Russell Crowe returns to Italy with his band

Thanks to his performance as a guest at the Sanremo Festival it was discovered that Russell Crowein addition to having Italian roots, he is also a talented musician, guitarist and band leader as well as a lover of the blues.

The sixty-year-old New Zealand actor, Oscar winner and protagonist of many successful and quality films, but who went down in history as “The Gladiator” for the 2000 film, when he went on stage at the Ariston was planning to return to our country for a series of six summer concerts. Today those concerts, with his band The Gentlemen Barbers they more than doubled to 15.

This is the calendar

June 21st – Breuil-Cervinia – Panoramic Terrace of the Piccolo Cervino and Breuil-Cervinia (Valtournenche) (7.30 pm)

23 June– Rome – Colosseum Archaeological Park
July 9th – Pompeii – Amphitheater of the Excavations
July 11th – Ascoli Piceno – Piazza del Popolo
July 13th – Piacenza – Palazzo Farnese
July 14th – Varese – Estensi Gardens
July 16th – Bologna – Municipal Theater Auditorium Manzoni
July 19th – Bari – Musicultura Summer Festival, Capurso Basilica Churchyard
July 20th – Diamante (CS) – Ruins of Cirella
July 22nd – Siena – Piazza del Campo
July 30th – La Spezia – Jazz Festival, Piazza Europa
01 August – Udine – Festival Majano Concert Area
03 August – Ladispoli (RM) – Piazza Rossellini
05 August – Castiglioncello, Rosignano Marittimo (LI) – Pasquini Castle
07 August – Noto (SR) – Staircase of the Cathedral

There will be no shortage of unique moments on the tour, such as Breuil-Cervinia where the 7.30pm concert will be preceded by an evocative preview. The first part of the show it will take place, in fact, at 2 pm on the Panoramic Terrace of the Piccolo Cervino, at an altitude of 3880 metres. Russell Crowe & The Gentleman Barbers will play some songs outdoors and without an audience for what will become the highest singing performance in history.

In Rome, on the occasion of the return of the “Gladiator” to the Colosseum, the presence of Jimmy Carr, one of the most famous English stand-up comedians. Brilliant and irresistible, Carr will perform at the opening of the show.

Said Russell Crowe in the presentation of the tour in Sanremo where he performed “Let the light shine”.

“I have always had an attraction towards Italy, it is something that I have always felt throughout my life. As an adult, returning to Italy, I realized how strong this bond was. It is fascinating to think that this country has made a huge contribution to the world, in terms of culture and from a social point of view. I grew up in a house where we listened to a lot of music, it was a very important creative outlet. Music has always been central to me: in high school my goal was to make music. At 16 I gave concerts in small theaters, at 17 I recorded my first album. I've been making films for 35 years, but music has been around for much longer.”

Also on the occasion of his performance in Sanremo Crowe revealed that before becoming an actor he had taken the path of being a rock star “I learned to play when my neighbor taught me three chords” he said “My journey towards the cinema – he continued – he began playing, touring and releasing records. This work led me to musical theater (Grease, Rocky Horror Show, Blood Brothers) and, miraculously, a director saw me perform in Blood Brothers and asked me to audition.”

The band's history dates back 30 years. David Kelly (drums) and Stewart Kirwan (trumpet) were members of Thirty Odd Foot of Grunts, as well as playing with Crowe on “The Ordinary Fear of God” (2005 album), which featured Stuart Hunter (piano) and Chris Kamzelas ( guitar). James Haselwood (bass) fit perfectly into the band which also features the voices of Stacey Fletcher, Susie Ahern and Britney Theriot.

“We revisit numerous successes in the history of music – concludes Crowe – bringing iconic songs back to life, through new arrangements, to give the public a truly extraordinary experience”.

Russell Crowe, who is married to the Australian rock star Danielle Spencer, we often find him in Italy, both as a musician and as a tourist. Last June 2023 he came to our country as a musician and played in Catanzaro, Taranto, Rome and Bologna.