Live 2021-04-15 Sobranie 8 18 Live Show
19:30 - live stream starting 20:00 - Nikita Khizha 21:00 - Sobranie 8 18
Generally speaking it is not a good idea to write a review immediately after a concert, but at times it is necessary to do so. Why? There are moments when you need to get something of your chest and empty your mind so to speak.
While the Bandcamp live experience has been quite positive so far, with the exception of a disastrous one in December, the quality of what had been offered this evening left something open to question. Contrary to what the reviewer has viewed/experienced so far, the performance in this case was not something especially made for a potential audience from a variety of countries, but rather a gig to please a local crowd, while the Internet would be able to watch from "afar".
18:30, no joke, was the time where the stream initially started. And nothing happened. No music. Nothing. The images those of a stage on which some people were walking around, messing around with instruments but not giving any indication of the thing to come or playing music. The chat was silent.
As there had been one(!) other person on the Bandcamp live stream, a small discussion arose about what this is was all about, why there was only silence and occasionally a frozen camera. It took some time to get some response from the band. Over thirty minutes(!) passed in order to get a response from the band and those in the stream were guaranteed that the show would start soon and that everyone was getting ready.
The first musician: Some rather tiring piano stuff ... no interaction with the stream or the audience, just an endless barrage of music. KThxBye.
At around 21:00 this was over and the next band "Sobranie 8 18" was to play soon. Another pause. Another pause with silence and a frozen camera.
Then the second and last band of the evening was about to enter the stage, but there was a problem with the camera. Due to a lack of battery energy, the Bandcamp live stream would be without images. Only audio. The suggestion given in order to ameliorate this apparent flaw and lack of preparation was to head over the Instagarbage and to watch it there. Since the writer of these lines does have neither a Fecesbook or Instagarbage account, such a thing was impossible.
What about the music, then? Well, it was nice. But this is not the point in terms of a live concert. The visuals, the presentation are a core aspect of it. The way an atmosphere is created, the way the band is able to perform the music on stage is of importance. Without this one facets, a vital part of the experience has been taken away and all that is left can be described as a session that happens to be a live concert somehow; similar to a live recording, with the exception that it would be possible to chat with someone from or close to the band.
All in all a rather underwhelming experience.