Rock in Progress 2002: Osanna, Goblin and PFM Live in Chieti

Rock in Progress 2002 was an important progressive rock festival held on October 19, 2002, at PalaTricalle in Chieti.

The line-up featured:

• Osanna
• Goblin / Daemonia
• Premiata Forneria Marconi

The event brought together three central names in the history of Italian progressive rock: the Mediterranean theatricality of Osanna, the cinematic atmospheres of Goblin through Claudio Simonetti’s Daemonia project, and the international dimension of Premiata Forneria Marconi.

Osanna

Osanna are one of the most representative bands in Italian progressive rock. Formed in Naples in the early 1970s, they quickly stood out for a musical language that combined rock, jazz, Mediterranean folk influences and a strong theatrical component.

The band was among the first in Italy to bring a recognizable theatrical image to the stage, made of make-up, costumes, gestures and references to popular tradition and the commedia dell’arte. This visual dimension was not merely decorative, but an essential part of their artistic identity: Osanna concerts were true performances, where music and staging naturally merged.

The classic line-up included Lino Vairetti on vocals, Danilo Rustici on guitar, Lello Brandi on bass, Massimo Guarino on drums and Elio D’Anna on flute and saxophone. Albums such as L’uomo, Palepoli and the soundtrack to Milano calibro 9 helped define the band as one of the most original experiences in Italian progressive music.

In the context of Rock in Progress 2002, Osanna represented the most direct link with the visionary and experimental season of Neapolitan progressive rock in the 1970s.

Source: Osanna - official website, Wikipedia

Goblin / Daemonia

Goblin are one of the most recognizable names in Italian progressive rock, especially known for their connection with genre cinema and the soundtracks to several key films by Dario Argento, including Deep Red and Suspiria.

The group emerged in the 1970s from the meeting of musicians coming from the Roman progressive scene. Their combination of keyboards, pulsing bass, sharp guitars and obsessive rhythmic structures created an immediately recognizable sound, suspended between symphonic rock, funk, electronic music and film scoring.

In 2002, the Goblin name was mainly linked on stage to Daemonia, a project founded by Claudio Simonetti in 1999. With Daemonia, Simonetti brought the classic Goblin repertoire and many of his film compositions back to the stage, updating them with a more modern and direct sound.

The line-up of the period was centered around Claudio Simonetti on keyboards, a key figure in Goblin’s history and the author of many of their most celebrated pages. Alongside him, Daemonia included musicians from the Italian rock and metal scene, including Bruno Previtali on guitar, Federico Amorosi on bass and Titta Tani on drums.

In the context of Rock in Progress 2002, Goblin/Daemonia brought to the stage the most cinematic, dark and visionary side of Italian progressive rock.

Source: Terra di Goblin - Daemonia, Goblin Official

Premiata Forneria Marconi

Premiata Forneria Marconi, often abbreviated as PFM, is probably the best-known Italian progressive rock band internationally. Formed in Milan in 1970, the band took the beat-music legacy of I Quelli and transformed it into a new musical proposal, capable of blending rock, classical music, folk, jazz and improvisation.

PFM soon reached an international dimension, also thanks to their collaboration with Manticore, the label founded by Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and to the release of English-language albums aimed at the foreign market. The group was among the few Italian rock names to enter the US charts, becoming a reference point for listeners looking for an Italian path into progressive rock.

The classic line-up revolved around musicians such as Franz Di Cioccio, drummer, singer and frontman, Franco Mussida on guitar, Flavio Premoli on keyboards and Patrick Djivas on bass. Over the years, the band went through many phases, alternating progressive writing, singer-songwriter material, instrumental experimentation and important collaborations, including the one with Fabrizio De André.

In the context of Rock in Progress 2002, PFM represented the most international and celebrated peak of the line-up: a band able to connect the historic season of Italian prog with a still active and recognizable live presence.

Source: PFM World - official biography

First press release

Below is the text of the first press release announcing the Rock in Progress event, where the festival was still presented as a two-day summer event — in June rather than October — with a different location, the Stadio Angelini in Chieti, and a truly incredible line-up.

A major return for Progressive Rock music. This is how the ROCK IN PROGRESS festival can be summarized. It will take place on June 21 and 22 in the area in front of the Stadio Angelini in Chieti, Abruzzo.

The area, which is very large, will be able to welcome a great number of spectators — around 20,000 — while also offering refreshment points and stands for buying and selling musical and non-musical material.

ALL COMPLETELY FREE OF CHARGE.

A unique event in Italy, where music will merge with photography exhibitions, stands by major non-profit associations, exhibitions and, as a highlight, a series of conferences featuring the “G. D’Annunzio” University of Chieti. These conferences will be held by lecturers, scholars, artists and journalists. They will cover all the socio-cultural aspects and development dynamics of rock and music in general from the 1970s to the present day, without overlooking the Internet phenomenon.

The event is promoted and largely financed by the University of Chieti and is organized by the Artistic and Cultural Association “Nuova Atlantide”, which operates in Abruzzo in the field of art and culture, together with the student list “360gradi”.

The bill is still being finalized. Osanna, New Trolls, Le Orme, Claudio Simonetti’s Daemonia, Banco del Mutuo Soccorso and Premiata Forneria Marconi have already confirmed their participation. In addition, local support bands Tubi Lungimiranti and Passaporto will also appear. Great and beautiful surprises will not be missing.

These groups marked, and still continue to mark, a glorious era for our music. They will take turns on the Chieti stage, helping to create a great festive atmosphere and a real connection between that glorious period of rock music, the 1970s, and the present day.

The event location is perfectly reachable by roads, motorways, railway and airport — even by sea, if desired!

Hotels have been arranged to provide proper hospitality for those coming from outside the region.