Condense, a Bristol based company with world-first capabilities “to capture and live-stream real world content into virtual spaces,” is the latest addition to the ever evolving and merging Bristol tech and music scenes. Their hub Studio 5 next to the Watershed is their current main stage, and Saturday December 9 sees the stage set for rapper Lady Leshurr, as she begins her comeback tour in the virtual space.
Lady Leshurr poster – photo: Condense
Audience members can join online via mobile or desktop. Once creating their own fully customisable avatar, they are then able to enter the performance and join fellow fans surrounding the stage, cheering on their favourite artist and connecting with other fans via the live chat.
The performers can also interact with the audience, as they can read the live chat as it comes in, and see the usernames of the fans enjoying the show – giving them shoutouts, answering questions, and further deepening the relationship between artist and audience. The stage is custom designed for each performance, too, allowing the artist complete creative control over the environment they want to be seen within.
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Comparisons can be drawn with various other virtual live performances, such as the hyper-viral Travis Scott performance in Fortnite, and the game’s more recent collaboration with Eminem that left players locked out to due server overloads. The main difference, of course, is the live streamed element – rather than the audience watching a pre-made 3d animation of an artist performing, it’s a real time live streamed video of them that can be interacted with.
Discussing where the company sits within the live performance landscape, Nick Fellingham, Condense’s CEO, said that “the music industry is changing. Streaming has transformed the way artists earn revenue from music sales, with live events becoming increasingly important for many musicians.
Here at Condense, we’ve created something totally new. Artists can now reach a global audience with one live performance, unlock new revenue streams and really connect with their fans through real-time interaction.”
Tickets can be purchased for Lady Leshurr’s performance on December 9 here, and you can find out more about Condense and Studio 5 here.
Main photo: Condense
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