Second Life Virtual Concerts

First there were live concerts, then radio broadcasts of live concerts. Next there were TV broadcasts of live concerts, and then there were recordings of live concerts. With the widespread use of internet, came streaming concerts online, now with streaming video as well. Now, all of that has reached the next step. Virtual world Second Life is getting more and more "live" concerts. Suzanne Vega, Duran Duran and Ben Folds have all played in avatar form in Second Life, with views of the "real" concert playing on the big screen over the stage. Now with so many different channels for experiencing a live performance, an online viewer can choose between which cameras to view the action from. One could switch between close up cameras on stage, middle row shots, full stadium shots, as well as viewing the virtual avatars, or all cameras at once. Better yet, it could be seamlessly integrated into one experience, melding the virtual and the real together into one. A great example of this was reported today from Denver, Colorado where ManiaTV was holding a concert in a previously abandoned warehouse. According to yahoo news:

those watching the Internet stream on ManiaTV saw the event not only from the perspective of multiple camera angles, but also from the point of view of a special Second Life "cam" that spliced in shots of the different bands' avatars performing in the virtual world. Meanwhile, those in Second Life watching the avatars perform were also viewing video of the real thing streamed from a large screen behind the virtual "stage." And those in the studios watching it live could also see what was happening in both, on about 25 TV monitors set up throughout the space.

In an industry that is crying over drops in cd sales and the internet takeover, this could be the next big music product. Read the report on yahoo news for more details.BBC news has also been dipping its toes into the Second Life. Last year BBC Breakfast conducted its first interview in Second Life.If you like virtual reality gigs, definitely check out Wired Mag's "Second Life Rocks (Literally)" guide to gigs...