RAANDOOM INSIDE: VIVA! Festival
Written by Anitamaria Resta and Eleonora Spagnolo, a backstage and press perspective on the festival.
What happens behind the scenes of an international electronic music festival in the heart of southern Italy? Three months ago, we teased this year’s VIVA! Festival lineup, and introduced you to the electrifying vibe surrounding an event deeply rooted in the culture and scenic landscapes of Valle d’Itria. We also covered the unique format of Extra VIVA!, an innovative initiative expanding the audience experience with panels, talks, and itinerant performances around Locorotondo.
VIVA FESTIVAL! via BERWICH
The superb line-up of this year’s festival resulted in a wonderfully diverse age range: from adults with their sweet little children on their shoulders to young and even younger people all sharing a common goal—to listen to incredible music or witness a live performance by a piece of music history (such as Air and Underworld). This diversity is one of the most fascinating aspects of VIVA!: a manifesto of musical intergenerationality that unites everyone.
Raandoom
One of the most touching moments of the festival was undoubtedly Underworld's closing performance. Their set concluded with the famous "Born Slippy", a song that has become an anthem for many generations thanks to the film "Trainspotting". When the first notes of "Born Slippy" began to play, a wave of emotion swept through the audience: everyone sang in unison, closing their eyes and letting themselves be carried away. We met an Australian guy who came to Puglia specifically for the festival and, before the live show, he shared a wonderful story with us related to this song. When it started playing, we saw him cry, get emotional, and reconcile with life. The magic of music.
The festival was a melting pot of cultures and emotions: a striking example was the succession on stage of Venerus and Shygirl. Venerus, with his jazz and romantic sounds, moved the audience with the strong emotional intensity of his lyrics. The connection between the artist and his band was incredibly strong, giving us a live performance rich in depth and musicality. On the other hand, Shygirl presented a live show full of club, afro, and electronic sounds. With her sassy and bold personality, the singer captivated everyone with her moves and her lyrics and gave voice to the true soul of those who often have no voice except in these contexts. The analog sounds of Whitemary, who presented her new upcoming album “New Bianchini Sound System,” kept everyone's feet moving incessantly, creating a stunning energy that spread from the stage to the crowd. An incredible performance also came from Dardust, who created a dreamlike and surreal atmosphere thanks to the mix of percussion, instruments, and synths. Air ignited the stage with an unforgettable performance. The intro of "Highschool Lover" heralded an iconic moment: it was played instrumentally by the artists, but the entire audience sang the melody, becoming one with Air on stage, transforming the song into a unique and emotional chorus.
The VIVA! Festival was not only a musical event but also a crossroads of cultures. Despite not being given much space on the press level because the organization was very strict (so we couldn't produce a lot of content or do accurate live reporting) and some logistical issues regarding crowds and lines on the first day, the festival was an event rich in beauty and culture. But beside this, now that this edition has come to an end, we can also recount the event from an exclusive perspective: behind the scenes. As a matter of fact, during the festival, we contributed to the strenuous (but definitely fun!) task of setting up dressing rooms and catering spaces for the artists and their crews. We had the chance to glimpse the stars’ show routines and interact with them before their concerts.
Raandoom
The atmosphere of preparing an international music festival hosting artists from all around the world is definitely buzzing, and it entails a touch of chaos as well. The day before the official start has been a concentrate of excitement and frantic rushes to ensure that everything was ready by nightfall. Since the Arena is located in a picturesque yet rural area of Locorotondo, our job was to set up marquees, furnish them with couches, curtains, and carpets to ensure maximum comfort for both artists and various crews. Finding enough cooling fans for each dressing room was essential, as the temperature was way above the heat tolerance limits (+40°C!).
Once the backstage was set up, we received the tour riders from the artists’ managers, listing all their requests for comfort on the day of the show. The lists included all sorts of snacks, beverages, make-up mirrors, towels, and so on.
Of course, the most peculiar demands came from the international headliners. The French music duo Air specifically requested for two crates of a specific brand of bottled water from France - which they ended up not drinking at all! The highlight, however, was the request from Samantha Poulter, aka Logic1000, an Australian musician and DJ, who asked for a children’s storybook in English for ages 3 to 5 - she apparently collects them from all over the world for her little daughter.
Despite some difficulties in satisfying the most specific demands—mainly because southern Italian small cities such as Locorotondo don’t have the most well-stocked markets and shops—we can say that we succeeded in satisfying the artists’ needs as, once they arrived in their dressing rooms, they definitely enjoyed themselves and thanked the staff.
The band that seemed to have the most fun behind the scenes was Venerus’, an Italian indie/jazz singer who heated off the crowd on the festival’s second night. After the soundcheck, the crew relaxed backstage drinking beers, playing table soccer, and doing rolling races on the ground. They also ate their meals just a bunch of minutes before the show—which is quite unusual for artists.
While some artists, such as Whitemary, Venerus, and Dardust (who, for the record, was very kind to the whole entourage) hung out backstage even after their performances to have dinner and enjoy the rest of the show, others, like Underworld, left right after their set. Either way, we were happy to see that everyone felt at home during the festival. Artists found comfort behind the scenes, and they enjoyed their stay in the beautiful, yet maybe a little too warm, Apulian atmosphere. This undoubtedly contributed to the success of the whole festival, that once again highlighting the small yet lively and vibrant reality of Locorotondo. VIVA! is an experience that celebrates unity, diversity, and the love for music in all its forms. It continues to grow and evolve, but always maintains its original spirit: a place where music is at the center of everything, and where every participant feels part of something extraordinary.
