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Måneskin: Rock’n’roll is “just impossible to kill”

Is rock dead or alive? Måneskin frontman Damiano David says that the genre is “just impossible to kill”, and that currently “a lot of artists are bringing back that kind of sound and energy”.

Måneskin: Rock’n’roll is “just impossible to kill”
Words:
Emily Carter
Photo:
Paul Harries

Måneskin have shared their thoughts on the frequent 'is rock dead?' debate, calling the whole idea "old-fashioned" because rock is "just impossible to kill". Hear, hear!

In a new interview with NME, frontman Damiano David reflected on Mick Jagger's recent comments that "there is still a bit of life in rock'n'roll" thanks to the likes of massive mainstream artists YUNGBLUD and Machine Gun Kelly.

"Nobody is 'keeping rock’n’roll alive'," explains Damiano. "It’s just impossible to kill. In my head what we’re doing is very different to what MGK is doing, which is very far from what YUNGBLUD is doing, which is very far from what Willow Smith is doing, but a lot of artists are bringing back that kind of sound and energy: distorted guitars and real drums, to fucking play with a band with real analogue sounds, stage-diving – all the rock’n’roll shit. Music is just developing. Everything is colliding and mixing in a good way."

The singer also admits that pissing off naysayers is his "guilty pleasure", with Måneskin's aim to just do their own thing and not try to emulate older rock legends.

"For me, it just makes no sense to expect us to behave like the Stones or Queen," he says. "It already happened and peaked. They fucking created a legacy and nobody can touch it. It’s so stupid and pointless to expect a band of 20-year-olds to replicate what was happening in the ’70s and ’80s.

"We’re in fucking 2022, so we’re just trying to do something new that makes us feel satisfied and happy. I really enjoy seeing people say, ‘Oh, they’re not Led Zeppelin.’ I know! We never will be. I’m not Robert Plant; I wish I was! I have to do my own shit."

Last month, Måneskin hit Coachella and performed a rowdy cover of Britney Spears' Womanizer. In May, they dropped new single SUPERMODEL, and then played it at the Eurovision final and on Jimmy Fallon.

Catch Måneskin live at the following tour dates:

October 2022

31 Seattle, WA Paramount Theater

November 2022

3 San Francisco, CA Masonic Theater
10 Phoenix, AZ AZ Federal Theater
12 Salt Lake City, UT The Complex
14 Denver, CO The Fillmore
18 Detroit, MI Fillmore
21 Toronto, ON History
24 Montreal, QC MTelus
26 Boston, MA MGM @ Fenway
28 Philadelphia, PA The Fillmore

December 2022

2 New York, NY Hammerstein Ballroom
5 Washington DC Anthem
7 Atlanta, GA Tabernacle
9 Miami, FL Fillmore
12 Houston, TX Bayou Theater
13 Dallas, TX Southside Ballroom
16 Las Vegas, NV Virgin Theater

February 2023

23 Pesaro Italy Vitifrigo Arena
25 Torino Italy Palalpitour
27 Amsterdam Netherlands Ziggo Dome

March 2023

2 Bruxelles Belgium Forest National
3 Bruxelles Belgium Forest National
6 Berlin Germany Mercedes Benz Arena
10 Cologne Germany Lanxess Arena
13 Paris France Accor Arena
16 Bologna Italy Unipol Arena
17 Bologna Italy Unipol Arena
20 Firenze Italy Nelson Mandela Forum
21 Firenze Italy Nelson Mandela Forum
24 Roma Italy Palazzo dello Sport
25 Roma Italy Palazzo dello Sport
28 Napoli Italy Palapartenope
29 Napoli Italy Palapartenope
31 Bari Italy Palaflorio

April 2023

3 Milano Italy Mediolanum Forum
4 Milano Italy Mediolanum Forum
6 Milano Italy Mediolanum Forum
11 Barcelona Spain Palau Saint Jordi
26 Zurich Switzerland Hallenstadion
28 Wien Austria Wiener Statdhalle
30 Esch-sur-Alzette Luxembourg Rockhal

May 2023

2 Copenhagen Denmark The Royal Arena
5 Milano Italy Mediolanum Forum
8 London UK The O2 Arena
12 Warsaw Poland Torwar Hall
14 Prague Cz. Republic O2 Arena
16 Budapest Hungary Budapest Arena
18 Riga Latvia Arena Riga
19 Tallin Estonia Saku Suurhall

Read this: Måneskin: “You have to be mentally prepared… not everybody is capable of living this kind of life”

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