Yahoo News Jack Savoretti: I thought I'd get ‘caught out’ when I headlined Wembley Arena
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Thirteen years ago, when Jack Savoretti was touring around cafes across the UK, little did he know that one day he would headline at Wembley Arena.
The singer/songwriter was speaking on White Wine Question Time about playing the iconic venue in 2019, revealing he thought he would get rumbled.
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He told host Kate Thornton that while he had opened for lots of acts in arenas previously, headlining his first gig at one was something totally different.
“I remember before walking on stage, thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, this is kind of the limit. We're going to get caught out here!’ We know how to do theatres, but this was my first ever arena,” he said laughing.
He continued: “I remember thinking, ‘You know what, if is the end of the road, this is a great way to bow out!’”
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The English-born star, who grew up in Switzerland, needn’t have worried though. His loyal fans who have supported him since his first release in 2006, were more than happy to see him.
“I walked out, and I knew the crowd,” he exclaimed
“I know that sounds weird — I don't mean like it was my mum and my friends. I knew the people, like I knew this crowd, because this crowd has grown with us.”
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In fact, his live gigs have had some unexpected effects on his fanbase. During the last tour for his album Singing To Strangers, there were five marriage proposals.
“I would ask all these guys: ‘Why here? Why tonight?’ because I would meet all the couples either before or after,” he explained to Thornton.
“And most of the guys said, ‘Oh, because this is her favourite song’. But two guys said something really cool. They were like, ‘We wanted to go to Rome, but we couldn't afford it, so we came here’...
—“And that was the coolest thing anybody's ever told me that there was like an experience that was happening. That these guys, for an hour and a half, felt like they had been to Rome or felt like they've been to Paris — and that made me really excited. It's not just about the song or whatever, it's about the whole experience.”
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Savoretti, who has worked with his group of musicians for a long time, said playing lots of small venues together has also totally honed his craft, although touring so much was never something he originally aspired to.
“We've been on the road for 15 years, when a lot of people didn't really give it much time of day, but we built it really on the road, which was never my intention,” he said.
“I didn't set out to be a touring musician. Actually, if you'd asked me 15 years ago, that was probably the last thing I really want it to do.”
“There's travelling and there’s travelling - and I can tell you for most of my 15-year career, there hasn't been much of a budget for when we're travelling.”
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The singer is releasing his seventh album Europiana later this month, which gave him a chance to work with one of his musical heroes, Nile Rodgers. While it was an undeniable thrill working with the legendary hitmaker, Savoretti says playing Wembley will always be the highlight of his career.
“Yesterday was actually the two-year anniversary of that,” he told Thornton. “And a part of me was like, ‘Oh, we shouldn't really be reliving that’. But then I was like, ‘Wait, I should be celebrating that every year for the rest of my life!’”
He continued: “I'm going to make it a thing in my house. Make the kids make a cake for my Wembley birthday every year.”
Hear Jack Savoretti talk about how disco inspired his new album on the latest episode of White Wine Question Time. Listen now on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
WATCH: Why Jack Savoretti and his band dressed up to record their new album Europiana
