promoting their new single and Pezzoli, unlike his younger colleagues (D'Onghia and Sutera), will choose to follow the group finally abandoning the work with Dalla (will return in 1996 but only in the studio for the album "Canzoni").

In 1991, the BMG is launching the Volume 2 of "Canzoni alla Stadio". This is viewed controversially by the group as the old record company interference action following the upcoming release of their new album for EMI competitor. But the collection will not find the success of the previous year, while the first album of new artistic course gives the Stadio their first gold record. In fact in 1991, the new single "Generazione di fenomeni" (Generating of phenomenaa) initials of TV series of Rai "I Ragazzi del muretto" anticipates album "Siamo tutti elefanti inventati" (We are all invented elephants) (considered by critics as the most successful along with "La faccia delle donne"), which marks the beginning of the group collaboration of Saverio Grandi, still the author of confidence. The album, conceived with the actor and their friend Alessandro Bergonzoni, insider "securities" for the band, several collaborations appear, which we will (life upwind) of Ivano Fossati (who later entered the song in his repertoire), written "Segreteria telefonica" (Voicemail) by Claudio Lolli and "Pelle a pelle" (Skin to skin) by Luca Carboni and Bruno Mariani (former guitarist).

In 1992, "Stabiliamo un contatto" (Let's establish a contact), which is overlooked by other illustrious names of song: "Per la bandiera" (For the flag) is written by Francesco Guccini in memory of the dead bodyguards of Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino); the Emilian artist signature also "Swatch", a sort of generational framework; Jovanotti writes the lyrics of "Libero di cambiare" (Free to change) and still Bergonzoni signed the surreal text of "L'appostamento" and the more committed "Lo scatolone" (The big box), addressed to the television on addiction dangers.

StadioMobileLive is the first work on stage published in the fall of 1993 with the song "Un disperato bisogno d'amore (A desperate need of love) (also published in the discotheques remix version on equipment base of U Got 2 Let The Music by Cappella). "Di volpi, di vizi e di virtù", published in 1995 includes among others the signatures of Roberto Vecchioni for "Canzone d'amore sprecato'" (Wasted love song) and Edoardo Bennato, who plays the harmonica in Maledettamericatiamo song written by the Bolognese poet Roberto Roversi author of "Ma se guido una Ferrari" (But if I drive a Ferrari) included in the same album. Also included "Ballando al buio" (Dancing in the dark), it will become one of their biggest hits. Yet two years later it was the turn of "'Dammi 5 minuti", coming out in spring 1997 and contains among other "Un volo d'amore" (A love flying) on the story of two young lovers killed in Serbian / Bosnian conflict.

In 1998 the Stadio published a Ballads between the sky and the sea, thematic collection that includes, along with four previously unreleased, new versions of their songs of love, called "ballads" mutuandolo English ballad. The disc is reissued in February of the following with the addition of the song The backpack, written by Vasco Rossi, who leads the group in the race and finished fifth at the Sanremo Festival. In the fall of 2000 arrives in record stores the album Women & colors, with which the Stadio try - thanks to the production of Guido Elmi and Frank Nemola - an unprecedented ethnic approach: the most interesting result of this new trend is the song in paradise with you, he played with Israeli singer Amal Murkus. The album also features two songs with the lyrics of the poet Roberto Roversi, author for their other songs including Ask who the Beatles: The girl with the cell phone and Doma sea tames the sea, dedicated to Diego Armando Maradona. The album still gets a lukewarm success and is one of the episodes less successful in their careers.

The 2000's

Eyes in eyes.

In 2002, comes an album that gives new impetus to the band's career, after the pause for reflection of the previous album, a collection of ballads. He comes out Eye to eye, anticipated the intense single Surprise and followed by The Secret.

In 2003, during a stop on the tour in Acireale, Curreri becomes the victim of a stroke. Fortunately for him, an attending physician in the audience will save his life.

The same year, to the great delight of the fans, the stadium back to duet with Lucio Dalla, after years of controversy, in a television broadcast in which the band and their talent scouts perform the ironic song Big motherfucker. While not taking to work together, since then the relations between Curreri and Dalla again becoming stretched. In the same period also it happens an unexpected duet between Curreri and Portera, former guitarist and "image" of the first period of the band. The two, along with Pezzoli and Roberto Costa on bass Portera will work on the second album, There are things, which came out a couple of years later, creating a new version of songs on the radio.

Love fickle and Songs for hairdressers

With the release in 2005 of the album The fickle love, Stadium are back with an album that seems to follow different trajectories from the Pop-rock author of the group's origin. At the origin of this different path Figure Saverio Grandi author and producer of the album. In 2006 they released CD Songs for hairdressers Live Tour recorded during a step of the homonym theatrical tour. With the same name it is released their first DVD of a concert.

Words in the wind

In 2007, together with Marco Falagiani and Giancarlo Bigazzi, Gaetano Curreri and Saverio Grandi they write ... And I get up on the pedals to produce RAI Marco Pantani, which was also filmed a video clip. The song is also included on the new album Words in the wind that comes right after the participation to Sanremo with the song Look at me (thirteenth place). The album seems to confirm the path taken with the Love album Fickle distancing from songwriting vein that had characterized previous albums. At the exit of the album follows a tour before in theaters and sports arenas, then squares. In 2007 they won the award for best Italian team at the Venice Music Awards. On 9 November 2007 the triple box Platinum Collection, which collects the greatest hits of the band from the early years to the present day: the songs dated to the period with the Italian RCA are proposed in new versions made over the years by the group. The publication of the box follows a namesake theater tour, which began on November 17, 2007.

Flood and Diamonds and Candy [sic].

On March 20, 2009, the new album titled Deluge: the title song is written with Vasco Rossi and Alessandro Magri, and arranged by Alessandro Magri, the album is also the track Stay as you are, composed and sung along with singer-songwriter Fabrizio Moro. On March 23 started the tour of the same name from Bologna; in some stages there was the participation of Naomi and Fabrizio Moro. On 6 March 2009 it was released the single Joy and sorrow.

August 26, 2011 is published Gaetano and Giacinto, a song dedicated to Gaetano Scirea and Giacinto Facchetti, and single of the album and trailblazer Diamonds candy that is sold by 27 September 2011. The album includes the song's promise as a duet with Naomi, that is performed during the Diamonds and candy tour. February 3, 2012 is the third single extracted Then let you sleep, a song used as well as a soundtrack in the film by Carlo Verdone places standing in heaven. May 4, 2012 the song The song promise sang along with Noemi is extracted as the fourth single; the individual is also produced a video clip directed by Gaetano Morbioli.

June 25 taking part in the: Concerto per l'Emilia.

30 years and our Images of your love

The October 30, 2012 is published the third live album of the stadium: Our 30 years to celebrate the group's thirty-year career. It is an anthology with three unpublished, two written with Fabrizio Moro (Our years) and Luca Carboni (Bella), which are respectively the first and the second single from the album, and the third signed by Poplars and Fornili ( across age); other songs are performed with the orchestra symphonic Sanremo Festival Orchestra, the arrangements and the direction of orchestra were of Maestro Bruno Santori.

The October 24, 2013 is released the single pictures of our forerunners love the collection, published November 19, Pictures of your love contains duets with Noemi (in the promise) and Saverio Grandi (in Courtyards away) and a collaboration with the Solis String Quartet (in my song for you).

The return: winning Sanremo Music Festival 2016

On 13 December 2015, the group's participation in the 66th Sanremo Music Festival was announced, in the Campioni or Big Artists section, with the song "Un giorno mi dirai" ("One day you will tell me"), that anticipates the new album Stadium after five years of Diamonds and Candies: Miss Nostalgia, released on February 12, 2016.

On 13 February 2016, Stadio won the Big Artists section of the Sanremo Music Festival 2016, and also the right to represent Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest 2016. However, Italian broadcaster RAI confirmed after the competition that Stadio decided not to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest.^[2] The artist who represented Italy was the runner up Francesca Michielin.

Stadio also won the Sanremo Music Festival award for Best Cover,^[3] with the song "La Sera Dei Miracoli" by Lucio Dalla. They won the Festival with a standing ovation from the Ariston Theatre.

Note

External links

• Official website
• Stadio page at Eurochannel

References