Lockdown TV 2020

Broadcast live from a suitably socially distanced streaming stage at Sensible Music’s Studio 4 in London, Lockdown TV 2020 gives artists the space to express themselves and reach new audiences during uncertain times. TPi’s Jacob Waite reports…

Presenting an authentic live experience to viewers from the comfort of their own homes, following the widespread lockdown of live events, Lockdown TV 2020 – powered by Andy Gangadeen, Video Illusions, Sensible Music, Centre Stage Solutions, Oliver Kane, Backroom Productions and Matt King – kicked off proceedings with a raucous live performance from The Bays on 21 May, with follow-up livestream sets from Rebel Clash x Cuppa Sounds supported by Rinse FM, Killer Hertz, and THE EGG.

After witnessing a proliferation of DIY livestreams in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, British drummer, Andy Gangadeen – known for his artistry with The Bays, and also his work as a session drummer for the likes of Spice Girls, Chase & Status and Massive Attack – decided to call to arms a set of trusted live events professionals to set a precedent for what live music in lockdown should look and sound like.

“I noticed there was a lack of detail and finesse on every level of the presentation of DIY livestreams; it dawned on me that there was an alternative,” Gangadeen stated. “There must be a way of having highquality sound, lights, visuals and filming achieved successfully within COVID-19 regulations.”

Ga ngadeen enlisted the support of Engineer and Producer, Jon Moon of Sensible Music; Video Illusions; Centre Stage Solutions; Jamie Young of Backroom Productions; Videographer, Oliver Kane; and Photographer, Tom Oldham – as well as well as second in command Bays’ member, Oli Wiseman, all of whom had all their upcoming work for the foreseeable future cancelled.

Broadcast live from Sensible Music’s Studio 4, a stone’s throw from London’s King’s Cross station, the rehearsal, recording, production and multimedia space was also the former stomping ground of Chase & Status, where the Lockdown TV 2020 production crew first crossed paths.

With no setlist, albums or commercial product to promote, The Bays relish the art of live experience, making them the ideal opening act for Lockdown TV 2020. “It really was a simple case of joining the dots,” Gangadeen commented.

He explained that the team’s quest for perfection sets Lockdown TV apart from other studios and livestreaming projects on the market. “Streaming is about creating a new model,” he underlined. “Unlike a gig, where you have immediate interaction with your audience or TV performances like on Later… with Jools Holland, where there’s still a degree of interaction, streaming for most performers is an alien concept. Our aim is to approach it with a new mindset of trying to make streaming as much of an immersive experience as possible for anyone watching.”

Ha ving quickly learned and developed the formula for success, Gangadeen was quick to point out: “Every band has their own anomalies. It’s a new beginning for me and I think streaming will still be in force once the ‘gig’ economy is back up and running,” he summed up his experience of the project. “The point is to create a new type of experience and not to try and replicate.”

VIDEO Video Illusions Co-Managing Director, Nick Whiteoak was at Cheltenham Racecourse during the week leading up to lockdown. “We typically supply a 100m by 2m long VIL6mm LED digiboard at the finish line,” he explained. “As we were packing up and loading out, we received the news that Formula E Rome, Formula E Paris, Slam Dunk Festival and Ramblin Man Festival

were all cancelling their events in the wake of the global pandemic. We also had a run with drum and bass act, Hybrid Minds, having designed and fabricated the band’s March tour and summer festival run,” he reminisced. “The list of jobs lost just continued until our entire 2020 yearbook was wiped out.”

Faced with the prospect of no work throughout the summer, the team had to go back to the drawing board to seek alternative revenue streams to weather the economic shock of the lockdown and keep the company afloat. “We began to work on new plans to survive as a company; livestream studios and drive-in cinemas are something we hadn’t done before, so it was like walking into unchartered territory,” explained Dave Whiteoak, Nick’s brother and fellow Co-Managing Director of the company.

“To be completely honest, I had nearly given up faith completely and I had to focus on something that would keep my brain active, so I was at home at the time working on my Honda CRF450 motorbike in the garage when I got a call from Andy Gangadeen,” he recounted. “After the conversation, everything seemed to fall into place, so I called all the lads who, like us, were not seeing light at the end of the tunnel and told them about this project. Thankfully, they were all more than willing to pitch in.”

Having watched many bedroom studios, gardens, lake, rooftop and DJ livestreams during lockdown, the Video Illusions team were finding familiar faults. Dave commented: “I felt that a lot of the streams could have been done so much better. I understand that people are working with what they have. However, we have kit, crew, artists and a studio space at our

disposal and it would be remiss not to capitalise on it.” Following a meeting of production minds on the now-ubiquitous conferencing tool, Zoom, the team outlined the modus operandi.

“We w ant Lockdown TV 2020 to feel more like a live festival atmosphere, as if the viewer is watching from home, and the best way to do that is by delivering a full production package,” Dave furthered. “With the right techniques, camera angles and directing, we’ve managed to deliver exactly what we set out to do. Even though we have a lot of amazing technical kit involved, it’s not always about what you have, but rather, how you use it!”

The other key to capturing this “festival atmosphere” was that Lockdown TV 2020 is genuinely live. Nick elaborated: “Some of the other livestreaming shows we’ve seen are pre-recorded and lack a bit of soul and rawness to them, whereas Lockdown TV 2020 truly transports the audience into the live element with a high level of performance and production – which is what we pride ourselves on at Video Illusions.”

Ni ck believed that Lockdown TV 2020 sets itself apart from other livestreams due to its “real-world” nature, in bringing a live gig into the viewer’s living room. “The audio quality coming from Jon Moon’s mixing desk delivers world-class sound, Centre Stage Solutions’ Taylor Egan has provided the perfect lighting solution, while Video Illusions provides Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema cameras and VI-LM 3mm pitch LED screen,” he noted.

Co ntent playback was performed by Resolume 7, controlled by Dave and VJ, Bertie Sampson. Video Illusions Head of Technical, Oli Chilton

oversaw the uploading of the streams and overlays, while Nick manned the robo cameras along with Ross Jordan and Oliver Kane.

“This is a strong team. Jon is a triple-platinum GRAMMY Award-winning Sound Engineer, who we’ve known for several years from his time working with Chase & Status. We’ve known Andy Gangadeen for a decade or so, and he is a huge part of Lockdown TV 2020’s conception along with Dave,” Nick commented. “Live production is in our blood – it is what we do. Having the initial shock of the 2020 order book cancelling and then the following lockdown meant that we were unable to deliver live shows – until now, with Lockdown TV 2020.”

LIGHTING Centre Stage Solutions’ (CSS) Taylor Egen was working on a TV series when lockdown came into force. “Since the lockdown has been introduced, all of my planned work was either rescheduled or, sadly, cancelled,” he explained. Egen was initially approached by Video Illusions to support Lockdown TV 2020, having worked closely with the video specialist on several music festivals – a prospect that he was very intrigued by. “Lockdown TV 2020 is a new way to bring a live band experience to music fans across the world online,” Egen noted.

CSS provided a lighting package, which comprised four Martin by Harman Rush MH7s, four Showtec S5000s Hellix, six Martin by Harman Rush MH6 Washes and an Avolites Sapphire console for control. Show Operator, James Coxon of CSS joined Egen in the not-so traditional lighting team.

Egen walked TPi through the COVID-19 secure measures put in place to guarantee the safety of the artists and production crew. “We have all been provided with face masks and remote hand wash points throughout the building,” he explained. “We also adhere to the 2m social distancing rules. The size of each act is also in line with the social distancing guidelines.”

With two performances under their belt, Egan noted the evolution of the project. “I’ve changed the lighting package to cater for each band and artist,” he added. “This also gives viewers a different look, which fits with the performers’ aesthetic each time around.”

He noted the challenging climate of presenting a live gig with no audience but praised the Video Illusions team’s expertise. “It has been a challenge to replicate a ‘real-world gig experience’ online, but the camera package provided by Video Illusions and their expertise of camera angles, perspectives, shooting styles and cuts has made the world of difference,” he concluded. “I’m looking forward to all the venues reopening their doors and bands and artists to be touring again as soon as possible.”

SOUND With over 35 years of experience in the music industry, working with established, new and upcoming artists, Sensible Music’s Jon Moon was on the cusp of recording a large string section in Studio 4 with Mike Chapman for Chris Norman’s (Smokie) new album, which he had been working on over the course of the year, as well as a dozen other projects, when the lockdown came into force. Moon recalled the “long and vibrant” path that

led him from the initial discussion phase to the final destination: Lockdown TV 2020.

“The idea of broadcasting a music show from Studio 4 was always our aim,” he stated. “It’s such a magical space for performers that when Andy Gangadeen hired the room with the idea of broadcasting his thencancelled jazz café gig, it was the major turning point for the project.”

Gangadeen introduced Moon to what would eventually become the Lockdown TV 2020 production crew. “We came up with a plan to produce a very high production value show and give a stage back to the audience and musicians. Broadcasting live is the exciting part!” Moon enthused. “Lockdown TV certainly feels like a traditional gig when we shoot it. Studio 4 is a fantastic room with its pitched high roof and Old King’s Cross brick walls and magical acoustic properties,” he commented, pointing out the theatrical surroundings.

“I was doing a show with Orbital at Printworks on the Saturday night when things were already starting to kick in, but nobody really knew how to deal with it. It was a very odd moment to realise that it might be the final gig in a long time, but it turned out to be great show to finish on,” recalled Lockdown TV 2020 Artist and Production Coordinator, Jamie Young of Backroom Productions. “Lockdown became a reality on the following Monday. Since then, I’ve been pottering about in the garden and around the house before joining the Lockdown TV 2020 team. Coming from a tour and production management background, this felt like the ideal project to keep me busy during lockdown.”

THE FUTURE Taking place every Friday night, Lockdown TV 2020 has already proved popular in the ever-adapting live digital landscape. Video Illusions’ Nick Whiteoak also shared news of increased streams in the works. “We have a steady flow of bookings to use the space, which the audience can tune into on Twitch, YouTube, or Facebook,” he explained. “Our third livestream features Killer Hertz, an exciting Brighton and Belgian-based drum and bass act that had a stellar line-up of festival bookings this year taken away from them, as well as dance music veterans, THE EGG.”

Above all, what is evident when speaking to the collective, is that this band of live events specialists have truly brought the ethos and work ethic from both the touring and festival realms, and seamlessly transitioned into the studio format. “Everyone involved in this project before the lockdown was focussed on perfecting the craft of live events, so recreating that experience in the studio world has fallen into place,” concluded Dave Whiteoak. “I suppose you could say it’s all we know.” TPi Photos: Tom Oldham @lockdowntv2020 www.ldtv.uk www.thebays.com www.videoillusions.net www.centrestagesolutions.co.uk www.sensible-music.co.uk