Belgrade at night isn’t just about going out – it’s an experience. The moment when the club lights dim the city’s noise and the first chords awaken the crowd – that’s the heart of Belgrade’s nightlife. Everyone loves the thrill when the band steps onto the stage and the energy explodes, but few know what happens just a few meters away, behind the curtain.
Backstage is a world of its own – a place where stage fright turns into adrenaline, where bands joke to chase away the nerves, and where friendships grow stronger before the stage lights blind the performers. It’s where that unique energy is born – the one the audience doesn’t see, but definitely feels the moment the music begins.
Welcome to the backstage of BitefArtCafe – a place filled with nerves, laughter, improvisation, and that special energy the audience never sees but always feels.
Band Preparation: From Guitar Tuning to “One More Rakija”
Bands usually arrive a few hours early. First comes the soundcheck – the serious ones wrap it up in 30 minutes, while the more playful ones stretch it to an hour and a half because “the guitar just won’t tune right” or the drummer insists on testing every pair of sticks he owns.
“For us, the most important thing is to catch the vibe of the space and the audience. Bitef has that magic – the moment we step on stage, it feels like we’re playing for friends, not strangers. We also feel at home here. We usually prepare the setlist in advance, but sometimes the audience pushes us in a different direction and everything changes on the spot. That’s what makes it special,”
say the members of Girls, Boys and Toys, veterans of Belgrade’s club scene.
Joca – the Sound Engineer Who’s Heard It All
Joca, our longtime sound engineer, knows best how thrilling it is behind the stage:
“I’m like the psychiatrist – when the band starts panicking about the microphone or anything else, I’m the one who has to calm the situation down. If they’re happy with the monitor, the audience will be happy too.” says Joca.
It’s no coincidence that he’s the one in charge of every single note. Joca has been part of the BitefArtCafe family for 24 years, and through his mixing console, almost everyone has passed – from local and regional stars to international names who performed as part of the Musicology Sessions series. His experience and calmness guarantee that every night the audience gets top-quality sound and an unforgettable experience.
For us at the club, Joca isn’t just a sound engineer – he’s our ears. He’s the one who first hears every emotion, every note, every mistake, and then shapes it all into a perfect experience. If the audience leaves happy and fulfilled, a huge part of the credit goes to him.
Backstage Bonding – the Band’s Favorite Part of the Show
What the audience often doesn’t know is that a special kind of friendship is born behind the stage. Backstage is where nerves are shared, jokes are made, songs are sung a cappella while waiting for the final technical checks, and where the band and crew become one. That’s where the energy is created – the energy that later explodes on stage.
Someone is tuning their guitar, someone’s taking a selfie, someone’s sipping ginger tea, and someone else is quietly closing their eyes to prepare for stepping in front of the crowd. But they all know – backstage is where that special atmosphere is born, the one that makes concerts and gigs unforgettable.
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