GEORGE TOWN – It has been almost a year since the collapse of live shows. Music creatives have tried to adapt by conducting online shows.
They do so in the hope that their audience would spare them a few ringgit, while they navigate a pandemic to which their talent is deemed a “non-essential” service.
The Vibes caught up with a few musicians after the Uah Music Festival held last month.
Yew Kuok Cheong, from space-rock folk band Buddha Beat, admitted that online shows are not sustainable.
“Offline video contents are usually better produced and available for free, such as music videos with high-quality audio. Whereas live videos need even more resources to produce. One major difference between live shows and online shows is the interaction between the musicians with the audience.
"Online shows are not able to achieve that, and it makes them less interesting.
“Technical-wise, musicians are not able to interact with viewers while performing. We are losing the true meaning of performing live,” said the founder of Soundmaker Studio.
He added that the music scene is now heavily dependent on government grants and funding. Venues and studios still needed to be sustained despite the lack of shows. Though going online is an option and often encouraged by government agencies, it does not generate income.
One Morr Time’s guitarist Soon Lay Teong said that while musicians can still perform online for live streams, those who do it full-time will not earn enough.
“I also see a lot of local artists releasing new songs through digital platforms such as YouTube and Spotify that garnered good response. However, in terms of income, the little that comes to live streams are still rare.
"Despite this difficult period, we can see the true passion and determination of local musicians.”
Music producer and guitarist Kelvyn Yeang’s opinion resonated with the other musicians’. He agreed that online shows are not sustainable.
“There are a lot of splinter industries coming out of this situation. Certain platforms seem to cater well to personalities and singers. But these generally favour those who can sing (singer-songwriter types, especially), but not bands.
"Some platforms cater well to DJs, too. I don’t think anyone has come up with a workable formula yet. But eventually, it will likely go in that direction. It is worth exploring because it will forever change what we understand what a ‘performance’ actually is.
“As a musician that draws a lot of performing energy through crowd interaction, this can sometimes feel pretentious. Unlike a music video, where it is all acting from the get-go, playing to cameras feel like rehearsals – except that this time you have to rehearse while pretending a crowd is there.
"But you have to get used to it. Ultimately, you will learn to roll with the times and adapt. Being flexible is key in anything that you do,” Yeang added.
When asked about the hopes and dreams the new year brings to the music scene, Yeang takes the stance of a realist.
“With a looming pandemic, unstable government and ever-changing SOPs, it creates a hodgepodge of uncertainties. Government policies play a larger role in determining what happens to the industry and scene in ways far larger than many care to believe.
“But the artists themselves are a very creative demographic. They will continue to re-invent themselves. I look forward to more creative content being released virtually this year.”
One of those who have reached a wider audience despite the pandemic is singer-songwriter Isaac Ho. Though the atmosphere is different at both physical and online venues, he says he still enjoys performing.
“It’s a bump in the road to greater things. Live shows will still happen after this pandemic. The local scene is handling the pandemic as best as it can. There are still organisers for indie music. While it does take more manpower and effort, shows can, and are, still happening in Malaysia.
“I hope that the local music scene continues to grow despite the limitations of live shows. We need more young talent here in Malaysia and I hope that there will be more online music showcases.
"I also hope that members of the local music scene continue to support one another, through the likes of collaborations and invitations to work together on online shows. We, as musicians, must also contribute to organising shows instead of playing them.
"That way, we can help strengthen the music scene.” – The Vibes, January 19, 2021
