Organizing concerts in Prague: the subtleties of working with stars

Prague hosts a huge number of concerts, and its cultural life is rich and varied. But who is actually behind organizing all these shows? Is it hard to convince a famous performer or band to come to a foreign country? How do you decide who will interest the local audience? Jan Larionov, director of Perfect Production, which has been organizing concerts for years, tells us about the subtleties of putting on concerts in Europe.

Around Prague: Tell us a bit about yourself: when did you move to Prague, where from, why did you decide to leave your hometown, where did you study, and what did you do at first after you ended up in the Czech capital?

Jan: I'm from Chelyabinsk. I moved to Prague — or rather, my parents brought me here — in 1999, after ninth grade. Since I'd always played basketball, I immediately tried out for a local team, and it worked out. I was also enrolled in a specialized state gymnasium that had classes for athletes. Don't think it was easy, though: nowhere else did they pile as much coursework on us. For a while I both studied and trained there.

AP: Did you have a goal of moving to another country?

Jan: No, I definitely didn't have that goal. I was a schoolboy in my prime, and everything at home suited me fine. I even wanted to throw away my foreign passport so I wouldn't have to go anywhere. But I guess I must have sensed that one day I'd be giving an interview to Around Prague, and that's what stopped me.


AP: What was your first impression of Prague, and has it changed over the years?

Jan: A hot summer. Everything felt unusual. Red-tiled roofs everywhere. Tourists wandering around in crowds. Lots of open-air pools. Lots of different shops and squares. I immediately went and bought CDs by Fatboy Slim, 2Pac and Wu-Tang Clan — try finding those in Chelyabinsk! We moved together with the family of my very close friend and classmate Dima Orlov, also from Chelyabinsk. So the company was great. Life was good.

AP: These days you organize concerts. How and where did it all start?

Jan: I never thought I'd end up doing anything like this. I actually graduated from the Higher School of Economics with a degree in information systems and technology, though even while I was studying I realized it wasn't for me. I preferred negotiating and talking to people. While I was still a student I got into real estate, but then that got boring too.

I decided to go into wedding planning — demand was crazy. It's very nerve-wracking and comes with a lot of responsibility: people entrust you with something so important, and you can't afford to mess it up! Gradually the number of weddings I did each year grew, and it all started to feel repetitive, even though the money was great. At some point I asked myself whether I really wanted to keep doing this, being a wedding coordinator. There were no new horizons opening up in that field, and shouting across the internet that you're the best coordinator and professional to attract clients — that's not our style, we're modest.


Because of the well-known events and the political situation in early 2014, I realized I needed to change direction. There was a half-hearted attempt to start another project, but it was that very attempt which first planted the idea, and then brought the support of a partner from Moscow — Vitaly Sevastyanov. If it hadn't been for him at that moment, I don't know what I'd be doing now. Hi, Vitalik!

AP: What was your first concert or event?

Jan: The first two concerts were cool, but missed the mark financially. We put on concerts for the group “Kasta” in Munich and Prague together with Gosha and Nadya from NoShowEvents. I'm a huge fan of that kind of music, so meeting a group like that was simply out of this world for me! I'd followed their work for years, and suddenly there they were in front of me, and we went off together to find a restaurant in Munich to grab a beer. Financially things weren't so smooth, but we learned a lot of lessons.


AP: People usually say the first attempt is a flop — was that the case for you?

Jan: It's fine if it came out lumpy — we ate it anyway, and the main thing is it tasted good.

AP: Over the course of your career, have there been any awkward or unpleasant moments that were hard to resolve?

Jan: My whole job — and I'd classify what I do as project management — is made up of exactly these kinds of moments. But the good news is that everything can always be resolved. I believe that if you don't run into moments like these, you're not really working. Everything can only be perfect for people who don't know each other and never talk. In our case there's a constant exchange of opinions, positions, arguments, give and take — that's what working together actually looks like. And that applies to everyone involved: artists, contractors, sponsors and ourselves.

AP: You've been in this field for several years now — who have you managed to work with over that time? Are there any celebrities or musicians it's especially easy to find common ground with, and others you'd rather not work with twice?

Jan: Well, that question dooms itself to a short answer. I've enjoyed working with everyone! Every person is unique, with a different character and mood, so we don't draw conclusions like that, even if someone left a mixed impression.

AP: Let's talk about Prague. You work on bringing acts to Prague. How do you choose a musician?

Jan: We try to avoid working with musicians from Czechia. Prague is too small a market to take that kind of risk and try to guess its taste here and now.


AP: How do you know that a particular performer or band will be a hit and draw a thousand people to a concert? Is it your gut instinct, or is there some kind of algorithm?

Jan: Telling that someone is riding a wave isn't hard. What's hard is covering that artist's fee. Honestly, the only time it really worked out that way was with Pasha Volya. I think if you took him out into the Siberian taiga, even the mosquitoes would settle down together and wait to hear what he had to say. The man has built an incredible reputation across every age group. Twelve years of hard work. Incredibly cool.

AP: Is it hard to satisfy all of a star's requests?

Jan: No, anything is always possible. The point of a rider isn't to send organizers off, as in some fairy tale, hunting for snowdrops in January. Artists live at a crazy pace, and they simply want everything they need close at hand.

AP: Do you think the performing stars treat the audience differently during concerts here compared with Russia?

Jan: I don't think so. Every concert is a matter of the artist's reputation. I was surprised how nervous everyone gets before going on stage. The guys from “Kasta” warm up like they're about to get into a fight, pacing back and forth like caged lions with a blank stare, as if they were walking out on stage for the very first time! We were stunned. And it's the same with every artist — nervous as a student before the most important exam of their life. Without exception.


AP: Which of your events in Prague was the most successful, and why?

Jan: Pavel Volya's show. First, he's a major name in his own right. Second, sponsor involvement set a record. Companies like Getberg, Crestyl, Student Republic, Tvoyo TV, Binio, SmartAvia and Ristorante Torino responded to our pitch. That concert only happened thanks to their involvement. The fee was very high, and we would never have taken that risk without outside support. In general, operating without sponsors in our conditions is very risky.

AP: Do you personally keep in touch with musicians or bands who have performed in Prague? Has it ever happened that your working relationship grew into friendship, or does everything stay limited to work and a professional relationship?

Jan: It's more of a friendly acquaintance, since it's hard to truly grow close in such a short time. With some of them, when I'm in Moscow, I happily meet up; with others, even though I have their phone number, I just wouldn't dare bother them.

AP: Prague will soon host a StandUp Show, and not for the first time. Was it hard to find common ground with the comedians and get them to come to Prague?

Jan: Since we already have a certain reputation, no. But you always need to remember this isn't a stroll through a summer garden. There's a rider, there's an artist, there's a concert and there's a venue. Good relationships depend directly on handling those points well.


AP: Which stand-up comedians came last year, and did they enjoy Prague? 

Jan: Slava Komissarenko, Ivan Abramov and Nurlan Saburov have already performed in Prague. These guys have strong sets.


They loved both Prague and the venue, since SaSaZu feels a lot like the place where Comedy Club is filmed: a technically well-equipped club, good music, a great audience. In my view, it's the best thing out there right now in comedy across the CIS. 

AP: Share your future plans with our readers. Will you keep organizing concerts in Prague? Maybe you're ready to announce something?

Jan: For now, just Slava Komissarenko in mid-March, but overall we've decided to move beyond our little Prague. Time will tell what comes of it, but I promise your readers will be the first to know!

The Around Prague team thanks Jan for letting us peek behind the scenes, and wishes him sold-out shows, a grateful audience and a thriving business.