'End of an era': Naples party Woo! bows out with 15th anniversary
- PublishedSat, Sep 30, 2023, 14:00
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- Ahead of next month's finale, venue cofounder Augusto Penna told RA that electronic music is becoming too business-focused.
- Long-running Naples promoter Woo! is throwing its final party next Saturday, October 7th. Going down at Discoteca Paradiso, the finale will also mark the promoter's 15th anniversary. Gerd Janson, Luca Bacchetti, LeoMas, Stereocalypse, Nicola Mazzetti and more have been confirmed. Cofounder Augusto Penna started the event series with former partners Andrea Manfredi and Ciccio Sylvestri, and, later, Raffo de Luca. "After 15 years of partying, we feel that nothing is like it was before and we don't want to compromise our values and become something we're not," said Penna. He said the final Woo! marks "the end of an era for Italian clubbing," especially in the south. According to Penna, the decision had been on the cards for about a year. He said the commercialisation of electronic music has intensified over the last decade and a half, which influenced the decision. "Nobody takes risks in music anymore," he said. "It seems music isn't the priority. It's all business. Everything revolves around money and there is less and less love, passion, sweat." Over the years, Woo! has toured Rome, Berlin, London and Ibiza, among other places. The party was the first to bring electronic music to Napoli's historic Bellini Theatre and, in 2018, hosted Laurent Garnier in the city for the first time in a decade. Looking ahead, Penna said he'll be focussing on DJing, publishing his second novel and working with Stereocalypse on the new label Edita, which launched last week at Pikes Ibiza. Plans for a festival are also in the pipeline. Browse the event listing for The Last Woo! Dance below.
- Wed, Sep 20, 2023
Edita Launch Party
LeoMas, Stereocalypse
- Sat, Oct 7, 2023
The Last Woo! Dance
Gerd Janson, Luca Bacchetti, LeoMas, Mara (RO), Pergola, Stereocalypse, Nicola Mazzetti, Cipolletta, Gemini Rhythm