Hot summer eve in Pistoia

Heatwaves are no joke! And I was caught in the middle of one during my trip to Tuscany — for the historic 45th edition of Pistoia Blues Festival. A few reasons pushed me out the door — I had never done a solo trip before, had missed Messa live too many times, and Italy had left a mark on me the first time I visited.

Piazza del Duomo has been the festival’s stage since 1980. Bob Dylan played it in ‘96, Bowie in ‘97, and the roll call in between reads like a shortlist of the whole century — BB King, Muddy Waters, Frank Zappa, Pearl Jam, Carlos Santana. Italy’s oldest festival dedicated to blues, quietly grown into a much bigger tent along the way.

The itinerary was simple — fly into Pisa and spend the night there. Then travel to Pistoia the next day. And finish off in Florence for a night.

I had only booked my accommodations. To make my first solo trip a real experience, I decided to leave everything else to pure exploration. Though I did ask around for tips from friends and acquaintances.

Pistoia

After spending the previous night in Pisa drinking beer and gin tonics until late, the trip to Pistoia the next day was surprisingly enjoyable. Living in the Netherlands has spoiled me when it comes to public transport, and I had assumed no other country came close. Well, I was wrong. Trenitalia was comfortable, much more affordable, and reliable.

And Pistoia itself — what a treat! Beautiful beige streets reflecting the sun, circling piazzas that offer shade at every other corner. Every little turn opens onto some spot for food, drinks, handmade jewelry or clothes.

Woody Bones

Woody Bones kicked off the festival night with some beautiful tunes — a taste of what Pistoia Blues is really about. The tone, the voice, the guitar.

Spleen

Spleen — a young Florentine outfit originally formed in 2019 under the name Big Breast on Fat Boys — were on the Piazza del Duomo stage via the festival’s scouting slot, an effort to give Tuscan bands a bigger room to play in. Punk, sharp, short. Where Woody Bones had opened warm and slow, Spleen came in tight and fast; a different set for a different half hour.

Messa

The reason I travelled to Pistoia was Messa. And what a band. I’ve been a fan for a few years — since before their 2022 release, Close — and had missed them twice at Roadburn in Tilburg. When I heard they’d be at a festival with a 45-year history, in the middle of Italy, I decided there was no better place to finally catch them live.

At Piazza del Duomo, the aura — if you’ll allow it — was staggering. Immense guitar craftsmanship, vocals as powerful as ever, and the synergy this band has is captivating to see live.

P.S. Thank you, Messa, for helping me get a photo pass for the festival! The band posted a set of my photos on their Instagram, and it ended up being one of their most-liked posts ever.

Messa's post on Instagram — photos by Kaloyan Krastev

The Darkness

I had never listened to The Darkness. Never had a strong opinion either way — the name, the falsetto memes, the one song everyone knows. I turned up expecting a bit of cheese and a lot of showmanship, and got the second part in full. What I did not expect was the actual rock band underneath it.

Justin Hawkins earns the shtick. The falsetto is louder in person than it has any right to be, the theatrics are the point rather than a distraction, and the songs are proper rock’n’roll. After Messa’s weight, it was the right way to close a warm Piazza night. First time I’ve seen them; won’t be the last.

After Pistoia, they went on their way to open for Iron Maiden at EddFest on July 11.

Final

Pistoia Blues stays on the watchlist. Well-run festival, a Piazza that makes a warm summer night feel like magic, and enough range across the poster to justify the trip. Looking to 2027 — if a couple more names I like land on the bill, I’ll be back.

Extra

My night finished at the dUMb right around the corner from the Piazza.

Dottor Tomas gave us live tributes of Black Sabbath, Queen, Led Zeppelin and more going on until about 2am! After a good amount of G&Ts, the walk back to the hotel was fun…