Concert
For the Billy Joel album, see KontsertFor the The Cure album, see Concert (album)For the Pet Shop Boys live album, see Concert (Pet Shop Boys album)A
concert is a live
performance, usually of
music, before an
audience. The music may be performed by a single
musician, sometimes then called a
recital, or by a
musical ensemble, such as an
orchestra, a
choir, or a
musical band. More informal names for a concert include "show" and "gig". Concerts are held in a wide variety of settings or venues, including
pubs,
nightclubs,
houses,
barns, dedicated
concert halls, large multipurpose buildings, and even sports
stadiums. A concert held in a very large venue is sometimes called an
arena concert. Regardless of the venue, musicians usually perform on a stage. Before the dominance of recorded music, concerts would be the only opportunity one would generally have to hear musicians play.
There is normally a charge to attend a concert, though many are free. Proceeds benefit the musical group, the owners of the venue, and others involved in putting on the concert, or in some cases to
benefit a cause or
charity.
A
concert tour is a series of concerts by a musician, musical group, or some number of either in different cities or locations.
While the principal reason for a concert is the opportunity for the musicians to perform in front of an audience, even the most purely artistic of endeavors will see gains. Concerts provide the musicians exposure to the public. An attendee will probably see the musicians perform again if the concert was worthwhile. Recording artists usually go on tours to promote record sales and introduce their fans to new
musical compositions. Some musicians and musical groups are known for consistently touring and performing live, others rarely so.
The nature of a concert will vary by
musical genre and individual groups in those genres. Concerts by a small
jazz combo and a small
bluegrass band may have the same order of program, mood, and volume, but vary in music and dress.
Musical groups with large expected audiences can put on very elaborate and expensive affairs. In order to create a memorable and exciting atmosphere and increase the spectacle, the musicians will frequently include additional entertainment devices within their concerts. These tend to include changeable
stage lighting effects and various
special effect visuals, which include anything from large video screens, inflatables, smoke or
dry ice,
pyrotechnics, artwork, pre-recorded video, and unusual attire. Some
singers, especially in genres of popular music, augment the sound of their concerts with pre-recorded
accompaniment and even broadcast vocal tracks of the singer's own voice. When the songs have an instrumental break, sometimes there's a muscular guitar solo. When the songs end, the drums and cymbals bang and crash, or do a
drum roll, and the electric guitar rolls, or yells. (Sometimes the singers end the songs with words used in songs (Ooooh, Baby, etc.). (There's even long ones with fireworks and the singers going crazy on stage). Activities which may take place during large-scale concerts including dancing, sing-alongs,
moshing or head-banging, and
crowd-surfing.
Larger concerts involving a greater number of musical groups, especially those that last for multiple days, are known as
festivals. Examples include the
Woodstock Music and Art Festival,
Salzburg Festival, the
Newport Jazz Festival,
Cambridge Folk Festival,
Glastonbury Festival, and the annual
Gathering of the Juggalos.
*
Concert Etiquette*
List of music festivals*
Benefit concert*
Rock festival*
Recorded live track*
Guerrilla gig*
House concert*
Pollstar - Concert Listings*
Concert Tour Dates*
Pittpunk - Pittsburgh Concerts*
Concert Live Pics*
UK Gig Guide The biggest ticket resource in the UK
*
BritishConcerts.com - UK tickets database*
Live Music Database
