Concerts Meeuwis and Van Buuren can be followed online: is there a future in the livestream? † NOW

Live streams were pretty much the only way for artists to perform for their fans for almost two years. Now that all events with the public are allowed again, the need for live streams no longer seemed so high. Nevertheless, Videoland and platform HYMN see a future in it: they are coming with a live stream of a concert by Guus Meeuwis and with an online concert film by Armin van Buuren.

Everyone was forced to sit at home, but the need for cultural events remained. The solution: you could attend concerts from your own couch. Davina Michelle performed in an empty Ahoy, world stars such as Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish and Kylie Minogue gave full online concerts and halls such as the Concertgebouw also came up with an online program.

Guus Meeuwis started the band The Streamers with many well-known Dutch artists. With them he gave concerts at special locations where no live audience was present, but a large audience could watch from home. Now that the corona measures are over, The Streamers will perform in front of a live audience for the first time.

More than a live concert

It may have been expected that the streaming initiatives would be buried as soon as the concert halls filled up again, but that does not apply to the platform HYMN, which was set up in corona time. They made a show with Davina Michelle in times of lockdowns and will present the concert film on June 30th Armin van Buuren: This Is Me.

Thomas de Vrij of HYMN emphasizes that a concert film provides a completely different experience than a physical event. “They will never replace each other. But with a concert film you get more opportunity for depth and telling a story than with a live concert alone.” The project by HYMN and Van Buuren (tickets at 11 euros) is a mix of a concert registration of his performances in the Ziggo Dome in the coming days and documentary-like parts in which Van Buuren and his family have their say.

De Vrij explains that the idea of ​​HYMN arose due to the limitations of the corona crisis, but that it has not become redundant now. “The pandemic has made us realize how we can take the experience to another level and a new format has emerged from that. We have been given the space and time to develop that. With Davina we did that in the middle of corona time without an audience and now let it go.” we see what it adds with a production from a sold-out Ziggo Dome.”

He also thinks it is a practical solution for fans of Van Buuren all over the world, who cannot all travel to Amsterdam, but can still watch the one-off concert series in the Ziggo Dome.

De Vrij says that applications from international artists are pouring in. “I think that in times of corona many artists have started to think about what they stand for. They are looking for a medium that goes beyond just a physical show, with which they can tell their story and get their message across.”