See Paul Mescal of "Normal People" Alongside Dermot Kennedy in Virtual Live Concert Tonight
Don't miss the one-off event streamed from the National History Museum in London.
With new coronavirus infections still rampant across the world, it's beginning to feel like public gatherings will be confined to the past for the foreseeable future.
One of the industries hardest hit by the global pandemic is undoubtedly the music industry, which relied on ticket sales from live events for much of its revenue. The industry has been scrambling to fill the void left behind by live music, and while some companies like BandCamp have undertaken efforts to help struggling music professionals, one of the most widespread responses to the pandemic has been live-streamed performances.
While many of these are on individual artists' Instagram accounts, some are actually holding ticketed, one-off events. Perhaps unsurprisingly, with little to do but sit at home and watch TV, people are responding positively to these virtual concerts, and as a result the concerts are getting more and more creative. As The Guardian notes, "Some venues are running and have already scheduled ticketed concerts to be streamed online."
A can't miss event of this kind is happening tonight, in a very special location: London's Natural History Museum. To make the event—entitled "Some Summer Night" after one of Kennedy's songs—feel like a true live experience, the concert won't be available online after the event.
The show is time-zoned to specific regions:
30th July - Live #1 : Ireland, UK & Europe (9pm IST & BST / 10pm CEST)
30th July - Live #2 : East Coast North America and South America (8.00pm EDT / 7.00pm CDT)
30th July - Live #3 : West Coast North America and Central America (8.00pm PDT / 9.00pm MDT)
31st July - Live #4 : Australia, New Zealand & Asia (8.00pm AEST, 10pm NZST & 7pm JST & KST)
Even better, when purchasing a ticket, you will have the opportunity to donate to the Black Lives Matter Global Network, a charity that endeavors to bring justice, healing, and freedom to Black people across the globe.
Paul Mescal, who played Connell in the hit TV adaption of Sally Rooney's Normal People, will be joining his fellow Irishman for the special event.Kennedy has posted several photos with Mescal, making it obvious that the two have struck up a fast friendship. In one snap, Kennedy wrote, "Time well spent. It's a joy working with @paul.mescal . We're gonna bring you something so special. Ticket link in my bio! X"
The show coincides with the release of Kennedy's new single, "Giants," a moving ballad about nostalgia for glory days past. As for Mescal, many know him as an actor, but his musical talents are well documented on Instagram. While he hasn't released any original music yet, it's only a matter of time until his dulcet tones are available more widely.
In a world where even drive-in gigs are being cancelled (fellow Irishman Gavin James was forced to cancel his alternative drive-in concert series thanks to new government guidelines) and socially distant concerts are unrealistic and cost ineffective, live streams produced as fully fledged spectacles could spell the future of single and album promotion.
While upwards of $15 a ticket sounds like a lot for an at-home virtual experience, some think this may be the future of live music. "In the future, I can absolutely imagine we will be able to sit at home, strap on an augmented or virtual reality headset and … boom, suddenly be in the middle of Wembley," says Ray Winkler, CEO of Stufish Entertainment. "Your favourite artist will be performing, you'll be able to see them clearly, and the only thing missing is that you don't have to queue to go to the toilet, spend lots of money buying beer and spend two hours getting there."