I would like to talk about an acoustic charity concert that was broadcast live over the internet by an indie folk band late last autumn. It was on a chilly, rainy Saturday evening, and I was relaxing on the sofa in my flat, streaming the performance on my laptop connected to the main television screen.
There were tens of thousands of people from all over the world tuned into the video-sharing website at the same time. What made it particularly engaging was the interactive live chat scrolling down the side of the screen; fans were leaving comments, requesting obscure tracks, and sending donations in real time. My flatmate ended up joining me about half an hour in with a bowl of crisps, so we turned down the lights and sang along together.
To be honest, I had slightly mixed feelings about experiencing it virtually rather than being there in the flesh. On the one hand, a digital feed can never fully replicate the electric atmosphere of a packed music venue, where you feel the bass vibrating through your chest and share that collective energy with a crowd.
On the other hand, this format had a remarkably cosy, intimate feel to it, almost as though the musicians were performing a private session in our living room. It was brilliant being able to pause for a cup of tea, and we completely avoided the usual hassles like queuing in the freezing rain or catching a packed night bus home. All in all, it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening.