02/04/2007 10.52.23
Roger Trigaux interview

Ciao Roger, first of all, why and how you’re involved in this project that is the RIO festival 2007?

For a long time I had hoped to see a musical event of international width which would have the quality and the sincerity in the artistic and human approach as sole criteria.

During a meeting with Michel Besset, he suggested me making it with him and his Rocktime organization. I decided to make it in spite of all the risks which it implies. Michel possesses an effective infrastructure, in terms of organization, what was necessary to conceive the achievement of such a project. We have known each other for a long time, and he also dedicated his life to music eventhough he’s not a musician himself.

On the Festival website “Rock has to be innovative, creative, shocking and in opposition...” do you think it’s still possible to make original, innovative music? And how?

Yes. It is still possible in 2007 to be innovative, creative, disturbing and without concessions. But it requires - and it has always required many sacrifices. All the human societies are afraid of creators who disturb or who bring you to ask yourself questions. It is necessary to fight without expecting any recognition. The music is, some exceptions put aside, only a consumer good. To me, creating means daring new things and always questioning. But it also means a perpetual rejection of conformity. The feelings which the music generates must be complex and deep because they are the reflection of the soul and the human condition. If it is not the case, it means that the system has trapped you in.

A new RIO festival is born, we live in Milan and the name of Rock In opposition remember us Festivals made in our town in the late 70’s with Henry Cow, Stormy Six and other non-conventional bands…what this Rio festival has in common with that great events of the 70’s?

The music, the will to create, to be against what they impose us.

It’s not easy to find sponsors and institutions that are ready to support non-conventional music, but this Festival seems to be well supported, how did you do that? Do you think that this kind of events could be replicated in other countries?

The Festival is not subsidized. The partners do not invest in the festival but cooperate with each other, especially at the level of the festival promotion. The succes or the failure of this event will thus relay on the fact that the audience will be important or not. It's time that all people interested in this kind of non-conventional – and certainly financially non-profitable - event, understand that it will be necessary to them to move from their routine and to come to this festival if they really want to give it a chance to happen again. The more listeners will come, the more the importance of this initiative will be recognized by all the conventional media and will bring a new generation of curious to be interested in in alternate foprms of music – as opposed to the so-called "artistic" products of consumption.

Which way you used to select the bands?

First comes the quality

The sincerity

The innovation

The chosen artists have to be In Opposition in the sense that they do not make any concessions.

How many person you expected to have in this three days event? This event will be replicated for sure in 2008, or it depends from the results you’ll have in this edition?

The current data (bookings, reactions of the media etc. ..) shows the worlwide interest and make us confident that the festival might happen again in 2008. People will come from all the continents to attend this first edition and some, notably in USA, do not hesitate to to refer to the event as “historica”l. the more this edition will attract people, the more interesting the next edition will be. The only thing which I can say at the moment is that those interested in our project have to show it now by coming to the festival. This kind of initiative needs a concrete support so that it can happen agin... otherwise it will be another triumph of the system.

What information do you think are useful for our Italian readers (but not only) who would like to come in France?

All informations are on the web http://www.rocktime.org/rio/

Would you like to add something?

Move yourself, don’t wait for the others.

Roger Trigaux