The Sonic Preachers during a live filmed at Secret Place -

Secret Place

  • To face the crisis, the Secret Place, in Saint-Jean-de-Védas, had to diversify.

  • The rock concert hall offers artists to rent rehearsal rooms, recording studios, as well as its stage to shoot clips.

  • "All these activities allow us to shelter a little," says Geoffrey Rinaldi, one of the enthusiasts in charge of the concert hall, near Montpellier.

    But it's also a way of not leaving the Secret Place empty.

    "

The last concert at Secret Place was on October 29th.

That evening, the day before the second confinement, Out of School Activities and the Dead Ritons, two punk groups, had set this small scene on fire for the last time, managed by the association Tout à fond (Taf), in Saint-Jean- de-Védas (Hérault).

With a gauge of a few dozen people, well below the habits of the house, Covid-19 obliges.

Since then, nothing.

“Everything is in red, canceled!

», Laments Geoffrey Rinaldi, one of the enthusiasts of the Taf team, scrolling through the list of concerts that were planned at the end of last year.

But at the Secret Place, a veritable temple for underground rock lovers since 1996, we still haven't disconnected the guitars.

The association, usually carried by the (small) profits of its evenings, had to develop lots of activities, to overcome this period of scarcity, and to avoid the shortage.

Rehearsal rooms, recording studios ...

For example, the structure offers groups to invest its stage, to shoot for clips, or videos of live songs.

It also provides artists with its rehearsal facilities and professional recording studios.

She also rents the room, for business or association meetings.

And she offers drums lessons, with Ryo Yamagata, a former drummer of The Edge or the Backstreet Boys.

And she sells, on her shop, albums, but also lots of goodies, caps, T-shirts or masks with her effigy.

The group Uddu in rehearsals at the Secret Place - Secret Place

"All these activities allow us to shelter a little, unlike other structures, such as clubs, which are not fortunate enough to be so diverse," says Geoffrey Rinaldi.

But all of this is also a way of not leaving the Secret Place empty.

"The association has also opened residences," with support for artists from A to Z, from rehearsals to recording and pressing CDs and vinyls.

And a concert, too.

But that, we do not yet know when!

"

Artist residencies

Les Palavas Surfers, a punk garage group from Montpellier, is one of the formations to benefit from it, thanks to the financial support of the metropolis.

"We will work on the concert that we will give when possible," confides Frédéric Loumagne, organist of the Hérault group.

As musicians, this type of residency allows us to find a little oxygen, an activity, and to receive remunerations.

And of course, it gives Secret Place a boost.

Everyone wins.

"

To cope, the Secret Place has also opened a kitty, on the Tipeee platform, to collect donations.

So that it never stops, when sanitary measures allow it, to vibrate the commercial area of ​​Lauze.

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  • Languedoc-Roussillon

  • Montpellier

  • Concert

  • Covid 19

  • Coronavirus

  • Music

  • Culture