Video Games Live is an orchestral music show that plays some of gaming's biggest soundtracks in a theatre setting. The show hit the UK last week, and we sent Pure Xbox'sJosephine Johnson along to the show's first appearance in Manchester, to find out what the score is.
I started gaming in 1986. The first game I finished was Leisure Suit Larry (thanks Mum!), I played Populous, Chuckie Egg, and Dizzy and I didn’t care which machine I played them on. We would happily wait seven minutes to load a cassette-based game or travel en masse to someone’s house because they had an Amiga and we could watch them play Wolfenstein orDoom. I remember seeing my friend’s brother play Diablo for the first time; I was transfixed - what was he doing? Why did he have to throw away that axe? "What do you MEAN you have to manage your own inventory?" We stayed up until 3am to finish Monkey Island (which came on TWELVE floppy disks) and we loved every minute. Sure, there was console jealousy and many of us still wear the scars of the Sega/Nintendo battles of the early nineties, but overall, we were just happy to play games.
In today’s gaming landscape, with the most powerful consoles on the market and a raft of new games every week, it’s easy to forget how privileged we have become. Gaming is no longer a subculture, but a thing your parents and grandparents do - happily - in their own home or handheld consoles and tablets or phones. This was especially apparent at Video Games Live’s first ever show in Manchester, UK because the 2,000 people entering the venue represented a cross-section of society. There were cosplayers, teenagers, businessmen and women, alpha nerds, jocks and hipsters spanning generations - all there to enjoy music from the games they love.
Prolific video game composer Tommy Tallarico and conductor Emmanuel Fratianni were the hosts for this event, taking us through a selection of pieces from the history of gaming with the assistance of the Hungarian Vituosi Orchestra, a choir, Random Encounter and Riva Taylor (Singer of The Creed, which will feature in Assassin's Creed: Unity). Three screens on the stage showed video footage during each song and YouTube videos between segments, and it was clear from the off that audience participation was encouraged as we shouted along to Castlevania while Tommy played guitar. Search lights panned the audience during Metal Gear Solid and 2,000 people sang the Mario theme song together (using the universally accepted language of "doopy doo’s" to form the tune). It was clear then, that this was meant to be a celebration of video games and an opportunity for us to experience the thrills, chills and laughs which hooked many of us in to the hobby in the first place.
The orchestra and choir were outstanding, as were the arrangements, provoking an emotional reaction even for those who were not familiar with the title in question. I came away convinced that I should play Silent Hill 2 andUncharted, two games to which I hadn’t given much thought previously but whose music and accompanying images moved me during this performance. The defining games of my generation that drew the biggest reaction from me - Megaman, Earthworm Jim and Metal Gear were personal highlights, but around the room the excitement was palpable during Mass Effectand Skyrim - everyone got a little something that struck a chord with their personal gaming habits.
Nobou Uematsu’s consistently spectacular pieces from the Final Fantasy series featured heavily, drawing a huge reaction from the crowd. One Winged Angel was accompanied by a photo montage which celebrated the best of cosplay and the choir sang beautifully, each cry of ‘Sephiroth’ sending a shiver straight down my spine. We were asked to consider the composition of Liber Fatalis (my personal favourite) by listening to how each instrument plays its part and weaves into the song as a whole. Beautiful.
Tommy Tallarico was our energetic host throughout, clearly a seasoned professional who rolled with the punches as the show experienced several technical problems. He was a charismatic marketer, encouraging the audience to visit his Kickstarter and tag themselves at the show via Facebook as well as staying behind afterwards to hold an open meet and greet for all ticket holders. He engages directly with fans via social media and the set list for each show is put together using suggestions from mailing lists and Facebook - which led to Monkey Island being played at the Manchester show.
Overall, Video Games Live was an overwhelming experience. To see all those people together in a room, cheering for Sonic, Pac Man and Donkey Kong, holding up 3DS consoles to elicit an encore and finally, singingStill Alive in unison to close the show, served as a reminder that whatever we think separates us; Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo...Casual, Hardcore...Hipster, Jock, Nerd - we are all just people who love to play games.
Stop what you’re doing, listen to the Halosoundtrack. Experience the build of that music. It’s a call to action. Stop complaining on the internet and get back to having fun - you’re wasting time. It’s time to start loving games again.
No comments:
Post a Comment