In the seventies you were only a real rock star if you owned your own jet. Legendary is The Starship, a Boeing 720 retired from United Airlines, in which the Rolling Stones to Deep Purple traveled all over the world, which had in the music business rank and name.
The machine was known by Led Zeppelin: The British rock quartet was the first band that flew with the converted to luxury jet aircraft to the concerts of their world tour. A picture of that time shows singer Robert Plant walking casually in front of the machine with his shirt completely unbuttoned. The message: My private jet, my band, my success.
Today, in times of flying ash, every PR manager would know how to prevent such images. Those who spend more time in long-distance machines than on stage cause catastrophic CO2 emissions. Gas is considered the main cause of climate change.
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So some musicians are thinking about how to do it differently. Just last week, Coldplay announced that, for climate protection reasons, they want to forego a big tour for the time being, and only want to play concerts again worldwide if this is climate-neutral.
Now also Massive Attack wants to strive for the climate protection. British Trip Hop pioneers seek to partner with researchers from the University of Manchester and the Tyndall Center for Climate Change Research, according to a Guardian report. The plan is to create a kind of carbon footprint of the music industry with the project. In the long term, this could lead to a guide for other artists.
However, the British do not want to do without a tour on a tour. Instead, all sources of carbon dioxide emissions should be recorded at future concerts. "We need such partnerships to get more accurate data," said Chris Jones, one of the researchers involved. That's the only way to search for alternatives. He considers such projects to be more sustainable than when individual artists finish their live performances.
In the eco-village with Billie Eilish
Massive Attack singer Robert Del Naja said they are already trying to offset CO2 emissions by driving the band by train where possible. In addition, one would invest in climate protection projects. Regardless of the type, prominence or popularity of an artist, "business as usual" is unacceptable.
Due to the changes in the music industry with streaming services and less record sales, concerts have become more important as a source of income for artists in recent years. Especially large festivals are likely to have a catastrophic CO2 balance. Tens of thousands of visitors travel to well-known events such as Glastonbury in the UK or Coachella in the US. Some fans take long air travel to attend the events.
Bio-diesel generator in continuous use
Tons of equipment must also be transported over long distances for such events. The gigantic lighting systems and sound systems also ensure high power consumption. An evaluation of 279 music festivals from the UK showed that in 2015 alone 20,000 tons of CO2 were released at concerts. And the arrivals were not even included.
For this reason, the Glastonbury Festival uses biodiesel generators or other emission-reducing energy solutions. In addition, for reasons of environmental protection, disposable plastics were banned on the site this year.
Actions like Massive Attack's and Coldplay's, who posted their announcement just in time for the release of their new album, may be considered clever PR that suits the zeitgeist. But more and more artists integrate environmental and climate protection into their concerts.
The US singer Billie Eilish wants to build a kind of ecovillage at concerts of her tour next March. There, the fans should be able to inform themselves about the climate crisis. If you are involved in a specific environmental protection organization, you can secure free tickets for the concerts. And the British indie rock band The 1975 wants to plant a tree for every ticket sold on their UK tour.
