The epidemic is at its peak, but overseas are already busy finding solutions for a crowd that dreams of appearances • Anti-virus suit, watching cars and opaque glasses are just some of the solutions

• A crowd wearing masks performs in Hong Kong

  Photo: 

  Reuters

If everything goes according to plan, the cultural events are also expected to return to activity this summer, and after months the show market is expected to resume and come back to life. But even if returning to a written routine in the future, it will be a certain routine. Unlike other areas, such as restaurants, suppose it is the very human gathering that is at the center of the performance in front of an audience. If you, too, have been on live shows from empty studios during the closing days and you thought it was in no way whatsoever (and between us, it's better to hear an album or watch an old YouTube show. Many, not the live performance itself, make the experience of the performance a religious or ritual ritual, such as the mere gathering, listening, singing and collective admiration. In other words - the songs we know from the album, which really brings us to Live Park in Rishon Lezion at 36 degrees heat, the possibility of sweating and shouting together, for the release of energetic barriers and a primal need to belong to the group.

Therefore, it seems that the performance industry will face a greater challenge than any other area. Experts in the field are currently trying to understand and predict how live performances will come back to our lives, to a degree of remoteness and security - one that will avoid another wave of infection and yet not give up the sense of community that makes the difference between a live and a real live show.

Dense in the ear

For obvious reasons, one of the hypotheses is that mass impressions really will not take place at least until the antibody develops. Try to ascertain a reasonable physical distance between 50,000 people at Hayarkon Park. The same is true for international showrooms of eighty times more than 20,000 seats, which only stars of the size of Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé, Madonna or Poe Fitrese can fill. In other words, if you thought about seeing Pearl Jam, a well-known refusal to perform in Israel, in the United States for that matter - it might take some time.

"I can't see it happening until a vaccine is developed," Travis Ryder, an American bioethics researcher, told Usa Today magazine. "The lack of tests and the lack of a drug simply make things too dangerous. The risk of having these kinds of events as we used to do in the past is greater than the benefit of their existence ... trying to locate carriers and those who come into contact with them with such a level of density is impossible." But Ryder is not losing hope yet. "We are adaptive beings," he says. "We're going to do things differently. We can find ways to do what we love."

back to the Future

And really, it seems that the best minds are now thinking of original solutions to realize the need for performances. One is the drive-in proposal, which has made headlines recently. Local producers' plans for the Drive Inn complex for about a thousand cars have already been launched in Israel, with each vehicle accommodating two people. This is an initiative that will also include drinking booths and food, and indeed it is a solution that combines the need for remoteness with a nostalgic gimmick.

However, in Israel this may be a somewhat problematic task to accomplish. Drive complexes, especially those that are supposed to contain deaths and shows, tend to work better with cars with a roof open. In addition, there is also a traffic jam that accompanies every major performance in the country, and will certainly not pass on a complex with about half of its owners owning vehicles.

Another solution that came up on the net recently is the impression suit. Earlier this month, "Invention" released a development of what its people call a "virus-resistant suit" that, they say, fits devout performers. "The virus-resistant suit can be the future of shows and music festivals," they wrote, presenting a computer simulation of a man dressed in what can only be defined as a colorful space suit.

Behind the initiative is a production club operating in Los Angeles, which in my time routinely produces virtual reality experiences for the tech, gaming and music industries. In light of the disappearance of concerts and festivals from our lives, at least as we knew them, the company decided to apply a number of rules from the world of virtual reality and contain them in the field of live performances. "We are predicting our industry is dying, and it is crying out for help," said Miguel Risano, head of the club's inventions division, in an interview with the Fast Company business website, when revealing the show suit. "There are so many eligible companies for medical aid right now. We felt that our skills could be used to help other areas. No big concerts are going to be held for a period of time, so we decided to try and produce something that would allow for some safety events." 

Beyond being an unintentional type of homage to Robocop's suit (or that Daft Punk clip), the gig, dubbed "MicroShell," is made of a tactical fabric developed for durability and disinfectant. Those of you who can't pass a performance without alcohol will be pleased to know that it also contains a drinking and smoking tank system. This allows the wearer to enjoy these obscene but popular habits, even without removing the futuristic space helmet on his head. The microchannel is still in the early stages of development, so it still can't go on sale in the market, but its developers admit they were happy to use it as soon as possible.

For those who worry about the rest of the elements that accompany live performances and don't quite get along with the whole body suit and helmet issue, Risano finds that his people are trying to find solutions to everything. "It would be really Nijos to have to take her down every time you go to the bathroom," he explained of the reason why it wasn't an entire body suit. "We also wanted to make sure that if (microchannel wearers) want to have sex, it's also something they can do." Surely few are the things that scream sex like a glowing ultraviolet astronaut suit.

Until the shows come back in their new format, there are those who could not overcome the cancellation of the festivals in the summer, especially Glastenbury - the biggest, oldest and legendary among them. British artist Hartman, who planned to attend the festival for the third time, together with his roommate Jonathan Oaks created a miniature Lego version of the festival they love. Together, the two bored music lovers built the stage of the festival's iconic pyramid, and alongside characters representing their beloved singers also added smoke and pyrotechnic effects. Using an iPad, they upgraded the mini-festival they created to past event videos, such as the Arctic Monkeys and Coldplay. So far, the Lego version of the festival has seen more than ten thousand people, but that is about 0.05 percent of the audience allowed in the legendary festival. But hey, everyone and what helps him get through the summer.

The new normal

But don't worry, there are also more practical solutions that are already in development. In recent surveys in the United States, many respondents admitted that they do not plan to attend mass events any time soon, even after easing their conditions. One survey found no less than 44 percent of respondents indicated that they would expect a significant reduction in the percentage of morbidity before returning to their favorite foreign activity. Some are for safety reasons (ie, real fear of infection and infection), others will avoid it for the reason that it will not be so fun to watch a performance while applying social remoteness and masking laws.

But that's what the industry leaders are thinking of. In recent years, some of the international music festivals have also been broadcast online, for the benefit of those who could not see their musical idols at a distance. If so far, it was not really binding for festival producers abroad, there are now some who see live streaming shows, along with a significant restriction on the number of people who will be physically allowed, the future of the world of festivals. Impressions, and I think some of our online ideas were always a casual thing that didn't get a lot of attention, "said Kevin Layman, founder of the traveling and veteran" Warped "festival." The whole system has hijacked such a market, and it opens opportunities to explore the medium of the network. " 

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Those who are not provided with the computer option, however, will discover a new world of safety when returning to their favorite showroom. Among the ideas that are now being established for the regular functioning of these venues are heat testing at the entrance to the hall, a recording of the appearance of the event to identify the source of infection if needed, and a high presence of bacterial cleaners, gloves and opaque glasses that will separate bartenders and a thirsty audience.

Either way, it's pretty clear that this is one of the industry's biggest jolts, perhaps comparable to that of the aviation industry following the September 11 attacks in New York. The near future is unknown, but one thing can be determined: the new normal is anything but normal.