Break Free (band)

Lore & Background

Break Free was founded in 2015 by Giuseppe Malinconico (vocals, piano), Federico Kim Marino (drums, vocals), and Sebastiano Zanotto (bass). Before forming the band, Malinconico and Marino had played together in the progressive metal band Mugaen. Zanotto was a coworker at the music school where Malinconico and Marino taught. Paolo Barbieri (guitar and vocals) joined in 2016 after returning from three years working as a session musician in Egypt.

Reader's Guide

Break Free has performed more than 200 concerts at venues and events across Europe, including the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, Coliseu dos Recreios in Lisbon, Gruvillage Festival in Turin, Altice Arena in Lisbon, Münchner Residenz in Munich, MotoGP Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Euskalduna Conference Centre in Bilbao, and Tall Ships Races in Tallinn. Their show 'Long Live the Queen' brings together key moments from Queen's live history and collaborations, with arrangements for strings performed by a classical ensemble. Costumes and choreography are based on Queen's live shows including Live Aid 1985, Montreal 1981, and Wembley 1986. In 2021, they released the short concert film 'Our Bohemian Life - Live at Gruvillage', featuring performances from their 2019 show at the Gruvillage Festival, intended for fans to relive live music during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Did You Know?

• Break Free takes its name from Queen's single 'I Want to Break Free'.
• Founding members Malinconico and Marino previously played together in the progressive metal band Mugaen.
• Guitarist Paolo Barbieri joined the band in 2016 after working as a session musician in Egypt.
• The band released a short concert film titled 'Our Bohemian Life - Live at Gruvillage' on May 2, 2021.

Formation and the People Behind the Name

Born in Italy in 2015, Break Free took its name directly from one of Queen's most iconic singles, 'I Want to Break Free,' signaling from the outset that this was a project devoted entirely to channeling the spirit of the British rock giants. The founding trio brought together Giuseppe Malinconico on vocals and piano, Federico Kim Marino on drums and backing vocals, and Sebastiano Zanotto on bass. What makes their origin story particularly organic is how naturally these musicians found one another: Malinconico and Marino had already been performing together in the progressive metal outfit Mugaen, while Zanotto was simply a colleague at the music school where the two taught. Guitarist and additional vocalist Paolo Barbieri rounded out the lineup in 2016 after returning to Italy from a three-year stint working as a session musician in Egypt. All members are conservatory-trained, a detail that underpins the technical precision of their stagecraft and ensures their recreations carry the same musical weight as the originals they honor.

Long Live the Queen: A Show Built on Homage

Break Free's stage production, titled Long Live the Queen, is far more than a straightforward cover set. The band weaves together pivotal moments from Queen's own live history, constructing a narrative arc that mirrors the trajectory of the original group's touring career. Their setlist reaches beyond the core catalogue to include landmark collaborations: the energy of the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, the duet 'Under Pressure' originally shared with David Bowie, and the operatic 'Barcelona' recorded with Montserrat Caballé. To elevate the arrangements, the band incorporates a classical string ensemble, adding orchestral depth that echoes Queen's own layered production. Visually, the performance is an act of meticulous homage. Costumes and choreography are drawn directly from three defining Queen live shows: the electric charge of Live Aid in 1985, the raw energy of the 1981 Montreal concert, and the grandeur of Wembley in 1986. Every gesture, every outfit choice, and every stage position is researched and replicated, transforming each concert into a time capsule that transports audiences back to those legendary nights.

A Pan-European Touring Footprint

Since their inception, Break Free has built a touring footprint that spans the breadth of Europe, a testament to the enduring appetite for Queen's music across linguistic and cultural borders. Their more than 200 live performances have taken them to some of the continent's most prestigious and varied stages. In Spain, they have filled the acoustically renowned Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona and the Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall in Bilbao. Portugal has hosted them twice, at both the Coliseu dos Recreios and the larger Altice Arena in Lisbon. Their Italian home base is reflected in appearances at the Gruvillage Festival in Turin, while their German shows include the stately Münchner Residenz in Munich. Their reach extends further still: they have performed at the MotoGP Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria, and even at the Tall Ships Races in Tallinn, Estonia. This geographic diversity — from classical concert halls to motorsport circuits to maritime festivals — underscores how universally resonant their tribute remains, drawing audiences who may have first discovered Queen decades earlier or who are encountering the catalogue for the very first time.

Our Bohemian Life: Preserving the Live Experience

In May 2021, Break Free released Our Bohemian Life - Live at Gruvillage, a short concert film that served a purpose far beyond simple archival. The footage captures the band's 2019 live performance at the Gruvillage Festival in Turin, intercut with candid interviews and behind-the-scenes tour footage that give viewers an intimate look at the group's life on the road. The timing of the release was no accident. As the COVID-19 pandemic ground global concert life to a halt, making live music inaccessible to audiences across most of the world, the film was conceived as a way for fans to reconnect with the visceral experience of a live show. It offered a surrogate for the sold-out arenas and festival crowds that had gone silent, allowing people to relive the energy of Break Free's performance from the comfort of their homes. The project also stands as a snapshot of the band at a particular creative moment, preserving the chemistry and stagecraft of their Turin set for future audiences who may never have had the chance to see them in person.

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