‘Silent’ live concert puts audience in the driver’s seat!
Headphones provided at ‘drive-in’ event
MUSICIAN John Shapter is hosting one of the country’s first ‘drive-in’ concerts – with the audience wearing headphones in their cars.
John, from Kidsgrove, is performing two 45-minute sets of his ‘ambient new age music’ at World of Wedgwood near Barlaston tomorrow night.
He says it will be just like a drive-in cinema – with vehicles placed one car length apart to ensure people can stay safe.
Tickets will be checked through a window with audience members then handed a bag containing their headphones.
This also means it is a ‘silent concert’ with no external noise
– so nobody living nearby will be distracted by noise levels.
John, known musically as Headzic, said: “As a musician, performing is something I enjoy more than anything else.
“When Covid came along I felt the bottom had fallen out of life when I couldn’t do it.
“As lockdown eased I started to look to see what others were doing.
“Drive-in cinemas have been going strongly throughout lockdown. I’d seen a couple of drive-in concerts planned for Liverpool but they are now not going ahead.
“There aren’t any others taking place in the UK, as far as I know, so it’s a first in our area.”
John, aged 65, used to be a dentist but now devotes himself to performing ‘modern classical, electronic, ambient and experimental music’.
He has dubbed himself the ‘accidental musician’ and has released 10 albums/eps – including the forthcoming Futures.
He has also performed DJ sets at the Pilgrim’s Pit in Hanley and Cultural Squatters in Newcastle. Last year he took part in the Your City concert in Stoke-on-trent.
John added: “My music is chilled, laid back with a slow beat. It’s meditative music, in a way.
“It’s quite relaxing and at the moment it’s what people might need in a time of fear.
“Giving access to something relaxing is not a bad thing. People can forget what’s going on and have access to live music.”
The concert starts at 7pm with a cut-off point of 3pm on Saturday for booking online. There is also the option of takeaway pizza.