With tons of artists pushing their BIG tours in stadiums and outdoor venues festivals etc...till 2021 in most cases, and others pushing smaller shows till the fall, everyone is being very hopeful about what is to come, but having a discussion recently with a musician that primarily plays small venues, seated ones, not general admission and obviously he cannot play now either, he did say that artists big and small better be prepared to shrink their audience and also certain things may be a thing of the past LIKE festival gatherings without seating plans. Basically now the type of venue that is in the BEST place if there is one in these times, are the venues that do seating, tables, and are small, because they can distance within the guidelines they are given, though it cuts into overall revenue, its better than being closed fully. Now what this WILL eliminate is General Admission shows, you can kiss those things goodbye till there is a vaccine, cause venues will NOT be liable for the spreading of this going forward. Also artists that DO big shows, Madison Square garden and things like that, stadiums etc...those seating plans will be cut BIG TIME, so expect those kind of venues to pass their loss on to you the ticket buyer at some point. As someone that goes to alot of shows, everything I go to is small, I go to venues here in NYC like Iridium, Birdland, City Winery, Rock Wood Music Hall, etc...and these types of venues can easily acomodate distancing guidelines that may and will be in place so they can do some kind of business again. Artists doing things BIG may have to learn to do them SMALL again, or not at all for quite some time. AS for those events like festivals pushed back a year, and big tours, that is so the sponsors dont lose that money, they want ticket holders to keep the ticket because if they ask for a refund they will be screwed but dont be so confident those BIG things will happen next year either.

Dismal...

I'm more concerned about what just plain old "life" will be like for us all of us humans in post corona virus world.

I feel for all of the artists who depend on touring as their primary source of income. They are finding themselves in the same situation as regular folk.

looby said:

I'm more concerned about what just plain old "life" will be like for us all of us humans in post corona virus world.

Well that goes without saying but part of LIFE is actually going outside, and though we may not think of this as being important too, it actually is because first of all what are people keeping busy with now since they cant go anywhere? Streaming shit, who does that, artists musicians actors comedians whatever. But also so many other forms of life are effected long term, if forms of this are gone, its that simple one thing falls it takes other things down. Life is not just waking up going to work coming home there has to be more to it than that, sorry if people think its wrong to think that way, but thats the way it is.

kitbradley said:

I feel for all of the artists who depend on touring as their primary source of income.

It's not just the performers who are affected. It's also the behind the scenes people like roadies, employees at stadiums, clubs, movie theaters, the people who sell drinks/snacks/memorabilia at sporting events, etc. For TV shows/movies it's not just millionaire big name actors & studio CEOs. There's dozens or even hundreds of people working on them, epecially if there is CGI. Streaming movies does not make the same amount of money as they can make at a theater. Any movie that is digital & streaming can be easily pirated too, just like Napster & file sharing was the begining of CDs/records/tapes starting to sell less.

MickyDolenz said:

kitbradley said:

I feel for all of the artists who depend on touring as their primary source of income.

It's not just the performers who are affected. It's also the behind the scenes people like roadies, employees at stadiums, clubs, movie theaters, the people who sell drinks/snacks/memorabilia at sporting events, etc. For TV shows/movies it's not just millionaire big name actors & studio CEOs. There's dozens or even hundreds of people working on them, epecially if there is CGI. Streaming movies does not make the same amount of money as they can make at a theater. Any movie that is digital & streaming can be easily pirated too, just like Napster & file sharing was the begining of CDs/records/tapes starting to sell less.

Yeah the playing shows for the artists that i mainly see is their rent basically, I know a lot of people think everyone that does music is making money but 90% of artists are not making money or just barely getting by. Also these small venues they play they might not even be able to re open or survive when they do espeically here in NYC I know of seven venues (small) that are on life support literally holding fund raisers to be able to have something, i mean rent forgiveness is not going to last and at some point bills have to be paid. So places like MSG or the Barclays and those big NYC venues they could survive if they were closed because they are protected and have tons of money but obviously their workers will get screwed with no job. And in these small venues like the Iridium here in NYC or city winery they make money off food and drinks while people see a show, with distancing in them which they will have to do, they lose a lot of people which in turn means staff being let go.

lastdecember said:

looby said:

I'm more concerned about what just plain old "life" will be like for us all of us humans in post corona virus world.

Well that goes without saying but part of LIFE is actually going outside, and though we may not think of this as being important too, it actually is because first of all what are people keeping busy with now since they cant go anywhere? Streaming shit, who does that, artists musicians actors comedians whatever. But also so many other forms of life are effected long term, if forms of this are gone, its that simple one thing falls it takes other things down. Life is not just waking up going to work coming home there has to be more to it than that, sorry if people think its wrong to think that way, but thats the way it is.

I totally agree, and I love going outside, even if it's just for a short walk.....makes you feel better! And I don't think it's wrong at all, and totally agree that life is just not about waking up, going to work, and coming home, in which seemed to be the norm before the virus. In my opinion, just working all the time, with barely a social life, is not how life is supposed to be! Somewhere along the way, we seemed to stop living life, and that brings on depression and misery. This virus thing is scary, but we shouldn't let it keep us in fear, scared to live life, because that a horrible way to exist.

looby said:

lastdecember said:

Well that goes without saying but part of LIFE is actually going outside, and though we may not think of this as being important too, it actually is because first of all what are people keeping busy with now since they cant go anywhere? Streaming shit, who does that, artists musicians actors comedians whatever. But also so many other forms of life are effected long term, if forms of this are gone, its that simple one thing falls it takes other things down. Life is not just waking up going to work coming home there has to be more to it than that, sorry if people think its wrong to think that way, but thats the way it is.

I totally agree, and I love going outside, even if it's just for a short walk.....makes you feel better! And I don't think it's wrong at all, and totally agree that life is just not about waking up, going to work, and coming home, in which seemed to be the norm before the virus. In my opinion, just working all the time, with barely a social life, is not how life is supposed to be! Somewhere along the way, we seemed to stop living life, and that brings on depression and misery. This virus thing is scary, but we shouldn't let it keep us in fear, scared to live life, because that a horrible way to exist.

+100

Great question. I forsee a greater push for artists and the live concert/performance industry to shift to live event streaming. I don't see things returning 100% to how they were before this began.

lezama said:

lezama said:

Great question. I forsee a greater push for artists and the live concert/performance industry to shift to live event streaming. I don't see things returning 100% to how they were before this began.

I would say that is bs. Things will get back to normal, eventually. Just a question of how long it takes. No streaming substitutes for real concerts.

MattyJam said:

lezama said:

Great question. I forsee a greater push for artists and the live concert/performance industry to shift to live event streaming. I don't see things returning 100% to how they were before this began.

Perhaps not right away, but things will return to normal after a while, surely?

I think they will. It's up to us and if we cower in fear to a virus and allow it to dictate our lives, something that personally, I refuse to do.

Like stand up comedians, musicians need an audience.

It's a symbiotic relationship and the better the audience, the better the performance.

S2DG said:

Like stand up comedians, musicians need an audience.

It's a symbiotic relationship and the better the audience, the better the performance.

yes that's pretty much it right here. Although artists now and mostly indie ones are doing all these live little shows on social media platforms and things like Stageit to keep a little income coming in especially if your indie that's all you got. But as one musician, an indie artist based here in nyc was saying when he did one of these shows, after the first song he said, "damn this is strange without an audience" because there is nothing real for them to build on, I mean an emoji response on a screen is not the same.

MattyJam said:

lezama said:

Great question. I forsee a greater push for artists and the live concert/performance industry to shift to live event streaming. I don't see things returning 100% to how they were before this began.

Perhaps not right away, but things will return to normal after a while, surely?

I certainly hope so.

Part of the reason for my hypothesis is simply the differences in the way younger people engage with music compared to my generation (Gen x) and older. When I look at how millenials, gen z and whatever the youngest internet using age people are called, they're doing things online that have zero interest for me (e.g. instagram and facebook concerts/performances), but they're also pulling HUGE audiences with it. It started with them, but now we have things like the Teddy Riley/Babyface online challenge thing and the upcoming Jill Scott/Eryhkah Badu online thing that are getting older generations familiar with a new way of engaging with music. I think we don't quite know what's on the other side of the pandemic with respect to the performance landscape. I could be wrong, but I'm just looking at the growth of trends that were formerly fringe/periphery, quickly become more and more mainstream simply because we've been pushed by the pandemic to entertain new practices.

looby said:

MattyJam said:

lezama said: Perhaps not right away, but things will return to normal after a while, surely?

I think they will. It's up to us and if we cower in fear to a virus and allow it to dictate our lives, something that personally, I refuse to do.

I mean, you personally can do whatever you want to do, but if your state/country/region isn't allowing gatherings of a certain x amount.... I mean I guess you could thereotically start some underground Fight Club-esque speak-easy version of an outlaw concert venue on the fringes of society....

Is the future of live music a drive-in concert?

Danish artist Mads Langer performs at a sold-out drive-in concert at Tangkrogen in Aarhus, Denmark, on April 24, 2020.

(Mikkel Berg Pedersen / Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images)

By AUGUST BROWNSTAFF WRITER

MAY 1, 2020

2:08 PM

.

While live concerts look to be a ways off in California, a city in Denmark found a workaround that might make some sense for L.A. as well.

The Danish city of Aarhus allowed popular singer Mads Langer to perform a drive-thru event at a newly constructed venue just outside the city. With six days’ notice, the event sold 500 tickets and, according to locals, went off without a hitch.

.

“I’ve played many concerts in my life, but this is really a first,” Langer said, through an audio feed broadcast over very limited FM radio frequency into fans’ cars.

One thing is for sure - for me, at least - they need to get rid of general admission concerts. Being pushed up against other people where you can't move, can't go to the washroom, can't even go get a drink,people breathing on each other in such close proximity, has always bothered me.

I think when concerts do begin there will be a need for social distancing but also strict seat assignments.

torontodj said:

One thing is for sure - for me, at least - they need to get rid of general admission concerts. Being pushed up against other people where you can't move, can't go to the washroom, can't even go get a drink,people breathing on each other in such close proximity, has always bothered me.

I think when concerts do begin there will be a need for social distancing but also strict seat assignments.

Seated concerts suck ass. Lame audiences, price gauging tickets and if you don't buy the tickets the minute they go on sale, you're stuck somewhere in the back having fuckers block your view. If that is the way the go, they might as well forget it.

[Edited 5/4/20 12:44pm]

torontodj said:

One thing is for sure - for me, at least - they need to get rid of general admission concerts. Being pushed up against other people where you can't move, can't go to the washroom, can't even go get a drink,people breathing on each other in such close proximity, has always bothered me.

I think when concerts do begin there will be a need for social distancing but also strict seat assignments.

that is going to be the deal with these establishments if they want to open they have to follow what their state tells them so I have already heard that some state will try distance seating you really can't general admission at this point because of lines and good luck telling people to stay ina spot that's the reason I can stand the GA shows and stop going to them a while back, and NO I don't go to larger seated shows like Madonna or Billy Joel mainly because I'm not spending the money to hear the same songs they always most of these larger seated shows are always greatest hits legends artists and they roll out the same 15 songs they have been playing for decades. I go to small shows here in nyc seated and they are small not radio city small I'm talking 100 people tops some less and NO they aren't expensive in fact they are less than GA shows which is insane because the idea of GA show is to be cheap but I can't deal with the person who gets there late and decides he has to get to the front because he bought a ticket too, sorry, GA shows get in line if you get there late sucks for you so I got tired of non stop pushing at every GA show I ever went too, and now in this environment you probably will not see a GA show for years.

lastdecember said:

torontodj said:

One thing is for sure - for me, at least - they need to get rid of general admission concerts. Being pushed up against other people where you can't move, can't go to the washroom, can't even go get a drink,people breathing on each other in such close proximity, has always bothered me.

I think when concerts do begin there will be a need for social distancing but also strict seat assignments.

that is going to be the deal with these establishments if they want to open they have to follow what their state tells them so I have already heard that some state will try distance seating you really can't general admission at this point because of lines and good luck telling people to stay ina spot that's the reason I can stand the GA shows and stop going to them a while back, and NO I don't go to larger seated shows like Madonna or Billy Joel mainly because I'm not spending the money to hear the same songs they always most of these larger seated shows are always greatest hits legends artists and they roll out the same 15 songs they have been playing for decades. I go to small shows here in nyc seated and they are small not radio city small I'm talking 100 people tops some less and NO they aren't expensive in fact they are less than GA shows which is insane because the idea of GA show is to be cheap but I can't deal with the person who gets there late and decides he has to get to the front because he bought a ticket too, sorry, GA shows get in line if you get there late sucks for you so I got tired of non stop pushing at every GA show I ever went too, and now in this environment you probably will not see a GA show for years.

"Ooh. Let me stand on the for me marked spot here. And don't you dare move past or through my spot. I've rented that, it's mine. There is a giant standing in front of me. Don't matter, because I have my spot, where no one else is allowed to stand. It's mine. And all you people around me, quit your singinging and moving, I wanna listen to the artist." Pathetic.

I am totally with torontodj. I don't need to be pressed up against the body of a stranger to enjoy a concert.

A show without a mosh pit does not make it lame, just civilized. More focus and excitement can be directed at the performers.

I would be okay with "checkerboard seating" meaning that some chairs are reserved for distancing, and chairs merely marking a place to stand.

PatrickS77 said:

"Ooh. Let me stand on the for me marked spot here. And don't you dare move past or through my spot. I've rented that, it's mine. There is a giant standing in front of me. Don't matter, because I have my spot, where no one else is allowed to stand. It's mine. And all you people around me, quit your singinging and moving, I wanna listen to the artist." Pathetic.

That is the actual function of a concert-- What the heck!

Oh yeah, what a riot getting bumped into.

Cinny said:

PatrickS77 said:

"Ooh. Let me stand on the for me marked spot here. And don't you dare move past or through my spot. I've rented that, it's mine. There is a giant standing in front of me. Don't matter, because I have my spot, where no one else is allowed to stand. It's mine. And all you people around me, quit your singinging and moving, I wanna listen to the artist." Pathetic.

That is the actual function of a concert-- What the heck!

Oh yeah, what a riot getting bumped into.

this is why I stopped going to them. Every GA show I ever went too there was an issue, everyone from no name bands to Duran Duran to prince after shows and surprise gigs . Yes I get it's cool you can be up front and you paid less, whatever, I started learning that it made no difference what time you showed up because if someone felt like pushing through from the back to the front they did, usually they let their girlfriend lead the way so they wouldn't get hit. And in this world now you will never see a GA show again like them or not. The small venues I go to you still dont technically get an assigned seat, it's about when you are there and the door opening but it's seats and tables, and now with social distancing gonna be the norm for a bit tables and seats can be adjusted, and these are not expensive shows at all, in fact cheaper than GA shows that I have seen advertised in the past. I'm not talking big venues and show like billy Joel and bob jovi where you gotta pay top dollar to be in front, no there is a difference and many levels of types of venues.

Cinny said:

PatrickS77 said:

"Ooh. Let me stand on the for me marked spot here. And don't you dare move past or through my spot. I've rented that, it's mine. There is a giant standing in front of me. Don't matter, because I have my spot, where no one else is allowed to stand. It's mine. And all you people around me, quit your singinging and moving, I wanna listen to the artist." Pathetic.

That is the actual function of a concert-- What the heck!

Oh yeah, what a riot getting bumped into.

No. The point is to have fun. To have a party. Not to sit in silence like at a fucking classic concert. If you want to have perfect listening conditions, stay at home and listen to the fucking CD.

Cinny said:

PatrickS77 said:

"Ooh. Let me stand on the for me marked spot here. And don't you dare move past or through my spot. I've rented that, it's mine. There is a giant standing in front of me. Don't matter, because I have my spot, where no one else is allowed to stand. It's mine. And all you people around me, quit your singinging and moving, I wanna listen to the artist." Pathetic.

That is the actual function of a concert-- What the heck!

Oh yeah, what a riot getting bumped into.

He's got quite the take. All this time you may have erroneously thought the purpose of a concert is to listen to the artist performing--au contraire, the real purpose is to bump into other people and sing along... The artist performing is like seventh or eighth priority of the evening, if that.

This is actually welcome insight. I rarely went to concerts anyway because it seemed like everyone else in the building paid high end ca$h just to bounce along in an inebriated stupor and listen to the sounds of their own voices, now I realize that's exactly what they were paying for... Instead I pocket the $ and do so from the comfort of my own living room. Now I realize I'm doing it all wrong.

PatrickS77 said:

Cinny said:

That is the actual function of a concert-- What the heck!

Oh yeah, what a riot getting bumped into.

No. The point is to have fun. To have a party. Not to sit in silence like at a fucking classic concert. If you want to have perfect listening conditions, stay at home and listen to the fucking CD.

Is this definition of "fun" limited to your definition of fun, or is it a malleable definition? What if my definition entails not singing along and/or bouncing along? Is this unacceptable? I can only have "fun" if it's not my "fun" but your "fun"?

And couldn't you just go to a party if you want to have a party? I can't go to a concert if I want to see a concert, I can only go to a concert if I want to have a party? But then what do I go to a party for? Is this where I can see a concert? I'm just trying to get the parameters of life in order here...

[Edited 5/5/20 18:31pm]

Corona drivin' everyone crazy...

WhisperingDandelions said:

Cinny said:

That is the actual function of a concert-- What the heck!

Oh yeah, what a riot getting bumped into.

He's got quite the take. All this time you may have erroneously thought the purpose of a concert is to listen to the artist performing--au contraire, the real purpose is to bump into other people and sing along... The artist performing is like seventh or eighth priority of the evening, if that.

This is actually welcome insight. I rarely went to concerts anyway because it seemed like everyone else in the building paid high end ca$h just to bounce along in an inebriated stupor and listen to the sounds of their own voices, now I realize that's exactly what they were paying for... Instead I pocket the $ and do so from the comfort of my own living room. Now I realize I'm doing it all wrong.

Yep. You certainly do. I've been to several hundred concerts and I know how we enjoy concerts. The people passively watching are a tiny minority. The others engage and have real fun. Even the people on stage invite the audience to participate and engage. That's what it's about.