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The Murder Capital - Rome -
November 4 2023

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                                             - Rome (Largo Venue) November 4 2023 -

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Train departure for Rome at 9.42am, luckily it is in perfect weather.
I arrive in Rome at 12.05pm, my parents are waiting for me at the station, they certainly don't understand this passion of mine but they are now resigned to having a daughter like that.
I have lunch at home, time to relax for a moment on the sofa and 4.30pm quickly arrives.
I'm wearing the t-shirt I made for this concert: “Sorry i run out of your t-shirts. Aunt Francy”, In short, I didn't have their t-shirt for the third concert.
I would like to be in front of the venue by 5pm.
Today my feelings mixed together like in a blender, range from the euphoria of meeting my Neapolitan friends and my favorite cousin, Ale, to the melancholy of knowing that this will be the last concert.
Around 5.30pm I'm there in front... there's no one there but I've pointed to the tour bus and, to go to the club, they have to pass in front of me.
After a while my cousin and Ombretta and Alessia (my Neapolitan friends) arrive.
Luck is on our side because Gabriel and Damian pass by immediately and I immediately have them sign the vinyls. Now all that's missing is Pump.
It starts to rain, we don't give up and, armed with umbrellas, we remain in front of the venue.
The kids pass in front of us several times and always give us a smile or a photo.
While waiting we make new friends and the group expands with Marcella and Valerio.
The latter, thanks to Alessia, and very excited, manages to take the photo with James, Damian and Diarmuid.
Gates opening scheduled for 9pm, later and later... but Pump where are you?
Just before I can enter I see him leaving the room!!!
He tells me that he had received the message that I was looking for him, after all I was only missing him!!!
Now, with the haul of autographed vinyls, I can enjoy the last concert in front of the third barrier I conquered
At 9.30pm Soak arrives on stage and after a couple of songs he says that he knows there is someone who has been following them for several evenings (is he mad at me?) and dedicates a song to him.
10pm...same ritual...
Gabriel has an open long-sleeved white shirt with a white tank top underneath...will he also stay with just that today? He has jeans and another pair of boots more or less the same model as the other days, like Texans but brown.
Pump has a black short-sleeved shirt, the same one he wears in the brand new video for "Heart in the hole", a pair of black trousers and brown sneakers.
Diarmuid I can only see that he has a white undershirt.
Damian has a black short-sleeved blouse that almost looks like lace, black trousers and always biker boots.
James wears a long-sleeved shirt with red horizontal and vertical stripes, black trousers and the inevitable brown Texan boots.
He always starts with "Heart in the hole", the whole audience is already singing it.
Gabiel and Pump are already showing off.
They always continue, like the other days, with “More is less”.
I still think they should put it further down the setlist...but that's fine, as long as they play it.
The audience sings in unison as the kids have fun on stage.
Diarmuid bangs on that drums which is always a pleasure and, finally, James can get back on his feet on the barrier.
The setlist continues, like the two previous evenings, with "Return my head".
I love how Damian and Pump duet on the first notes of “For Everything”.
Alessia and I go crazy at the drum attack of "Green & Blue" where, at the end, Gabriel, leaving the bass, appears with his back to the audience with his arms behind his back, keeps in time with his right leg and lowering and raising the head.
Then it's the turn of the inevitable "Gigi's Recovery".
Pump and Gabriel play with each other.
We remain on my dark atmospheres with “The Lie Becomes The Self”.
Always exciting “Slowdance I” and “Slowdance II” in which the whole band gathers around the great Diarmuid.
“The Stars Will Leave Their Stage”, Gabriel turns his back to us again and, with his left hand on his hip, he waves his right arm to the rhythm of the music
Pump on "Crying" is very fast, he goes back and forth on stage playing his guitar like a madman.
On the intro of "Ethel", the same girl from yesterday, hands James a bouquet of red roses and, for a moment, hints at a smile, immediately returning to her beautiful and cursed character, swaying in front of us.
Pump plays his guitar seduo on a kick drum and Gabriel advances on stage placing his left leg still on a kick drum.
A second of musical pause to gather the audience's applause and throw the roses at us.
The atmosphere becomes engaging on the notes of “On Twisted Ground”.
I turn towards Valerio and see him participating to the point of tears.
He and James, at this moment, are in perfect harmony.
“A Thousand Lives” in which Pump divides himself between keyboards and guitar and Damian becomes one with him.
The grand finale is served with “Don't Cling To Life” 

but we cling to The Murder Capital!!
“Feeling Fades” alone would be enough to drive the Roman public crazy, even throw in a James wearing a Roma shirt and the delirium is served. (I support Lazio but I forgive James this too).
She divides two crates in front of him to make a run-up for the inevitable stage diving.

Today was the most overwhelming of the three dates.
I saw the guys even more entertained, it can be deduced that there is a true friendship between them.
James is an excellent frontman but, above all, he leaves the right space for the other members of the band with whom he interacts.
Don't just call them post punk, that would be an understatement!

These three days have been full of emotions, some even heart-pounding. Like the re-sharing of my stories on Pump and Gabriel's Instagram and the latter's message on DM, the print of which I will keep as a relic in the years to come: “Gracie mille for coming to all the shows, hope you had a save trip home ”.
New mantra to tattoo on the skin, the writing that I had Pump do “Only good things”.
Thanks for everything guys, hope to see you again soon!!!
Only good things for everyone!!!

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Aunt Francy

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