I’ve been busy at SXSW London and am still catching up on work, so in the absence of this week’s Game Music Digest I wanted to treat you to a special podcast episode all about video game concerts, featuring Gaetano Fazio, founder of SOHO Live
SOHO Live is a Tokyo-based company specialising in video game and anime concerts. The company started as a production partner providing tour planning and marketing for some of the biggest concerts in the world based on anime/video game IP such as Final Fantasy, Pokemon and Dragon Ball.
In recent years, SOHO Live has expanded to start producing its own concerts such as Stardew Valley: Festival/Symphony of Seasons, Shovel Knight Live: Steel Thy Concert! and, most recently, Death Stranding: Strands of Harmony.
While video game concerts have been around for decades, they’re no longer the rarity that they once were. Video game concerts are now a regular at many of the world’s most prestigious concert halls and venues, and often don’t struggle to sell out venues of 2k+ capacity.
With a recent survey from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra finding one in six people discover orchestral music through video games, I wanted to chat to Gaetano to learn more about the video game concert space.
In our 30-minute chat, we cover:
Background and context on the history of video game concerts;
SOHO Live’s transition into original productions;
What makes a good video game concerts;
How video game concerts are produced;
Managing touring schedules and logistics for international shows;
The benefits of video game concerts for video game studios.
I hope you enjoy this chat and keep an eye on your inbox for a very meaty episode of Game Music Digest!
- - Mat
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