Zucchero comes to Austria in top form for six concerts • NEWS.AT
Zucchero is making up for his tour this year, which was canceled due to Corona, six shows are planned in Austria. The Italian performs more than 25 songs every evening with his band, and at a total of 14 performances in the Arena di Verona, the ensemble and their master presented themselves in top form on Thursday. “During the pandemic it became clear to me that I can’t live without music,” Zucchero emphasized to journalists, “and that I just want to keep going.”
The musician has recorded two studio works in the past two years. With the first album, DOC, he wanted to embark on what Zucchero said was his “biggest” concert tour in 2020, but a virus threw a spanner in the works. “It was very tough at first because we were almost done with rehearsals and ready to go.” One way out of the initial depression was to do his job – “and that’s writing songs,” said Zucchero. In the following months he also played the cover album “Discovery” and did a few special acoustic performances. “I’ve found ways to kill time,” the artists laugh.
Zucchero brings five songs from “DOC” to his current program. “I mix them with two or three cover songs,” he reported. “I change the selection every night. Then there are the songs that are part of my story. The whole show lasts around two and a half hours. With my fantastic band, it’s very easy to change the repertoire at the last minute if I have a song gets boring,” the 66-year-old grinned like a rascal. “We need the adrenaline!”
The formation came up trumps in Verona. Mario Schiliro rocked with his guitar, guitarist Kat Dyson from the USA also brought in a decent prize funk, supported by a first class horn section. Some musicians have been with Zucchero for a very long time, some even since the beginning of his career. New is singer Oma Jali from Cameroon, who literally made the venerable arena tremble with her voice and unleashed storms of enthusiasm. No one should really be singled out, but Monica Mz Carter on drums and percussion has the rhythm in her blood. Under the direction of Polo Jones (bass), the band convinced with quiet pieces and intimate moments as well as with rousing blues-rock crackers.
Zucchero himself was Zucchero as loved by his audience, a master of many styles. Big hits like “Diavolo In Mi”, “Il Volo” and “Baila (Sexy Thing)” are not missing. “The music makes the show,” Zucchero summed it up to the APA. “The trappings shouldn’t be too important. But I always want to give people that little something extra, a piece of cake with the main course. There’s a lot of light and video screens, but no special effects, it doesn’t need that.”
He was a “gypsy,” said Zucchero, moving around and would make up his personality. “It’s not so much about albums, chart positions or Facebook presence – live is important, that’s the future, that’s what I discovered for myself during the pandemic.” Will he still be on stage like his friend Mick Jagger at 78? “Oh, he goes to the gym every day, I don’t. So…!” Zucchero winked, walking onto the stage looking anything but aged.
(SERVICE – Zucchero in Austria: May 31 Olympiahalle Innsbruck, June 16 Stadthalle Vienna, June 17 Salzburgarena, June 26 Stadthalle Graz, June 30 Messe Dornbirn Freigelände Süd, July 1 Burg Clam Upper Austria with Joss Stone)