When digital concerts first appeared on our screens, they were something of a novelty. It was a great way to see some of our favourite stars but it was nothing compared to a real show. Things are slowly shifting, however, and it might not be too long before we see digital shows right alongside live ones.
The First Digital Concerts
Music producers and concert planners have been playing around with the idea of a virtual concert for longer than you might realise. There have been experimentations with projecting holograms of artists and performances in virtual spaces since the late 1990s.
There have also been several concerts hosted within games and virtual worlds. The first to do this was thought to be Duran Duran, who hosted a concert from the virtual world Second Life in 2006. Other concerts have included Marshmello’s ten-minute concert in Fortnite, something that has also been replicated since then by other artists like Travis Scott and Ariana Grande. Digital concerts have evolved from how they were handled initially, and this means that concert creators can begin to look into how this format could be used for other artists.
Live From Sitting Rooms
The recent years have seen several artists creating mini-concerts in the comfort of their own homes. These can easily be accessed by fans, often for free. Just as you might load up your favourite game at GGPoker or head to Netflix for a box-office release, so could you head to a livestream to be able to see your favourite musical stars playing some of their most famous tracks.
These are often low-key and intimate affairs. Stars like Dave Grohl and Billy Joel have let us the fans catch a glimpse of their houses as they have played small gigs that celebrate some of the favourite songs of both the artists and the fans. If digital concerts are going to succeed in the future, they are going to need to be on a much grander and more impressive scale.
How this Type of Staging Can Grow
Inspiration for how these concerts might look can actually be found by looking to the music industry in South Korea. The Koreans were some of the first to experiment with digital concerts and they have been making improvements ever since.
Major K-pop bands like Mamamoo, Twice, Blackpink, and NCT are just some of the groups that have put on impressive online concerts in the last few years. However, the group that many should be taking inspiration from is BTS. Their online concerts have featured elaborate sites and complicated camerawork that made for an incredible experience for watching fans.
Though K-pop and metal could not be further apart as genres, there is still plenty to be learned here. It would be great to see a giant of metal like Ozzy Osbourne include a virtual date in an upcoming tour schedule.
Embracing the Digital World
Digital concerts are a great idea and should be embraced by artists more. Though they have a high cost and a lot of rehearsal time is needed to make the show perfect, they have the potential to deliver a show like no other. What’s more, a fan who would not be able to attend a live show because of a factor like distance or other commitments might not have to miss out.
Though they have maybe not been embraced quite as quickly as one might imagine, there is so much potential here still to be explored. A digital concert should be more than the artist on the stage – it should be an experience. Just imagine the majesty of what a full heavy metal digital concert could look like.