In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic the music industry has been shaken. Live music in particular has come to a halt as the entire world continues practices of social distancing, a safety precaution that is necessary but a vast change from the crowded mosh pits of music halls. Nevertheless, in an industry built on creativity, many performers are reshaping the way they present live music.
While most artists have picked up various formats of live streaming, and other ways to engage with fans, one band looked at live music and decided to flip it on it’s side…. literally.
Rock act O. Torvald is known in Ukraine in part for their live shows. The group has performed at large festivals such as Prosto Rock (with Linkin Park and Garbage), Krashche Misto UA (with Evanescence and The Rasmus), Zakhid, Ekolomyja, Global Gathering and many more. Most notably, O.Torvald represented Ukraine in the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest with a performance of their song “Time.”
On July 18th, while most bands have completely stopped touring, O.Torvald held a live concert, in-person, only attendees did not stand side by side in a crowd. Instead, fans rented rooms at the hotel facing the stage, each with a balcony that fit up to four guests. Not only could each group remain socially distant from other concert go-ers but they then were able to bring their own refreshments and stay the night!
A video clip of the event featured through Associated Press and IKT has now gone viral with over 3.3 Million views. Watch below and consider, how can we affect the status quo for a safer music-loving environment?
