Emanuela Zampa

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Nero - About a Stage

Black is the colour of the stage, the equipment and the flight cases. Black is the distinctive uniform of those who work in the shadows, behind the scenes, making those in the spotlight shine: stagehands, riggers, engineers, backliners, sound and light technicians and more. They are the invisible workforce behind live performances.

Born in the summer of 2022, NERO documents the return of live music after the pandemic through the people who make it possible. Rather than focusing on artists and performances, the project follows the hidden life of a stage: its construction, physical labour, technical precision, waiting times and human moments before the lights turn on and long after the audience has gone home.

A concert is not only a way to consume music, but a modern rite and experience of communion. Behind it lies a temporary city built in a matter of hours: tons of steel, cables, road cases, expertise and bodies moving in sync. Through the workers who inhabit this world, NERO explores backstage not as a place of glamour, but as a landscape of labour and collective effort.

The project was born during a difficult moment for the live music industry. While concerts and festivals rapidly returned after the pandemic, many of the professionals behind them had already disappeared from the sector. Research conducted by Fondazione Centro Studi Doc between late 2021 and early 2022 showed that although 78% of workers had returned to work, 21.7% of technicians were no longer employed in live entertainment: 10.3% were still seeking work and 11.4% had permanently left the field.

At the same time, the music industry’s recovery was immediate. During the first half of 2022, activity increased by 40% compared to 2019, while the Global Music Report 2022 by IFPI ranked Italy as the world’s tenth-largest music market. Yet the professionals making all of this possible continue to operate within a rapidly changing industry with minimal protections and little public visibility.

This project tells the story of the skilled hands that transform iron, cables and flight cases into a place where the magic of music takes shape.

Technicians, backliners and stagehands wait for the show to end before beginning the overnight dismantling of the stage. Padua, July 7th 2022, Sherwood Festival.
Technicians, backliners and stagehands wait for the show to end before beginning the overnight dismantling of the stage. Padua, July 2022.
Backstage at the Teatro degli Arcimboldi in Milan during the twentieth anniversary tour of Notre-Dame de Paris. Stagehands, or theatre machinists, are responsible for moving technical equipment on and off stage during the performance. Their work requires precision and constant attention to what is happening on stage. Milan, September 24th 2022.
Stagehands, or theatre machinists, are responsible for moving technical equipment on and off stage during the performance. Their work requires precision and constant attention to what is happening on stage. Milan, September 2022.
A stagehand waits in the wings for the dancers to run off stage, ready to assist them. In the backstage, performers and technicians move together in a delicate balance of trust and coordination. Milan, September 24th 2022.
A stagehand waits in the wings for the dancers to run off stage, ready to assist them. In the backstage, performers and technicians move together in a delicate balance of trust and coordination. Milan, September 2022.
Flight cases are designed to transport and protect the technical equipment needed to build a live show. During the pandemic they also became a symbol of protest for entertainment workers, when hundreds of empty cases filled Piazza Duomo in Milan during the “Bauli in Piazza” demonstrations. Here, one of the motors used to lift the antennas of the Space Roof system rests inside its flight case. Arena di Verona, July 25th 2022.
One of the motors used to lift the antennas of the Space Roof system rests inside its flight case. Flight cases are designed to transport and protect the technical equipment needed to build a live show. During the pandemic they also became a symbol of protest for entertainment workers, when hundreds of empty cases filled Piazza Duomo in Milan during the “Bauli in Piazza” demonstrations. Arena di Verona, July 2022.
Francesca, a production manager, supervises stagehands and technicians unloading a truck full of audio and lighting equipment at the beginning of the stage setup. During the rest of the year, she works in a venue in Genoa’s city centre. Genoa, June 22nd 2022.
Francesca, a production manager, supervises stagehands and technicians unloading a truck full of audio and lighting equipment at the beginning of the stage setup. During the rest of the year, she works in a venue in Genoa’s city centre. Genoa, June 2022.
Francesca ties her mandatory safety shoes before before entering the construction site. Despite the pressure and long setup days, she loves the fast-paced and constantly changing nature of live production work. Genoa, June 22nd 2022.
Francesca ties her mandatory safety shoes before before entering the construction site. Despite the pressure and long setup days, she loves the fast-paced and constantly changing nature of live production work. Genoa, June 2022.
Technicians and stagehands rest on subwoofers and flight cases while waiting for more equipment to arrive before continuing the stage setup. Genoa, June 22nd 2022.
Technicians and stagehands rest on subwoofers and flight cases while waiting for more equipment to arrive before continuing the stage setup. Genoa, June 2022.
Elisabetta, safety coordinator, poses in front of one of the stages she is responsible for. Her role is to ensure safety compliance for everyone working on site, including technicians, stagehands, artists, musicians and the audience. Ferrara, August 20th 2023.
Elisabetta, safety coordinator, poses in front of one of the stages she is responsible for. Her role is to ensure safety compliance for everyone working on site, including technicians, stagehands, artists, musicians and the audience. Ferrara, August 2023.
Detail of technical plans in the pocket of a site manager during the setup of a concert area. Site managers coordinate the different teams involved in the construction of the stage and oversee the logistics of the site. Ferrara, August 20th 2023.
Detail of technical plans in the pocket of a site manager during the setup of a concert area. Site managers coordinate the different teams involved in the construction of the stage and oversee the logistics of the site. Ferrara, August 2023.
Andrea and Massimo are among the specialised stagehands called from across the country to work on the setup of a major concert stage, where hundreds of workers alternate day and night shifts while a large ramp behind the stage allows the simultaneous loading and unloading of up to eight trucks, part of a total of 47 vehicles involved in the production.
Andrea and Massimo are among the specialised stagehands called from across the country to work on the setup of a major concert stage, where hundreds of workers alternate day and night shifts while a large ramp behind the stage allows the simultaneous loading and unloading of up to eight trucks, part of a total of 47 vehicles involved in the production.
Riggers and stagehands adjust the crystal roof covering of the Space Roof structure during the setup of the stage at the Arena di Verona. July 25th 2022.
Riggers and stagehands adjust the crystal roof covering of the Space Roof structure during the setup of the stage at the Arena di Verona. July 2022.
Rosario, Sebastiano, Bubacar and Michele, scaffholders specialised in stage construction, work on the dismantling of a concert stage. Like dancers of steel, their movements are fast and perfectly coordinated while the structure, no longer fully secured, starts swinging beneath their feet. Turin, July 2022.
Rosario, Sebastiano, Bubacar and Michele, scaffholders specialised in stage construction, work on the dismantling of a concert stage. Like dancers on steel, their movements are fast and perfectly coordinated, while the structure, no longer fully secured, starts swinging beneath their feet. Turin, July 2022.
Roberto, a rigger, works high above Piazza San Giovanni in Rome. Constantly suspended at least ten metres above the ground, riggers are responsible for securing the audio and light systems to the truss structures suspended from the stage roof. Rome, April 2023
Roberto, a rigger, works high above Piazza San Giovanni in Rome. Constantly suspended at least ten metres above the ground, riggers are responsible for securing the audio and light systems to the truss structures suspended from the stage roof. Rome, April 2023
Two riggers climb the antennas of the Space Roof structure in order to secure the motors that will lift the stage roof into position. Arena di Verona, July 25th 2022.
Two riggers climb the antennas of the Space Roof structure in order to secure the motors that will lift the stage roof into position. Arena di Verona, July 2022.
Jarno, 22, works as a lumberjack during the winter and spends the summer travelling across Italy with a team of scaffholders working on concert stages. “I like hard work and being exhausted at the end of the day. And it’s nice doing it for music.” Turin, November 2022.
Jarno, 22, works as a lumberjack during the winter and spends the summer travelling across Italy with a team of scaffholders working on concert stages. “I like hard work and being exhausted at the end of the day. And it’s nice doing it for music.” Turin, November 2022.
A crane lifts one of the antennas of the Space Roof structure during the setup of the stage inside the Arena di Verona. The transparent crystal roof allows the ancient Roman amphitheatre to remain visible even during large-scale live productions. Arena di Verona, July 25th 2022.
A crane lifts one of the antennas of the Space Roof structure during the setup of the stage inside the Arena di Verona. The transparent crystal roof allows the ancient Roman amphitheatre to remain visible even during large-scale live productions. Arena di Verona, July 2022.
A rigger climbs the truss structure of a concert stage while securing the suspended line array speaker system high above the ground. Ferrara, August 2023
A rigger climbs the truss structure of a concert stage while securing the suspended line array speaker system high above the ground. Ferrara, August 2023
Valentina, a rigger, removes a metal splinter from her hand at the end of her shift after it pierced through her protective gloves. Ferrara, August 2023.
Valentina, a rigger, removes a metal splinter from her hand at the end of her shift after it pierced through her protective gloves. Ferrara, August 2023.
Totò, local promoter and producer of a festival, takes a moment to recover after learning that the artist scheduled to open the event will not perform due to an accident. As the person financially responsible for the festival, a postponed date could mean rebuilding the entire stage production or refunding all sold tickets. Genoa, June 2022.
Totò, local promoter and producer of a festival, takes a moment to recover after learning that the artist scheduled to open the event will not perform due to an accident. As the person financially responsible for the festival, a postponed date could mean rebuilding the entire stage production or refunding all sold tickets. Genoa, June 2022.
A tangled mass of audio, power and signal cables spreads across the stage floor during the setup of a live show. Behind the apparent chaos, every cable has a precise function and position within the technical system of the concert. Rome, April 2023.
A tangled mass of audio, power and signal cables spreads across the stage floor during the setup of a live show. Behind the apparent chaos, every cable has a precise function and position within the technical system of the concert. Rome, April 2023.
Color-coded audio connections during the setup of a live concert. What appears as a chaotic network of cables is in fact a highly organized system, where every signal has its own precise path and function. Padua, July 2022.
Color-coded audio connections during the setup of a live concert. What appears as a chaotic network of cables is in fact a highly organized system, where every signal has its own precise path and function. Padua, July 2022.
Roberto, stage sound engineer and musician. During the Covid pandemic he expanded his studies in music production and invested in his own recording studio, but eventually chose to return to touring and live shows to keep bringing music to public spaces. Genoa, June 2022.
Roberto, stage sound engineer and musician. During the Covid pandemic he expanded his studies in music production and invested in his own recording studio, but eventually chose to return to touring and live shows to keep bringing music to public spaces. Genoa, June 2022.
Lighting fixtures and truss structures during the setup and testing of a concert stage. Before the audience arrives, every beam, color and movement is programmed and rehearsed to shape the visual identity of the live show. Rome, April 2023.
Lighting fixtures and truss structures during the setup and testing of a concert stage. Before the audience arrives, every beam, color and movement is programmed and rehearsed to shape the visual identity of the live show. Rome, April 2023.
Federica, a lighting designer, tests the lighting system during setup for a music festival. Genoa, June 2022.
Federica, a lighting designer, tests the lighting system during setup for a music festival. Genoa, June 2022.
Lighting fixtures and truss structures during the setup and testing of a stage. Rome, April 2023.
Lighting fixtures and truss structures during the setup and testing of a stage. Rome, April 2023.
Valentina and Roberto, both riggers, communicate by radio while coordinating the unloading of trucks carrying stage equipment. Rome, April 2023.
Valentina and Roberto, both riggers, communicate by radio while coordinating the unloading of trucks carrying stage equipment. Rome, April 2023.
As soon as the gates open, the audience of Sherwood Festival in Padua runs toward the stage to secure a spot before the beginning of the show. Padua, July 2022.
As soon as the gates open, the audience of Sherwood Festival in Padua runs toward the stage to secure a spot before the beginning of the show. Padua, July 2022.
A backliner checks the artist’s microphone one last time before the beginning of the show. Padua, July 2022.
A backliner checks the artist’s microphone one last time before the beginning of the show. Padua, July 2022.
When an artist steps onto the stage and the show finally begins, it represents the visible culmination of days of preparation and the collective work of hundreds of people behind the scenes. Rome, September 2022.
When an artist steps onto the stage and the show finally begins, it represents the visible culmination of days of preparation and the collective work of hundreds of people behind the scenes. Rome, September 2022.
As the artist moves to the crowd, hundreds of hands and smartphones reach out in search of a brief moment of connection. Live concerts have increasingly become spaces where direct experience and digital mediation coexist, as audiences simultaneously seek to live, record and share the performance in real time. Padua, July 2022.
As the artist moves to the crowd, hundreds of hands and smartphones reach out in search of a brief moment of connection. Live concerts have increasingly become spaces where direct experience and digital mediation coexist, as audiences simultaneously seek to live, record and share the performance in real time. Padua, July 2022.
An overview of the stage of Rome’s Primo Maggio concert. During the nine-hour live broadcast, artists perform one after another on a rotating stage system that allows technicians to prepare the next setup behind the scenes while another performance is taking place in front of the audience. Rome, May 2023.
An overview of the stage of Rome’s Primo Maggio concert. During the nine-hour live broadcast, artists perform one after another on a rotating stage system that allows technicians to prepare the next setup behind the scenes while another performance is taking place in front of the audience. Rome, May 2023.
While the audience is still leaving the venue at the end of the show, Zack, a rigger, adjusts his harness before beginning the dismantling of the stage. Arena di Verona, July 2022.
While the audience is still leaving the venue at the end of the show, Zack, a rigger, adjusts his harness before beginning the dismantling of the stage. Arena di Verona, July 2022.
Mauro, a rigger and team leader, watches his crew dismantling the Space Roof structure as rain begins to fall over the Arena di Verona, July 2022.
Mauro, a rigger and team leader, watches his crew dismantling the Space Roof structure as rain begins to fall over the Arena di Verona, July 2022.
At dawn, the Space Roof structure inside the Arena di Verona is almost completely dismantled. While the audience has long gone home, the crews continue working through the night to take apart the stage and technical structures that made the show possible. Arena di Verona, July 2022.
At dawn, the Space Roof structure inside the Arena di Verona is almost completely dismantled. While the audience has long gone home, the crews continue working through the night to take apart the stage and technical structures that made the show possible. Arena di Verona, July 2022.
Outside the venue, a couple shares a late-night sandwich after the concert. Around live music revolves an entire temporary ecosystem of workers, vendors, relationships and small rituals that continue long after the lights on stage have gone out. Genoa, June 2022.
Outside the venue, a couple shares a late-night sandwich after the concert. Around live music revolves an entire temporary ecosystem of workers, vendors, relationships and small rituals that continue long after the lights on stage have gone out. Genoa, June 2022.
A shape of light illuminate the audience inside the Arena di Verona during a show. In a digital world, live music remains one of the few collective rituals capable of temporarily bringing strangers together within the same physical and emotional space. Arena di Verona, July 2022.
A shape of light illuminate the audience inside the Arena di Verona during a show. In a digital world, live music remains one of the few collective rituals capable of temporarily bringing strangers together within the same physical and emotional space. Arena di Verona, July 2022.
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