The Nu-Normal #02: Don’t Cross the (Live)Streams
The rush to reopen and perils of performance in 2021.
A few days ago, I came across a Variety headline that reads as follows:
“Dr. Fauci Says Concert Venues, Theaters Could Reopen in the Fall, ‘If Everything Goes Right.’”
Curious, I thought to myself, that’s a hell of a big IF.
The article goes on to outline Dr Fauci’s comments regarding the future of live music in the US, as per reporting from the New York Times:
“If everything goes right, this will occur sometime in the fall of 2021, so that by the time we get to the early to mid-fall, you can have people feeling safe performing onstage as well as people in the audience.”
As an Australian, I have mixed feelings about this. For one, as of writing this piece, our current national total for new COVID-19 cases stands at a whopping 19. (And granted, that’s even up a little from the previous days and weeks surrounding Christmas and New Year’s.)
Comparatively, taking a brief look at the US’s CDC data, the national total is just shy of 230,000 new cases for January 12th. Not to mention the US representing nearly a quarter of the global total of recorded COVID cases since Dec. 2018, and just under one-fifth of all global COVID deaths.
Given that the US has a woeful public healthcare system, a fail-President facing impeachment for the second time, and the utter farce that is the current COVID vaccination plan, I think it’s a little rich for Dr Fauci to be buying Imagine Dragons tickets for the fall.
Is it too early to reopen live music venues and start running shows again? Obviously. People are still dying from this pandemic, and I don’t think listening to Nickelback in the flesh will save them.
Also, have you ever tried to be socially distant at a punk show? (If your answer is yes, then, umm okay nerd.) It’s just not viable. Hardcore and metal and punk thrive off the mosh pit’s live-wire collective energy and need stage-to-fan interaction as fuel. I’m not going to pay money to see Madball and then sit patiently and respectfully at my designated table, tapping along to the bridge of “Ball of Destruction” with my feet on the floor.
For most alternative music scenes, my point is that shows—as we know and love them—aren’t coming back for a while. Nor should they. Countries like the US and the UK need to get their shit together before the standard international touring circuits become viable once more. I know this is terrible news for live music venues and service workers and those living on the music industry periphery’s fringes, but that’s just the cold hard reality here. Facts, caring, feelings, etc.
In 2020, I attended one live show before lockdown clamped down across the world. Following our mid-year quarantine and eventual management of COVID cases, most of Australia got back to semi-normal and shows gradually ramped up again, albeit with various attendance caps, caveats, and restrictions.
In the meantime, however, I found myself supporting the bands I like by paying to watch their livestream performances. And for what’s worth, livestreams in our current age offer a wholly different experience to your traditional run-of-the-mill five-band Sunday afternoon matinee.
Here are some of my 2020 highlights:
Code Orange – Last Ones Left: In Fear of the End
In March, no one knew how bad the pandemic was going to get. Having just dropped their newest effort for Roadrunner Records, the abrasive and dissonant Underneath, Code Orange were left with a problem: What to do with their highly anticipated album release show? The answer was to say fuck it, play the show anyway, and turn the empty venue into a free hour-long audio-visual extravaganza with cinematic production values.
Misery Signals & Darkest Hour
Canadian American metalcore luminaries Misery Signals returned to the fold in 2020 with the outstanding Ultraviolet. Not having an avenue to put this new material in front of adoring fans, the band teamed up with Washington, DC metallers Darkest Hour for a joint livestream show. Overlayed with digital effects from videographer and band friend Morgan Tedd, this set featured new and old songs, allowing fans to get reacquainted with Misery Signals in an intimate and personal setting.
Kvelertak – Live From Your Living Room
In April, Norwegian party starters Kvelertak gave those stuck at home the perfect introduction to their unique brand of six-string rock’n’roll carnage. Broadcasting what appeared to be some frigid warehouse loft, this stream was also my introduction to new vocalist Ivar Nikolaisen in a pseudo-live setting, and it did not disappoint. Nikolaisen managed to bring out all the swaggering, piss and vinegar showmanship he brought to the group’s fourth LP, the splendid Splid.
(Also, the part after the break, where Nikolaisen goes: “Internet, come on!” Classic.)
Every Time I Die – ‘Tid The Season 2020: ETID’s Online Telethon Extravaganza
Known for their sense of humour, passionate live performances, and their bonkers Sh!t Happens DVD series, Buffalo metalcore sensation Every Time I Die had to improvise with their 2020 edition of ‘Tid The Season. Typically, an annual, multiple-day festival in their hometown, the pandemic saw ETID branch out and embrace the livestream medium last year. Wrestling cameos, talk show segments, live performances, awkward telethon drives, and infomercial-style merch giveaways—‘Tid The Season 2020 had it all, and it was a total blast.
Underoath – Live from the Observatory
As this incredibly detailed breakdown by Vince Neilstein over at Metal Sucks indicates, Florida wrecking crew Underoath dominated the livestream stakes. The sextet created a mini-industry around fan-driven content, including album breakdowns and a crowd-sourced setlist, before turning the entire thing into their intense and expertly delivered Live at the Observatory performance.
Having the opportunity to go back to sweaty live shows isn’t worth dying, and we’ve barely scratched the surface of what livestreams can do for a band’s profile and popularity in these uncertain times. Let’s focus on saving lives, beating the pandemic, and then we can all get back to our usual programming.
In summary: Don’t cross the (live)streams.