Trivium hosts livestream concert from Full Sail stage
Musicians from every genre and level of success have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. But Trivium might be one of the bands most prepared for the storm. “We’ve livestreamed every show for the past three years,” said singer Matt Heafy.
With that level of technological fluency behind them, the Orlando-based metal band is planning something big. “We knew if we were to do a live show like we’ve seen a lot of bands already do, we were going to have to step it up,” said Heafy.
On Friday, July 10, Trivium will stream A Light or A Distant Mirror, a live concert performed on a specially constructed stage at Full Sail University in Winter Park (4 p.m.; $9; live.trivium.org).
The concert celebrates their latest album, “What the Dead Men Say,” released in April. “This could possibly be the only show we play all year,” said Heafy, 34. “So if it’s going to be that, we really have to go all out and make it something spectacular.”
While many artists have been discovering the ins-and-outs of performing via the internet, the Orlando-based metal band came into this crisis with legions of fans already tuning in to Heafy’s channel on streaming service Twitch. There they can watch shows and warm-ups and even catch the Lake Brantley High School graduate play video games.
An official ambassador for Twitch, Heafy says he enjoys seeing other artists getting into the new techy normal. “Bands that are wanting to learn how to stream, I’ve been helping with that,” he said. “Every musician who wants to start this thing, anyone who has any questions, I always encourage them to hit me up online.”
Heafy’s own journey into streaming came from learning a positive lesson the hard way. After the 2004 release of their sophomore album, “Ascendancy,” Trivium gained some global notoriety, especially in the UK music press. “Us being 18 and 19 years old, we wanted to take over the world,” he said. “The quotes in the magazines were all, ‘We’re going to be the biggest metal band in the world.’ All the other metal bands around at the time did not like that.”
That young swagger cost Trivium the support of other bands, according to Heafy. “We only had ourselves and our friends,” he said.
But it also gave Heafy a clear picture of their success. “What that showed us was that our fans are the only reason we existed,” he said. “I know bands say that all the time, and it’s true for all bands, but we truly felt that.”
Heafy wanted a way to let his audience know exactly how much he appreciates them. “As the years progressed, I wanted more layers of how we can connect with those fans,” he said. “For us, it’s just about giving our fans everything we can.”
Fans who pay for the online Full Sail show will likely be happy to know a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the music therapy program at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. “They’re also helping us with our next idea,” said Heafy.
That idea? Buying a decommissioned airplane hangar and turning it into a live headquarters for the band to stream performances. “It’s just the idea of constantly showing how we like to do different things,” said Heafy. “Giving our Trivium fans a place where they can have the nextlevel connection with us.”
Bands can often be wary of giving away too much of themselves through online platforms. But Heafy encourages them to put themselves out there.
“Any band that wants to start this, do,” he said. “If you’ve got even a couple of fans on the planet, they’re going to want to support you and they’re going to want to watch you.”