Live concerts bring about a sense of togetherness, says Ricky Kej
The ‘new normal’ for any industry or fraternity is going to be ‘safety first’,” says Shweta Tripathi Sharma. The Masaan (2015) actor, who has also been a part of the theatre culture in the country, feels that the theatre industry won’t “start anytime soon”. “Having said that, there are a lot of online plays and performances that are already happening and I think they’re just going to increase,” she adds.
The country has seen the states easing the lockdown restrictions since the start of this month. However, Sharma points out that it is extremely important to be careful. “Even if the lockdown eases, we need to be careful. It is not just one individual; it is about everyone you meet and interact with,” she elucidates.
Ask her if actors will be a little sceptical to shoot, and she says, “The best way to support any industry is by finding out new ways to deal with this situation. All the actors love performing, but not at the risk of our own lives and the lives of our loved ones. Acting is emotional and physical and it requires a lot of body language. It will be really difficult.”
Speaking about how the initial response can be from the audience, she says, “They will be sceptical and I am guessing they won’t be jumping at the first opportunity they get. We need to watch out for ourselves. It is not going to be easy.”
So, what changes does she expect to see when things open up? “Thankfully, people have taken up carrying a sanitiser with them seriously. Changes are already happening. We, as citizens, should take the responsibility, too. Let’s hope that we don’t let each other down in this situation,” she signs off.
World Music Day (June 21) is celebrated with great pomp and show every year across the world. With concerts and gigs, musicians do their best to entertain listeners and celebrate this day. But this year, things have been different due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown.
Since the beginning of the lockdown, digital concerts became hugely popular with musicians. And now, Grammy Award winning musician Ricky Kej and Garmmy Award nominee Lonnie Park, have also done a digital concert for a few OTT platforms to celebrate World Music Day. “Since it is a Covid-19 era production, we all performed in our homes and studios, but felt as though we are all together having a big musical party,” says Park, who along with Kej, brought together six Grammy winners and two Grammy nominees from around the world to perform for the live concert.
As far as live gigs go, it seems like a far-fetched dream now for any musician to expect any audience in the current scenario. But Park says that it is too soon to give a verdict on anything. “It is difficult to predict the future but the whole world has now become comfortable with online concerts. I certainly hope that online gigs
Although it will be hard to replicate the feel and energy of a live concert online, it will be interesting to watch innovations in this space through Augmented Reality technology.
RICKY KEJ, MUSICIAN
continue as a part of the entertainment and music industry,” says Park.
Kej adds that his last two online concerts were attended by an “estimated 150 million viewers from around the world and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive”. “Such huge numbers would have been impossible through regular live concerts for any artiste. Performing artistes invest a lot of time and resources in choosing the right concert arena, the best sound and lighting, stage design, etc., to ensure that the audiences have the perfect concert experience. Even though streaming on-demand is getting more affordable, music lovers still pay to experience a live concert because it also brings about a sense of community and togetherness. Although it will be hard to replicate the feel and energy of a live concert online, it will be interesting to watch innovations in this space through Augmented Reality (AR) technology. I’ve already experimented with AR in my previous concerts and it does bring a different level of audience engagement. Such technology does have massive potential and can be a game-changer in our industry,” concludes Kej.