Tom Morello and Måneskin have become consistent collaborators, with the Rage Against the Machine guitarist lending his guitar skills to the Måneskin track Gossip last year. Their collaborative spirit shows no sign of stopping, as Måneskin's guitarist, Thomas Raggi, joined Morello on stage at Castello Scaligero di Villafranca in Verona, Italy, on July 8.
Mid-concert, Morello brought out Raggi for a searing rendition of MC5's Kick Out the Jams, accompanied by vocalist Delila Paz from The Last Internationale.
The result was a hard rock spectacle in which Raggi truly held his own, trading riffs and solos with Morello. According to a review by Rock Nation Italy, “As an audience, we were all caught up in witnessing this erotic act between Morello and his guitar, and Raggi didn't play the Måneskin character – even though they played Gossip together – but he got into character, becoming Morello's partner.”
During this same show, Morello also brought out his son, Roman, to play lead guitar on their new single. “My 13 yr old son Roman & I rocked our new tune SOLDIER IN THE ARMY OF LOVE at an Italian castle in Verona last night! Roman’s fans went wild!” wrote Morello in an Instagram post.
When talking about his son and Soldier In The Army Of Love to Guitar Interactive Magazine, Morello said, “That's a shredding guitar solo on [Soldier In The Army Of Love]. I wish I could say it was me. During lockdown, when everybody else was baking bread, [my son Roman] was putting in his eight hours a day.
“So I've been relegated to be the rhythm guitar player in the family now. But no, one day I was walking by his bedroom and he was playing these awesome drop D heavy riffs. I'm, like, ‘What is that?’ And he's, like, ‘I just came up with 'em.’”
When it comes to Raggi, the Måneskin guitarist previously joined Morello on stage in June at London's Electric Ballroom for a rendition of Gossip and Kick Out the Jams.
In a press statement, Morello praised Måneskin, calling them the “standard bearers of rock'n'roll for a younger generation.” “When I heard that there was a rock ’n’ roll band from Italy that was blowing up around the world I was like, ‘Really? Come on.’ Then when I saw them play live I was blown away.
“They are unapologetically loud, unapologetically sexy, and unapologetically rocking. I got to jam with them at their studio in Hollywood, it’s a great band, they all play great, they write great songs, they connect with their audience in a deep and meaningful way, and if you’ve seen them play live the crowd goes off! It looks a lot like some of the big bands of the ’90s.”
