Music
Skip NXNE's Second Life in Favor of its First
I'll give props to NXNE and the bands playing at C'est what on June 7 for trying something new, even if I refuse to endorse it, as a Torontoite who's attending NXNE. The show is going to be 'simulcast' in the world's most glorified chat avatar system, Second Life.
What does this mean for anyone with an NXNE wristband and an interest in Uncle Seth, grand:pm, Valery Gore and/or Nadine Medawar? It means P. Diddy Squat.
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Second Life is a virtual world of sorts. People create characters, spend (real) money, inhabit virtual households (that cost real money), and generally kill time with it like you would with most any other form of entertainment.
It's kind of like The Sims meets World of Warcraft meets your bank account. Not that The Sims or WoW are free, but ya get me, right?
Virtual "concerts" are starting to gain in popularity within Second Life as well; Duran x2 have done it, as have Suzanne Vega and Talib Kweli. What it means is that the bands stream the audio through to Second Life, where a virtual venue has been constructed for the real/virtual event that Second Life users can attend and, in a matter of speaking, participate in. The bands will all have virtual avatars that will be "playing" the music as it's played live.
If you're in Toronto and are a fan of any of the bands, don't bother.
The show won't be much to look at, or hear for that matter. Second Life's graphics engine is far behind what even the (now considered) dated graphics of World of Warcraft have to offer. Factor in what will be decidedly underwhelming sound quality and presence (compared to actually being there) and what you have is a good way to market your band to audiences that can't attend your shows.
Wristband holders, skip this one over and just go to the show. Maybe even buy some of our old friend Jay Moonah's merch. Uncle Seth are le awesome, and this won't be the first time they've done an SL show.
Now, what would make this fucking rad would be if a virtual terrorist group penis-bombed the event. If someone is planning to do this, then by all means download the Second Life client and partake in the festivities.
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Duran Duran only threatened to play in Second Life. It was all talk--there was no rock.
Just as well. One Duran is already one Duran too many.
Thanks for the props Ryan! I should say for my part that I actually agree -- if you can be at the real show, BE THERE! The Second Life thing is really for our friends and fans who are not able to attend NXNE 'cus they are in Boston or Montreal or where ever. Hell, in November we even had someone from Australia at the virtual show! That's really what it's about IMHO.
Pink penis bombs for the win!
This is a great idea. Especially for people like the disabled who would have trouble making it to a show. And Ryan I wouldn't worry about people skipping the real show to watch it on their computer. I think anyone who's willing to fork out for a wrist band isn't going to stay home and nerd out in second life instead of seeing the live show. Plus having real dicks forced at you in a small club is so much more fun than virtual ones falling from the sky... Damn I love that story.
The thing I don't understand about SL concerts Jay is, why go to all that trouble? Isn't it just as easy, if not easier, to set up a camera and plug something into the soundboard? If you can stream SL, you can stream THAT, and it's actually the real show, not hte digital representation of it.
But brokenengine. You're missing the point. By just streaming it there's no chance flying dicks. And where's the fun in that!?
The thing about Second Life and virtual worlds, in my opinion, is the social aspect. I like to say that concerts in Second Life are more like real life concerts than say a straight stream because they become as much about the interaction of the audience and their social experience as it is about the band and the music, which is what a concert in a club is really about. Of course the music is critical, but so is the feeling that you're sharing an experience. THAT'S really the neat thing about these Second Life shows, at least to me.
Interestingly, the Virtualive.tv group is combining the Second Life and video in the simulcasts that they do. My friend Adam Broitman is one of the folks behind this, and he's coming up from NYC to talk about it at our NXNE panel on Saturday. I really like this idea too, we didn't have time to get it together for this C'est What show but I'd love to try something like this in the future.
I've actually been in one of those flying dick attacks. It's only fun for the first 10 minutes or so. :-P
Sigh, can someone point me to a wikipedia page or something that explains wtf you guys are talking about re: flying dicks? Please note, I am old and out of the loop on a lot of you younguns tomfoolery.
So, Jay, what you're saying is they are working on setting up live streaming video AND having peoples avatars represented in front of the video? That I could see being pretty cool.
Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with being represented onstage as an avatar either. As long as I get to lie, and design myself 40lbs lighter and much more attractive! Which is what the internet is all about right? Lies and anonymity?
Penis bomb article:
http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=30420&in_page_id=34
Yeah Tim exactly, avatars performing in front of a video screen so folks in SL can see both. I saw a concert that Adam and co. put on doing this, it looked pretty damn cool! But it's a lot more work to coordinate something like that.
No doubt, but I would think much more effective as the novelty factor wouldn't wear off as quickly!
Was the point of this article to promo the concert or hate on second life? I'm confused.