Locanda delle Fate -

Locanda delle Fate was an Italian symphonic-rock band that released the 1977 Polydor album Forse le Lucciole non si Amano Più.

Members: Giorgio Gardino (drums, vibraphone), Luciano Boero (bass), Oscar Mazzoglio (Hammond organ, keyboards), Alberto Gaviglio (rhythm guitar, flute, backing vocals, 1973-78), Ezio Vevey (lead guitar, backing vocals, 1973-78), Michele Conta (piano, keyboards, 1973-78), Leonardo Sasso (lead vocals, 1976-78, 2010-17), Maurizio Muha (piano, Minimoog, keyboards, 2010-17), Massimo Brignolo (lead guitar, 2010-17)

Background

Locanda delle Fate formed in 1971 in Asti, a town in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. The name, meaning “Inn of the Fairies,” referenced a defunct brothel in their hometown. Early lineups stabilized in 1973 with the arrival of guitarists Alberto Gaviglio and Ezio Vevey and keyboardist Michele Conta.

Over the next three years, they developed a dual-keyboard, dual-guitar format with a shifting balance between classical motifs and electric ensemble writing. In 1976, they added vocalist Leonardo Sasso and began recording demos that led to a deal with Polydor.

Forse le Lucciole non si Amano Più

Locanda delle Fate released their classic album, Forse le Lucciole non si Amano Più, in June 1977 on Polydor.

The album expands their sound into dense, multi-layered compositions featuring extended instrumental passages, complex harmonic turns, and alternating vocal textures. It marked their only release during the 1970s and stands as their defining statement within the Italian symphonic tradition.

Michele Conta plays acoustic piano, Polymoog, harpsichord, and clarinet in contrapuntal layers that define many of the album’s sectional pivots. Oscar Mazzoglio commands an arsenal of Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes, and Moog synthesizer, often reinforcing transitions or doubling lines in dialogue with guitar or flute. Alberto Gaviglio and Ezio Vevey alternate lead and rhythm guitar roles, switching between arpeggiated acoustic and phased electric textures. Luciano Boero anchors harmonic shifts with thick-toned bass phrasing and adds supporting Hammond lines. Giorgio Gardino multi-tasks on drums and vibraphone, using rapid tom figures, staggered hi-hat patterns, and cymbal swells to frame the changing meters. Leonardo Sasso delivers the majority of vocals with a forceful baritone capable of both operatic peaks and whispered restraint; Vevey sings on “Non chiudere a chiave le stelle.”

All seven tracks are credited to combinations of Alberto Gaviglio, Michele Conta, Ezio Vevey, and Luciano Boero.

The album opens with “A Volte Un Istante Di Quiete,” an instrumental driven by interlocking piano and synthesizer motifs that cycle through brisk changes in dynamic and meter. A flute-led interlude precedes a reprise of the opening theme, with guitar and keys converging in layered counterpoint. The title track alternates romantic vocal passages with swift instrumental surges, incorporating clavinet, harpsichord, and harmonic shifts that move between chamber balladry and theatrical ensemble volleys. “Profumo Di Colla Bianca” contrasts gentle organ–vocal passages with sudden rhythmic pivots, expanding through piano–flute overlays and fuzzy guitar leads.

“Cercando Un Nuovo Confine” begins as a restrained ballad with fingerstyle acoustic guitar, unfolding into layered piano–mellotron sequences and harmonic vocal peaks. “Sogno di Estunno” traverses staccato vocal sections and rapid instrumental breaks, alternating flute and synth over tightly controlled percussive surges. “Non Chiudere A Chiave Le Stelle” pares things back to a delicate guitar–voice dialogue with gentle doubling vocals. “Vendesi Saggezza” develops over nine minutes from sparse keyboard phrasing into dense instrumental crosscurrents, with flute, distorted guitar, and analog synth weaving through tempo shifts, climactic vocal lines, and cascading resolution.

A1. “A Volte Un Istante Di Quiete” [Sometimes a Moment of Quiet] (6:30) — instrumental opener built on shifting piano and synth motifs, with a central reprise and extended interplay between keys, guitar, and flute
A2. “Forse Le Lucciole Non Si Amano Più” [Maybe the Fireflies Don’t Love Each Other Anymore] (9:49) — dramatic ballad sequence with vocal–piano openings, interrupted by angular band passages and theatrical multi-voice episodes
A3. “Profumo Di Colla Bianca” [Smell of White Glue] (8:23) — loosely structured flow piece alternating Hammond–vocal duets, instrumental fragments, and expansive synth–guitar convergences

B1. “Cercando Un Nuovo Confine” [Searching for a New Border] (6:39) — fingerpicked acoustic ballad that expands through layered keys, rising bass and drum presence, and stacked vocal harmonies
B2. “Sogno Di Estunno” [Dream of Summer-Autumn] (4:40) — fast-cycling piece with flute and synth lead roles, shifting abruptly between rock sections and brief, space-tinged breaks
B3. “Non Chiudere A Chiave Le Stelle” [Don’t Lock the Stars] (3:32) — restrained acoustic piece with layered guitars and a secondary vocal performance by Vevey
B4. “Vendesi Saggezza” [Wisdom for Sale] (9:36) — long-form closer with evolving sections, including flute–guitar duets, dynamic synth interjections, and alternating vocal peaks

Sessions occurred at Phonogram Studios, Milano, with producer Niko Papathanassiou and engineer Dave Marinone. Gengy mastered the tracks at Elettroformati.

Forse le Lucciole non si Amano Più features artwork by Anna Montecroci. The front and back covers present a unified panoramic image of an icy shoreline under moonlight, with a luminous fairy kneeling beneath a leafless tree. The artwork emphasizes themes of isolation and mystery consistent with the album’s title and tone.

1978 Single

Locanda delle Fate released one non-album single in 1978 on Polydor.

A. “New York” (4:32) — anthemic mid-tempo track sung by Ezio Vevey, beginning in subdued acoustic tones before expanding into a bright, ascending chorus
B. “Nove Lune” (4:14)

Postlude

Locanda delle Fate continued till 1980 when they cut a final single under the shortened name La Locanda. Their 1977 live recording, released in 1993 under the title Live, includes six tracks from the original album and one previously unavailable song, “La giostra.” Though the audio quality resembles a bootleg, the material holds archival interest for fans.

Alberto Gaviglio issued a 1981 solo single: “Qualcosa resterà,” backed with “Vacci piano.” He passed away in 2021.

Guitarist Ezio Vevey supplemted the synth-punk duo Chrisma on their 1977–79 albums Chinese Restaurant and Hibernation. He also backed Paolo Conte on the singer/songwriter’s 1979 release Un gelato al limon. Vevey later contributed to the 2002 rock-opera La rete di Ulisse by Genoma, a studio group with Nik Comoglio (keyboards), Cyrus Scognamiglio (bass), and Steve Abrate (drums).

In 1996, five of the seven original Locanda delle Fate members regrouped without Leonardo Sasso and Michele Conta and recorded Homo homini lupus, a new studio album released in 1999 with a refined, pop-oriented sound.

A second reunion took place in 2006 with the intent to recapture the original sound, but no recordings emerged. The group resurfaced in 2010 with original members Sasso, Mazzoglio, Boero, and Gardino, joined by guitarist Massimo Brignolo and keyboardist Maurizio Muha. This lineup recorded new studio renditions of early material for the 2012 release The Missing Fireflies, which also included one live 1977 excerpt. That same year saw the vinyl release Live in Bloom, sourced from a 2010 reunion performance.

In 2018, the band issued Lucciole per sempre, a mix of new material and previously unreleased vintage recordings.

Discography: