Jack White, Nick Cave and Gorillaz at the Lido di Camaiore

La Prima Estate, the festival at Parco BussolaDomani in Lido di Camaiore from 19 to 21 June and from 26 to 28 June, continues to forge its own identity. Now in its fifth year, the Versilia-based event once again opts for a compact format, spread over two weekends. The first thing that strikes you is the coherence of the programme: there’s no sense that the line-up has been put together solely to chase the artist of the moment, the algorithm, the viral track or the latest record release to capitalise on. Naturally, many are appearing with recent albums or new projects, because musicians, too, have to live in the present. But the overall vision seems more ambitious: to book artists who possess the ability to hold their own on stage beyond mere promotional considerations.

Jack White was tasked with opening the show, making his first solo appearance in Italia: a former member of the White Stripes, certainly, but for some time now a figure in his own right and one of the most recognisable guitarists in contemporary rock. Joining him are the Swedish band The Hives, a high-energy garage-punk machine that’s always more effective live than on paper: few frills and plenty of energy. It’s a start that immediately makes it clear which side you’re on: guitars and rock tradition treated not as a relic, but as a language that’s still very much alive. Saturday 20 June, on the other hand, focuses on a very distinctive Italian line-up, featuring artists who have spanned different eras of the country’s alternative music scene.

Marlene Kuntz embody thirty years of Italian rock history, linked to a raw, literary aesthetic that first left its mark on Generation X, who grew up on grunge. I Ministri follow a different path, one that is more urban and direct, whilst Casino Royale bring with them a career that has spanned dub, soul and electronic music. Rounding off the first block is a day dedicated to Cool Britannia, featuring Richard Ashcroft, The Libertines and The Wombats, all performing their only Italian date. Ashcroft brings with him the legacy of The Verve and some of the most recognisable songs of Britpop and its melancholic tail end, from ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ to ‘The Drugs Don’t Work’. Pete Doherty and Carl Barât’s The Libertines, on the other hand, bring another British era back to life – one that was more ramshackle and romantic, when rock still seemed like a coming-of-age novel: badly written but lived to the full. The Wombats add a more contemporary, pop-oriented dimension, without disrupting the flow of the day. They are joined by The Ramona Flowers, a Bristol-based quintet that blends rock and electronica. The second weekend raises the bar even higher.

 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds are one of those names that, on their own, are enough to transform the atmosphere of a festival. Cave is a stage presence, a secular ritual, a way of viewing a concert as an emotional experience. Alongside him, the Sleaford Mods, from Nottingham, represent almost the complete opposite: two figures, a rhythm section, a piercing voice, post-punk stripped down to its bare essentials, yet capable of unleashing a unique energy. With Emiliana Torrini, an Icelandic artist of Italian origin, the programme also embraces a more intimate style of songwriting, blending folk, dream pop and Nordic atmospheres.

The Gorillaz concert – Saturday 27 June – is bound to be one of the most eagerly awaited events. Damon Albarn’s project band returns to Italia after a four-year absence, bringing with them a new chapter in their discography: the album *The Mountain*, released in February. Their presence confirms their commitment to bringing together a wide audience with artistic exploration, entertainment and creative intelligence. On the same day, Wolf Alice and Nation of Language will bring two distinct takes on contemporary pop-rock and synthpop. The finale, on Sunday 28 June, is entrusted to Twenty One Pilots, a name capable of resonating with a global and cross-generational audience, preceded by Wet Leg, one of the freshest acts on the recent British alternative rock scene. The duo from the Isle of Wight have brought an ironic and sexy touch back to the indie scene, alongside a stage presence that has already made a strong impression at international festivals.