The dates to mark are: 11 April in Zurich and 12 April in Bern. The reason? To get swept up in the good Italian music Nek has been producing since the 90s and to have fun singing the songs we know by heart, letting his emotions embrace us.
Filippo, your last summer tour was complex because of the many dates, but surely a success…
“It was tight more than complex, because there were more than 30 concerts dedicated to Italy, but with incredible power and beauty. I had great fun with that whole crowd before my eyes.”
Do you perceive a difference between an open-air tour and one performed in theatres, where there is a different, perhaps more closed and intimate atmosphere?
“In reality it is clear that between an arena and a theatre the sound and visual situations are different, but in the end everyone is there for the same purpose, even if in a closed venue the closeness is stronger and, as a result, the perception is higher. The audience’s voice is also amplified and more involving. But the intent of the one on stage is to have a crowd in front of him even outdoors, and to try to embrace it all. As tightly as possible.”
An explosion of endorphins, in short…
“That, always, whether there are 200 people or 2000. My aim is to be effective. Always.”
Watch the full interview
Your effectiveness is certainly visible. I can confirm it because, taking photos at your concerts, standing below the stage between you and the barriers of the audience, I clearly see the demonstration of the enthusiasm and affection the fans have for you. I photograph the faces, the gestures on both sides, and a sharing that is far from obvious is palpable. You are certainly not a singer who divides, quite the opposite.
“It is a great pleasure to hear this point of view. The audience is not always the same, especially on tours abroad it may be a little calmer, and then I try to step in myself, because when I go on stage it is my home, and in front of me are all the guests who must come in and be welcomed. The stage is also, for me, a cure for the most difficult moments in life.”
A sort of therapy that spurs you to have a road ahead to travel, in spite of everything?
“Absolutely. I have many friends and colleagues who, after a bereavement, felt the need to perform in order to fill themselves with the affection they could gather below the stage. Sharing music is always therapeutic.”
It is humanly understandable. For the next question I would like to paraphrase the title of one of your songs: Se una regola c’è…
“Don’t ask me….”
Extremely well prepared, you win! Jokes aside: if there is a rule, what is the secret of staying true to your own style in a musical landscape that is ever more frenetic and hungry for novelty?
“Perhaps because there is no rule, there is simply feeling good being yourself, without stepping outside a certain perimeter. But mind you, I understand this today at 54: in the past it was not like that. For me the artistic journey is synonymous with being on a train, looking at the landscape and lingering on the details. I am not driven to follow a fashion, but to protect my uniqueness. A few years ago, on the other hand, I was less focused on the details and more on the journey. By now I am willing to accept that if someone likes my music I am delighted, and if they don’t, never mind. You grow continuously, you are not an expert in everything. I believe I am not divisive precisely because I am authentic, and I feel it, I perceive it both below the stage and at the back of the hall, and it is a beautiful, fulfilling feeling.”
Thank you Filippo, with the time he dedicated to us at an end, we say goodbye while awaiting his arrival in Switzerland… “lasciando che lui sia”, simply letting him be himself.
Saturday 11 April 2026, 8.00 pm
X-Tra, Zurich
Buy tickets: www.ticketcorner.ch/event/nek-x-tra-20484470
Sunday 12 April 2026, 8.00 pm
Bierhübeli, Bern
SOLD OUT - More info
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