1. Teil (3 teilig)
Ignazio:
After the tour, we started thinking about the second album and in early 2013 we recorded ‘We Are Love’.
If I remember correctly, in April our abum was released and in August we started our new tour in Vancouver, Canada. We will never forget that tour.
In September something happened that marked our relationship, united us even more, and made us realise that the three of us are stronger together ("noi tre siamo la forza").
Miami, the 24th of September, a night like many others: we decided to hang out with a group of friends and go to one of the most 'in' Italian restaurants in South Beach.
The night started very well, we were having a great time. The owner knew us well and had escorted us upstairs to the club on the upper floor of the building, where only members were allowed. There were about 50 people. We had dinner and, from that moment onwards, the only thing I can remember is collapsing on the couch and then waking up.
Piero:
We’ve all been through some bad, unhappy, sad moments, but I believe that day, that night in Miami was the worst night of my life. I remember every single detail and I will still remember them in a hundred years.
We were in a famous place in Miami, it was part restaurant part nightclub, and at some point, after having danced a little, we were leaving to go to another club with some friends. I got into a cab with one of those friends, Ignazio went with another friend who had a red two-seater car. We all headed to the club, which was near the restaurant.
So we arrived, and we were waiting in front of the club.
First of all, we do not drink. Maybe a glass of wine with a meal, yeah, but always in moderation. But from time to time, we like to joke and pretend that we are drunk. That night, Ignazio was doing just that with me. He pretended to be on the phone, using his wallet as a phone.
I know him very well, and for a moment I thought he really was drunk, but the worst of it is that he was not actually drunk at all, and only much later did I realise it.
So, the taxi drops me in front of the disco. Ignazio and our friend were looking for a place to park, so I waited for them in front of the club to go in with them.
At that point, I saw our friend coming, but no Ignazio.
I asked: "Sorry, but where's Ignazio?"
"He caught a cab and went to the hotel"
"Oh, okay". But then I started wondering and suddenly it came to me, that flash of Ignazio pretending to talk on the phone using his wallet.
"Sorry," I insisted, "but did you actually see him getting into the cab, and telling the driver the address of the hotel?"
"No, I left him in front of my car."
And there began the nightmare. And what a nightmare it was.
I picked up the phone, waited for three minutes - the hotel was very close - and then called the reception.
I asked: "Excuse me, have you seen the guy from room 320 coming back?"
"No, I couldn’t say."
I called our friend, who at this point had already gone into the club, and told him "Take me to the hotel."
I got in the car and thought about warning Gianluca, who was still at the restaurant and was going to meet us at the second club. I was about to call him, but then I thought: "What if Ignazio is at the hotel?" Better to wait before starting to ring alarm bells.
I arrived at the hotel and asked again: "Have you seen the guy from room 320?"
"No, I don’t think so. I haven’t seen anyone here."
At 3:15 a.m. there’s not that many people passing through the hall of a hotel, so if among those few people Ignazio enters, you would notice it. He is not someone who would go unnoticed.
I said: "Sorry, could you give me the key to his room and let me in? Just to see if he’s asleep?"
"No, we’re not allowed to.”
"I’m sorry? We are in same group. You know perfectly well that he’s my colleague."
"No, unfortunately, it is our policy, we ‘re not allowed to.”
I asked and I begged, but nothing, he wouldn't give me the key.
I went up directly to Ignazio’s room, with our friend, and I knocked on the door.
"Igna? Igna? " We shouted. We knocked and shouted, but no one answered.
In that chaos, however, we could see from under the door that the light was on. "Ignazio is in the room!"
I could imagine him sleeping in bed, at least I hoped, I really hoped.
But then, I wondered again: "What if there is no one in the room and he’s in some corner of Miami, feeling ill?". So I said to my friend: "Let’s go back to that street and check all around there.” In the end, we didn’t check only around the club, but also all over Miami, back and forth, looking for Ignazio. But nothing. Three hours and no result. I felt an anguish that took my breath away.
At that point, I had to warn the others, starting with Gianluca.
Gianluca:
It was just before six.
My heart stopped.
I suspected that something had happened, because I had been waiting for Ignazio and Piero at the second club, but they hadn’t arrived. I thought they could have changed their minds, that they were tired, something like that. I never, ever, for a moment, thought it could be something so serious.
At the time when Piero called, I was already in bed. Not for long, but I was in bed. I never, for a moment, thought that Piero was joking when he spoke, because it was something too serious and Piero is not the type to joke with things like that.
I just said "I’ll wait for you dowstairs", I dressed myself and I went down to the hotel lobby. You cannot imagine what crossed my mind in those few minutes that I was waiting for Piero. It was the first time in four years that we didn’t know where one of us was. It was a horrible feeling.