Off The Stage – Pt. 4 – (English)
(For Spanish, here)
Verena. She is a key player in our beloved Viennese music scene. Together with her team in Dazed & Confused Shows (Laura, Flo, Nik, and Verena) they have brought to our city shows of mind blowing sounds. All driven by a relentless passion for music and a with “their heart on the right place”. One can always sense when things are made with love and care and Verena’s (and DCS’) work is full of it.
With great honor and heart full after the conversation I had with her. I let you be part of it below.
SoG: Let me give you a little bit of context, what I want to do in this entry of hopefully many series, named Off The Stage, precisely because the main intention of this series is to talk and give a spotlight to all those people who are not necessarily on stage performing. But people who, with their work and their time, they drive and move their music scene. And overall, my idea is to find similarities and/or contrast in experiences, motivations, concerns, etc. between all these people.
I’m interviewing people not only from Vienna, but Spain, Mexico (of course), Argentina. Different people from around the world that I know or follow their work. But of course, I’ve been trying or wanting to talk to you since way before this idea came into my mind.
And because, of course, I consider myself very lucky that we have been collaborating before a couple of times, you know, covering Dragged into Bliss for two editions already, for sure one of my favorite times of the year. It’s totally my pleasure so I can thank you for your time, and openness. I’m very honored.
Verena (V): And you know, having this can only work if people like you and me work together. So that’s perfect and that’s important. There is not one thing without the other if you have it in a healthy space. So that’s a win-win.
SoG: That’s very sweet of you. I totally agree on that, it’s kind of like a teamwork, one cannot work without the other or vice versa. So, I’m very glad and honored to be collaborating with you and your team. I don’t know how I found myself in this position, but now I’m very happy that I am here.
V: Yeah, and it’s a very cool idea for the script because, you know, there is some people you see and a lot of people you don’t see, but the system would collapse if not all the parts are covered. And then there are our friends, the people who sit at the entrance at every fucking single show, you know. And so many helping hands around.
And it’s the same with our posters. It’s one thing to have an idea or a design in mind for a show, but we could never bring that to life on our own. We have friends who hand-draw and layout them with us. Without all these helping hands, visible and invisible, we simply could not do this.
SoG: And that’s what I want to put here on the series, not only in the table but in our conversation, because I know (firsthand) the amount of work, effort, frustration, money, and so on, that it really takes just for us, the fans in the other side, to listen our favorite bands. So, I want to make it more obvious that it’s not only about the bands, which is, yes, of course, the main goal in the end, but there are a lot of heroes over there really putting their hearts on it. So, yeah, it’s just that passion that I share with all of you that I wanted to highlight and throw a shoutout to all this people and their work behind. So, thank you for your work.
What do you think if we kick-start this with a little mental game that I prepared? The situation is like this: Aliens exist, and they have come to Earth to reshape everything in the world. They have studied humanity for a while now. And they strongly believe that art, music, creativity are what distinguishes us from any other species. They are sure that this is the backbone of society, it’s the most important thing. And somehow, they are flying above Vienna and they decide to land at the Gürtel. And you were there, up and down, sharing flyers for the next edition of Dragged into Bliss.
So, they think that you, Verena, are the human representative of arts. They have said like, “yeah, this woman is working and preparing shows, she must be the representative”. And you get to choose, what will you reshape or change in the music scene to make it better?
V: like something realistic or …?
SoG: It could be as crazy as you want or more tangible. I mean, they are aliens, so they can do whatever. They have all the technology, all the power that you can imagine. Just what will you change to make it better?
V: I have to think about that one. Is it okay to answer that in the end?
SoG: Sure, don’t worry. I mean, my intention with this, since I’m talking to people from around the world, was to show how the music scene in those cities kind of work and what can it improve. …
So, while I was preparing for the interview, I remembered that one of the first times that I got aware of Dazed and Confused Shows (DCS). It was in 2024 in the Menger’s show. I love those guys, they are friends of mine, and actually I even organized a couple of shows for them when I lived in Mexico. (Read our review from the latest album, here)
I was a little bit clueless about the Vienna music scene, of course I was going to concerts, and so on, but I didn’t know where to look at or who should I talk to get more involved. Then I did a little bit of research about DCS, and the oldest flyer/poster I could find was from around 2019, but how long have you been doing this? or do you remember when or how did all start?
V: Yeah, we’ve recently talked about it because next year we exist for 10 years and we just realized, oh my god! it’s 10 years!. So yeah, our first show was on the 17th, 7th of 2017. So it was in July and 2017, we have had our first concert in Vienna. And yeah, that happened by accident, actually.
I feel, if you want to say so, because our friends, Nik, Flo, me, we are very into music, we read music magazines and {we are subscribed into something where} you sometimes get samplers sent with songs and whatever. And there was a song on it from Giöbia from Italy. And the beginning of the song is, “The world is being watched closely by intelligences … “, from the album Magnifier, if I’m right. And yeah, Nik and Flo were like talking about that we should go there and see them in Italy maybe. And then we said, “yeah, okay, if we are three people that go to Italy, it will cost us nearly the same than if we try to get them here, … we can try to get them to come to Vienna”.
So yeah … and then it just happened, we just did it. So that was one of our first shows that we would now maybe do completely different, but it is a nice first show. You have to start somewhere.
SoG: Sure. And I love that it was just like, “we want to see this band, let’s just bring them, it’s easier and cheaper”, not easier maybe, but it’s cheaper for us, all of us to just organize and make it. So, was this like the first time you organized a concert or were you doing this before?
V: No, it was the first time with Dazed & Confused Shows (DCS), Nik and I had organized a concert for a friend, a band from Serbia. And that because we wanted to have them here and see them. And then, we started with DCS. So, yeah, you know, we thought “it just can’t be that hard”, and we were like “… yeah, well, spoiler, it is”.
“That’s the best thing you can do. Just do it and see what happens.”
SoG: Jaja yeah … But I guess we all kind of start the same way. I remember in Mexico, I just started doing it because of my best friend’s band. They were living in a city where we felt that nothing really happened. And we were just like, “Ok, we want you to play somewhere, but here, in this ‘town’ [Maximum respect to all my people from there jeje], no bands are coming. So, let’s just do a show for us and our friends and maybe invite another band from the town behind or the region”. We thought it was that easy. Little did we know all the work necessary, but I mean, that’s another story because this is not about me. The point is that we all start like that. Like, “yeah, let’s just make something happen”.
V: Yeah, that’s the start. That’s the best thing you can do. Just do it and see what happens.
SoG: And now, 10 years after! that’s like a lot of time doing this, but I guess (I have to ask this) but this is not your main job, is it? Do you have another thing that really pays the rent or so?
V: Yeah, of course. This, we just do this non-profit. So, we don’t earn anything with this. It can be the other way around, and it feels like a full-time job, but a full-time job that doesn’t give you any money, but that fulfills. Because, you know, when you start thinking about the stuff that you love, it’s not a time frame when you think of it, just maybe stand up in the morning and start thinking about or spinning thoughts. So, no,{it’s not our main job}, we have full-time jobs …
SoG: Yeah, and I guess the payout that you get with DCS, and for example, in my case, with State of Guitars, it’s just a payout in the heart, you know, like you get fulfilled and you get very happy for it, for all the connections, and the people that you know, the new cool bands that you know, this is the way we get paid. And I really like this saying, “doing the things for love of the art”, really loving the art, and let it moves you. I like how that describes our motivation.
So how do you balance the job between the, let’s say, full-time paying rent job and the DCS heart fulfilling job? Do you have like a tight schedule, or how do you manage all the things that are behind?
V: Well, how do we balance it? Humm.. We don’t have like working hours. We do this after work, in the evening, and then we have meetings and talk about the recent stuff and then do the “daily business”. Daily business is {a saying}, we don’t do a lot of shows actually.
This year there is a little bit more and we did a lot of shows earlier at our beginning but since we’ve started to have a festival (Dragged Into Bliss), we think about the festival all of the year because we have to start with a concept. And if you want it in the way that we do it, that we really put our heart in, that we have {handmade} deco. We really spend a lot of hours just thinking about the lineup and how to put it together and what we want.
And Nik and I, we live together, so we talk about DCS a lot, of course. And with Laura and Flo we exchange ideas and plans every time we meet and after work we go and spread our posters around the city because this also really takes a lot of time.
[Dragged Into Bliss 2026 handmade decoration]
SoG: Well, one advantage must have to be living with one of your teammates. At least you can work on these things almost any time. Yeah, that’s cool.
I wanted to make that question because, like in my case, I just put myself a lot of work because I want to do this series of interviews and want to want it to be published and so on. But I also have a full-time job, you know, and it’s tough sometimes. But this balance that I found is just like “whenever I have time, I’m writing, or now, I’m just editing whatever interviews, or planning who else am I going to interview?” And so on …
V: And you have to think too, you also do a lot of creative work. This is not like a switch you can turn on or turn off. Sometimes there is a thought and you’re in the mood and then you really have to use that wherever you are. And the other way around, you can’t go have a seat and be like, “okay, and now I start my creative work” because yeah, nice try. So, yeah, I have to keep that in mind.
SoG: Exactly, one have to use those creative rushes wherever and whenever they hit.
Also, one of the reasons that I got very caught into your work was the roster of bands that you have. I mean, it all started with my friends, Mengers, but then I also saw the other bands that you were promoting and bringing and so, and I felt that it’s a very good sign that we might have very similar music taste.
So, another question that I wanted to ask is, how is the scouting of the bands? How do you find the bands that you want to bring or who gets to suggest the bands?
V: Well, we’ve always been very interested in different sounds and different kind of music, all the genre stuff is it’s cool to say it with words, but “new sounds” you sometimes have to listen to if you’re ready for it. So, we are always interested in discovering new music, and sometimes you see a band and you’re like “oh, they are nice”, or you hear about a band, or you find a vinyl somewhere and then you start to look up the band, where are they touring and so.
For instance, I really like to combine all my holidays with music mostly because I want to go to a concert. {Sometimes, when looking at bands’ tours} we think like “oh, that’s awesome! {they’re playing} in this town I’ve never been before, I wanted to go there anyways” and so it’s a nice win-win basically. And then sometimes there are no tour dates for Vienna (and I wonder why).
And if you discover something, everybody can suggest what they want, and when they really burn for it then we can try to make a show happen or some bands we discovered from other manners like, we have discovered {bands that} had problems touring because of censorship and that their shows are shut down, trying to let the music die. {So,} we have to work together {so} this doesn’t happen, especially these times {which} I think is very important. We also get the information when bands are touring, and new band suggestions that are in a roster of some promoters or the management of a band or we discovered them and just write them.
“to discover new music …you need time and an open mind … to sit down and get to know new sounds … to just let them happen for the first time”
SoG: Oh good, because you already made your name in the music scene, you are positioned {in a way} that if someone wants to bring a band, a manager or so, I guess, DCS appears if you make a quick search about the music scene in Vienna. So, they might just approach you, like “Hey, we want to organize a show. Can you help us?”. Are you open for that? Or do you get this type of requests?
V: Yes, we get that a lot, it’s really nice and it really honors us because there are some really nice messages. But mostly we cannot help them out because we do not do a lot of shows. We always like to discover new stuff, and of course it can happen that we are like “yeah, that’s perfect, let’s do another show”, but mostly we are really booked. But it’s always nice to discover new music and sounds {through those messages/requests} even if we don’t/can’t help to organize a show in Vienna.
Also, Nik is very very good in finding interesting bands, and there’s so much music out there beyond any algorithm and so. {It requires} a lot of work to discover new music, {and I mean it} in a good way, you need time and an open mind, and also, the patience to sit down and get to know new sounds without judging them, to just let them happen for the first time, and that’s important, we {people} really do not often get out of our comfort zone and I think that’s what you really have to do with music.
SoG: Yeah. I also like to “defeat the algorithm” that way. Not everything is about recommendations that you get by an algorithm. A common topic that I’ve had, not only in the interviews, but also among my friends and comrades, is keeping up with this digital era of algorithms, recommendations and fast-paced consumption. It can all be extremely overwhelming, even sometimes kind of skewed to certain types of things that the industry wants you to listen. So, I think it’s very important and cool of you to just go out of your comfort zone and discover new bands and sounds, to give them a chance.
How do you feel that the digital era, with its algorithms and shit, has affected the role of the music scene?
V: I don’t know if 10 years {of experience} are really enough to say something about it, but what is a fact is that our ability to listen to music has changed because now you’re more consuming it {instead of listening to it}. So, the way how bands put an album together is not that important anymore, because if you have your stuff online on a streaming site, then one of your songs will probably, if you’re, let’s say, “lucky” in that case, you will end up in some playlist that will get you a lot of fame for one song.
And I don’t know, that’s more about consuming, such is that the algorithm has done its work.
Since this is all made profitable, I think that we should try not to lose the ability to talk about music. What I found super interesting is that when there are new bands and you have music blogs, like yours is, then you have had written words before you even listened to the music. And it has an effect in you, it got you a little bit prepared for maybe sounds that you’re not familiar with, and that tries to drag you a little bit out of your comfort zone. This is something that people have unlearned, that there’s pleasure to go out of that {comfort} zone because it gives you some new impulses and new thinking.
So, people should be less {insensitive} and really start talking and listening to each other, have good discussions and listen to different point of views without judging them, but maybe understand why people think like that, even if you like it or not. You don’t have to be one-minded when you go your way, but there can be good in each other views. I think one just have to be more patient.
[Dragged Into Bliss 2026 handmade decoration]
SoG: I like your words a lot, I found them inspiring and even noble. It’s very noble of you to crave for these recommendations or discussions about music. I found that, not only noble, but kind. I enjoy a lot to sit down with friends or any other people to talk about music, because discovering why someone loves certain band, tells you a lot, not only about the band per se, but about the person who is talking about them. I believe it’s like showing your heart, and that’s very sweet to listen to.
And even if it’s outside my comfort zone, I take it as a real recommendation if it comes from a human, it comes with a soul and love attached to it. If this is good {relevant} for someone, then I will give it a chance at least, and try to understand it.
So, I really like your words on this and the patience to discover bands or to read about music or so. It’s also something that I appreciate, and I like when people can do that.
To the contrary, have you felt discouraged by all this digital era? Has the system ever made you doubt about what you are doing? And if so, how do you keep yourself inspired to keep on doing things?
V: Yeah, well actually the thing why we do it is because these music nights give us so much, and it brings together interesting people and conversations, and lovely exchanges of pieces of minds or energy. I don’t know if it’s just the dancing together to the music that connects you {with someone} you have never seen before. You know, it’s a very good feeling. People come to the concerts, and they go there alone, or they don’t feel well, or they come with friends and in a very good mood, but the space is so nice that it welcomes everybody. All this because of people getting together, our scene is super special. It’s very nice and we don’t take that for granted because people want to discover music and other minds.
SoG: Yeah, {for me, going to a show} is like finding light in a dark space. {With your shows} you create, even with intention or not, a safe space for like minded people. Such that you can create connections between your community, even just with one music night…
V: I wouldn’t say that it’s like-minded people, because I don’t know them, I haven’t talked to everybody, but from the feeling, it feels like “they have their heart on the right place”, but their minds I don’t know, I think that everybody’s different, and the more variety there is, the more interesting it is for me.
SoG: Exactly, I didn’t explain myself correctly, but I meant it actually like that, they all have their heart in the right place, as you said it (I love that phrase). And yeah, the diversity of minds is there, and it’s also part of the charm of all the scene.
So yeah, I correct myself, it’s not the same. Not like-minded.
V: There’s no ego in it, not to stereotype or anything, but it doesn’t matter who you are, we all can have a good time together, that’s it.
SoG: Yeah, I like that. And that everything is just about and surrounded by music, which makes it perfect, at least for me.
Now, I also wanted to talk a little bit with you about your “On the Stage” side, playing with your own band, which I love for sure, and I’m so glad to have had the chance to see you play at Dragged into Bliss, this year (read the review, here). But did you have previous experience playing in another band? or was this your first?
V: No, I had not played in another band before. My first concert with Portia, I was like “I don’t know if I could do it or not”.
SoG: Understandable, and valid. And do you believe that your {recently acquired} on stage experience have changed your way to work while organizing a concert?
V: I think it’s always important to see all the puzzle parts that make a night a {good} night. You know, what you have to do as a musician and what you have to think of as a musician, that was new {for me}. And, of course, I can understand both roles much better, I think that helps a lot. Now, the other way around, promoting concerts helped me a lot with how to organize myself, at least as a musician.
SoG: Yeah, I thought that it come like a good experience to have your own band and to have the other side of the coin of how everything works. That’s cool.
I have another mental game prepared, but this is not as hard as the first one. But I like this one normally as a closure, but we still have the other maybe as a bigger closure …
V: It’s so hard when you ask these deep questions. … I actually have the answer for the first question.
SoG: Okay, let’s go with the first one, then.
V: I think that if there’s one thing, it would be more venues for music, but not like a fucking event Hall, but more smaller venues for the underground music scene and more possibilities to get space in the city. So, we really need more venues, more affordable (!) venues.
As a small, independent collective, we simply don’t have the financial resources to compete with the big players, or with the borderline mafia-like structures around Eventim and co. We personally take on the financial risk for every event we put on, as private individuals.
Because at first, I thought that my answer should be that, if this is like a dream where you can wish anything, that music could stay free from monetization. But of course, it’s always about the worth and the judgement that comes with it, and blah, blah, blah … and it’s super hard in that sense. But Uhm, let’s make it more realistic, I don’t think it’s more realistic {though}, but we need more venues.
SoG: [Affordable venues]
V: Yeah, that’s a very important part, not the big ones. Just like up to 500 capacity.
SoG: I also like the more philosophical answer, the out of monetization music, that’s also a cool idea. Of course, it implies a lot of things and more discussions. But more venues? I take it. It’s not that we can just open a lot of venues right now, but it’s a little bit realistic in a sense that, this is a day-by-day issue that must change at some point.
There weren’t wrong answers or so. I just wanted to listen to your perspective on that. Sorry for the deep philosophical questions.
V: That’s fine, I like challenges. I just had to think about it. {These type of questions} have already ruined some nights for me.
SoG: I don’t want to ruin your night because of this …But to make it easier or not, I hope I don’t mess this up anymore. I also tend to ask musicians, what’s the last thing do you listen to?
V: The last thing … Right. Actually, it was Ripship Live. But before that, it was my morning dopamine song from Kumo 99. It’s called Dopamine chaser. [Laughs shyly]
SoG: Alright, cool. That’s a good one too, anything is valid, though. I could cut it here and close it with a laugh.
V: Yeah, that’s nice. It’s a very great series that you do, Erwin, and we really appreciate your blog. It’s super important and good that you’re recording this because maybe you need to listen to this again in desperate times when digitalism and monetization is going to fuck up your day or whatever.
But this is so important that when Nik and me were looking for music blogs in Vienna, and I know that there were some projects, I even wrote for one or the other myself, and I know how hard it’s the job. Because you go there, and yes, you can go there and enjoy a concert, but you also go with a different focus because you have to check some things that you need for your review later on. Because once you missed it, you go home, then try to write it, and if you don’t sort your thoughts at the moment and you don’t keep the focus on the stuff that your role requires at the moment, like being there as a journalist or a moment keeper, when you go home and the work starts {you’re lost}.
And the other thing is how you experience it, right? Because you try to use the right words because, for me, it was always important that at the end I tell them what my thoughts and what my opinion is, but I also want to share enough information so that people can form their own opinion. And these are two different things. And always, when you go to concerts, and you take the pictures and everything … this is so much work and it is so important! I think it’s very important that people read music blogs because this is also a part of how to enjoy music, not only consume it.
So, this {Off The Stage series} is really good and the connection with all over the world … I can’t wait to read the other people.
“going to live concerts is something that really keeps the scene alive.”
[This moment really moved me. I even thought of keeping it to myself. But decided to share it because maybe someone else need to read this and remember that what they do and are matter. You matter.]
SoG: This is very sweet. Good that I have it on record.
Yeah, there are sometimes that, not that I doubt myself or so, but … it can be a lot of work behind, and we are doing so much shit {that we could feel discouraged} …
In the end, I don’t want to feel any obligation to do it, and that is not for the passion or love of the art of writing about it. And just to be honest, there are some shows that I just think like, “I don’t want to think as a journalist on the show, I will just go”. So, you were right on this. The experience is different. And I still love and enjoy it. As I said at the beginning, I’m grateful and honored to be part of it.
A nice thing that I liked about your project is that it’s not about the money. Of course, it has to pay for itself, at least the shows, because you cannot just burn money and so on …
V: Same, yeah. And there’s one thing about making money out of it. The thing is, if you would really {start making} money out of it, it won’t be enough. Because all the time, and all the hours, and thoughts, and everything that you do there, and all the roles that you play, starting from creative director to, I don’t know, author, and blah, blah, blah. You would never get that kind of money that you would need to be “money-wise fulfilled”.
On the other part, you will miss one of the coolest things: that is not about money. And if you start to try to make money off it, then you only get a little bit of it, but your project, that you actually want to do by heart, already has dirt on it. And you won’t be happy. You will never ever be able to pay out that amount work {and love}. What you do with all the thoughts, the creativity, and the heart, nobody can pay for that.
“What you consume Live has an impact and this is also very important to keep in mind because together we can shape the system.“
SoG: I’ve arrived at those same conclusions {when even thought about something like that}.
{In my case}, it would get dirt in my letters. What I love about this is that normally it’s just like emotions vomiting through my hands; when I cry at a concert, it’s just literally what you read on my reports. It’s just my heart and thoughts on there, that’s it.
And with this {Off The Stage} series, I’m loving it and doing it just because I am curious, I want to listen to cool people, like you, I want to find the coincidences and differences between the world music scenes, and so on. Mere curiosity, nothing more.
I really appreciate your words and the appreciation for what we are doing. And sometimes we need to remember ourselves that there’s people who like what we do, not only us as a blog, but what you do as a promoter, organizing shows that people love. And maybe you don’t know it, but I can say that a good show can save my week.
V: Same here. Oh, and I found one more answer for the first question and I think it’s an important point, besides that people should never stop discovering new sounds and things.
I think that these days it’s also very important to double check what is going on. And for instance, that no-algorithm is going to tell you what is art and what is good music. Everything is going to get “more intelligent”, but somehow this doesn’t always apply to people when it comes to fact check or double check what kind of information you get.
And I mean that music-wise, because what you consume really impacts the market and impacts art. So, you can shape the music scene in a good and in a bad way. And I don’t mean like “don’t listen to Spotify”, of course this is a streaming platform everybody will consume because it’s comfortable, or other platforms with online streaming, but going to live concerts is something that really keeps the scene alive.
If you are there at a concert and buy merch, then this is the money that will directly go to the bands, and live experiences are the best thing that you can get. And now, also the big monopolies have figured that out, and now they’ve started to influence the underground scene with what I call “underground washing”. They try to make it like they are a {small independent} concert promoter in Vienna, but they belong to the big ones like Eventim, {Ticketmaster, Live Nation,} etc.
So be careful what people tell you with marketing. What you consume Live has an impact and this is also very important to keep in mind because together we can shape the system.
SoG: Oh, wow! I didn’t know that was happening. I mean, I’m shocked but not surprised. These vultures are just there too. And with the last part, I find it very inspiring, and I agree on everything. {What we consume has an impact}.
V: It was really nice to see you online, Erwin, and thanks for the interview. See you soon.
SoG: Thank you very much for your time and nice words. I really loved it. See you very soon in another show.
V: Yes, sure. Bye, Erwin.