Bringing the fan closer to the experience of a live concert… but with the privilege of being part of it on the stage. This could be one of the wonders of the visual and sound station that can be accessed through the initiative of the Mobile World Capital Barcelona in collaboration with the Barcelona Music Lab foundation and that has materialized thanks to various accomplices. Another remarkable aspect is that satisfaction is virtually guaranteed beyond musical preferences and tastes.
What’s the story? You put on a pair of snug-fitting goggles and enjoy a snippet of the final song performed by the group Izal in their final concert at the Palau Sant Jordi before disbanding. It was on October 8th as part of the Cruïlla de Tardor cycle, and the piece is 4.20 minutes of their hymn-song La mujer de verde, where Mikel Izal and his band give their all in cahoots with a devoted audience.
What is remarkable is that it is an immersive experience where you can see and hear the musicians, and the reaction of the audience at point blank range; if you move the angle of vision, you can also check out the security or maintenance people are doing. Unleashed decibel sound, smoke, spotlights, and you as if you were one of the band. But there’s more…
Promoter Jordi Herreruela, a member of Barcelona Music Lab, explains the context and characteristics of this unbeatable immersion. “We have worked with the heads of MWCapital to consolidate an umbrella project that brings together all the innovation and sustainability ideas and experiences that exist within the music industry. We were very interested in generating a transformative proposal and we started from a completely groundbreaking and innovative listening experience. Then we went a step further and devised a complete five-sensory experience. And then we involved more people, among them the Cruïlla festival, of which I am director, but whose role in this project has been minimal: to stage the concert”.
In those four-and-a-bit minutes, the lucky participant sees and hears through the glasses, but also listens in a space where confetti flutters onto the floor, which happens at one point in the song. While witnessing it, the sense of smell perceives a touch of barley in the atmosphere, while, depending on how you turn your head –not your body– you geta blast of fresh air. The only thing missing is taste, which may be activated if during the visualization one drinks a beer, for example…
Herreruela, a key player in this sensory adventure, explains that “we are not aware of any similar experience of technology and music”. The only thing that comes close is the previous joint initiative that was ultimately innovative: the 5G viewing of the concert performed by the Black Eyed Peas at Cruïlla in 2019. “There, we wanted to demonstrate that two distant points could be connected with a very high quality of video and sound in real time. Now the focus of innovation is on converting flat, one-dimensional, immersive experiences into multi-immersive ones.
But there’s seven more. MWCapital and the Barcelona Music Lab foundation are working on new projects beyond classic entertainment. “In the coming months we will work to bring culture to new audiences and sectors,” says Eduard Martin, director of intelligent connectivity at MWCapital. And he adds that “truly transformative experiences happen through the union of talent from different specialties, which is why the mix of music and technology is so powerful.”
