Live performances - direct dialogue between artists and audience

Due to the pandemic, which has not subsided even after a year, many musicians are turning to a new form of performance - online concerts. Like world stars who maintain a connection with the audience in this way, there are more and more regional ones who dare to attend online concerts for which tickets are also sold. Rambo Amadeus, Josipa Lisac, Vatra, Massimo Savić, Božo Vrećo, are just some of the musicians from this area who can boast of successful online concerts, but Montenegrin musicians, for now, do not decide on such a move.

"For people who live not only from music but also for music, it represents a need that is not easy to replace, I completely understand the desire for musicians to adapt to the situation and continue doing what they do in the most appropriate way. At the time of the ban on playing in physical proximity to the audience, as we were used to before all this, online concerts were the only solution, perhaps not ideal and certainly not an adequate substitute for a live concert, but the best possible under the given circumstances, who had the opportunity to organize them ", believes the frontman of the rock band Rudolf Bojan Peko Minić.

Pop singer Danijel Alibabić also supports all those who dared to perform in this way.

"We were adapting to the situation we found ourselves in, but we are missing performances in front of the audience and I hope that with proper discipline and vaccination, we will soon be able to count on concerts and performances," Alibabić hopes.

However, there are also those for whom nothing can replace the feeling of listening to live music, and violinist Katarina Pavlović is among them.

"I'm not a fan of online events, because there is no greater excitement than buying a concert ticket and going to it. I had the opportunity to travel a lot and I would always look at the happenings in the city I am in and use the opportunity to visit a museum, a play or a concert. It happened that I went abroad just to listen to someone's concert and that is really an adventure. I have visited hundreds of concerts by various performers, so an online concert can never bring the feeling of a concert hall closer to me, as well as people who convey emotions through live music", believes Pavlović, who, while some opted for online performances, "advertised" during the pandemic. videos recorded in interesting locations in which he plays covers of hits.

"I don't have an audience of several million people, so I don't know how interesting it would be for someone to get involved online. Everyone has found their vision of themselves on social networks, and mine is a video because it is always recorded, so whoever is interested can watch it," explains Pavlović.

During the pandemic, the group Rudolf had an online appearance calling the project Platform 081, and with the impressions Minic says:

"We had a concert on Lake Biograd, and later I participated in an open mic concert, realized with the cooperation of the studio Stivi and Platforma 081. The concert was wonderfully conceived and technically realized, it was well accompanied and commented on, although it was felt that we had not played for a long time and that we performed after only one or two rehearsals after a six-month break in which we didn't see each other, but it was still a successful concert and a great experience to remember," Minić recalled.

Danijel Alibabić was among the first to socialize with the public on Facebook and Instagram at least once a week during the pandemic. Eager to perform in clubs, Danijel replaced the stage with a terrace, so thanks to the sound system, in addition to followers on social networks, the neighbors also listened to the performance.

"I am happy that I came up with the idea of ​​'Concert from the balcony' because I have achieved my goal, which is to brighten curfew for my neighbors and followers on social networks. I believe that act itself will be remembered forever. It resonated so much that all the media in the region wrote about it, it was even broadcast in the central dailies on almost all televisions in the region," boasted Alibabić.

Among those who had an online concert during the pandemic is the guitar duo Srđan Bulatović and Dako Nikčević. Their performance took place as part of the Podgorica Cultural Summer event, and was followed by the audience on social networks.

"I am not a supporter of online concerts, neither as a performer nor as a listener. Live concerts are irreplaceable. No matter how much technology has advanced, I think it is still not up to the task. No technology so far can convey the feeling, the atmosphere, the sound, not to mention the audience reaction, as it is immediate. I played an online concert last year, there will probably be more, but it's not a special pleasure for me. Work is work and we have to adapt to it, as well as to the times we are in and the times to come, and we cannot work only as we would like. Online concerts remind me of a dress rehearsal, of the pain of it, deprived of the presence and reaction of the main critic and the one for whom we exist - the audience," Bulatović recounts his impressions of that concert. According to him, the advantage of an online concert is that it can be followed by a large audience.

"But the same or similar can be done and it is done with videos that many musicians post every day, advertising themselves in that way. There are many flaws, but the main one is that there is no direct contact with the audience. It is her reaction that teaches us, motivates us how to behave, create, where to go further both artistically and creatively", adds Bulatović, while Katarina does not see an advantage in holding online performances.

“I can't take it seriously. The concert must be performed live in front of an audience in a concert hall suitable for the specific type of music. We all know what the painting of the Mona Lisa looks like, but only those who have seen it live can understand its timeless preciousness", believes Pavlović, while Bulatović is sure that online concerts are currently being used more as an experiment due to the current situation.

"I sincerely hope that it will not come to life, but that we will return to the only and true way that has lasted for centuries - the direct dialogue between artists and the audience", Bulatović hopes.

What is important to everyone who is on stage is the applause, the encore, the audience singing in unison. There is no such thing at online concerts. Can the musicians also enjoy it without it, the interlocutors of Vijesta tried to explain:

"We belong to that group of people that I mentioned at the beginning, who live for music rather than from it, we always enjoy playing. We almost shot a music video for one song and part of that involved playing a bit on stage for a group of extras. We had to play the same part of the song over and over, but even that was enough for us to steal a "bite" of the previous state. Of course, nothing can replace the catharsis that is sometimes caused by the connection of musicians with the audience, there is no substitute for the crowd singing our songs together with us, but if it's not possible to play like that, then by all means, just play," says Peko Minić. .

"The audience best feels the energy that we send from the stage, but also reciprocates the same energy, so it is of great importance, because the quality of our performance depends a lot on them," reveals Alibabić.

Here in Montenegro, there are few performers and bands who can sell tickets for such concerts. When asked if this is also the reason why musicians do not think about such an undertaking, Alibabić answers:

"Montenegro has many quality musicians and I think that after this break, great things await us. I believe that my colleagues, just like me, worked on themselves and their career during the entire break", hopes the former member of the band No Name.

However, Minic believes that it is not only a problem to sell out tickets, but that such a concert also implies a large organization.

"Such an organization sometimes knows how to ask for a lot of money, behind such a concert there are cameramen, sound engineers, producers, people who take care of the transmission of the footage, editors, there is a mountain of expensive equipment, drinks and food, fuel, and in the end all this and quite sterile. Anyone who has seen a concert live, and then later a recording of the same concert, knows that, they are completely different stories. If the listener can't feel how the bass and drums echo in his chest, how the distortion shakes his spine, it's not the same experience as at a concert. I think that's why people have a hard time getting into that story, it requires investments that can hardly pay off, and the result is far from what it would be live. Fortunately, there are enthusiasts and enthusiasts full of energy and the will to achieve such things out of pure love and as a volunteer, so that occasionally nice things of that type happen, such as our mentioned collaboration with Platform on Lake Biograd," explains Minic, who with the band Rudolf did not have other gigs in clubs, even when they were allowed.

"We couldn't even meet for a long time, part of the band was out of Montenegro due to studies, and later, when we all came here, a rehearsal could not be organized, gatherings, intercity transport (we are not all in the same city) and the like were prohibited. , so we didn't even prepare for the gigs. Now we are already preparing, but there is no mention of allowing gigs, not counting this farce of three-hour daily gigs in the bar's gardens, with the ban on people from the audience to dance and sing," Minić reminds.

Musicians have recently been allowed to perform in front of the public, but under special conditions - only acoustics and no playing, and in the period from 18 pm to 21 pm.

"This is a disservice to both musicians and restaurateurs, the former because they feel partially satisfied by the very permission to play music (and this should not be the case), and the latter because some do not have gardens or are small, invest money to pay musicians who play for the guests are arranged at several separate tables, they wear masks and they are not allowed to dance and sing with the band, all this is more sad than funny, but here it is again played, and both the audience and the musicians feel at least a little satisfaction that something is happening, while it's far from great condition. "Some of us from the band play individually or as an acoustic duo, but Rudolf's music is not really for an acoustic version at six in the afternoon, so the band is in a state of hibernation until electric gigs are allowed in slightly better circumstances," Minic admits.

"Personally, I am satisfied that we can start working at least a little, because many colleagues live from this work and support their families. It is certainly significant that we have started work, and I am happy about the fact that we will soon be able to fully return to our work and plans that have been stagnant for 15 months," concludes Alibabić.

Online concert or earlier recording - no difference

Thanks to online concerts, with a purchased ticket, we can follow the performances of our favorite performers and bands from all over the world. However, Katarina Pavlović says that she is not sure that she would buy a ticket for such a musical spectacle.

"I just don't find myself in that kind of interpretation," she briefly commented, while Bulatović thinks it's the same as watching their recordings that already exist on the Internet.

"I would enjoy it even more and I enjoy hearing an earlier concert and the reaction of the audience and the atmosphere from it. And there are very interesting performers and concerts that in this break of not playing my own public concerts I use to listen to music. I have never listened to and analyzed as many artists as I do now. And do I need to listen to online concerts!?” Bulatović asks.