Italian rockers Måneskin have come a long way in a very short time. A handful of years ago, they were busking on the streets of Rome. They released their breakthrough album Teatro d’ira: Vol. 1 last year and went on to win Eurovision a couple months later, and that victory catapulted them to mega-stardom.
Now everywhere they go, attention follows: a quick Google search yields footage of the band commanding festival crowds with throngs of fans screaming their songs in both Italian and English, no matter where they are in the world. Crossover singles like “Beggin’” and the newest release “Supermodel” have only broadened their appeal.
Their accelerated success reads like a rock n’ roll fairytale, but not all press is good press, as their unfortunate censorship at this year’s MTV VMAs demonstrated.
“It’s quite sad that nowadays there’s still so much difference between women’s and men’s bodies,” guitarist Victoria De Angelis says about the uproar that followed her wardrobe malfunction at the awards show. “It’s just how we were born. Everyone should be seen equally. it’s unfair how much women get sexualized. Even something that should be so normal is seen as such a big deal, or people think that if you’re confident in your own skin you’re doing it for attention… Everyone should just be free to be who they are.”
After Måneskin fans dragged the VMAs on Twitter for focusing more on audience members than the band members during the performance, MTV posted a recut version that captures their raw energy in a way that the oddly censored original did not. The band themselves could hardly be bothered: as their other guitarist, Thomas Raggi, succinctly put it: “They’re just the haters. It’s normal to have haters.”
Måneskin have little time to concern themselves with nipple naysayers, anyway. They’re far too busy living the dream, planning a new album, and plotting out their upcoming tour, which comes to Philadelphia for a double header in November.
In a chat with Radio Sara just before they took the stage at Rock in Rio, Victoria and Thomas, along with singer Damiano David and drummer Ethan Torchio, all discussed the fans’ interpretations of their songs, how one of them joined the band via Facebook, hanging with rock n’ roll heavyweights on tour, and how to pronounce the band’s name without insulting someone in Italian.
Watch the conversation below. Rumor has it the band will stop by the Preston & Steve studio ahead of their Fillmore gigs… Follow the show on Twitter for updates.
