"Well shielded" This is why there are no Swiss snapshots of Taylor Swift
Thomas Dürr is one of the most important concert promoters in Switzerland. In this interview, he talks about trends in the music business, the preparations for Taylor Swift's concerts in Switzerland - and explains why there are hardly any paparazzi pictures of the US pop star.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- With his company Act Entertainment, Thomas Dürr is one of the largest concert promoters in Switzerland.
- The partner of jet-setting lady Irina Beller has staged well over 5,000 shows in the last 32 years.
- "When you're on stage for more than three hours every concert like Taylor Swift, you have to be very fit. Sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll is not necessarily recommended," he says in an interview with blue News.
Thomas Dürr, you have been working as a concert promoter in Switzerland for years. What has been the biggest concert you have organized in this country so far?
My biggest concerts to date were the two performances by British pop band Coldplay at the Letzigrund in Zurich in 2016.
Wasn't Beyoncé's performance even bigger?
Her concert also took place at the Letzigrund, but it wasn't completely sold out.
Is there still a future for gigantism with shows that consume more electricity in one evening than a small town does in a year?
Beyoncé arrived in over 100 trucks. Something like that is indeed questionable. At the moment, however, it looks like these mega shows are part of the music business in this country. More and more often, these big shows - like Taylor Swift's now - are being played twice in a row.
What is also striking is the sharp rise in concert prices.
That's true. While prices for musicals have remained more or less stable over the last 20 years, concert tickets are becoming more and more expensive. One consequence of this increase is that an incredible amount of money is being taken out of the market - which is being felt not least by local artists in Switzerland.
Taylor Swift played in front of 50,000 people at the Letzigrund in Zurich, which was sold out twice. Were you there too?
Yes, I was at the second concert.
How did you like Taylor Swift's performance?
Her concert reminded me of Helene Fischer's stage show. Taylor Swift offered a perfectly staged, American stage show - I just missed the surprise effect. That's why I didn't go home completely euphoric after the concert - unlike most of the other Swifties.
In 2004, you started with concerts in Swiss football stadiums: Herbert Grönemeyer performed in front of over 40,000 spectators* at the Joggeli in Basel. Who gave you the idea?
We found it interesting to organize an outdoor concert - especially in a football stadium. There used to be a maximum of one such mega concert per year in Switzerland, but today four are organized every summer at Letzigrund in Zurich alone.
What do you have to pay particular attention to as the organizer of such a mega-concert?
If you organize a concert like this, you can't afford to make any mistakes. It's a bit like putting together a team for the European Football Championships: You need the best player in every position.
Are the days of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll backstage really over?
Well, if you're on stage for more than three hours at every concert like Taylor Swift, you must be very fit. I don't think sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll are necessarily recommended. Although the Rolling Stones used to manage that too ... (laughs)
What surprised me about Taylor Swift: the singer is an absolute world star and yet only concert photos of her appeared during her stay in Switzerland.
I think Taylor Swift has managed to shield her private life very well. This may also have something to do with the fact that she needs to rest after her long performances and doesn't feel like shopping or partying. That would probably no longer be physically possible at some point.
As an organizer, how do you shield megastars like Taylor Swift?
I'm not the organizer of Taylor Swift concerts, so I don't know all the details. But it's usually the case that the same team is always on the road with such a global star, organizing and shielding everything as the artist wishes.
There were years when you managed several stadium shows in one season. Today it's different: why is the logo of your company "Act Entertainment" not to be found at these mega-concerts?
We have withdrawn from this area and are going back to the roots.
What does that mean in concrete terms?
We are increasingly organizing smaller concerts. There are two major trends in concerts worldwide: on the one hand, there are the big stadium concerts and, on the other, the small, fine events. I call them boutique concerts. Here, the focus is on the music - like at our Waterfront Festival, which we are organizing for the first time at the Kongresshaus in Zurich these days.
Does that mean that as a visitor to such small concerts, I get much closer to the stars than at a mega-concert?
That's right. The atmosphere at boutique concerts is more intimate and the tickets cost significantly less.
The Waterfront Festival is taking place at the Kongresshaus Zurich until July 20. Performers include Stephan Eicher and Katie Melua.
