The Pez-Ner…vosity By Gallia Valette Pilenko Is the only avant garde music place going to shut its doors for good ? Even if it is not what
we wish for them, it might well be the case. And we have to admit that its managers do not want to make any concessions. Nor do they intend to bow and scrape before the city (Villeurbanne) or the region councillors.
This is not going to make matters any easier if we consider that the meeting held to present their project with the members of the region's committe for culture came to nothing. Moreover, with paltry grants, debts
have accumulated. Until now, the deficit in the accounts has reached 150 000 francs. Measures had to be taken. Knowing that the wage bill is the highest outlay, it is not surprising that half of the staff has been laid
off while at the same time, the Ministry of Arts (which have always supported the Pez Ner, just as the city of Villeurbanne has) wanted to give them a professional status. The decision of the association to interrupt
its scheduling is not surprising either. However, this does not mean that the Pez Ner's doors will definitely remain unopen since other associations will have the possibility to rent the place for concerts. On the other
hand, there won't be any Pez Ner programmes until financial balance is completely attained. All the amateurs of innovative productions are going to feel real lonely. It is quite a pity ! Where will it now be possible to
see Ruins, Swell, Cat Power, Stereolab and the others ? Fortunately, the situation is not that gloomy, and the association might well soon rise from its ashes. As for now, everything has come to a standstill, and the
members of the staff have lost some of their motivation along this tricky road. As David (the association's accountant and sound engineer) says "Let's just hope that this break will help us bounce back and will
result in artistic repositioning". This is all we wish for them. The Pez-Ner /69 Villeurbanne
Translated by Françoise Marel |