NEAR TRUTHS: AMPED UP AND RAMPED UP
How big will Måneskin get? The Arista/Sony Latin band’s global streams have passed the 3.5b mark, the equivalent of about 2.5m albums or 27m songs. They’ve earned 219m U.S. streams (close to 1.7m song equivalents), which is behind their global numbers. But they’ve only been a factor on this side of the ocean for a few months, compared to their years of development and huge TV looks on the Continent. Their cover of Frankie Valli’s “Beggin’” is trending Top 5 at U.S. Pop radio and could go all the way. Ticket sales in Europe have been brisk, to say the least, from 5k in the U.K. and 8k in Amsterdam to 13k in Budapest, 10.5k in Tallinn, Estonia, and 14.5k in Riga, Latvia.
The band’s sexed-up image and raw swagger recall the disruptions wrought by The Stooges and The New York Dolls; the addition of Ron Laffitte, who managed the amp-shredding likes of Megadeth/Dave Mustaine and Soundgarden/Chris Cornell, to their management team gives the Italian troupe even more rock cred. Could they become U.S. festival darlings and create a new glam-rock market? Will they spend enough time here to capitalize on their stateside momentum? David Massey, Laffitte and team are turning all the dials up to 10.
