The split of the 883 – or, more precisely, Mauro Repetto’s exit from the duo in 1994 – carried a meaning far greater than the end of a simple artistic idyll. For a huge portion of 1990s Italy it was almost the end of a generational symbol. As North South West East – The Legendary Story of the 883 is about to reveal, the second season of the series created by Sydney Sibilia, premiering exclusively on Sky and streaming only on NOW on October 9, Max Pezzali and Mauro Repetto were not seen merely as two musicians. They were two boys from Pavia who suddenly became famous, whose songs spoke about school, friends, scooters, loves, the provinces, nights out, and a feeling of inadequacy. They Killed Spider-Man and, above all, North South West East – The Legendary Story of the 883 had turned common experiences into a language shared by millions of teenagers. For many of them, Repetto’s departure felt like the breakup of two friends who also represented themselves.
You can understand the mood of disappointment. Moreover, while Max remained at the center of attention, Mauro faded from view. After leaving the 883, he headed to the United States, sought new paths, and for years, for many Italians, became almost a mysterious figure. Decades later, a director who as a boy had been part of that collective euphoria — we’re talking about Sibilia — had the idea to tell the origins and the end of the Max Pezzali-Mauro Repetto duo through a coming-of-age series in two parts. An initiative appreciated by the real Max and the real Mauro, as well as by countless viewers, critics, and 883 fans. Now, on the eve of this anticipated return, something incredible happened. Max and Mauro came back together, to support the launch of North South West East – The Legendary Story of the 883 and to remember, perhaps with a different perspective, what they were. A journey into nostalgia — which also includes a new, exciting song — of which we bear witness below.
The launch of North South West East and the reunion of Max and Mauro
The most intense moment of the activities that, over the past weekend, promoted and celebrated the imminent debut of North South West East – The Legendary Story of the 883 was the meeting and embrace between the real Max Pezzali and Mauro Repetto, and the meeting of the two with their “clones,” the protagonists of the series Elia Nuzzolo and Matteo Giuggioli. It happened in Milan, in front of dozens of delirious witnesses. A moment also shared on Sky and NOW’s social profiles, moving many who still hope for a reunion. “Thirty years ago we wouldn’t even have thought we’d be here thirty years later, that someone would remember that we had done something,” Pezzali said amid the laughter of those present. “This thing here, what happened two years ago with the first season and what we hope happens — but having seen, having seen things, I’m sure something will happen — it’s really something extraordinary, for us who lived it, and for us who are discovering things about ourselves we didn’t know. It’s a form of analysis, of group psychotherapy.”
Meanwhile, right at that moment, Le_Ali — the new single by Max Pezzali also featured in the Sky Original series soundtrack — was released. Written with Davide Ferrario, the song tells of the transition from adolescence to adulthood through memories of years filled with dreams, insecurities, and the longing to find one’s place in the world. “It happens to me often when I’m in Miami to write new songs,” Pezzali explained on Instagram. “At the start of the year one particular song emerged that spoke of a friendship story, and as I worked on it day after day I realized that I was basically talking about me and Mauro, a story that has thrilled, moved, and intrigued many over the last 34 years. When I returned to Italy I had it play for my team and for Sydney Sibilia, asking if it could be useful for the second season of the Sky series dedicated to the 883. And here we are, with Le_Ali, which means Wings, but also Leali. And yes, those two insects are really me and him, Max and Mauro, known by most as the 883.”
In a press conference, Sibilia shared: “We had started filming and they told me, ‘Do you want to hear a song?’ Max’s entourage summoned me to the office and said, ‘Look, something strange happened: Max, thinking a bit about the series and a bit about all this that’s happening, wrote a song.’ And they played me a beautiful piece. To think that there is a life of a person who inspires a series that inspires a song, I thought this was a gorgeous sequence of events and that the work we do is a bit magical. I invite you to listen to it: it speaks a little of this series, a little of its life, a little of all of us as usual.”
It might be enough to feel fulfilled, but there is more. The same Pezzali and Repetto announced recently another surprise: the release of two commemorative box sets for They Killed Spider-Man and North South West East. It is not merely a commercial move for the launch of the new season of the series. “I called Mauro and asked if he’d like to chat about the two albums,” Pezzali wrote. “We revisited the entire gestation of those songs, track by track, but above all the characters that inspired them. We died laughing. It was so cool that we decided to press it on vinyl, a bit like they used to do when interviews were pressed on vinyl or cassette to send to radio stations. We named it The Radio Tavern Show, yes, it is very much like a radio program, but pressed on vinyl. It’s a bit new, a little crazy, but it’s a lovely gem.”
We don’t know where all these heartwarming gestures will lead in the days ahead, though fans’ wish is simple in an era when other bands who had broken up are reuniting. But we can tease you that they won’t be the only surprise in the near term. In the meantime, mark your calendar for North South West East – The Legendary Story of the 883, on October 9 with the first two episodes exclusively on Sky and streaming only on NOW, followed by a new installment every Friday until November 20.
Entra in NOW
Comments