WELCOME TO THE DIGITAL WORLD With more artists then ever exploring the possibilities of virtual gigs, TPi’s Stew Hume and Jacob Waite explore the opportunities for those looking to replace line arrays and lighting rigs with lines of code and avatars – as live music and the gaming industry joins forces for a whole new breed of live event…
During this unpredictable time for the music industry, artists still hoping to perform have been faced with two options: livestreaming or socially distant outdoor events. The former has taken many guises over the past three months, ranging from intimate acoustic shows in artists’ front rooms, to more high-tech solutions filmed from bespoke studio spaces. The latter option has seen several drive-in shows take place which, in a few short months, have already seen an upswing in popularity within Europe and the UK. While both solutions have produced their fair share of success stories, there is now a third option that is gaining ground – one we had certainly not predicted that we’d be covering in our pages any time soon: Virtual events, which have made headlines across the globe, with artists entering the gaming sphere and performing for a virtual crowd. In May, we looked back on one of the most unique tours of the year: Hatsune Miku’s EXPO 2020 EUROPE. The Yamaha Vocaloid 2’s Character
Vocal Series software was considered the first truly crowd-created virtual talent on the circuit. “The live entertainment industry has changed massively, with bans on public gatherings and the surge of virtual gigs online,” SFX Technician, Natalie Frew explained. “Shows are going to change, and everyone is looking for something unique to promote.” And how right she was. Since lockdown, there has been a proliferation of instances where the music and gaming worlds have collided. Perhaps the most notable example is Travis Scott’s performance in Fortnite to an audience of 12 million players. A gargantuan feat, the TPi team was keen to explore the concept further – and we’re not the only ones. It seems that a number of people on our side of the aisle have already shown interest in this new form of live events, and many show designers, LDs and content creators who often feature in the pages of TPi are starting to look at the virtual world as a viable – not to mention profitable – alternative under the current circumstance. What’s 38
