Hardly any other artist has shaped and influenced domestic creativity and the Swiss music market in the last 15 years as much as the Zurich dialect artist. His record is remarkable: several No. 1 albums and top ten singles as well as multiple gold and multi-platinum awards.
Numerous prizes, such as seven Swiss Music Awards, three Prix Walos and several other awards belong to his musical vita. Four years ago, Bligg developed his own spirit under the Swissness aspect - and launched his Tannenschnaps on the market. BAR NEWS has met Bligg.
BAR NEWS: Is there a key experience for the start of your so successful music career?
Bligg: No, not really, it all came gradually. Of course, my childhood was shaped by a lot of music. My father, as a great record collector, always had our home "sounded". I was actually given music in the cradle. But until the big successes came, it was a very hard time, with a lot of fun, but hardly any money to survive. From the year 2008 I can say that I can live from my music.
In the last two years you had a bigger band project with "BLAY" together with Marc Sway. How did this time go?
Thetime went unpredictably fast. We had wanted to do this project together for years. But both our agendas were full and we couldn't find the time. Then Corona came along and suddenly we had a lot of time. Originally we planned one year, now it has become two. An exciting time.
What was the most beautiful experience?
Manywonderful experiences, somewhat unconventional. When you create and create music in the studio, of course the greatest thing is to stand on stage in front of a large audience afterwards and present your work and bring joy. And of course we were completely missing that. We created content, but there was practically no response. We had almost no contact with our fans.
What happened then?
Webought a camper (Blay-Mobil) and drove over 5,000 kilometers across Switzerland for just under a month. In the run-up, we called on our fans via social media to apply and invite us. There were extraordinarily exciting and touching encounters, as we were directly with the people to present them our music in the sometimes smallest setting. It was nice to see and experience how these people live and how we played our music, for example, in the children's room or at a barbecue.
Before and after Corona - what are the biggest differences from your point of view?
Clearly, digitization! What happened in those two years is enormous. Looking back, I still have half a leg up in the analog world from my time. But we were also the first to join Facebook and Instagram. But today it's all completely different again, everything has been taken to a new level. Home office is almost just the crudest form of digitization.
"Just like in music, people should get a pleasurable experience with this new product.
A bit longer ago than the BLAY project was the project to bring your own spirit to the market. When was that and what did you want to do with it?
Itwas literally an idea and it was at the time when Rosalie and all the other hits were created. We always had a special ritual before our gigs, where we would have a shot of schnapps to maybe quell our nervousness a bit. At the beginning it was always the Appenzeller Alpenbitter. We also made the song "10 Kleine Appenzeller" about it.
Over time, it has become so naturalized. As I said before, I am a very visual person who also loves wood. I loved the taste of pine or fir as a child. At some point, a band member came to me with a homemade schnapps in a PET bottle and said: "That would be something, I have a homemade schnapps here that you could love, because it tastes of naturalness and of fir wood.
Then we tried and tested back and forth. Until I said at some point, so now we make a small batch.
At the festivals, of course, these patterns also went into the audience and more and more people came up to me and said that I should do something like that on a larger scale. At first, of course, I had my doubts, because I also have a role model function towards children and young people, and young people and alcohol was a no-go for me.
But because everything grew so organically and the interest grew more and more, I agreed, but not just to give my head and name for it, but to develop the product with.
What was the next step?
The focus was,ofcourse, on the product itself. The product was developed in many laboratory hours. It couldn't be too sweet or too tart, and the fir schnapps also had to be accessible to women. In addition to the bottle design, the next step was to develop a great label. It was an intense but exciting time.
Were there parallels between the music development and the liquor development?
Yes, that was precisely the interesting thing about this construction site. Just as in music, people should also get a pleasure experience with this new product.
Lateltin produces your fir brandy. How did it come about?
At the time,I lived in Bassersdorf and many team members were from the region. We needed a partner who could support us competently and professionally. Of course, regionality also played a role. And that's how the cooperation with Lateltin AG in Winterthur came about.
What is the secret of the fir schnapps?
Itlies in the forest in the Zurich Oberland, where the silver fir saplings come from felled firs. And this secret we will never reveal.
Bligg in short mode
Civil name: Marco Bliggensdorfer
Born: September 30, 1976
Profession: Plumber
Professional musician since: 2008
Family: 2 children (Lio 7 years / Vivienne 2 years)
Does the fir brandy then taste different every year?
Sinceit is a natural product, subtle differences can occur. But that's normal for a natural product. Your fir schnapps also won an award at Distisuisse three years ago. Did that surprise you? Yes, actually it did, because the best Swiss products really do win awards there. The fact that we won a medal there as actual "newcomers" makes us proud.
What does the bar scene mean to you?
Yes, well, I grew up with my music in the city of Zurich. This music is shaped by the city, by the alleys, by backyards, by the bars and by clubs. Music and gastronomy are very close to each other.
What is a good bar for you?
It's actually not just the bar as a place, but it's characterized by the people who are there. It has to be cozy and, of course, good music has to be played. But it must also be possible to communicate well. After all, people meet each other!
What is a good Barkeeper for you ?
Someonewho is very attentive, but not pushy. The advice must be right and so must the service.
