The days are gone when on the evening of June 21, everyone would take out their guitars, settle in front of their homes, and entertain their neighbors with their talent. Mathieu, now a songwriter, singer, pianist, and guitarist of *In Extenso*, experienced this during previous projects. “When I was in bands doing covers, we could play music and no one would complain. We played wildly, in front of the local pizzeria or on Cours Saleya. Nowadays, the music festival has changed, and so have we: we’ve moved away from this system to appreciate our work at its true value.” So this year, Mathieu is playing with *In Extenso* at the Antibes library at 5 PM. No concert of the group is scheduled for the evening.
Less spontaneity is the phrase that comes up when Nice musicians talk about the music festival. Some have even decided not to play on June 21 and focus on touring during the summer. *Chinaski* is one such example. According to the group’s singer, Jean-Louis Rougier, “there are all the other days of the year to play music.” Yet, he fondly remembers the 2006 edition: “We played at Cours Saleya, with a few friends. A stage was specially set up for the occasion. The music festival retained a bit of its spontaneous side. For me, it has been lost since then.”
Now, Jean-Louis Rougier faces a painful dilemma. “To perform a concert in the evening, we have to block our whole day,” he assures. Furthermore, we often have to bring our own sound system. For less than 200 euros per musician, the evening isn’t profitable. The bars take advantage of the event to sell drinks. They are reluctant when it comes to paying the artists.” Any percentage system on sales, proposed by some bands, has been abandoned. Is Jean-Louis Rougier disillusioned? He prefers to say he’s being realistic.
“There are few opportunities to perform on stage for the department’s bands”
Despite some commercial recovery of the music festival, some musicians remain enthusiastic about the event. Stéphane, known as Kitman, singer and guitarist of *The Squatters*, considers June 21 “still important: it’s a meeting point for all musicians, an opportunity to discover a style one is not accustomed to.” To keep the music festival’s charm, he insists on the concerts being free, “Otherwise, it denaturalizes the event.”
*Amadeus Tappioka* precisely gives a free concert at La Turbie, Saturday night. As the winner of a rock competition organized by FNAC, the group thus gains a stage for the music festival. The musicians are delighted, even if Julien, the group’s leader, feels a bit bitter. “There are ultimately few venues in the area: on the Côte-d’Azur, people are not very culture-oriented. At the music festival time, we sometimes feel like we are allowed to show our talent for one evening, provided we don’t disturb the neighborhood for the rest of the year.”
This year, the music festival will thus be a bit more professional. Something *In Extenso* is quite comfortable with: “We play indie pop, influenced by artists like Dominique A or Radiohead. We depend on technical conditions: for our songs to sound good, serious organization is needed at this level.” A less surprising but better-prepared festival, accomplished and already recognized artists, is what can be expected to be seen and heard on Saturday evening.
[Face B](https://www.nicepremium.fr/spip.php?article3350&var_mode=calcul)
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