Concerts in London have been cancelled, leaving music lovers with meaningless tickets and uncertainty. Online concerts have now taken their place, but are they a true replacement?
After the cancellation of their scheduled tours, various musicians have decided to meet their fans virtually. K-pop sensation BTS had a successful online concert on the 10th and 11th of October with over 993,000 tickets sold. Ticket prices started from £40 for one day and £65 for a two-day ticket including access to their virtual exhibition.
.@BTS_twt sold almost a MILLION TICKETS for their virtual shows… Lol do you understand how CRAZY that is!?
— BIG REID (@BigReidRadio) October 13, 2020
Billie Eilish is set to have her first online concert on the 24th of October. “In the show I’ll be bringing you inside my head in crazy XR environments” said the 18-year-old artist on her Instagram. The price of her virtual show – around £20 – got criticised for being expensive.
https://twitter.com/noragracekhatib/status/1318162650484920321?s=21
Concerts streaming online means location and distance is no longer a problem for attendance. There is no need to change cities or even countries to see your favourite artist. In fact, the comfort of your own room will do. Arguably, concerts are now much more accessible. Of course, at the expense of losing the actual experience.
Filling a venue with thousands, waiting in lines for hours to make sure you get as close to the stage as possible, getting beers and chips and chatting with people who share one common passion as you – all of this is irreplaceable but also, in the circumstances we’re living in, unthinkable. So online concerts are not a choice fuelled by convenience or laziness, but a desperate call to save the present and future of artists and the music industry.
Online concerts will never truly be a replacement to the loud music buzzing in your ears, colourful confetti painting the sky and actually seeing your favourite artist. Nevertheless, it is the closest we can get to that feeling, from the safety of our homes.
Here are some mixed reactions from Twitter about online concerts:
Most responses were positive, appreciating the convenience of online concerts and simply having something to look forward to in the midst of the pandemic.
Got my ticket for the online concert in November and now I have something in life to look forward to LOL
— エイミー✌️ 学校デスロード号🥁 (@ohnaganoes) October 14, 2020
Ticket purchased for Niall’s show! If online concerts are what we have for the next while I’m fully going to enjoy it @NiallOfficial
— Sammy (@samanthaeilene) October 14, 2020
the great thing about online concerts is that clarice and i can just get one ticket and live stream it from the comfort of our living room AND we don’t have to spend a boatload on drinks/snacks/uber either 🙂
— lady mari 🍯 (@mari_YUM_) October 14, 2020
Others defended ticket prices by comparing it with previous ones.
The people complaining about an online concert ticket being $30 never yeeted $1100 at a live concert ticket.
— Nyan.gi³ 𝓧 Gunwoo Appreciator (@gunwoobff) October 18, 2020
Negative responses complained about high prices and the lack of feeling in online concerts.
Artists are now performing online concerts. All that money for a ticket, should’ve stuck with a YouTube video :/
— Sai⁷🧃 (@SaintSaii) October 16, 2020
RIGHT plus during actual concerts we would be getting fansite pics and videos etc, online concerts give nothing?? people just love the opportunity to be classist though
— res ♡ | semi-ia (@doorootutu) October 22, 2020
Me after ordering VVIP ticket of Dreamcatcher's ot7 online concert tomorrow pic.twitter.com/vHYLEGwAVa
— D.M.W～黒い雪「自由自在🍀🌈✨」 (@KuroiYuki88) October 15, 2020
Words: Begum Kuruc | Subbing: Zakia N