Interview with Måneskin: "It's not about our bodies, it's about our music"

Damiano, Victoria, Thomas and Ethan enter the almost deserted hall, then they stand in the red and blue spotlights of the stage. They wear glittery fishnet tops, black tape over the nipples, leather pants, heels and make-up. The cameramen, who film in the TikTok-appropriate portrait format (“nine-by-sixteen”), stir up the vapors of the smoke machine in their search for the perfect picture.

Måneskin are in Berlin to give a TikTok concert. There hasn't been a TikTok live stream of this magnitude very often — excitement is in the air. The four Italians didn't know at this point that none of the few present should gossip because of the stream. In complete silence and with a little uncertainty, they cross the Neukölln Club Schwuz. A few questioning looks are exchanged. Finally, Måneskin start playing the first chord.

Then the rich sound of Ethan's based drum tears up the silence. It's like someone flipped a switch. There it is, the rock star presence, this hovering and arrogant in the best sense of the word. Singer Damiano dances lasciviously on his heels, guitarist Thomas throws himself on the floor during a particularly ecstatic solo in a way that only an obsessed 20-year-old musician who has never given any thought to the impending doom of artificial knee joints can. About half an hour and what felt like 120 decibels later, Damiano says goodbye with an almost shy "Ok, bye". After the performance we will conduct our interview in Schwuz.

ROLLING STONE: When you walked on stage today, it was weird at first, wasn't it?Damiano: Yes, it was weird (laughs). It was only after the performance that we were told that the audience had been instructed to be quiet for the stream.

Vic: But then at least it wasn't because we sucked (everyone laughs). We're slowly getting used to these concerts without a live audience. We've been doing this for over a year now.

What do you think of new concerts like the TikTok live stream today?Damiano: At the moment it's the only way to perform, so it's okay. But of course you can't compare that to a real concert.

Thomas: But it's really cool that so many people can experience our performance.

Vic: Soon it will start again. We're trying to arrange some festival performances right now. Then in December we'll play the tour in Italy and then probably a European tour. But that's not certain yet, there's just a lot going on right now.

"Quite a lot" - quite an understatement when you consider the development that Måneskin made in the weeks after her ESC victory. The singles "Beggin'" and "I Wanna Be Your Slave" went through the roof (also thanks to social media) and dominate the international charts - most recently they were number one in Germany. Hardly any station doesn't play the band on heavy rotation, and anyone who opens Instagram or TikTok these days will be overwhelmed by a flood of Måneskin content. Fan sites with names like “maneskin_obsession” or “damianos_slut” shoot up like mushrooms out of the virtual ground every second. It sounds like a cliché - but Damiano, Vic, Thomas and Ethan became international stars overnight.

To what extent has your life as a band changed since winning the ESC in Rotterdam?Vic: I don't think we really get a lot of things. Immediately after the ESC we went to the studio in the country and made music all day long. So at first we didn't even notice everything that was happening around us - all the new fans and stuff. Only now are we slowly realizing what's going on. Yesterday we were at Sony, there were so many fans waiting for us. That was really crazy.

A lot of the attention you get now is about your looks, your style, your attractiveness. Does that sometimes get to be too much? Damiano: Of course it's nice to get compliments (laughs). But sometimes a line is definitely crossed. Especially when we talk about music or a social topic that is close to our hearts. Then it is completely inappropriate to reduce ourselves to our looks. Sure - when I post a half-naked photo on Instagram, I know these comments are going to come. And then that's ok too, I'm posting the photo to show myself. But sometimes it's just not the right place for it.

The point is that you should be able to dress however you want without being sexualized...Vic: Yes, definitely. We wear our outfits because we feel comfortable in them, not to draw attention to our bodies. In general, it shouldn't always be about how you're dressed. We are musicians - first and foremost it should be about our music. But I think there is still a long way to go before this is really the case.

Nevertheless, your style sets an example against stereotypical gender roles. It's no coincidence that we're in Schwuz today - normally a party location and safe space for the LGBTQ community - isn't it? Vic: It's all part of the positive message we want to send. We want our listeners to feel free. That they can dress how they want and love whoever they want. It is unbelievable that there is still so much intolerance today. This has always concerned us, so we try to talk about these topics. We also believe that this narrow-minded society is an educational problem. When you grow up with everyone telling you who you should be, you'll never feel free. The more people talk about it, the more likely things will change.

Artists who campaign for these issues are sometimes accused of "queerbaiting". So that they would pretend something to score with the queer community. Have you ever been confronted with this accusation? Vic: Sometimes. But of course we never pretended anything to anyone. Some people blame us because we look and act the way we do. But that is a misconception. We don't believe that a person's clothing style is related to their sexuality. The fact that boys wear makeup doesn't say anything about what gender they're attracted to. This should not be associated with each other from the outset.

Our (young) generation lives out this courage to develop freely, which you convey, above all via Instagram and Co. What is your relationship with social media like?Damiano: For me personally it was a bit scary at first. The bigger we got, the more people there were who turned everything I said around. But over time, you'll understand that the more you're known, the more criticism you get. The happier you look, the more hate comes there too. This doesn't just apply to celebrities. If you dare to show what makes you happy, there will definitely be people who support you - but also people who envy you. That's why nobody should let others hold them back, but of course it's easier said than done.

Vic: We also try not to spend too much time on social media. Ultimately we're just trying to be honest with ourselves and our fans and avoid negativity.

Actually, it's amazing how little impact an ESC victory has in most cases. Almost 200 million people watch this glossy studio spectacle every year - and yet just a few months after the event it is difficult to remember who was actually shot at with confetti at the award ceremony. It's the well-known casting show curse that weighs heavily on the winning bands. If there's a new sensation coming next year, how memorable is a win? Exceptions like Lena, who still belongs to the top ranks of German pop music more than ten years after Oslo, confirm the rule. With their charisma, the sound, which is unusual for today's standards, and the contemporary message, Måneskin could also become such an exception.

What certainly also plays a role is the fact that the band already had a standing in the Italian music market before they took part in the ESC. Her debut album "Il ballo della vita" already reached platinum status in 2018, three years before Sanremo and the ESC. Or it was the long way to this point that taught the four school friends the necessary perseverance. Because contrary to bad tongues, Måneskin are not a phenomenon bred by the entertainment industry for Eurovision.

You all grew up in Rome, the capital of the Catholic Church. What was it like starting out as a young progressive band in a rather conservative environment?

Damiano: Well, in the beginning, as street musicians, nobody was interested in us anyway (everyone laughs) But of course... when it all got a bit bigger, there were some people who had a problem with us. For example, when we went to Sanremo, there were many people who thought that we shouldn't be allowed to represent Italy the way we look and behave. They didn't even want to listen to our music.

Vic: Italy is also a bit more backward than other countries when it comes to questions of appearance and sexuality. This is certainly also influenced by the church. Of course, they are very conservative and that has shaped many people who grew up with this image.

You once mentioned that with the song "IN NOME DEL PADRE" you are confronting these people musically. What exactly does the song mean to you? Damiano: We had some problems at the beginning. They didn't want us to play in clubs because we would take up too much space as a band, our looks didn't fit or they wouldn't pay us. Italy is really not a good place for bands. Our musical style was also criticized a lot. A lot of people told us: “Don't do that, rock doesn't move in Italy. You're not going to get anywhere.” Of course it was hurtful, but that's why we decided to move on... and that sadness turned to anger. With the song we say to the people from back then: "Fuck off, we made it!"

Have you ever considered just doing a nine-to-five job and living a "normal" life?Damiano: Nah... not really. I worked a single month in my life - it didn't go well (everyone laughs)

Vic: We've all been making music since we were kids. That's a big part of us. We couldn't just ignore that. The most important thing is that you do something that makes you happy. We all think so. So we started putting all our time and energy into music at a very young age.

Thomas: Yes, totally. Ever since we went to school together, we've only ever made music. That was always our focus and that is still the case today. We play and play and play 'cause that's the only thing -

Ethan:- what we live for.

Damiano: The music also has something very therapeutic for us. When we're in a bad mood and we bump into each other - and yes, we do - it all goes away once we're on stage. That's perhaps the most beautiful thing about music...that it allows you to forget everything else. You just stand on stage and have fun with your friends.

Only very few bands would believe such declarations of love for music, dripping with kitsch. Most of the time it sounds like phrases, like well-rehearsed, quotable sentences. But if there's one thing that sets Måneskin apart, and that becomes clearer as the conversation progresses, it's actually uncompromising honesty. The four are not humorless, but take themselves and their music one hundred percent seriously. Not a matter of course in a generation that almost exclusively produced ironic cloud rappers and made cynical Twitter comedy a national sport. Måneskin may be just what this generation has been missing.

Nevertheless, the four musicians, all between 20 and 22 years old, do not evade this constant need for self-expression, which is an inseparable part of modern life. This is not only reflected in the band's outfits (always "on-fleek") and Instagram profiles, but also in their lyrics. A clear leitmotif is recognizable on their current record "Teatro D'Ira - Vol. 1": The album is an ode to individuality, accompanied by a fast, hard sound.

Of course, this Disney-esque message gets a bit too much hype on one or the other track, but never so much as to appear implausible or self-caricaturing. Ultimately, what makes Måneskin so interesting is the union of the current zeitgeist - between TikTok hedonism and omnipresent politicization - with the music of previous generations.

Your style is often described as classic 70s rock, but in fact you can hear many different influences. At some points you almost groove into funk, at others it's more rapping than singing. How does this mix come about?Thomas: We all have different influences and we all meet somewhere. And we always want to remain open to experiments.

Ethan: Yes, we are very experimental in the song writing process.

Vic: We don't want to limit ourselves to what is seen as typical rock music either. If rap fits well at one point, then we just do it. It actually happens quite naturally without us thinking about it much.

Then why rock in the end? Vic: That's the style that we feel is best represented by. Basically, we just play the music that we enjoy the most. This is very important to us so that we can show something real on stage. We don't want to pretend or make fun of people who genuinely like our music. You should be proud of what you do and never fake anything just to sell more albums, for example.

Is there such a thing as an Italian rock music scene?Vic: There are many bands - but most of them are much older than us or are more in the direction of indie rock. So there really isn't a young rock scene, which we think is a shame. But since we've become more popular, a lot of people have written to us saying they started listening to rock or playing guitar or something because of us. That's incredibly beautiful.

You say you want to bring this style of music closer to a younger generation. Your song "VENT'ANNI" in particular captures this contrast well. Musically a classic rock ballad and lyrically the image of today's youth. Where did the need to write this song come from?

Damiano: I wanted to show with the song that I'm just a normal guy. A normal 20-year-old guy. I experience exactly what other people my age experience, just do a different job. I also wanted to describe this age as a whole because I find it very special. When you're 20, you start thinking about what to do next. I think this is one of the most important periods in life. Because we (the band) are all the same age, I then started blending our experiences. Ultimately, the song shows what it means for us to be 20. There are many good things - you are relatively carefree and enthusiastic about life. Then again you are too young to do many things and at the same time too old to do others. Some people treat you like an adult, but -

Vic:- not quite.

Damiano: Exactly. This is sometimes very frustrating. We wanted to show our audience, “Hey, we're only 20, too. We're going through the same things as you guys right now. We understand you.”

Except that you are the ones who are becoming a worldwide phenomenon. How do you keep that honesty? Damiano: I think we've only gotten this far because we've always been authentic - both good and bad. Besides, we just have fun with what we do together. That's something special that we don't want to lose. We're just four friends who started living our dream. Actually very simple. Sure - we go on stage, get attention, do interviews - but when we come back home we're just four friends.