"IT'S A FORM OF ESCAPE"

What have you missed most about live music?

Written by Abi, Founder of No Encore.

My last live show was exactly 12 months ago today. It was a support slot for a touring band, and it was supposed to be the last show before my first ever UK tour. The dates were rescheduled, then rescheduled again, then cancelled altogether - like every other show for the last year.

365 days without live music has gone by in a really tedious blurry slump, obviously.

Each month I feel like it's been "maybe next month..maybe next week..maybe BoJo will give us the go-ahead any day now". Hahaha nope.

Nothing to look forward to. There were some small outdoor gigs in my city last summer and a couple inside in the autumn, socially distanced of course, but short-lived; nothing for artists to really plan for, and nothing for music fans to get their teeth into. No reliable work for the techies and huge uncertainty for promoters. The few shows I had tickets for got cancelled anyway. It's been a whole year since live music has been a part of my life, and probably yours too. 

During this break, like many others working in the entertainment industry, I ended up putting my restless creative energy into something else (no, I didn't retrain in cyber like the government suggested...let's not forget about this disaster). I set up No Encore. I'd like to think that when live music does return, musicians like me, with a passion for the planet will see their time on stage as a chance to also broadcast a meaningful message via their choice of tee. Let's see how that goes.

In the meantime, we recently ran a giveaway over on our instagram and gathered your views on what you miss most about live music. As fans and artists, the misery is mutual, but hopefully not for much longer...

Question: What do you miss most about playing live/seeing live music?

"I really miss letting loose and dancing all evening, singing until I'm hoarse, and in the moment just forgetting everything else in life to let the sights, smells, and sounds fill my soul. It's a form of escape that has been impossible to replicate while live music hasn't been possible." - @danielcaponsoundtracks

"That moment your band play your favourite song, and you get goosebumps!" - @mentisstatum

"I miss the magic of a group of people creating an amazing moment in time together on stage." - @letmecandelit

"Just sharing my music with people who haven’t heard it before and the amazing feeling when you gain a new supporter and sometimes friend from the crowd or all the other musicians." - @iamcaiimusic

"I miss performing the songs that mean the most to me and getting a connection from the audience when they sing back." - @carlenejade

"Classical music is my forte, I miss the emotional rollercoaster as I invariably cry each time." - @scottish_jw

"Ah, the connection! There’s nothing better than belting out a tune on stage and feeling the crowd send that energy right back you. It makes you feel ALIVE!" - @kazmosis

"Hearing the artist tell stories about the songs they're going to play. You don't get that from the sofa!" - @sophiegoodman1992

"The buzzing atmosphere and the thrill of seeing the artist appear! The thrill of seeing the fans and making friends! Comforting and exciting." - @technicallynerdycupcake

"The atmosphere being filled with excitement before they come on stage then of everyone being together and having a good time." - @fastfishchloe

Keep an eye out on all our social media channels for more giveaways! Get in touch if you have an idea for something you'd like us to dig into in another blog post too!