When you think of the last gig you went to, what do you remember the most? Perhaps it was queuing in the rain for hours to get to the barrier, getting beer poured on you or nearly breaking several bones in the mosh pit.
Words: Saskia Norman
Art: Lily Tan
The gigs we know and love are defined by physical presence - sharing a moment, live and in-person, with hundreds or thousands of people all equally enthusiastic about music. How then, at a time when mass gatherings such as these are illegal due to the health risks they pose, can gigs overcome this?
Outside Lands Arts and Musical Festival, held every August in Chicago, is the largest independently-owned music festival in the US, with around 200,000 people attending each year. Yet, rather than simply cancelling the festival altogether following the onslaught of COVID-19, the festival organisers took a different approach - and so, in the last weekend in August, ‘Inside Lands’ was held on streaming platform Twitch. Featuring a mixture of live performances from artist’s homes and performances from previous years, the event aimed to recreate the festival experience for viewers all over the world from the comfort of their own homes.
The chat feature allowed viewers to share their thoughts on performances, and ‘stewards’ interacted with viewers, offering facts and insights into the artists.
On the website, the online ‘food stalls’ gave San Francisco locals the opportunity to order food from vendors that would have been at the festival and thus support their businesses during such a difficult time for the industry. Alongside this, the website featured exclusive cocktail recipes and even an online wine tasting experience. Although the organisers did their best to ensure that the festival-goers received an experience, it just wasn't the same.
As we all know, the live music scene ground to a halt in March, along with everything else. However, the remaining uncertainties over the end of lockdown restrictions have meant that the live music scene has been left on the slow burner, and with the furlough scheme coming to an end at the end of October, many people who rely on the scene to earn a living - from roadies to merch guys to sound techs to venue staff - are, very understandably, concerned about what the future holds.
If it wasn't for government grants - put into place after much campaigning from groups such as the Music Venue Trust - many of the independent venues we know and love would have closed. Thanks to such campaigns, the government has injected funding into at-risk grassroots venues, allowing them to continue to pay their rent and overheads as well as venue staff who are unable to work.
One example of a venue that has benefited from this is The Dublin Castle in Camden, the birthplace of Madness and host to gigs by big names like The Killers, Blur and The Libertines. Thanks to funding from both the government and crowdfunding, they have now been able to reopen as a bar. However, with the furlough scheme coming to an end, and the government trying to get the country back to normal again, the future of other venues - especially those that cannot reopen safely as bars - remains uncertain. Venues will be forced to either get creative and find ways to put on a show with government guidelines taken into account - or risk permanent closure.
Artists have been forced to get creative with how they provide a live music experience that is fun, but also safe in the current climate. Socially distanced gigs have begun in small numbers. Other acts, such as Sam Fender and The Libertines have played to larger crowds at the pop-up Virgin Money Unity Arena in Newcastle’s Gosforth Park. With a capacity of 2500 fans, groups of fans were separated onto 500 socially-distanced raised metal platforms. While such measures may arguably take away from the 'atmosphere' that is created from standing in a pit with thousands of others, this is still a way for concert-goers to enjoy music alongside fellow fans - even when standing platforms apart - and a way to kick-start the live music industry again.
However, smaller and indoor venues will take much longer to adapt to such measures - it is much easier to socially distance in a massive arena than in a 250-capacity venue in a tiny bar. This brings another problem - only acts that are acclaimed enough to sell out massive, socially distanced venues will be able to perform. With so many bands relying on being discovered at small gigs, there is no doubt that they will have to adapt to the new scene. There have, however, been smaller gigs; for example, Miles Kane played to a small crowd in Camden Market as part of a schedule of free gigs organised by Camden Market Unlocked. It is fascinating to see how outdoor spaces are used and transformed into pop-up live music venues, and it brings the question of whether outdoor performances will eventually become the norm.
As well as this, many have taken to performing via Instagram. Blossoms have inspired many smaller bands to record covers at home, with their Instagram ‘In Isolation’ covers gaining so much popularity that they were eventually released as an album.
Art rock/indie band Everything Everything offered fans the chance to attend a virtual concert using VR headsets, PC or mobile to celebrate their album’s release on the 10th of September. “We might as well try to have some fun with the limitations we all find ourselves under”, the band told DIY Magazine. Hosted on Sansar, a leading VR platform, the band included a variety of features to enhance the virtual fan experience, with fans being able to design t-shirts to wear to the online show, interact with characters from their music videos, make their avatars dance and even meet and greet the band themselves and fellow fans.
Despite a few technical issues, the VR experience showcased a new alternative to live-streamed gigs such as Inside Lands, by going one step further and creating a sense of full immersion in the gig’s atmosphere. Obviously, online gigs will never really replace the real experience - it would be unrealistic to expect so. However, it will be interesting to see if other bands follow suit in showcasing live music in a virtual space, especially with the increasing popularity of VR headsets.
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