Home » News » “the situation is exhausting and must stop” according to the director of La Vapeur de Dijon

“the situation is exhausting and must stop” according to the director of La Vapeur de Dijon

“Seated concerts still don’t hold up! », This is the name of an online petition launched by the current music union and the Federation of current music venues. In Dijon, the concert hall La Vapeur relays this call for the lifting of the ban on standing concerts.

Standing concerts are prohibited until January 24. Nothing says moreover that the executive does not extend this measure. As a result, many rooms dedicated to current music had to cancel or postpone their programming at the start of the year.

This is the case of La Vapeur in Dijon, which cannot offer any concerts scheduled for this month. There were ten on the program. We asked 3 questions to Yann Rivoal, the director of this concert hall.

France 3 Burgundy: I imagine it’s heartbreaking to have to cancel or postpone the January concerts?

Yann Rivoal : Once again, we are at a standstill. Once again, we find ourselves with last minute measures and no horizon for the restart. It’s tough on morale. This situation is exhausting, it must stop. The rock and rap shows we offered in January do not lend themselves to seated concerts with a gauge reduced to a quarter of the standing gauge. As much as everyone wanted to play the game in the fall of 2020. As much there, the artists as we the programmers, we no longer want to offer concerts in a degraded way. We must resume shows where the public circulates freely.

France 3 Burgundy: You join the online petition “Seated concerts still don’t hold up! », which has already collected more than 10,000 signatures, by relaying it on your social networks. Why ?

Yann Rivoal : Because we fear that it will continue. However, we do not understand why we are targeted in this way. In England, standing concerts continue to take place. Why in France, can we organize a concert of 500 seats, but not standing? We have always respected the health protocols that we have been notified. In December, we had sold-out concerts like Gaël Faye. Everything went very well in a great atmosphere. The public is just as responsible as we are. The spectators wore the mask, the drinks were prohibited in the room and the bar was closed earlier. We feel neither properly listened to nor properly treated.

France 3 Burgundy: what are the consequences of this situation on the current music sector?

Yann Rivoal : This requires reorganizing all the programming. However, concerts cannot be considered in isolation. They fit into national and European tours. And, even if we reschedule dates in spring or autumn 2022, who tells us that the public will be there? This fall, the spectators were chilly. Concert halls have seen a drop in attendance of 20 to 50%. Each new stop plays against us. It’s hard when we saw a clear tremor last month, a return of the public to La Vapeur.

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