May 1st concert, all the controversies from the stage from 1990 to today – Corriere.it

Concertone on May 1st in the season in Italy of the first center-right government (where the right weighs more than the center) could raise the probability of sparks from the stage in Rome. Themes are not lacking: the war in Ukraine, the rights of homosexuals and transsexuals, the work decree. However, singers and artists already in the past have made the breakout political storms due to song lines or rants against governments, party exponents, the Vatican, Rai itself which broadcasts the musical event live. Let’s see them.

In 1991, when in concertone was in its second edition, it was the Milanese group Elio and tense stories to make a scandal. While they sing a classic, “Dumpster differentiated for the fruit of sin”, they stop and play a revised version of the text of “Dear I love you”. Elio announces «a misdirection for Rai officials» and in the very famous song he inserts the names of politicians of the time (from Giulio Andreotti to Francesco Cossiga to the president of Rai Enrico Manca). The order service interrupts the show and, on stage, to cover the inconvenience, the journalist Vincenzo Mollica goes up to interview Ricky Gianco.

In 1993 it was the turn of the Litfiba. Piero Pelù attacks the Pope, John Paul II, contesting the ideas of the Catholic Church on the use of condom
and on abortion. These are years in which HIV still causes many deaths and the leader of the rock group asks the public: «Why does the Pope always talk about sex? Why? Shouldn’t he be metaphysical?’

In 2003 Daniel Silvestri attack instead Silvio Berlusconi, then Prime Minister, on the subject of justice. “If there’s a war I’d like to talk about,” the Roman singer-songwriter says from the stage, “it’s the one our government is declaring right now to the Italian judiciary». The political storm breaks out and Silvestri’s video is removed from Youtube. The following year, at the 2004 edition of the concert, to avoid other similar cases, Rai broadcasts the May Day musical event with a 20 minute delay.

In 2007 to raise a fuss is Andrea Riveraone of the presenters of the concert, who attacks the Vatican for not having conceded the funeral of Piergiorgio Welby (accompanied to his death in a Swiss clinic), but to have done it with the Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet and the Spanish one Francisco Franco.

Six years later, in 2013, the fear is that strong words could be said or sung by Fabri Fibra. The lyrics of her songs are considered unsuitable by the Dire association (Women on the net against violence), because “sexists and misogynists”. So here we prefer to prevent and the rapper, two weeks before the event, comes removed from the list of participants.

A year goes by and, in 2014, it’s still Piero Pelu to hold court. Close to the European elections, the prime minister of the Democratic Party ends up in his sights Matthew Renziwhich defines: «The non-elected, i.e. iLicio Gelli’s boy scout (head of the deviated Masonic lodge P2, ed)». Renzi will report him and Pelù will have to compensate him with 20 thousand euros.

The controversies in 2018 focus instead on the rapper Ebbasta sphere than in Piazza San Giovanni he performs wearing two Rolexes. Considered by many to be inappropriate and accused of slapping the workers, he will reply: “If a Gucci outfit on live TV is enough to ruin your evening, it means that you have a much bigger problem to solve”.

On May 1, 2021, it is the League that is targeted. It is the guest who thinks about it Fedez, the attack against the senator del Carroccio Andrea Ostellariprotagonist in that period of the opposition to the Zan bill on homontransphobia. The words of the Milanese rapper come after hours of controversy. In fact, Fedez attributes to Rai a attempted censorship (telephone calls and defamation lawsuits will follow). Then, that day from the stage, Fedez lists a series of statements by the League on the subject of gender equality, with names and surnames. “I had to struggle a bit,” he says, “but in the end they gave me permission to perform freely. I take full responsibility for what I say and do».