Tuesday, December 23, 2003

Paolone, 12.VII.1962 - 23.XII.1998



It's been five years since the passing of Feiez.

Not much i can say about this. For those of you who don't know it, Feiez, a.k.a. Mu Fogliasch, a.k.a. Paul Branigade (etc.etc.) was the Saxophonist, percussionist, second guitarist, backing vocalist, just-about-everything-elseist of the great band Elio e le Storie Tese. And overall great guy.
I only had the fortune of seeing him perform once (Pordenone Rototom, April 1998), and i wish i had some great behind-the-scenes anecdote about meeting him after the show. But that night, after meeting all four "core" members of the band, realizing that i had some friends anxiously waiting for me in a van somewhere in the parking lot, and noticing the uncanny amount of people surrounding him, i decided i could even just give Feiez a miss, because "i can meet him the next time". Sadly and stupidly, there was no next time.

But what i can say is this: that night, he and the other five members of the band played their hearts out on stage, giving us one of the best, most surprising and thoroughly enjoyable shows i've ever witnessed. That's my personal memory of the man. And it's not that bad at all, come to think of it.




...and by the way, two days ago would have been FZ's birthday. Pop over to Zappa.com to check out the festivities!