lunedì 4 aprile 2016

Having a break...

Hi everybody!

I haven't been writing here for a long time. I am sorry if I have disapponted you, I see that people still stop by to have a look at my blog (unless I have been attacked by hackers...) and I would like to thank you!

I would have liked to write about a lot of topics in the last few months of silence, such as a memory dedicated to the passing of my adored David Bowie (and sooner or later I will, I owe this to him) or a few lines about the new album of Mambassa and the following tour (they have been one of my favourite bands for more than 15 years), which brought me a great joy! 
However, the truth is that I didn't because I wasn't in the mood of writing for the public or I simply felt so tired... I know it sounds stupid, but I've had many commitments (coming both from work and from private life) and at night I felt asleep so often even before switching on my computer.

I hope I will be back soon with some substantial blog entries, in the while I hug you all!

Love,

Mary

mercoledì 14 ottobre 2015

Dirty Weather Project's tour 2015: Frank Vollmann and Lucas Lanthier live in Milan



As you may have noticed, live music inspires my writing a lot. On 10th October I drove with my husband to Milan to attend the live performance of Dirty Weather Project: the duo formed by Frank Vollmann and Lucas Lanthier.

Both the artists have their own careers: Frank Vollmann is the frontman of the band Frank theBaptist and has a solo project called Telegram Frank and Lucas Lanthier is the leader of Cinema Strange and Deadfly Ensemble. Being their sound near Post Punk and Dark Rock (but not limited to), they happen to play at the kind of festivals I like to attend. That is why I got to know their music in occasion of different editions of Wave Gotik Treffen (and thank to a dear friend of mine, who always suggests me great bands!).

Dirty Weather Project live in Milan


From time to time Frank and Lucas tour together as Dirty Weather (last time was 2011) and bring on the stage a selection of their respective songs reinterpreted. The cities chosen for 2015 Italian part of the tour are Genoa, Milan and Modena. We decided to opt for Milan, as it was the easiest for us to reach.

The location, Ligera, is a wine bar on two floors: on the first there are tables for customers who wish to drink something in a typical atmosphere of the 70s, whereas in the basement there is the actual concert area. What I found a bit disappointing was the confusion about the time the event should have started. We arrived quite early. Too much early. However, never mind, good things are worth waiting!

Once we entered the concert room, we immediately had a look at the merchandise desk, where cds and gadgets of both artists where exposed. Lucas friendly welcomed us describing the various articles on the table. Few minutes later we saw also Frank and it was a pleasure to greet him.

Lucas Lanthier

Frank Vollman


The evening was opened by Los Cabrones Profanos, a band from Milan playing some “spicy” country blues. Immediately after, the Dirty Weather jumped on the stage. Frank Vollmann played songs by “Telegram Frank”, whereas Lucas Lanthier played songs by Cinema Strange, Deadfly Ensemble and from his new solo album.

"And now my game will be holding this glass with my foot during the song"


They were musicians and storytellers at the same time, two men with their voices and their guitars, no further instrument, as nothing more was needed. Each of them with his own style, they proved their virtuosity: Frank with his warm sound, Lucas with his perfect eclecticism. My attention was totally caught. Though I did not know all the tracks they played, I enjoyed every note.
It was not the kind of music you can hear on the radio, at least not in Italy. I appreciate a lot when bands innovate and “save” us from the flat monopoly of mainstream. Moreover, in this case I am not only talking about alternative artists, but also of a high level performance.

Dirty Weather Project


Unfortunately we had to leave before the end of the concert, so we missed the final part. I hope they will come back for a future tour. Check them out if you have the chance!


Take care,
Mary

domenica 4 ottobre 2015

Makeup Delight a Torino per il compleanno di Neve Cosmetics / Neve Cosmetics' birthday party in Turin.



(English text follows)

Ciao!

Ritorno dopo parecchio tempo per raccontarvi un bell’evento a cui ho avuto il piacere di prendere parte e che si è svolto a Torino, la mia città.


Neve Cosmetics è un’azienda produttrice di articoli di make-up e skin care cruelty free, non testati su animali e creati con ingredienti vegan. La sede della ditta è a Trofarello, una cittadina della cintura torinese, quindi un piccolo grande orgoglio del nostro territorio. Nel 2015 Neve ha compiuto sette anni e ha deciso di festeggiare insieme ai propri clienti e followers con un rendez-vous di tutto rispetto. La data prefissata è stata il 19 settembre e la location scelta l’erboristeria Melissa, nel cuore di Torino e a pochi passi dalla Mole Antonelliana. Non poteva mancare un ospite d’onore: Giuliana Makeup Delight.





L’annuncio dell’evento è comparso sulla pagina facebook dell’azienda cosmetica un paio di settimane prima. L’ingresso era aperto a chiunque gratuitamente, senza obbligo d’acquisto, fino ad esaurimento posti, era solamente necessario effettuare una registrazione on line e si sarebbe ricevuto il biglietto via e-mail. La risposta di pubblico è stata talmente ampia che l’organizzazione ha deciso di formare dei turni e ad ogni partecipante è stato notificato (sempre a mezzo e-mail) l’orario a cui presentarsi. Mi sono detta: “Perché no?”.

Anche se temevo che i turni precedenti al mio fossero in ritardo e che ci sarebbe stato da attendere, oppure da fare a botte per entrare, sono comunque arrivata sul posto per le 17,30, come previsto dal messaggio ricevuto. E’ stato bello sbagliarsi per una volta: la tabella di marcia era stata totalmente rispettata, c’erano alcune persone in coda (in maniera composta, che per me era già il top), ma ci hanno fatti accomodare all’interno esattamente all’orario stabilito.

Il negozio mi è sembrato davvero carino: nonostante la folla che riempiva il locale si poteva vedere che era stato arredato con un particolare gusto per il vintage e soprattutto con tanta cura. Oltre agli espositori (ovviamente) ricchi di tutti i prodotti Neve Cosmetics, mi hanno colpito subito gli innumerevoli barattoli e sacchettini di tisane (n.d.r. non so ne avessi già accennato, ma io ho un amore maniacale per tutto ciò che è tè/tisane/infusi) ai quali mi sono ripromessa di dedicare più attenzione in un’occasione meno “popolosa”. Se dovessi definire l’erboristeria Melissa, direi che è il perfetto connubio tra le rassicuranti case delle nostre nonne (con i mobili antichi, gli archi nei muri con i mattoni a vista e tante scatoline piene di tesori), un tocco di Torino, uno di Provenza e la freschezza della gestione.

Erboristeria Melissa


Su un mini palco è arrivata quasi subito Giuliana che, con la sua caratteristica simpatia e ironia, ha salutato gli avventori, ha presentato la nuova collezione Neve (in uscita ufficiale a breve) e ha truccato una ragazza presente. Non l’avevo mai vista di persona: una donna elegante e spiritosa allo stesso tempo.

Pochi minuti dopo, siamo stati invitati a raggiungere il cortiletto interno sul retro del negozio. Era stato addobbato con palloncini e decorazioni in carta bianche e rosa, erano stati allestiti un salottino all’aperto per il meet & greet e un gazebo sotto il quale venivano distribuiti un bicchiere di tisana e una borsetta con degli omaggi di Neve e dell’erboristeria. Tutto incorniciato da un cielo azzurro limpido e da una splendida Mole Antonelliana che ci osservava dall’alto.

Sul divano del salottino Giuliana ci ha accolti uno per uno, da vera madrina della giornata, per un saluto, una breve chiacchierata e una foto. Ha avuto un sorriso per tutti e 250 i partecipanti, ringraziando sempre e non dando nessuno per scontato. Sono stata contenta di averla incontrata, un riscontro positivo nella realtà dopo tanti pomeriggi passati guardando i suoi video!




Sono sempre un po’ scettica verso ciò che viene organizzato a Torino, perché in tanti eventi a cui ho preso parte in passato è saltata fuori la pecca o l’inconveniente (in)aspettato, ma devo ammettere che questa volta sono rimasta felicemente sopresa dall’efficienza e giovialità con cui è stata portata avanti la giornata.


Avendo trattato anche di prodotti ed esercizi commerciali, ci tengo a precisare che questo articolo è stato redatto da me spontaneamente, senza remunerazioni di sorta, e riflette la mia opinione personale.

Alla prossima!
Mary

****************************************************************************

Hi!

Today  I would like to tell you about a nice event which took place in my city, Turin.

There is a young cosmetics company in our area, called Neve Cosmetics: they have their headquarters in the town of Trofarello, which is only a few kilometers away from Turin. They produce vegan and cruelty free make-up and skin care articles, they are working very well and have become a pride of our territory. The company turned 7 years old in 2015 and decided to celebrate its birthday with its customers and followers.

They scheduled the party for 19th September, at the herbalist’s shop “Melissa”, which is in the very center of the city, near the Mole Antonelliana (monument symbol of Turin). They also thought of a special guest: Giuliana / Makeup Delight (one of the most famous Italian beauty gurus in Youtube).

The news of the event appeared in Neve’s Facebook profile a couple of weeks before the established date. It was opened to everybody, it was only required to log in in order to get an e-mail and the assigned time (due to the high request they had to divide participants in four groups). It sounded interesting and I made up my mind: I would have gone too!

When I arrived some people of my same group were already queuing, but we were let in exactly on time. I love punctuality, one point more for the organizers.

“Melissa” is a very nice and warm place, furniture and decorations have a vintage taste. The structure of the shop has been left unchanged, like most ancient shops used to look in the past: visible bricks on the walls and arches in the ceiling. It is a combination of a comforting grandma’s house, with a touch of Provence and old Turin, with the freshness of the management touch.

A couple of minutes later Giuliana arrived: she welcomed the public and introduced the new collection by Neve. Afterwards we all moved in the backyard of the shop. They organizers recreated a sort of living room there, with couch and armchairs. Pink & white decorations (Neve’s colors) were surrounding us. The blue sky with the sight of the Mole upon us looked like a postcard.

Mole Antonelliana


We were given a bag with some gifts both by Neve and Melissa and then we had the chance to meet and greet Giuliana / Makeup Delight one by one. She was so nice to everybody, taking the time for a chat and a photo, definitely a beautiful lady with a smart attitude. I follow her in YouTube and I was happy to see that she is the same pleasant person in real life.

I was really satisfied about how all had been planned, everything went smoothly without hurry or delay and people were all very kind, I wish we had more events like these near here!

Having dealt also with shops, companies and commercial products, I just would like to state that I decided to write this post freely, upon no remuneration and it shows only my personal opinion.


See you soon!

Mary

domenica 19 luglio 2015

Dark Market: the gothic oriented flea market in Berlin

(Italian text follows)



Hi!

I haven’t been posting for a while once more, but temperature is pretty high in Italy now and sitting in front of my computer is challenging…
However, I would like to introduce you today to a topic that I enjoy a lot. I hope you will like it!

Flea markets are not only a tradition in Berlin, they are almost institutions. Some are small, some are huge and take place in several parts of the city. Most flea markets are on Sunday (like the ones in Boxhagener Platz and Mauerpark), they are a relaxing ritual for Berliners and the ideal destination for those tourists who wish to take a break from the classical sightseeing.

Especially interesting are those flea markets dedicated to a single subject or subculture, for all people looking for a specific object or garment, for those who like to keep focused on their own scene or for those who are simply curious. Among the several categories, for all gothic/dark style lovers there is the Dark Market –Der Gotische Trödelmarkt.

Entrance of Dark Market @ Duncker Club
The gothic market takes place on the first Sunday of the month, every second month, at Duncker: the well-known club of the dark scene in Berlin. Entrance is free. Exhibitors offer a range of both first and second hand goods, beside handmade accessories. In summer time (of course by good weather) stands are placed outside the club (by the street), inside it (yeah, directly on the dance floor!) and in the backyard: a small garden with gazebos and arbor.


Backyard of Duncker Club during Dark Market




Backyard of Duncker Club during Dark Market



The Dark Market is not only a sale-purchase occasion, but a true rendezvous moment. The bar of the club works like during night parties and, again in summer time, barbecue is granted in the backyard. Furthermore, inside the club, there is always a dj playing dark wave songs at low volume, so that participants can talk.

One of the stands inside Duncker Club. I lost the business card of the talented girl who creates these beauties and who was so kind to let me take the picture: if you konw her, please tell me, because I want to tag her in this photo, as deserved!


To keep updated about the events and to see the pictures which are taken every time, you can check the official Facebook page. If you wish to ask for information to take part as exhibitor, instead, you can send an e-mail to daisy@darkmarket.de , writing as subject of the e-mail “Dark Market”.
 

Next Dark Market is scheduled for August 2nd, between 1:00 pm and 7:00 pm.

Duncker Club is in Duncker Straße 64 and you can reach it by tram M10 (Husemann Straße stop) or by S-Bahn (Prenzlauer Allee stop) with lines S41, S42 or S85.


Have you already been there? Are you planning to go? Let me know!

(I wrote the Italian version of this article for the on line magazine Berlino Cacio e Pepe)

See you soon

Mary

**************************************************************************

Ciao!

Sono dinuovo stata un po' senza postare, ma patisco tantissimo il caldo di questi giorni e fatico a stare davanti al computer...

Oggi, però, torno con un argomento a cui tengo particolarmente: il Dark Market berlinese!
Ho scritto la versione italiana già qualche settimana fa per Berlino Cacio e Pepe, quindi è con gioia che vi rimando al link:



Voi ci siete già stati? Ho stuzzicato la vostra curiosità? Fatemi sapere!

A presto!

Mary