During the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries implemented measures to contain the spread of the virus. This involved the temporary closure of cultural spaces, including live music events. This had a significant effect on the cultural and entertainment industries, as well as the livelihoods of people working in the music industry. In response, a number of musicians performed Virtual Reality (VR) concerts as a way of playing to an audience, while adhering to social distancing guidelines.
While they could not replicate the full experience of attending a physical concert, these VR concerts offered an immersive experience where audiences could feel like they were attending a live concert from the safety of their own homes. The emergence of VR music concerts is situated within the broader development of the ‘metaverse’. The music industry has utilised the metaverse as a space to reimagine, perform and experience music.
Previous research conducted by Keele University Lecturer, A. Lamont, has suggested that physical live concerts are audiences’ favoured musical experience. So, this poses the questions: have VR concerts lived up to the experience of physical ones? And do they have a place in a post-pandemic world?
The benefits of VR concerts:
VR concerts offer similar benefits to physical concerts. As mentioned by Cardiff University Lecturer, L. Bennett, the uniqueness of the concert experience is a significant contributor to audience enjoyment of live concerts, and VR concerts maintain this. Billie Eilish’s Virtual XR livestream performance, for example, illustrates how an artist utilised VR technology (during COVID-19) to create an immersive, unique and engaging experience for her fans.
The added accessibility of VR concerts makes them even more appealing than physical concerts for certain audiences. This includes those with mental health conditions, neurodivergent people and those with disabilities, who could potentially find physical concerts challenging due to the sensory stimuli. In fact, UK Government policy suggests that all digital or technological activity must be compliant with the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations and the Equality Act. VR concerts naturally comply with these policies and provide a more controlled environment, allowing these individuals to enjoy live music in a way that suits their needs.
VR concerts can also help to alleviate loneliness and foster social connectedness. This is particularly relevant given the fact that 21% of people reported feeling severely lonely during the pandemic. VR concerts, subsequently, provided audiences with an opportunity to experience concerts physically alone, but virtually together. Therefore, VR concerts were essential for people’s mental wellbeing during a time of unease, fear and loneliness.
But is it the same as a physical concert?:
Statistics have indicated that 69% of people missed physical concerts. This suggests that VR concerts have failed to fulfil the same functions as their physical counterparts. Why is this?
One of the main reasons suggested by research is the absence of the social and physical experience that occurs with attending a physical concert. While technology allows for some level of interaction, it cannot replicate the shared experience of being surrounded by fellow fans. After all, you would not be able to swap friendship bracelets at a VR Taylor Swift concert…
Also, VR concerts are not yet capable of replacing the scale of employment generated by physical live music events, including merchandising, hospitality, promotion, etc. In fact, due to the temporary closure of physical live concerts, 64% of the UK’s live music workforce lost their jobs. This shows that the music industry cannot afford to lose its physical live sector.
To support the physical live music sector and help retain jobs within it, government intervention and financial support were crucial. Independent reports have revealed that, during the pandemic, the UK Government gave £1.57 billion in order to support over 220,000 jobs. However, additional measures such as tax decreases, interest-free loans and rent freezes, could offer much-needed support to businesses and workers in the music industry.
Illustration 28301953 | Empty Concert © Zoryen | Dreamstime.com
So, what does the future of concerts look like?:
VR concerts worked as a valuable alternative during a time when physical concerts were not feasible. But do they have a place in a post-pandemic world?
VR concerts are likely to continue to have a place alongside physical ones. Additionally, as VR technology becomes more advanced, the potential for the development of truly immersive and appealing virtual music experiences will only grow. However, this does not mean that physical concerts will be replaced. There is an undeniably unique appeal of going to a physical concert that simply cannot be replicated in a virtual environment. So, in a post-pandemic world, there is likely to be space for both VR concerts and physical concerts to co-exist.
What do you think? Does VR music concerts provide the same enjoyment as physical live concerts? Or, was it just a temporary necessity during COVID-19?
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