Tiziano International

“The Verona Arena can’t scare me. Not even for three nights in a row.”

Three consecutive sold-out concerts at the Arena. Like Pink Floyd, Zucchero and Laura Pausini (not to mention the “residence” of Ligabue). “I’m in good company, no?” Tiziano Ferro asks in a satisfied manner, before the three almost sold-out nights at the amphitheater on the 10th, 12th and 13th of May. The pop singer (we’re simply not able to find another definition) will present tracks from his recent album, L’amore è una cosa semplice, and that’s not all.

How does it feel, Tiziano, to take on three completely filled Arenas?
I feel privileged. It’s useless to try and hide it: singing in the Arena is something special. It’s one of the world’s sites of Italian excellence. It has a special charm and it’s very prestigious. And I’m not saying this just to say something: my concerts at the Arena will be attended by a series of European managers and heads of Sony, my label. Of all the tour dates, they’ve chosen these, in your town. And dozens of fans all over Europe have done the same thing.

You’ll sing in front of your “employers”. Aren’t you a bit frightened?
No, I actually try to enjoy the sort of crazy emotion that I feel when in front of so many people. I put myself at ease and enjoy even those moments. For years, due to being in a certain state of mind, I didn’t fully appreciate the concerts, and that was a real shame. Understandable, though: I was only 20 years old and the success of Xdono instantly catapulted me from a little recording studio to a world stage. Now after having sung, during this tour, in a series of sports halls that are certainly not that beautiful, I just really want to appreciate the view of the Arena.

Reading the reviews of previous concerts, they talk of impressive scenery, with several trucks of material that travel with you.
Yes, the production of the show is huge but, given the shape of the Arena, we won’t be able to really build everything up. The stage was designed to be 360°, so that I’d be able to embrace all of the crowd. We’ll see if it will be possible to replicate this effect at the amphitheater. Aside from that, the heart of the concept is minimalism, accentuated by the music. The stage is black, with a linear design, clean. The real strength of the show is the set list.

That is, the songs…
Yes, I didn’t think of this tour as a way to promote my new album but as a celebration of ten years of music. And it will be a party. There are 26 songs on the list, and I realized that 22 of them have been released as singles.

When you come back to the Arena, 20 years from now, you could do an epic concert with 40 singles…
No, I can’t see myself still on a stage when I’m over 50 years old.

But in September, Leonard Cohen will come to the amphitheater, and he’s well beyond 70 years of age.
Okay, but I just can’t think of myself at that age still touring. Music isn’t my whole life, like it could be ten years ago or when I started. Now it’s one of my friends, a companion, but it’s no longer my word, my only way to communicate and connect with the world. I can’t live on music alone. What can I say? Maybe I grew up…