For the last "dark" concert in 2023, the Terra Relicta team (Jerneja and I) went to nearby Prosecco on the Italian side of the border. It was our second visit to the event at the cultural centre there. We were there for the first time at an event called Still We Dark III, and since the event exceeded our expectations then, we couldn't miss it this time either. The event advertised as a "Santa Klaus psychedelic party", organized by Rocket Panda Management, offered us the familiar dark-folk/ambient kariti, the stoner/post-rock quartet Summ, and the excellent dark-folk/doom/ambient band Bosco Sacro.
We arrived at the venue just before the start of the first performer, kariti, the Russian-born artist Katya, currently based in Trieste (Italy). The first thing I noticed were different faces in the audience than the previous time. It seems that the matter did not attract so many dark/goth audiences, probably also because of the event's advertising, which was more "stoner" or "psychedelic" oriented. Despite this, the half-empty hall calmly and dreamily began to follow kariti's performance.
Kariti, in near darkness, only slightly lit by purple, pink, blue and red spotlights, presented us with songs from her first album, Covered Mirrors. In a 45-minute performance, we also heard "A Mare Called Night" from the upcoming album Dheghom, scheduled for release in early February. There was also an excellent synth version of "Крещение Ведьmy", and a cover of "And No More Shall We Part" by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, which kariti recently released as a solo single. For the last few songs, her partner Marco (a member of the sludge/doom metal band Grime) joined her on stage and added ambient/noisy drone guitar sounds to the background music. Kariti gave a solid performance with her magical voice and melancholic guitar, and despite not saying a word to the audience, she was rewarded with encouraging applause. Well, before she and Marco left the stage, she thanked them with a physical gesture. Musically, I would place kariti somewhere between Dead Can Dance, Chelsea Wolfe, Darkher and Jarboe. It was the second time I saw kariti live, and I have to admit that the first time, last June in Buje (Croatia), everything was somehow more charming and magical, probably also due to the particularity of the place of the event at that time since the concert took place at the ancient cemetery.
Italian stoner/post-rockers Summ were the other performers that night. I was not too interested in their performance, because their music is not really in my heart. I also think that Summ was not the right choice for this evening, as they somehow interrupted the magic of the evening that kariti had previously created. Regardless, the foursome from Pisa performed superbly and presented us with around six or seven technically perfect instrumental post-rock compositions. With their energetic performance and catchy melodies, they managed to warm up some of the audience and I think the audience was quite satisfied with what Summ offered.
After a break of about 20 minutes, Bosco Sacro took the stage. The Italian band of members coming from different parts of Italy released its debut album, Gem, via Avantgarde Music at the beginning of last year. And to me, Gem is one of the best albums released in 2023. In their approximately one-hour-long performance, they presented all the songs from the album, which sounded even better live, with more depth and power.
The not-so-large hall in Prosecco had already been completed by then, and those present could indulge in all the magic of the music performed by the band around the exceptional vocalist Giulia Parin Zecchin with an ethereal ease. Giulia also proved live that she belongs to the very top of the currently active vocalists in the so-called "dark" scene. The other members, guitarists Paolo and Francesco, also produced incredible sounds from their instruments, Paolo also with the help of a bow, a synth and many effects. Everything was reinforced by the doomy beats of Luca's drums. It was obvious that all the band's members were experienced musicians, as they all previously worked, or still do, in groups such as Julinko, The Star Pillow, Daimon, Tristan da Cunha and Altaj. Songs like "Be Dust", "Fountain Of Wealth", and, for example, "Les Arbres Rampants" sounded absolutely charming, which was also helped by the special movement of the singer on stage, which resembled the swaying of trees on the wind. Bosco Sacro was resoundingly rewarded by the audience, and in the end, forced into an encore: "Fountain Of Wealth" - once more. If you haven't already, I highly recommend you to catch Bosco Sacro at one of its upcoming concerts and listen to Gem.
After the excellent performance, Jerneja and I immersed ourselves in conversations with the Bosco Sacro and kariti's members and set up an interview with Bosco Sacro, which will be published soon. I do hope that Bosco Sacro will come to our area again soon because I will undoubtedly go to listen to it again.
Report by Tomaz
Photos by Tomaz
Links: Bosco Sacro, Summ, Kariti