As the lead vocalist of Måneskin, the first Italian band to achieve worldwide chart-topping success, Damiano David takes the stage of the sold-out Roundhouse in London as a solo artist to prove everyone wrong: a genre does not have to define you. For someone who’s dominated the recent rock n roll scene, it is not fair to box him, or anyone else for that matter, in one category for the rest of their lives. As a fan of Måneskin and their live performances, which I was able to see twice, I take my seat with a stellar view of the stage, where I expect a Damiano David level of quality entertainment, and leave all other inhibitions outside.
Knowing what David’s vocals are capable of, I let the first notes of ‘Born With A Broken Heart’ rein me in, along with all the other dedicated fans. Upbeat, catchy, and pure pop gold, Damiano David reminds us that the stage is where he belongs. Captivating the crowd, including the few sceptical ones, they are locked into his smooth dance moves and charismatic performance style.
Quickly moving on to the second track of the night, ‘First Time,’ David is comfortable and joyful as the entire pit sings along to all the lyrics. Taken from his solo debut album, ‘Funny Little Fears,’ released earlier this year, it was ‘Silverlines,’ produced by Labrinth, that introduced us to this new chapter of Damiano David. As the only track not performed from this record, he guides us through the concepts behind ‘Funny Little Fears.’
Acknowledging his stuffy talking voice, he jokes, “I swear Paris is always trying to kill me,” referring to his previous show in Paris, where he caught a cold. Hearing him belt every single note, I am sure I am not the only one to say that, stuffy or not, Damiano David is determined to leave his soul on the stage. For one of my favorites from the album, ‘Voices,’ he moves onto a slightly elevated platform in the centre of the stage, surrounded by his backing vocalists and the rest of the band.
Next up, ‘Cinnamon,’ he pulls out the classic show-stopping move of taking his white T-shirt off to complete the reminiscent rock n roll feel and sound of the track. Flaunting his perfectly curated tattoo collection, David shares a cover of Kings Of Leon’s ‘Sex On Fire,’ which, as I quickly realise, has probably been written for Damiano’s demeanour in an alternate universe. Another exquisite pairing is Damiano David’s version of Mark Ronson’s collaboration with Miley Cyrus, ‘Nothing Breaks Like Heart,’ which he officially released as the first single of this year.
After a momentary break and an outfit change, David returns in black sparkly pants, as he opens up about stepping away and taking a break after making rock n roll music for ten years, as he slips on a white sleeveless tee. He says, “I needed to take some time for myself, and I needed to go back to what’s really important for me, which is writing music. For me, writing music is the most magical part of my job. The idea of getting into a room where there is only silence and getting out of there with a song, it’s still what really moves me.” He refers to his life as someone else’s idea of perfection, but it wasn’t his own. As he puts on a matching glittery button-up vest, he introduces the next song, about “coming out from other people’s expectations of yourself.” On ‘Perfect Life,’ Damiano encourages people to believe in their own perfect life.
For the next third of the show, David changes into a white shirt with rolled up sleeves and elegant black pants, performing the rest of the record, including tracks like ‘Tangerine,’ ‘Zombie Lady,’ and ‘Angel.’ For ‘Over,’ he asks the whole capacity of Roundhouse to help him with the chorus of “is this the part where we both admit it’s over?,” which turns into a grandiose sing-along.
For the encore, Damiano David steps on stage, giving us a second run of his viral hit, ‘First Time,’ and a more mellow ending to the setlist, which I did not expect. Closing the show with ‘Naked,’ which appeared on the deluxe version of his debut album, ‘Funny Little Fears,’ is like the angels answered my prayers. I’ve had ‘Naked’ on repeat since its release, and getting to hear the stripped-back, immensely vulnerable ballad certifies the evening as a complete success. Damiano David, the mega-talented heartthrob, whether solo or in the band, stays true to himself, sticking to his passions and wearing his heart on his sleeve. His vocal range is an undeniable force of nature, leaving haters with nothing but a vulgar gesture in response to their unprecedented criticism.
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Words: Karolina Kramplova
Photographer: Fabio Piemonte