In May, when the people of Romagna are still in the water (literally) in their throats, the Boss doesn’t bat an eyelid and plays the same thing. A few days ago, a dissatisfied public, an illness and a final fight from Gigi D’Alessio, who apologized via Instagram: “Never again with this promoter.” Two nights later, Travis Scott’s “earthquake” at the Circus Maximus, where there is a risk of tragedy, like in Houston in 2021. The other day, in Galatina, at a concert of Giuliano Sangiorgi’s group, more than 5 thousand people were left without a concert. despite having already paid for two tickets (event and parking). Is it still premature or could this be the right time to check the organizers’ conscience? And the artists? Always or almost silent? There are two pressing issues at stake: on the one hand, respect for those who pay (a lot) to attend an event; On the other hand, safety…
lThe pandemic is silent and the treasury is pumped almost everywhere. Parties, concerts at stadiums, in parks, in the Big Circus. The sound of mid-price concerts is hilarious, which, more than ever in the summer of 2023, brings with it an unenviable string of controversies. Just three months ago there was talk of a fiasco in Ferrara. Bruce Springsteen. Through our magazine, and with the tragedy of the flood still vividly felt on the skin of the people of Romagna, Paul Zaccanini he remarked: “Besides the moral question, and not least, there is the issue of security. Organizers (Barley Art, ed.) Is it convenient for them to move 50,000 people around the region?“. A few days ago, chronicles read about illnesses and fights at a concert Gigi D’Alessio in Castel di Sangro. As for “brawls”, let’s widen our eyes for a second to make sure we actually read Gigi D’Alessio’s name and not Axl Rose, but so be it. Il Giornale explains that “the heat, the crowd and the many hours of standing caused a lot of fainting, and the operators 118 they were forced to work overtime to help everyone.” Two days later, in Rome, the ground is felt vibrating like a slight earthquake. And of course there is Travis Scott at a concert at the Circus Maximus. V bright In this case, someone in the crowd sprays pepper spray and panic sets in. Eyes and throats on fire, people running to get to the nearest hill (and thoughts immediately return to the 10 people who died after a huge crowd crush at Scott’s November 5, 2021 concert in Houston). Of course, all issues of different quality and different severity. But the question is natural: isn’t the haste with the quick and painless collection of various organizational machines slipping, or at least faltering?
l‘another day at Galatina airport, total chaos. Tour “N20 Comes Home” belonging Negramaro. Yesterday we collected a bunch of heated and inevitable debates, among which Wild Lucarelli via social networks: “(…) 20,000 tickets were sold, but some say more, in the end thousands of people who did not even have time to get to the concert. The parking lots, which are sold in advance at a high price, were already full because everyone was moving in without a prior reservation. The queue for the car was 4 km. Shuttles did not come to the city. People walked for miles in the dark along the highway. Backpacks have not been checked and in many cases it appears that there are no tickets. Negramaro and the organizers are already lucky that there are only angry people, not dead people.” We are talking about 5000 people to be left without a concert, despite paying for a double ticket (concert and parking). And here is the informative concert poster, which we have restored from the site of the Salento band, sounds useful, albeit slightly mocking: “Parking management is the sole responsibility of ParkForFun.both for coordination and online and on-site pricing, as well as for the management of parking spaces near the event venue, without any association with Friends&Partners, Magellano Concerti and artists.” In addition to the florilelegia of English terms, the message says that those who find the parking lot full, despite the fact that they have already guaranteed a place for their car, should not contact the organizers, but the parking attendants. Fine. And what about the concert itself, which started just about on time, even though there were still thousands of people outside? Times have changed, it’s obvious, but if many years ago a fan – under some circumstances – “took into account” that he would have to wait even an hour longer than expected before he saw the star of the moment take the stage, this is already too much, today require more communication and flexibility when it comes to thousands of people who, perhaps due to difficult access, cannot reach the venue?
OURl Tottenham on 8 March last year had to postpone their Champions League match against Milan by 10 minutes because there were still too many people stuck in traffic on the street (same fate for Chelsea – we are still in London – which postponed the blow that same evening). against Dortmund). Ten minutes in Galatina, perhaps, would not have changed anything. the feeling, watching what happened with the Boss, with Scott and with the national Gigi, is that those who organize concerts in this country took the famous “show must go on” a little literally. D’Alessio was not silent on Instagram. There were fans in Castel di Sangro who paid for a seat and ended up standing up, so he responded to the complaint: “I’m sorry, but I promise you that this promoter not only doesn’t know how to do his job, but also he will never organize my concert again. Sorry again.” In this eventful summer that has gone well for the most part to the satisfaction of everyone, artists and audiences alike, what else needs to happen for the industry to question its conscience? , consist of months that last a week: all this is true. Those who organize events, especially at this time of the year, are in suspense, to put it mildly. But in the face of protests as loud as those of Galatina, doubts should overcome even of those rubbing their hands before another potential success.Too rush?Too much desire to overdo it?How about safety?In the middle are the careers of artists who need to be supported after the sensational lean years of the pandemic, but underneath the scenes all over Italy there are people who pay high prices for pre-release order to go and enjoy the concert, which, as far as we know, this may even be his only summer. However, if he had to stay outside… Let the organizers speak, and in this case, the artists too. On purpose: Negramaro has nothing to say?