Måneskin: RUSH!

Italian rock band Måneskin, currently on their “RUSH!” world tour, brought their show to the Bay Area’s Oakland Arena on a Friday evening in October. While they have been touring extensively over the last year, they had toured North America at the end of last year and had otherwise been performing primarily in Europe, and the crowd was eager to see the band again. Since the last time they were in the Bay Area, they have released their third full-length album, RUSH!, which has hit number one on charts in several countries. With no opener, the buzzed in anticipation as a red curtain shrouded the stage, until finally the house lights dimmed and the band took to the stage and began an extended intro of “DON’T WANNA SLEEP” from RUSH! as flashing shadows on the curtain were projected by strobes. The energy built until the curtain finally dropped, revealing the band and eliciting a loud cheer to erupt in the arena.

The drop of the curtain unveiled a polygonal stage with a dynamic moving lighting rig overhead with a retro-style microphone hanging from above, which stayed throughout the first song. Frontman Damiano David’s distinctive vocals, characterized both by raspy grit and smooth control, were delivered with a commanding energy. The other three members of the band also commanded the stage on their respective instruments with just as much charisma and presence – bassist Victoria De Angelis stomped around rocking with the rhythm, guitarist Thomas Raggi shredded the entire night, and drummer Ethan Torchio anchored it all behind them. The band has been playing together since 2016 busking on the streets in Rome, and their chemistry shined on stage, interacting and riffing with one another. The energy built from the first song continued as they moved on to “GOSSIP,” also from RUSH!, and then “ZITTI E BUONI,” a song entirely in Italian from their 2021 album, Teatro d’ira – Vol. 1, and was the song that won them the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest and made them known internationally.

After taking a quick moment to say hello to the crowd, Damiano introduced their next song, “HONEY (ARE U COMING?),” the single for their extended version of RUSH! entitled RUSH! (ARE U COMING?). The extended album, which was released recently on November 10th, includes five new songs, including an unreleased track that they had been performing called “THE DRIVER.” Despite the songs being newer and unreleased respectively, the energy never dropped and the crowd was already singing along. They also performed a couple covers during the set – one of which needed no introduction: “Beggin’,” originally by The Four Seasons. They had originally covered the song when they were on the Italian version of The X Factor in 2017, released a studio version on their debut E.P., Chosen, and the track went viral on TikTok later in 2021. The first half of the show ended with “GASOLINE,”, and the arena went dark as Damiano and Thomas made their way to the b-stage at the other end of the floor for two acoustic songs, “TIMEZONE” and “IF NOT FOR YOU,” providing a brief change of pace. It showcased their versatility and ability to connect with the audience on a more intimate level, demonstrating that they are not just about the high-octane energy, but also about heartfelt musicality. A bass and drum duet by Vic and Ethan transitioned the arena back to the higher level of energy, and the full band launched into “I WANNA BE YOUR SLAVE,” during which Damiano had the entire crowd get down low before jumping and going wild.

Måneskin’s fearless connection with the crowd made the night extra fun – throughout the night, the band members came down into the crowd, standing on the barricade, and even took part in crowd surfing, all the while playing their instruments. Vic, the charismatic bassist, even walked through the excited fans from one side of the floor to the other. This close interaction between the band and their fans created an electric atmosphere, binding the audience and the musicians in a shared moment of pure rock euphoria. The show proceeded with “MAMMAMIA”, a cover of Kendrick Lamar’s “HUMBLE,” “IN NOME DEL PADRE,” and “BLA BLA BLA,” before finally reaching “KOOL KIDS.” The band invited around a couple dozen ecstatic fans on stage to rock out with them during “KOOL KIDS” to close out the pre-encore set, making it an unforgettable experience for those who got to share the spotlight with the band.

The encore started with a soul-stirring guitar solo by Ethan, before the rest of the band returned and launched into “THE LONELIEST,” the lead single from RUSH!. The night concluded with a second round of “I WANNA BE YOUR SLAVE,” complete with the crouching down and jumping, returning to the high-energy hit that brought the crowd back to life and left everyone rocking out and singing along at the top of their lungs. The arena, filled with everyone from older rock fans to Gen Z attendees drawn in by Måneskin’s music, charisma, and overall rockstar energy, were left buzzing as the final notes carried throughout the arena and the house lights returned.