Some HOT concert news update for you from the Udine/Friuli area

The local tourism agency in Friuli (www.turismofvg.it) has put together a rather interesting marketing package for those who want to do a bit of tourism mixed in with great music. If you book a three-night stay in a partner hotel you`ll get a free end zone ticket or a 50% discount on a sideline box ticket. This applies to the Madonna (July 16th), Bruce Springsteen (July 23rd) and the Coldplay (August 31st) Udine concerts.

Other great shows in the Udine area also include the double Joe Jackson/UB40 in Azzano Decimo (located near Pordenone) on June 28th at the Palaverde area. In the same town we`ll have some other fine concerts, such the “Muse” of Italian music, Patty Pravo, on June 26th and Negrita/Damned on June 27th. Ticket information at www.fieradellamusica.it.

In the meantime, the No Borders Music Festival, which brings us the Madonna, Springsteen and Coldplay concerts together with www.azalea.it, will also bring us some great little concerts, such as Sarajevo`s Goran Bregovic and his “Orchestra for Weddings and Funerals” in Tarvisio (located near the border with Austria) on July 19th, Lenny Kravitz on July 29th (his cover version of the 1960s controversial song “American Woman”—it had been banned by American radio stations—belongs to a group, the Guess Who, which hailed from my home town of Winnipeg! They were in the 1960s and 70s Canada`s most famous band), the suave and sophisticated piano player Paolo Conte on August 2nd and Vinicio Capossela on August 9th (all information at www.nobordersmusicfestival.com). Your truly has fond memories of Tarvisio as years ago I got to see live Solomon “Everybody Needs Somebody To Love” Burke (some may recall how this song was raised famous by the Blues Brothers), perhaps one of the most entertaining concerts of the 185 that I`ve so far seen (Burke played the same song together with the Rolling Stones on one of their more recent world tours. Seeing that he weighs well over 150 kilos, the stage started literally bouncing up and down as he joined Jagger and Co. on stage!).

But the fun doesn’t` certainly stop there musically-speaking. On June 27th we`ve got Grammy-award winner Laura Pausini (the first woman to have played at Milan`s San Siro stadium) at the splendid Villa Manin setting located just 15 kms from Udine in the town of Codroipo. Ballet great Roberto Bolle and Friends (remember his outstanding performance at the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Turin Winter Olympics?) will be in the same venue on August 1st as will be the Momix dance company (July 14th). Rome`s Claudio Baglioni will also be performing at Villa Manin on September 4th. Former Talking Heads leader singer David Byrne will be at the Grado beach resort on July 17th whereas Fatboy Slim`s only Italian concert will be at the Lignano Riviera beach resort on July 25th (all info at www.azalea.it).

One interesting group (its name certainly is), Chickenfoot, will be at Lignano Sabbiadoro (the Lignano beach resort area, located some 60 kms east of Udine, was once deemed the “Florida” of Italy by Ernest Hemingway when he had visited the area in the 1950s). The super band is made up of guitar sensation Joe Satriani, drummer Chad Smith (the same of Red Hot Chili Peppers fame) and bass guitarist Michael Anthony and singer Sammy Hagar (anyone remember Van Halen? Hagar had filled in on vocals for David Lee Roth). Ticket information for this great act can be found at www.azalea.it.

The folks over at Folkest instead plan to bring us on July 3rd in Udine`s quaint little castle both Ray Wilson and Jethro Tull. That will follow on July 4th with the Ed Schnable Band and Roger McGuinn. One artist though who no doubt fans will anxiously want to see again on July 8th in the same venue is a great musician who once played together with two fellows by the name of Eric Clapton and drummer Ginger Baker (anyone remember Cream?) in a rather short-lived super band of the 1960s (their inaugural concert at London`s Hyde Park attracted 100,000 fans), Blind Faith! The musician? None other than a man whom Clapton still today greatly admires, Stevie Winwood (I saw him years ago in Rome together with Tito Puente)!

Folkest will also bring other artists to the Udine area, more specifically to the town Spilimbergo (located about 30 kms west of Udine), such as John Trudell, Hot Tuna and Italy`s Roberto Vecchioni (a former school teacher) who will close the festival on July 27th (all info at www.folkest.com). And if all these great concerts STILL aren`t enough for you, well, do come up to Trieste as the great Carlos Santana will be playing there on July 14th at the Piazza dell`Unita`. Again, all info at www.azalea.it.

The folks over at Euritmica will instead be bringing to Udine during Udine and Jazz (from June 19th to July 18th) the great Ornette Coleman. All information on that and other great concerts at www.euritmica.it

Udinebike, 2009

Another good reason to come to Udine is its yearly and leisurely bike promenade. Formerly called “Udine Pedala”, which once attracted a Guinness-record crowd of 25,000 cyclists, the ride travels some 24 kms thru the small adjoining towns and villages of Udine. It`s not a race but rather a pleasant bike ride.

The mayor, Furio Honsell, also took part as did cyclists of all ages, from the young to the old (all pics by M. Rimati).