15 The Arts Issue 9 - October 2023 Rediscovering the art of live music: Breaking free from the shackles of technology Here’s a question: if you were to find out that a gig (big or small) was playing tomorrow evening in your town, free entry, would you go? Even if you rarely listened to or had not come across that type of music before? The answer for many would be no, but why? Sure, streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify allow us to browse through practically any form of music we like at any time, but they can also trap us in a loop of recommended content. I often find myself listening to the same ten or twenty songs in a playlist over and over, not expanding my listening horizons. But sometimes I think everybody should try listening to a random new song, album or genre, or going to a gig for a band or artist you’re not yet familiar with, because you never know whether you’re going to like it or not, and if you don’t, then keep trying. Keep exploring new things because you only live once. Especially for the experiences you can have through live music. The vibe of being gathered around a stage with a bunch of strangers, all united by a shared passion for music, can be truly incredible and humbling. A few weeks back my father and I went to the Roundhouse in London to see ‘Speakers’ Corner Quartet’, a practically unknown band who were celebrating the release of their first album. What lured us to the concert was the presence of bigger artists like Sampha and Kae Tempest amongst others, but what made us stay was the atmosphere. For a start, the Quartet had some of the most varied and unique music styles I had ever heard; some tracks were ethereal, relaxing soundscapes with flute and violin playing, but in others all four members were gathered together making much louder contrasting electronic beats. Somehow, this worked amazingly, especially Image from a live show of The Prodigy Eli King (Year 11) explores the issues with streaming services and its effect on live music
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