Milano - Cox 18

In Milano there is a counter culture community that has been around for more then 20 years - a very passionate and dedicated group of people who cherish art, media, music and the creative process. Some people who volunteer or create and labor and give their time or art, while in the center of some of the most hardcore capitalism surrounding the shallow world of high fashion and marketing. It is certainly a world of contrasts and the cox 18 community embodies the spirit of true devotion to art and music, everyone from the older generation to the youngest kids all help out with ever as aspect of keeping the place alive and flowing. This was most apparent after the soundcheck when a huge table was set for both bands and the entire community of people who lived/worked with the cox 18 group; carafes of wine and water, plates of bread and cheese, and the crew of 4 who made a huge amount of pasta and potates and beef for everyone. It was made with love and care and they even went out of their way to accomidate the vegetarians in the group. There was a large hall with a stage and bar and outside a beautiful courtyard that was ringed by smallish apartments and villas where patios opened to the courtyard going up 3 floors. Another building housed a community book store and media center where movies and public access televison programs were created. The incredible thing was that this was all what is called a 'squat' in europe, where a building has been used for a multipurpose domicile and community center for years, and no one ownes any of it soley. This is a concept that is virtually unknown in the states, a true resource that is neither commodified or exploited for any singualr personal gain. A place where any gains or resources derived from the shows or the sales of drink or food are given back to the bands and the community that supports them. Palo was our main contact in Milano for this show and he set us up at another squat that was one of the cleanest and most spacious hostels I have ever seen, we ended the night in this hostel with seperate beds, towels, and even our own bathroom. It was a godsend after spending a few nights sleeping in the club where we played and going without showers for the better part of the week. Palo expalined that Milano was in the middle of a battle, where the local government wants to close all the squats and turn them into enterprises for land developers before the european expo in 2015 begins. He told us there have been many attacks on the hostels, clubs, and galleries in the past few months by the government and the local authorities to intimidate the communities that keep these places open and running. Palo had volunteered his time and even payed for our stay at the hostel as his way of helping the cox 18 community and to further the agenda of providing livemusic and art resource for the Milano culture and anyone who was interested. The show was incrdible, but how could it not be? All in attendance were there because they wanted to enjoy the music, to benefit from the energy and the passion that was put forth by the band Zippo, who were from southern Italy, and White Hills. It was very well attended and they even captured it on various mini-cams and made a mix they were able to burn onto a DVD and give us that night. I can't even begin to describethe amount of effort and talent it took to run all the tech happening that night; the lights, the sound, the cams, the food,.... it was truly inspiring and amazing. This is a famous place and there were many conversations about politics, love, and art that night. Zippo played an amazing show and we were able to follow up with our own so all who showed up to support this cool creation of media were delighted with the outcome. There were even some people who wanted us to sign autographs and pose for pictures, which I found a little embarrassing at first but then after I realized the genuine nature of the love and support being offered suddenly it was really beautiful. This was something that certainly cheered my spirits.