When you think of the Mediterranean, you tend to think of olive groves and sunny beaches, but for whatever reason, various South European countries have always had an affinity for darker shades of rock ‘n’ roll, perhaps reflecting the cultural affinity in these countries for surprisingly dark music. (Greek rebetiko, for instance, is some of the most gloriously depressing stuff you’ll ever hear.) With that in mind, it’s fascinating to look at these photos of people from the Italian “dark movement” of the early 1980s. The images — taken by Italian photographer Dino Ignani — surfaced on Dangerous Minds this week, and they capture an era of spectacular makeup and even more spectacular hair. You can just imagine these people at a dark basement club, standing perfectly still and listening to The Dome or something similar. Excellent.
Diamanda Galás. Photo credit: Dino Ignani.
At the Firenze Club in Rome. Photo credit: Dino Ignani.
At the Piper Club in Rome. Photo credit: Dino Ignani.
From the Black Out Rock Club. Photo credit: Dino Ignani.
At the Piper Club in Piper. Photo credit: Dino Ignani.
From the Black Out Rock Club. Photo credit: Dino Ignani.
Londra. Photo credit: Dino Ignani.
Luisa. Photo credit: Dino Ignani.
Chiara and Mauro. Photo credit: Dino Ignani.
Olimpo. Photo credit: Dino Ignani.