Composition Butch Cassidy he surprised everyone by planning to schedule as many as seven concerts consecutively in Belgrade, and the result was - a complete triumph!
The vast majority of bands schedule one concert where they try to give the audience everything they have in their "rock arsenal". Some succeed, some don't. It's the intention that counts. Those who are a little more ambitious perform two performances, and the rare ones limit themselves to three. These are usually the big names of the rock scene, aware that the audience has been worshiping them for years and worshiping their image and work.
And when was the last time you heard that someone scheduled and held seven club concerts in a row, even with seven different thematic units?
And that each of the concerts was a success?
Photo: Ilija ĐukićScreaming, choral singing and a packed club every night
The extremely popular rock duo Butch Cassidy surprised many by announcing that from April 13 to 19, they will perform seven times at the Zappa base.
The rules were clear - the audience should come in the best possible mood and support this scenario, if possible.
Luka Racić and Zoran Zarubica designed Monday to be for disco and glitter, so glam rock, glitter and fluorescent podium. Tuesday was "Flower evening", i.e. romance, kisses and tenderness.
For Wednesday, Butch Cassidy moved from courtship to "concrete things" calling the evening "Sexy Wednesday", a night full of confidence and passion. On Thursday, the boys became "cowboys" and on Friday everyone had fun during the "Red and Karaoke" evening. Although, karaoke seemed to be every night, given their manner of inviting the audience to order songs.
The tireless audience on Saturday felt a rush of some other energy in the "Animal Evening" while the last concert was called "Rock and Roll".
And what happened? Bingo! Full hit. Every night was packed. The biggest fans, older female fans ranging from 14 to 19 years of age filled the first two nights, with great hysteria and throwing punches at the band members. It's been a long time since you heard so many screams of excited girls, as if the Beatles were on stage. Of course they knew every song from A to Z.
From the third to the last evening, Butch Cassidy was listened to by those a little more experienced with gigs, purely to see if Luka and Zoran are really capable enough to present everything steadily and with smiles on their faces on their shoulders.
Photo: Ilija ĐukićSeven days, 3.500 people
Who hasn't listened to Butch Cassidy live knows that through their songs you can feel the undertones of The Cure, Joy Division, even Vangelis. At times they sound like Dennis and Dennis, then a bit of Vampire and the group Rouge, then some Depeche Mode, in any case an incredible disco boys band.
And for those who don't know, both of these talented guys, besides combining seemingly incompatible styles, musical directions and expressions, simultaneously play their instruments, drums and guitar, and sing, so there is no official frontman and it's both of them at the same time.
Yes, at the second "flower" evening, the mandatory dress code was floral, and the girl really accepted that "obligation", just like Luka and Zoran. After more than two hours of tireless jamming and singing, the musicians ended the concert in a completely atypical way - they left the stage without saying a word, playing some ambient music, only to return to the "a-capella" crowd's call with the hit song "Let's go to the hallway" just as extremely spontaneously, without much noise, extremely nonchalantly.
The other themed days also had a proposed jersey code, so we could see sparkling and glittery combinations on the disc, and of course, all other accessories in accordance with the theme.
New wave rhythms accompanied a birthday sing-along for a girl in the audience, while The White Stripes' two-star rock act on stage with such noisy riffs marked the final night.
How did the group come up with the idea to schedule no less than seven consecutive performances?
They say that the idea came to them after seven concerts in Zagreb in 2023, but they never managed to repeat a similar idea in Serbia. Until now.
They wanted every night to have its own character and for the audience to feel it because, as they emphasize, their point is not just to come to the concert, but to enter their story through the theme,
details and energy.
They decided on a "buffet table" during one week so that each guest would find himself in what "drives" him the most through the theme. During seven nights, over 3.500 people passed through the club, with which the band confirmed that the loyalty of the fans is deserved and reciprocated.
When asked in the audience according to what criteria they chose the day on which they would come, they most often answered that it was in relation to obligations, schedules, work. Only then were they in the mood: "OK, tonight I'm going to wear what's given and I'm going" - nothing discouraged them, it even had a lot of fun and narrowed down their choices. And some managed to come more than once, mostly out of curiosity to check how "flower Tuesday" differs from "sexy Wednesday" but also realistically, because they love them. "If I could, I would come 17 days in a row, I love them so much," says one pink-haired fan who came with 3 other friends and a boyfriend.
Everything was fun for the band itself.
"These weeks have been really wonderful and emotional for us. It's especially nice to see and meet the wonderful audience day after day, and we noticed that some were with us from evening to evening."
It means a lot to us and it is a great indicator for us that our music reaches people because of the songs and sincerity. Concerts are the place where those songs live best, and people gave us the strength to continue even stronger day by day. The seven-day choral singing will definitely remain etched in our memory! We hope that we will come back soon and do the biggest spectacular concert in Belgrade, maybe the biggest in our career, and until then we are moving all this to Novi Sad and Niš" said Luka and Zoran after the triumph at Zappa Base.
Photo: Ilija ĐukićOne of the concerts at the Zappa base
Although the band went into each night with a clear plan, the set list changed on the fly, and the repertoire often included tracks that were not previously planned for that night. The closeness with the audience and the willingness of Luka and Zoran to meet the wishes of the front row turned every concert into a shared, unrepeatable story.
From disco glitter and floral details, to cowboy hats and red outfits, to animal motifs and rock 'n' roll finishes, the audience got clear frames, but never the same
experience.
Butch Cassidy arrives in Novi Sad for three consecutive concerts on May 8, 9 and 10 at the K9 Station club. If Zappa Baza showed that the set list changes from night to night, and that the audience can change the course of the performance according to their wishes, then it is clear what awaits the people of Novi Sad.
The concert euphoria then moves to the south. Concerts are scheduled in Niš on May 22, 23 and 24, at the Istina mašina club, so the people of Niš will also have the chance to enjoy the performances of one of the best young bands in the region.
By the way, one of the biggest characteristics of the phenomenon called Butch Cassidy is that the guys have so many fans and are only 30 years old, and that they started playing as older minors. Their experience is already considerable, and all those who have not "discovered" them now have the opportunity to catch the wave of a large number of scheduled performances. Who likes challenges - go for it.
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