Bastille perform live ‘Futureverse’ gig

British band Bastille have performed a hybrid metaverse / physical gig, built with the Unreal Engine in partnership with WPP, EMI, Meta and Epic Games. The band played the ‘Futureverse’ gig live on stage backed by a 45’ LED screen hosting virtual worlds created using Unreal Engine.

Fans located anywhere in the world were able to attend the gig live, appearing as stylised avatars, and interact with the real-life band members as they performed on stage.

The performance is available to watch again as an Oculus Quest app.

Dan Smith, Bastille, said: “As a band, we try to shy away from what’s expected. Our new album Give Me The Future is about our relationship with technology, and we really wanted to do something that pushed the boundaries of what’s currently possible and that looked towards what’s to come in the future. This is the next level of interactivity within music.”

Dinushi Perera, EMI Records, added: “This is a defining moment for EMI. It’s an opportunity for us to deliver one of many explorations into the ‘Future Of Music Experience’. This passion and commitment to shape the future of music anchors around leveraging emerging and disruptive technologies to explore new ways of bringing artists and music closer to fans than ever before, creating space to make a transformation within the industry.”

Rachel Stones, Unreal Engine business development manager at Epic Games, said: “WPP created a living, breathing world in which the artists and virtual attendees were able to interact with each other in amazing virtual environments. By embracing Unreal Engine, the team had the flexibility to move and iterate on hero assets in real time, and this will change the way production teams think about the future of live events and build for the metaverse.”

Stephan Pretorius, CTO at WPP, said: “We believe in creativity powered by technology which is why we were so excited to partner with EMI and Epic Games to not just imagine but also realise the future of music experience. The alchemy of partners and expertise allowed us to push technological boundaries to deliver an experience for the band and fans which sets the bar for how we perform and participate in music in the future.

“Bastille’s ‘Futureverse’ live concert and accompanying Give Me The Future Experience is trailblazing the next chapter in the future of music interactivity and the live experience. It pushes the boundaries of the music and tech experience and offers a glimpse into revolutionary new ways in which fans can collectively come together from anywhere in the world for a truly unique live music experience.”