Paz Aparicio: “A concert is better than a football game because we are all of the same team and there is no rivalry” | Culture | EUROtoday

Director of the Movistar Arena -antiguo Wizink Center in Madrid- since 2014, Paz Aparicio (Madrid, 55 years) is chargeable for the programming of a live performance enclosure and sporting occasions which were among the many 5 most vital on the earth for years. Passionate musical, direct and current a podcast the place talks with musicians with out a hurry whereas invents initiatives that serve to “consider modern music as true culture.” He has simply obtained the perspective award granted by the broadcaster Rock FM to personalities that drive music.

Ask. He has been in control of crucial live performance enclosure in Spain for 11 years.

Answer. That’s proper and right now my group and I’ve modified the chip of this enclosure. Because these locations usually are not cement. They are nails, meat, bones and blood. That is, in them there are folks and, due to this fact, they don’t seem to be only a house that you just hire and neglect. In that change of chip, we have now additionally labored to show that the shopper just isn’t the promoter. The promoter is the associate and the shopper is the boy or the woman who spends the cash on the entrance. And, to grasp it, we have now to make clamp, promoter and enclosure, to present it an ideal service. These two adjustments have made us go radically up.

P. What is essentially the most tough at work with promoters?

R. The promoters are very simple. This is a enterprise, however it isn’t a financial institution. This is ardour and coronary heart. That is, in the event that they see you passionate, they’re going to be passionate. But, if you’re chilly and also you care little what’s going to occur, as a result of the factor adjustments.

P. He stated that the Movistar Arena has gone radically up. So a lot that it has change into essentially the most symbolic sq. of Spanish music.

R. Yes, the reality that overwhelms and does it extra if you exit and also you notice that it has change into one of the vital locations on the earth. But the phrase that I like most is when artists say they’re at residence. They repeat it repeatedly after I go all the way down to the dressing rooms to present them a present and ask for the agency for the enclosure. It is great to listen to it, equivalent to being in Vive Latino, Vive de Bogotá or within the Grammys invited by the promoters.

P. Does it must do with the eagerness I used to be speaking about?

R. Of course, and to know how one can transmit it. The battle we have now is all the time demonstrating that with out circus there are not any clowns. When you present you that that is vital, the promoters put you of their nucleus. Pepo Ferradas, Rauw Alejandro supervisor and plenty of extra, informed me the opposite day that we’re the primary enclosure on the earth that has a voice. I feel we have now managed to humanize an area that may be very chilly, as a result of a sand may be very chilly. But if you give that warmth …

P. But this enclosure can be product of numbers. And they communicate for themselves.

R. Let’s see, final 12 months, in response to the world classification, we had been third, behind Madison Square Garden, from New York, and Yokohama Arena, from Tokyo. This 12 months we’re going to do a complete of 236 occasions and that for holidays we shut throughout August. It is a mockery.

P. Do these raks additionally worth ticket sale?

R. Yes, and advantage lies in programming effectively, however it is usually one of many individuals who buys in Madrid no matter. The cultural exercise of Madrid is unbelievable. I dedicate myself to this and generates anxiousness. Every night time I might go to 5 – 6 issues.

P. Dani Martín does Ten Movistar Arena, Sabina eight in the past, Leiva Tres … Do you just like the idea of measurement with its enclosure?

R. No, the reality. I I wish to have a coronary heart. I do not need us to be one thing that … I do not know … [duda unos segundos]. I do not need somebody to speak concerning the live shows right here as if I stated: “I have eaten eight cakes.” I desire that you just eat one, however that it’s a excellent one, ? I do not wish to discuss live shows as if churros had been made. It appears simple and isn’t. A live performance is savored and plenty of can not get to you on a tray.

P. The figures are excellent, however this enclosure additionally lives as sponsors. Are they so essential?

R. Well sure, actually. We are an organization that has the administration as a result of it received a public tender, however we have now to pay a hire to the Community of Madrid, which owns the enclosure. And there may be additionally one other vital quantity in taxes, that are clearly not low. Here nothing is small as a result of that is very giant. Therefore, sustaining that is very, very costly. On a live performance day about 400 folks can work.

P. There is a brand new field, with out sponsor, made by the enclosure itself and is named the field. What is it?

R. The thought arose from Leiva and he with out understanding it. We highlighted how vital it’s to have an area wherein musicians and music folks and tradition might be comfortable and luxuriate in one another. It was as a result of he invited him to coke Mesh, Jorge Drexler and Vetusta Morla to the Paul McCartney live performance. We determined to formalize it. The field is the field the place tradition joins a live performance.

P. Would or not it’s like a Bernabéu field, however of tradition?

R. Yes, however the connotation of the Bernabéu field doesn’t prefer it as a result of it’s enterprise. And this isn’t enterprise. The different means round. We ask the individuals who attend nothing concerning the website. That doesn’t label us. It is an area for dialogue and tradition in order that concepts and friendships come up.

P. There can be the room, an area inside the enclosure for small live shows.

R. Personally, it’s what I take pleasure in most. Because we have now constructed a 600 folks room that’s great, with unbelievable sound.

P. Can’t this house hurt different rooms in Madrid?

R. There is room for everybody. Not solely do we have now no issues, however we have now a wonderful relationship with the rooms. I’m personally room meat.

P. What has been essentially the most particular live performance he has seen as director of Movistar Arena?

R. How tough! I’m going to say one of the stunning, for which we’re nominated within the Awards of the Academy of Music. The one we set as much as elevate funds for the victims of the Dana. It was music from the guts. We did it in ten days. I used to be calling the artists, the managers … and so they all informed us sure. We made an unrepeatable poster. Another of which I hold a fantastic reminiscence was the primary time George Michael got here along with his LED present, which, then, didn’t exist in Spain one thing like that. He wore a large LED tongue and acted on that language. It was legendary. But, come on, right here have performed AC/DC and Bruce Springsteen in a 360 diploma live performance with audiences behind the stage, one thing that Americans do quite a bit.

P. And the one who would make him most phantasm?

R. There is one that may occur. An artist or band that may play within the final quarter of 2025 and we nonetheless cannot announce it. I’m simply eager about it. And, above that and all issues, Stevie Wonder. And then Neil Young.

P. The worth of tickets has risen lately and that of life too, however folks proceed to fill live shows and festivals. What do you suppose is due?

R. Well, I feel the tickets usually are not as costly, or are by no means as costly as these of soccer or another massive present. I completely defend the ticket worth. I do know they’re going to kill me, however effectively. The danger is at a really excessive stage within the massive live shows. You pay a variety of cache for a giant artist and the host is giant when you do not promote many tickets. It is true that, when you promote them later, you then win. But there may be a variety of danger, greater than folks consider. I might by no means be a promoter. Never I might be very scared.

P. And what purpose is you for the total live shows?

R. It is the idiosyncrasy of Spain. We are a rustic of Enjoy. In addition, pandemic made us notice that we have now to attempt to be completely satisfied as a result of issues might be twisted at any time. And, within the case of Madrid or this enclosure, as a result of we’re programming very effectively. And one other factor: consolation. When I went to the live shows, they handled us as criminals. The enclosures had been heard as shit and there have been extra folks than allowed in lots of locations. The promoter was seen as a hippie and the general public as medicine. Now, we have now managed to dignify the function of the general public and the folks devoted to music. In our case, on this enclosure, there are moms who go away ladies and boys with complete tranquility after which return to them. All that has influenced folks to wish to go to a live performance on Monday. In music we’re all the identical group. You will all the time win. A live performance is healthier than a soccer match as a result of we’re all the identical group and there’s no rivalry. You won’t ever lose. There is communion of pleasure and happiness. People are dancing, hugging and kissing with out assembly. There is reside music since historic instances, for one thing will probably be.