A post-pandemic world does not mean a world that is under perpetual lockdown and fear-inflation. With that out of the way, let’s try and look at the world from this new lens that life has given us, as the world-at-large seems to be shedding some of its old skin. William Lee, renowned music A&R and Owner of BDW Studios, has experienced first-hand the effects of the pandemic on the music industry. In this article, he talks about the future of live concerts and performances in a post-pandemic world.
Live events have an electrifying quality to them. The proximity to the artists, the shared energy, and the general excitement of the overall experience, mixed with the passion that only music can bring, create an indefinable effect on the audience. For many, live music events are an important part of their social calendar. However, thanks to coronavirus, this thrilling experience finds itself stalled by doubt and confusion. William Lee says, “The pandemic has put a question mark on many plans, but I don’t believe it can eliminate progress. The need of the hour is recovery, and of a later hour is creating defenses to ensure the maintenance of that recovery. Live events, like other aspects of life, will require some form of regularization. Say, the musicians can play the same set for two to three nights at the same location, but to a different crowd each time. This will allow the concerts to have a smaller audience in compliance with the COVID protocols, yet ensure that not many miss out.”
Then there’s the internet. Live global events have now become quite normal for the netizens. One can log in from the comfort of their home, pack in a beer or two, and engage with the event and its creators in some ways more personal than before. For William Lee, this change is coming to music events as well. He says, “Look at Dua Lipa. She live-streamed her whole show in December 2020, and it was such a success. Matthew McConaughey recently organized an online fundraiser event to help Texas recover from the winter storm. It was free and attracted many. Now that is some positive development nobody could have anticipated before the pandemic.”
“The long and short of it is that the post-pandemic world can expect newer ways of looking at old things,” concludes William Lee. However, the question that remains to be answered is whether such ways will retain the original flavor or introduce a new spice into the mix.
