Words by: Ben Molina
Graphics by: Eero Deosaran
Rome, April 5 2026, Arsenale Cenci
On the corner of a dimly lit street of blushing peach walls, I pack my hands into the pockets of my navy blue jacket nervously. Tonight, I was going to see Lorenzo Sutto Lewis, of the small Paris band European Vampire in a small basement venue, and I felt weirdly intimidated. Photos of this man dotted instagram posts, sunglasses on and glamour in the Vodkadiary instagram page. And there he was with his friends- They were all smoking cigarettes and eating gelato in Tom Ford leaning on the hood of a car, in a manner so coordinated and slick I couldn’t comprehend how they did it. It was so genuinely rehearsed and natural, it was as if I was looking at film stars in our normal everyday bodies. It wasn’t like when you see a ‘celebrity’ and the strange parasocial reactions which that provokes: It was recognizing a confidence which was infectious and didn’t require any status.
I’ve felt this feeling before.
In Paris
And in London.
Why is that?
Introducing, (@thevodkadiaryyy)
The Instagram page @thevodkadiaryyy is lauded among many but understood by few. In some ways it can be viewed as the unabridged confessions of European decadence, or even as a method of selling a lifestyle. However, they themselves seem to view this from a far more intellectual lens: The events organised by the adjacent promoter and magazine the1989.it (whose website contains many photos of rockstar glamour and even a mainstay of Arthur Rimbaud) names many of their events as organised by Mark Fisher, Freidrich Nietzsche or Immanuel Kant. Interestingly, the entire concept of the Instagram page itself feels connected to Mark Fisher’s (originally Jacques Derrida’s) concept of Hauntology: A portmanteau of ‘Haunt’ and ‘Ontology’, Fisher cites that in a late stage capitalist society, culture has begun to echo the sentiment of a lost future, creating a future that is a repetition of past tropes and culture. In Capitalist Realism, Fisher sets out the ‘slow cancellation of the future’, which is similar to Francis Fukuyama’s end of history: Capitalism has created a death of new culture, of new anything. In this sense, the vodka diary instagram page, and more importantly the referents (as Barthes would say) of these photos are mimicking the 1890s Belle Epoque, or even the Lost generation, recreating an era of artistic decadence which has been effectively erased by neoliberalism. They are stuck in a cycle of partial imitation, requiring this romanticization to create anything new; everything new is old but with a new face painted above it. Alas, this frames the ‘referents’ of the photos as heralds to a future which merely cycles and repeats.
The Vodka Diary account is supposedly run by Nicolò Michielin, Political Science PhD (whose research on neoliberalism shows even more the politics of this movement), writer of the novel Middle Class Heroes, marketer of Venezia FC and founder of magazine the1989.it, and similarly the regular faces come from all backgrounds such as fashion, music, art and poetry. Regulars include: Lorenzo Sutto Lewis, model and the singer of European Vampire and Red Bricks Foundation; Sonny Hall, English Poet; Francis Delacroix, photographer; Savannah Nolan, a writer for Interlope Magazine and Wolf and Lux Gillespie, who run Post Party, an infamous London party night (the sons of Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie and stylist Katy England). This roster of people shown throughout the account displays the vibrancy and intellectualism it wishes to portray: people who are deeply educated about culture and of such holistic backgrounds that it covers all areas of thought and art: the true renaissance men. In a recent article in COLD Magazine, Michielin calls @thevodkadiaryyy and the1989 part of a ‘international neo-romantic scene.’
What is so special about this account, is the divided reactions it provokes from people: some may see it as pretentious, while others might aspire to the ideal and cultivation shone within it. It may just even be a particularly cool Instagram dump for a group of international friends. Recently, a meme came out on Instagram saying “Last night was like a @vodkadiaryyy post”, and this reflects the cultural relevance it has taken. Instead of being something mainstream which is known to everyone, it is rather an underground movement, which is slowly disseminating its aesthetics and ideologies. Making the postmodern Rimbaud. The mystery and flair behind its management only furthers its influentiality, now standing with 41.4k followers on Instagram. Famous figures dot the pages of the diary, such as The Dare, Pete Doherty, Vic de Angelis, Anton Newcombe or The Hellp. This intensifies the rock and roll mystique. The attitude is so effortless yet intentional that it makes a difference. Simultaneously serious and unserious.
The Vodka diary relies on a sense of Europeanness to form the image. You know the age old American stereotype of Europe (They drink coffee and smoke cigarettes for breakfast and just tan on the beach?) This vibrantly contrasts the modern lifestyle of hyper-productivity and squareness which most are sick of. People want to know that others can be lost, that others can indulge too. This forms a massive USP, as people act out their mimetic desire. They want to get lost in bars too with their artist friends. They want to be true cosmopolitans and live internationally, just as in the vodka diary we see London, Paris, Venice, Rome and Milan. People want to smile, dance, smoke, drink, swim, cook, etc.
The reason this movement is so significant to music is because of this holistic image it cultivated. Fashion, Art, Photography, Politics, heck even Surfing etc… they’re all in there, and this touchstones the music. Music becomes something which is a uniting force and at the heart of all these different disciplines. European Vampire is a prime example of this: a house band inspired by the 2000s french touch era and indie sleaze, they exude an atmosphere of decadence, late nights and luxury. I got the chance to speak to one of the members of the band, Ricardo Marsili, AKA Mark Ceiling, who produces and he relayed to me the recording process for many of their songs. Often they were sometimes made remotely, while in different countries or cities, sending files back and forth, showing the extent of international cooperation within this community. All of the members worked in the fashion industry whether they were models or working for brands.
Importantly, they all go to Pigalle Country Club. With an eclectic set of DJs that play the crusty dive bar, covered with sheddings of candles and scribbled walls. A picture of Debbie Harry hangs on the wall. Yeah, I love that place, Elias Ronnenfelt hangs out there. The bartender Lolo always slaps on interesting playlists, you can hear Do You Love Me by Nick Cave and the next minute it’s Dutch Pop. You will hear so much different music in there: No Wave, New Wave, Goth, Electronic, Indie Sleaze, Disco, classic Rock N’ Roll, Psychobilly, shoegaze, etc. This bar is like a metaphor for everything that makes up this loose movement: its eclecticism is only matched by the level of sophistication brought to the table.
Ultimately, @thevodkadiaryyy and its neoromanticism is yours to do with as you please. Whether it is a scene, just a bunch of friends enjoying life at its most decadent, or a cultural statement, what is undeniable is that you will see the people in it everyday continue to push the envelope of their ideas at the smallest level, and most of all, reap the rewards of a life lived fully.
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