- When you think of BitefArtCafe today, what’s the first image that comes to mind?
Oh, it’s not just one image. It’s an entire movie playing in my head.
New Year’s Eve parties at the Old Club. Then the move, and that famous little BitefArtCafe wall we brought with us to the New Club. Đura, Raša, Cule and the crew pushing refrigerators along the path beside the tennis courts on single-wheel construction wheelbarrows. Those are scenes you simply never forget.
I can also picture Dragoslav, Buka and Vladimir standing ankle-deep in water during one of our concerts at the Summer Stage, when, as we like to say among ourselves, we literally went under. (laughs)
Then there’s the image of Tijana and Đura when we were deciding whether to go ahead with the New Club. Đura was practically on his knees begging me not to take the risk, while Tijana said, “If you actually do everything you’ve just described, I’m in.”
And of course, I’ll never forget the looks on Tijana’s and Marijana’s faces when I announced that we were putting together the Musicology Festival in just four months. (laughs)
And then there are the concerts. Every single Massimo concert. Every one of them. Cory Henry, New Power Generation, PJ Morton just the other day… And the faces in the audience, that pure happiness you see when something truly special happens.
Come to think of it, BitefArtCafe isn’t one place or one memory to me. It’s all those people, incredible situations, concerts, friendships, frustrations and happy moments packed into 25 years. I genuinely wouldn’t know how to choose just one image.
- If you could go back to 2001 for one day, what would you tell yourself?
“Run, man, and don’t look back!” (laughs)
I’m joking, of course, although believe me, over these 25 years I’ve asked myself “What on earth did I get myself into?” more times than I can count.
There was a much easier path I could have taken, but somehow I chose this one. Harder, more unpredictable, often exhausting, but somehow entirely mine.
Over time, I’ve come to identify so closely with BitefArtCafe that I’m not even sure where the club ends and I begin. So much of my personality is in it: my stubbornness, my constant need to keep working, pushing boundaries, refusing to back down from problems or people. And that almost unbearable persistence of mine when it comes to music and principles.
So if I really could go back to 2001, I probably wouldn’t tell myself anything.
I wouldn’t listen to myself anyway. (laughs)
- What has been the hardest thing to preserve over all these years?
Our attitude. Respect. Our identity as a different kind of club, one that refuses to give up, lower its standards or put profit above everything else.
At the same time, the past few years have brought some of the toughest battles in BitefArtCafe’s history. We fought to stop everything we had built over the years from being taken away from us.
First, we lost the Old Club, and then the Summer Club, despite court rulings in our favour. Unfortunately, we learned that justice and the law aren’t always enough when you’re up against raw power.
Still, we managed to save the New BitefArtCafe. After everything we’ve been through, that means an enormous amount to us.
I hope the hardest years are finally behind us and that we can look forward to better, calmer times, when we can focus on the very thing that made us start all of this in the first place: music.
But what I’m proudest of is the people. A large part of the team that helped build BitefArtCafe is still with us today. And so many of the guests who have been coming since the very beginning still return, 25 years later, with the same enthusiasm.
- Were there moments when you thought it was all over?
Yes, several times.
The first was around 2013-2014, when I was completely burned out and felt we were going around in circles. If the opportunity to create the New BitefArtCafe hadn’t come along, I honestly don’t know whether we’d still exist today.
COVID almost destroyed us financially. I gave myself two years to pay off our debts because I wasn’t sure I had the strength to keep fighting much longer than that.
The past two years haven’t been easy either, with the economic and political situation and the increasingly difficult conditions for nightlife businesses in Belgrade.
And yet, every time I think we’ve reached the end, something good happens. A new wave of energy comes along, lifts us up and reminds us why we do all this. And that’s been the story for 25 years.
The return of Atlantic and its Barcaffè brand has given Musicology, which is inseparable from BitefArtCafe, a real boost. A1 has also joined us, and we’re developing some exciting projects together, while Lenovo has been with us since the very beginning, back in 2014.
Together with Lenovo, we organise Musicology Showcase, an important programme supporting young bands and giving them the opportunity to perform their original music in front of a substantial audience. Unfortunately, the Ministry of Culture has yet to recognise the value of this project.
Still, I believe better times are ahead, and I hope I won’t have to think about the end again for a while. (laughs)
- What happens behind the scenes that the audience never gets to see?
That question deserves an interview of its own.
What people don’t see is that we all work from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., then come back at 8 in the evening and stay until everything is finished, often until one or two in the morning. And then we do it all over again the next day.
And don’t even get me started on forgotten passports, missed flights, whether there’s a tornado or there isn’t, or the actual costs of bringing an artist over compared with the ticket price.
People are usually shocked when they discover the financial reality behind putting on a single concert.
- What has BitefArtCafe given you, and what has it taken away?
Music has always been my life. When I decided to take a break from my career as a musician, BitefArtCafe allowed me to stay in that world, just in a slightly different role.
On the other hand, it has taken away a lot of my free time, especially weekends, and with them, time spent with friends.
That was actually one of the reasons I opened ENSO. If I couldn’t go out and meet my friends, at least they could come to my place for dinner. (laughs)
- Has there ever been an artist who was completely different offstage from what you expected?
I remember being warned before Richard Bona’s performance that he could be quite demanding. As it turned out, he was incredibly pleasant and one of the easiest artists we’ve ever worked with.
Generally speaking, we rarely have problems with musicians themselves. Complications tend to come more often from their managers, although I understand that their job is to make sure every detail is taken care of and everything runs smoothly.
- Which concert would you love to experience all over again, this time as a member of the audience?
Ah, Massimo Savić…
Just one more concert. And then those conversations about the show, about music, lasting until the early hours of the morning. The four of us: Eni, Tijana, Max and me. ❤️
But before I get too sentimental, I’d love to hear Gregory Porter again, this time in the intimate atmosphere of a club.
And of course, Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles.
Although, to be honest, I think the energy we experienced at those two concerts was simply impossible to recreate.
- What makes the difference between a good concert and an unforgettable one?
So many little details.
First and foremost, the energy of the band, because touring can be absolutely exhausting, but also the energy of the audience. And when a Belgrade crowd is in the mood, it’s pretty hard to go wrong. The concert can be spectacular.
Of course, sound is incredibly important. That’s why we have our Joca, top-quality equipment and instruments.
Since launching RMO Backline, our musical equipment rental company, we’ve practically reduced technical problems to a minimum. RMO has also become a major source of support, not just for our own productions but for many others as well.
When musicians get exactly what they’ve requested, everything works as it should, and they have excellent technicians supporting them, putting on a great concert becomes much easier.
And when the energy of the band and the audience comes together on top of all that, that’s when something truly special happens.
- Do audiences listen to music differently today than they did 25 years ago?
Everything has changed over the past 25 years, which is only natural.
But I think our audience still knows how to have a good time. To dance, sing along, have a drink and simply enjoy the night without getting too caught up in things that don’t really matter.
And I’m glad that hasn’t changed.
- When was the first time you thought, “We’ve made it”?
There was this one moment, literally a split second, during the New Power Generation concert in December 2019, when I thought, “This is it. It doesn’t get any better than this.”
Then COVID happened and sent us straight back to square one.
And then Cory Henry happened, and I had exactly the same feeling again.
The only difference is that I’m a little more experienced now, and I know that as long as there’s a tomorrow, there’s always something more to come.
- What did the pandemic teach you about this business?
It taught me to trust my instincts and never to trust the government.
And that sometimes I have to make difficult, seemingly harsh decisions when I know they’re ultimately the best thing for everyone.
I’m an emotional person, and during the pandemic I went against my instincts. I made a decision that gave us a sense of security in the short term but ended up costing all of us dearly. For years.
That’s a lesson I certainly won’t forget.
- How many times have you had to take risks over these 25 years?
I think I’ve taken more risks in these 25 years than was probably sensible.
Practically every Musicology concert is a risk. Jazz, funk, soul, R&B, that’s the music I deeply believe in, but it’s not exactly easy to make a living from it here. Without the support of our partners, we probably wouldn’t have survived.
And when I think about all the investments, battles, pressure and uncertainty we’ve been through, I sometimes wonder where I still find the strength.
So many times, I’ve put everything we’d spent years building on the line just so we could keep going.
And honestly, I’m still waiting for all that risk to finally pay off.
But apparently, I just don’t know how to do things any other way.
- Have you ever believed in an artist before the audience discovered them?
Of course. A large number of bands that shaped, or still shape, Belgrade’s club scene either started out with us or made a significant breakthrough after performing at BitefArtCafe.
Milaćopezo, Jim Walsh, Loco, Makao, Girls, Boys and Toys…
When they first came along, nobody knew what would become of them, myself included. I just thought they were good, that they had something of their own, a particular energy and attitude.
That has always mattered more to me than how famous someone is at that moment.
With international artists, it’s a little more complicated. The costs are high, which means ticket prices are higher too, and audiences aren’t always willing to take a chance on someone they’ve never heard of.
So we believe in an artist, bring them over, and quite often end up taking a financial hit. (laughs)
But what can I do? I can’t book only the artists I know will sell out.
- Which concert was the biggest logistical challenge?
The Brand New Heavies. FOREVER.
Because you never know what they’re going to mess up next.
I remember one time we had to hire bassist Miroslav Tovirac the night before the tour to step in and play the entire concert in Zagreb because Andrew had lost his passport.
Andrew eventually arrived just in time for the encore, basically to take a bow with the band. (laughs)
Tijana would probably say, and she’s most likely right, that Arsen Dedić was the one who really taught us a few lessons.
Those 48 hours are something we’ll never forget.
- If you could bring back just one band or artist who performed at BitefArtCafe, who would it be?
Massimo Savić.
Always.
- What still excites you before a concert, even after all these years?
To me, every concert is like a living, breathing thing. You never really know what’s going to happen, no matter how well everything has been prepared.
And even after 25 years, those few minutes before the musicians walk onstage still give me the same excitement I felt at the very beginning.
Even when we’re hosting artists like Incognito, New Power Generation or Gregory Porter, musicians who are so professional that I practically have nothing to worry about, I still get those butterflies in my stomach.
I’m waiting for that first note, the audience’s reaction, that moment when everything suddenly comes together.
And you know what? I think I’d be seriously worried about myself if I ever stopped feeling that way.
Because as long as I still get that adrenaline rush, I know I love this job just as much as I did on day one.
- What do you think audiences love most about BitefArtCafe?
I’d like to believe that what our audience appreciates most is that, in 25 years, we’ve never sold out.
We haven’t chased trends or easy money. We’ve stubbornly stuck with the music we believe in, even when it has cost us dearly.
That same stubbornness and love of music gave birth to Musicology Barcaffè Sessions. I genuinely believe it has become one of Belgrade’s most important music events, even though no city administration has ever considered it worthy of support.
But that’s fine. We just kept doing our thing.
And I hope people notice how much we care about every little detail. Especially the sound.
I admit, I’m a bit obsessive about that.
Everyone can tell me a concert was fantastic, but when someone comes up to me and says, “Miša, that sound was incredible!” that’s the biggest compliment I can get.
What can I say? That’s just me.
- Is there a concert that never happened and that you still regret?
Prince. Without a second thought.
Shortly before his death, he was doing a series of secret, unannounced performances in clubs around the world.
I was seriously working on making BitefArtCafe one of those clubs.
I know it sounds completely unbelievable, but I genuinely believe I could have made it happen if things hadn’t turned out the way they did.
To this day, I regret that we never got the chance to make it happen.
- What has Musicology Barcaffè Sessions brought to BitefArtCafe, and what has BitefArtCafe brought to Musicology?
Musicology Barcaffè Sessions brought a new audience to BitefArtCafe, raised the standards and added a whole new dimension to the club.
On the other hand, BitefArtCafe was already fully prepared to welcome Musicology.
We had the venue, the experience and, most importantly, a team that understands music and knows exactly what it’s doing.
It’s much easier to develop a project like that when you already have years of experience behind you and people you can rely on, rather than having to build everything from scratch.
I think they’ve really helped each other grow.
- What would you like younger generations to preserve about concert culture?
I’d love them to remember that the best nights out are the ones you actually live, not the ones that look best on Instagram.
The night, good music, drinks, dancing, people, spontaneous encounters, flirting, smiles.
All those things that can turn an ordinary night into something you remember for years.
Put your phones away for a while. Instagram and TikTok will still be there tomorrow.
Not every moment needs to be filmed, posted and shared.
Relax, meet someone, fall in love, enjoy yourselves.
- Is there still an artist you dream of bringing to BitefArtCafe?
There are quite a few, of course.
I wouldn’t reveal any names just yet, but I think that, for the first time in a while, we’re finally in a position to afford some of the artists we could previously only dream about.
And I’m really happy about that.
Hopefully, we’ll be treating our audience to some seriously great concerts very soon.
- Over the years, what have you stopped trying to prove to people?
I honestly don’t care anymore what other people think of me or my work, especially when it comes to ENSO, BitefArtCafe or Musicology Barcaffè Sessions.
I don’t feel I have anything left to prove to anyone, and I stand behind everything we do.
The only person I still have something to prove to is myself — that I can keep doing better and achieving more.
- If BitefArtCafe were a song, which one would it be?
“I Will Survive.”
- How would you like someone to describe BitefArtCafe in one sentence, 25 years from now?
I’d love people to say that BitefArtCafe was so much more than just a club.
That it was part of their lives. A place where they listened to great music, met people, fell in love, made friends and created memories that stayed with them forever.
And that Belgrade was a better city because BitefArtCafe existed.