There can be a thousand situations or circumstances that cause delays and even cancellations at festivals. However, what happened this weekend in Thessaloniki is the least common. Reworks Festival was celebrating its 15th anniversary and, as you can see, it didn’t do it the best way possible. The Greek audience enjoyed a great weekend, dealing with a line-up that included big names like GusGus, Adriatique, KiNK, Agoria, Peggy Gou, Ben Klock, Dubfire, Sven Väth, Solomun, Robert Hood… and yes, Apparat.
The expectation of seeing Apparat‘s concert was high. So much, that a lot of people attending the festival couldn’t access the hall in which the German producer and his band performed. The saddest thing is that a good part of those who did manage to enter did so destroying completely the show.
“I have never ever ended a concert early but tonight in Thessaloniki we went off stage after 45 minutes. I’m REALLY sorry for the people who wanted to listen, but the rest spoiled it by screaming at each other. All I heard on my monitors was people talking. There was no way of delivering the performance we wanted to deliver, therefore we stopped.”
After 45 minutes of trying, Sascha Ring made the gesture looking at his musicians. They left the stage, provoking real anger among those who were trying to keep silence and pay attention, which is presupposed in a show of this sort.
Because, yes, there were also people trying to listen. In fact, many of them have responded to Apparat’s post on his social networks thanking him for the attempt and the great 45 minutes of music that, at least, Thessaloniki was able to enjoy.
“Just for the record -there weren’t just “a few people chatting”-, there was a constant chat level of around 80db at foh (mixing desk. yes, we can measure this). I mentioned it twice to the audience with no effect. I had a (maybe too emotional) rant before we went off stage with no effect either. Whoever knows me knows I’m always blaming myself first for not being good enough, but the chatting happened from minute 1 and we weren’t even given the chance to get through to the audience. What makes it worse is that I just heard there were people waiting outside who wanted to see the show and couldn’t get in, while ignorant ones occupied their spots. It was a festival and the ones that didn’t care for it could have gone elsewhere. Thank you so much for the overwhelmingly positive response on this matter. It’s good to hear you’re feeling the same way about this!”
While the audience seems to support the German artist, Reworks Festival has not yet made any pronouncements on the issue. Reworks’ official accounts -on September 23rd in the morning- have not even mentioned the Apparat show on social networks.
(Cover Image: © Reworks Festival)
0
