Reazione K

“Reazione K” was a music festival organized by the Zone K cultural association in autumn 2017 at the Sala Estense in Ferrara, aimed at celebrating ten years of the collective's cultural experiments to date, but also at  “reclaiming” the spaces the city can offer for culture. We interviewed Tommaso Lampronti and Alex Poltronieri, two of the driving forces behind the initiative.

“Reazione K” was a bold and, as they say in these cases, necessary experiment. Tell us how it came about and who or what is behind it.

In July 2016, much to our regret, we were forced to close the Circolo Arci Zone K, after more than a year of intense live programming. That's where the need arose to keep stimulating the Ferrara music scene in some way, by putting on quality concerts. Obviously, having given up the club setting, we had to rely on other venues that kindly hosted us. Behind “Reazione K” is a volunteer collective of seven enthusiasts who strongly believe in the project.

In chemistry, the letter K is used to refer to an equilibrium constant between products and reagents, which in a sense is exactly what event organizers aim for: a stable mixture between what is proposed and the reaction it provokes. What does this balance mean to you? How do you build these alchemies?

Actually, the conception of “Reazione K” was quite unbalanced, driven by somewhat reckless impulses: putting on live shows by artists we really love, regardless of the reactions they might provoke.

Ferrara is a truly strange city: blatantly aristocratic yet with a long progressive tradition, in many ways closed off and even gloomy, yet with its own particular airier, more youthful vocation. What was it like setting up an initiative like this in such a contradictory place?

Not easy. As you rightly point out, Ferrara is a city of many contradictions. While some players have the courage to take on ambitious projects, on the other hand you run into a mentality that is still wary and lacking in curiosity. As proof of this, most of “Reazione K”'s audience doesn't come from Ferrara. And that's something we regret a little.

Among the festival's crown jewels, at least three internationally prestigious names deserve mention: Robyn Hitchcock, Mark Eitzel (photo above) and Chuck Prophet. Three figures from different backgrounds, yet all falling under the broad category of the “cult songwriter”: reclusive characters who, far from the spotlight, doggedly pursue their own artistic path and rarely put out a bad record, most often overlooked by the wider public but revered by fans and industry insiders alike. Looking back through the events you've organized in the past, other similar names crop up (Grant-Lee Phillips, Geoff Farina, Hugo Race, Thalia Zedek…). What is it about these little big heroes that fascinates you so much?

A coherent artistic path, almost always of a high standard, and an outsider allure we identify with completely. The spirit behind Reazione K is that of the fan: it might sound like a selfish way of thinking, but the chance to work alongside artists who, to us, are legendary figures in rock history won out. All with the dream of introducing these artists to a wider audience of listeners too.

Another great coup was the presence of Matthew Caws of Nada Surf, who chose Ferrara for his only appearance not just in Italy but in Europe. How did you manage to organize that show?

We're huge Nada Surf fans, and we've been in touch with Matthew privately for a while now. He offered himself for a solo date in Ferrara, and we jumped at the chance. Matthew took the opportunity to stay a few extra days, enjoying the beauty and the food of our city.

There were also two homegrown “big names”: Diaframma and Paolo Benvegnù. Overall, did you find these two sure bets sparked more curiosity, or the gambles you took with the names mentioned earlier?

Clearly Diaframma (on this occasion joined by another seminal name in Italian new wave, Go Flamingo!) and Paolo Benvegnù bring with them a hardcore fanbase that gave us an extra margin of safety compared to the previously mentioned names. Specifically, though, Paolo Benvegnù's show was itself a gamble, being an experimental performance halfway between theatre and art installation, which also featured the talented puppeteer and performer Luca Ronga.

Also worth praising is the multidisciplinary approach you adopted, folding screenings and book presentations into the lineup (including a biography of Adrian Borland that looks quite promising). How much does this aspect matter to you?

We were drawn to the chance to develop a literary dimension within a festival that is primarily musical. “Adrian Borland and The Sound: Meaning of a Distant Victory” is the only Italian publication dedicated to a great and little-known artist, while “Nastri”, by music journalist Stefano Solventi, is a science-fiction novel set in a dystopian future, in which music nonetheless plays an essential role.

Do you also believe, as many are predicting, that big events in big cities will gradually lose ground to smaller-scale gatherings in more out-of-the-way locations? In your view, does working on a smaller scale, outside the most popular circuits, mean more or less visibility, more or less risk?

It's certainly a very complex issue that would require a more detailed analysis. It's clearly getting harder and harder to grab the attention of the masses with festivals and music events of a certain scale, unless you rely on old rock glories and/or new acts that have little in common with our idea of "alternative music". Working on a smaller scale exposes you to lower, far more manageable risks, and has perhaps become the only way left to enjoy a certain kind of sound.

All things considered, are you happy with this first attempt? Do you feel the response was positive?

Overall the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and kept growing exponentially: we saw the audience get bigger with each date.

Do you think this lovely story can continue?

For now we feel the need to take a little break to recharge our energies, but the desire to start working on a Vol. 2 is definitely there. We already have a few names in mind, and we hope the right conditions will come together to bring great music to Ferrara once again.

Photo by Matilde Morselli

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