Many of you don’t know who I am, but some of you surely do.
My story is one of success, pitfalls and a constant dosage of sheer pain.
I have always known music was my one and only road in life. Operationally speaking I couldn’t muster the courage to pursue the career until later in life. I always thanked God for making me wait, though. By doing so I lived and learned how not to be pushed and pulled by a business that is unforgiving towards young, inexperienced artists.
My climbing of the music business mountain started in 2010, when I moved to Canada. At that point Italy was just a joke, a pale shadow of its former classical music glory. There was no business to be done in my homeland. There still isn’t any. I managed to move my way up in the north american scene and by 2015 I had my little empire, built around the tribute band called Absolute Journey Tribute (a tribute to Steve Perry’s band Journey). I went everywhere, did everything and lived off of music for 5 long years…
… then the hammer fell. Covid came. At that time the market for my product was almost solely concentrated around the USA. I had to thank Justin Trudeau’s crazy-spending, high taxation politics for drying up music opportunity in Canada since 2016. I also am extremely thankful for the economically effective politics of Donald Trump, who made my transition from an all Canadian business to an international sensation so profitable. For 2 long years me and my band weren’t put in the condition of making a living. Quarantine was a must when going to the USA. Exemption was given only to bands with a high volume of shows on schedule. At that time, obviously, almost no band had that volume of business, because of the crisis. By the end of 2021 all of the clientele that I built in the USA for many long years since 2013 just vanished. After all, when I started my tribute, there were 6 similar businesses in the whole of US. In 2020 there were around 60. The hole that I was forced to leave in the market was filled by other acts, eager (and legally allowed) to take my place.
I decided it was time to come home to Italy. A long period of deep depression followed. As I made peace with the fact that my life went through a hard reset and I didn’t was left with nothing, a spark reignited. I decided I owed to myself to try again. Not only try… succeed again. I found the energy and conviction to rise when most people would have stayed down. I am now rebuilding my career brick by brick until I get back to where I was. No: until I surpass my previous successes.
I am a human of many skills. Absolute Journey was my birthchild in full: I was lead singer, band manager, booking agent, pr, graphic designer, web designer, social network curato, artistic director, costume designer and tailor. This website is dedicated to my career in all of these fields. An omnicomprehensive tribute to what my life is about. I am glad to be able to share this new lease of life with you… and now let’s get to work!
Written by Riccardo Curzi
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Hänna Lori Stine
April 5, 2023 at 00:27
Restarting one life, for another scary unknown, different one, is always the hardest part. I know you are able to get right back up on that horse again… but it might be four times as hard, this time around. Yet I have faith, in you but it will take time, brother; so don’t lose yours if it takes a bit longer. As long as I have known you, you’ve been a man of many impossible but very important feats/talents. I don’t even think I would have been as sane, as you are, even now. Your can do efforts have even inspired me to teach (side-hustle) classes again to try to bring back the ‘flame of living’ to veterans, as well. “I don’t think you can even realize how many people you have even inspired, along the way, do you?” You make their lives worth fighting for all over again to try and gain their lives back (they once had before the nightmare of Cov!d). Like God had blessed Job (even after all which bad and deadly happened to him), in Bible, it takes an extraordinary amount of courage (and a person) to live through it and get up, dust yourself off, ride the damned horse again, so you will continue to inspire others. “Try to prove me wrong brother; I’d dare you!” For now, May my patron Saint, Padre Pio, watch over you in every aspect of your life. 😇🥰