by Andrea Laffranchi
Twelve hours under the stage: the exercises to wake up, the improvisations with the guitar under the tent with the hammock, the doubts about the shoes
BARLETTA – What happens on stage can only be fully understood through spying behind the scenes. Giuliano Sangiorgi jumping into Jovanotti’s arms like he’s the big brother he hasn’t seen in months. The two who let Checco Zalone annoy them in front of 30,000 people. An unreleased improvised trio, even without the safety net of the tests, with Gianni Morandi and Biagio Antonacci. The explosive energy of Lorenzo who is on stage for 8 hours and also that of an audience who is under the sun for a whole day. The backstage of the Jova Beach Party – a tour with 21 dates on 9 beaches (an airport, a racecourse and a meadow in the mountains) – the right mirror to interpret the show.
7.30 a.m.: the preparations
The day starts early in Barletta. At 7.30 a.m. the first fans are in front of the gates. Towels on the asphalt of the promenade, a broomstick with the Neapolitan papers, a scroll on social media, a selfie. In addition to the excitement of the concert, it’s also nice to spend the whole day with friends, says Alessandro, 22. It’s from Trani, around the corner. Giulia, on the other hand, traveled almost 700 kilometers to be there. two days earlier from Syracuse in the car with her sister Federica who is 15 and at the first concert of her life: My father dedicated me to you when I was born: My 26 years with Jova started like this. In the barrier area there is also Angela, retired from Cori, province of Latina: Jova Jova, I have seen him grow, as an artist and as a person, since he was a little boy. And then there’s Morandi… so double approval. Parallel to the migration of the fans, Lorenzo’s day begins.
The wake-up call at 7 a little later in the day after the concert (I don’t get out until 4am) and work out straight away without having to go to breakfast. I do exercises to activate the body, to breathe… I surf a bit on sight and when my daughter learned to crochet with the YouTube tutorials, I follow the American biohacking tutorials and listen a bit to the experts. A team of physiotherapists – Fabrizio Borra and his sons Daniele and Luca – accompany him like an athlete: personalized exercises, massages after the concert, control of fluid balance. an extreme experience and I always have to feel good. Between the water and the terer, the Argentinian mate, which is prepared cold in summer, consumes 7-10 liters of liquid per day; During the show, he consumes 7 water bottles, one with a teaspoon of table salt. The fatigue of this tour is also to blame. When I do my solo bike rides, I stop whenever I want. Here I am indispensable. Also the rehearsed diet: It needs a balance that is based on the cure: Not that I go out after the concert to make pizza and beer. To get the most out of it, I narrow all meals down to 8 hours. Around 10 a.m. Breakfast with yoghurt or alternative milk, dried fruits and seeds. Around 11 a.m., a light lunch of fish or eggs and vegetables, with no meat or carbs. At 6 p.m. a similar dinner. I’m not a fundamentalist or -ism, but I understand that eating certain foods makes me less fit.
3.30 p.m.: The protagonists
Jova arrives at 1.30pm. The first task is the lineup, strictly handwritten and photocopied for bands and technicians. More than a festival, a party. People trust Lorenzo and his decisions. You can understand it from the reactions: everyone dances and interferes, even with unknown guests, comments manager Marco Sorrentino. No Jova, no beach party. Not a resellable format. something in his image and likeness. There is in his world his curiosity, his positive thinking, the tendency to challenge and to look elsewhere, to put together what otherwise wouldn’t fit. The Sanctuary of Lorenzo, protected by a belt of reeds, can be reached by passing under the Salgarian flag of the Mompracem tigers. In the center is a yurt: a hammock to rest under the eyes of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a sofa, a table with dried fruits, spices, minerals and remedies for the voice. Next to it is the wardrobe with 150 unique pirate-chic items designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri, Creative Director of Dior, and a management and communication space curated by Dalia Gaberscik. Outside there are three other nomadic camp tents: one for the guest artists (over 160 from 35 different countries), one for the band and an area equipped as a rehearsal space, which is the lung of artistic and human exchange.
From the early afternoon, the backstage becomes a seaport. The mayor of Barletta delivers the t-shirt with the town’s name on it; a salute to Benedetta Pilato, world champion swimmer. At 3.40 p.m. he enters the stage for the first time. We are a sea facing a sea. What a flash … Bon voyage!. There he picks up his acoustic guitar and sings. It multiplies, always contagious energy. After two years of compression, the spring came loose. There is a desire to celebrate in public and this year those who do my job are enjoying themselves like crazy. You can see it on his face. a marathon, an extreme physical test, but he’s having fun like he’s the bride at the wedding. Gifts and duets with the guests of Sbam, the stage reserved for DJs and electronic music, and with those of the Kontiki, Emerging and Sounds from the World. He descends from one stage and appears on another, moving on an electric bicycle, followed like a shadow by his personal Emiliano Segatori. At 5 p.m., family time. Francesca Valiani, his wife (on her Instagram, the show’s live shows with pov from the stage), and Teresa, the daughter, arrive. Debate about Lorenzo’s shoes, Teresa makes fun of her father but doesn’t convince him to change. Just before the show, she will apply her neon Native American makeup. Around 6 p.m. the atmosphere in the sparkling backstage. They improvise with their feet in the sand, developing the shitarrata on the beach around the fal. The atmosphere is the same but the professional level that requires a knowing eye to change the tempo, adjust the tone. Checco Zalone is coming. Giuliano Sangiorgi joins them. The comedian’s humor and the generosity of the Negramaro leader brighten the moment. The designer Fabio Novembre dances wildly. The next day it is Biagio Antonacci’s turn to mix. At around 7.15 p.m., a regular guest appears with Gianni Morandi. I would pay to stand in the middle with the towel on the sand… I am overwhelmed by a surge of affection. A new phase in my career? always like the first.
8 p.m.: the show
How hot. The security service sprays vaporized water with cannons and dives into the waves. You can listen to live music while you dive on the towers and jet skis under the watchful eye of 30 lifeguards. How nice to see something new – says Alessandro, warehouse worker, 22 – in a static city better known for crime reports like my Barletta … A starting point for us young people not to flee to the north.
The geographically democratic JBP. It goes where the big concerts don’t go and we settle for the street parties. It takes 5 days to set up and 2 days to take down and clean up. a €20 million production, 150 people on tour and another 1,000 on each date, explains Trident’s promoter Maurizio Salvadori. The pirate ship did not find calm seas and Lorenzo’s agony also hit social media. Controversy arose precisely over the workers: in Fermo, the labor inspectorate found 17 illegal workers the weekend after Barletta, who were then legalized with a fine by the 4 companies that employed them. Local environmental organizations speak of negative effects on the sensitive ecosystem of the beaches. These are flimsy controversies, with the WWF we have monitored any possible criticism – concludes Salvadori -. Importantly, we deliver an important awareness message and leave the beaches cleaner than we found them.
Jova slips into the closet one last time. It looks like Jack Sparrow is coming out. Another selfie – and if in the area Morandi offers framing lessons -. Another one. They jump on him but there is no tension. One last shot. And off to the stage. The rest shows. And that has to be experienced there, in the presence, between sand and decibels, burns and beer, hugs and choirs.
August 18, 2022 (Modification August 18, 2022 | 07:31)
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