This past Sunday, Much Music held the first of a new series of concerts dubbed “Live in the Lot”, in which their entire parking lot is transformed into a massive concert pit, complete with all the amenities of a regular concert venue. Their first artist was a veteran group in the Canadian music scene, Billy Talent.
This is a group you might know from their roots as Pezz, who have skyrocketed to mainstream rock around the world. Their set was incredible, met with much applause from fans and those on board passing streetcars. They performed 9 songs live in an hour-long televised broadcast sponsored by Rogers’ UrMusic brand. An interesting twist to the broadcast portion of the show is that viewers could vote for which songs they wanted Billy Talent to play. Throughout the night, there were three voting sessions, where viewers could select between three songs they wanted to see performed live. The show went off without a hitch and can now be found online at www.muchmusic.com.
The stage was set up with massive screens that displayed images relevant to the actual song being played rather than just being the typical random light show. There was a cathedral setting during Devil In a Midnight Mass, rain pouring for Rusted from the Rain, and plenty of abstract pieces for the other songs. To top it all off, a 360 degree camera right on stage caught all the action and can be found online!
We’re hoping that there are many more “Live in the Lot” sets in the future. They’re free, a great way for people to meet their favourite bands, and provide a really unique experience for everyone. Cheers to a great concept!
