Convention Tullianos 2009

Questo fine settimana regalerà agli appassionati fans dei Jethro Tull, in terra spagnola la tradizionale Convention "Tullianos".

Una parte di Italia sarà presente e quindi pubblicizzo l'evento attraverso le informazioni fornite da Gabriela Guardiola, una delle anime organizzatrici, conosciuta alla Convention di Alessandria.
A seguire una piccola nota relativa agli artisti e un'intervista.

Per mantenere il tocco "internazionale" presento il post in inglese, lasciando inalterate le parole di Gabriela.

The artist will be:

Cristobal Vergara
S.U.N.
Tundra (Jose Ignacio Martinez, Pedro Hernandez, Kim Pamies, Francesc Carnicer, Gabriela Guardiola)
O.A.K. (Jerry Cutillo, Carlo Fattorini, Antonio Orlando, Bruno Cavicchini, Gabriele Ferrari, Maurizio di Vara, Gabriela Guardiola)

Our guest this year will be Jonathan Noyce.
On our website it already appears that McShee and Conway cannot make it this year.
The convention begins at 2, with a fraternity dinner and the concerts start at 19:00, till midnight.
It is taking place in Gavà, at the Marc Grau Auditorium, a beautifull venue, a valley between the mountains.

How is born “Tullianos”?
In the end of 1997, our president, Albert Villanueva created a website about Jethro Tull. At the time, it was one of the very few (for not saying the only one) in spanish. This fact made that a lot of Jethro Tull fans visited the site and got in touch with him. Soon we got to comment that Spain was one of the few countries without a fan club.
A little later, some Tull fans from Barcelona and the metropolitan area started to get in touch. Between beer and beer at “El Flabiol” (our meeting point) we started to talk about the pros and cons of creating a kind of association like this.
Finally, in June 2003 we took the decition of formally creating “Tullianos”.

How many people there are in the fan club?
We are on a delicate moment regarding partners. Our rate has lowed to 100 after having been above 150. The causes? Economic crisis and the small commitment of some partners. I think those who really live the fan club, come to our meetings and enjoy the conventions will be Tullianos for ever.

How was born the collaboration between Spain and Italy?
From 1998, Jose Ignacio Martinez (our vice-president, before me) started to attend to the conventions in Italy and his friendship with Aldo Taggliaferro became closer.
Itullians always asked him why we didnt had a fan club in Spain. They helped us a lot with the contacts with the first guests and gave us some advises regarding the organization.

What are the differences between Italian Convention and Spanish Convention, in your experience?
I think our convention is a big Tull fans party. We gather in the afternoon and stay together until midnight, talking, laughing, eating and drinking. Our guests become part of us and we can party with them during the whole day.
Itullians conventions are much more professionals. They are more focused on the concerts. I think there is not as much closeness between the guests and the fans.

Which is the more difficult part from the organizational point of view?
The most complicated issue always is to get together the guests agenda with our Convention. Also, our reduced budget causes us difficulties every year.
On the other hand, the contact with Mr. Anderson (to get a recorded greeting or some material for the draw) is always complicated. We will always miss a lider who cares about his fans. But… that’s a lost battle.

Which has been your greater satisfaction linked to the organization of Tull’s Convention?
Related to Tullianos, the first time we could meet personally Mr. Anderson and could make some pictures with him after a Tull’s concert in London. For many of us it was a dream came true.
As for the conventions, every time an ex-member of Jethro Tull attends to our convention is a big joy for us to be able to share some hours with people who have been so important in hour lives.
Personally, to realize that I have actually got to share the stage with some of them, leave’s me simply speechless!!
However, through the years, the biggest satisfactions we get come from Tullianos themselves. Being able to organize some kind of meeting just to be together and share music is a great experience. And for us that is the most important, we have got Tullianos to be a real friend’s group.

What we have to wait from the Convention of July and what could happen in the future?
Our VII is very close and, like always, it will be the perfect excuse to get together again with people coming from all parts of Spain, who share our common passion for Jethro Tull’s music. Meeting again and sharing stories with the guest is the best part of the convention.
And… when this Convention is over, we will start on planning the next one. Our wish will always be to get Mr. Anderson and Mr. Bare to join us. We won’t stop working for that to happen.