Last weekend saw the possible coming of a new dawn when the biggest musical event of the post-lockdown era was streamed across countries into people's phones and laptops. One World: Together at Home, a virtual festival put together by charitable organisation Global Citizen, witnessed 19 acts including titanic ones like The Rolling Stones and Elton John logging in to play pre-recorded songs for almost 21 million audience members cocooned within four walls. Nothing on that scale had ever taken place before. No one had till date seen someone like Sheryl Crow or Celine Dion play songs in their home studios with no visible make-up on. But then again, it was only a matter of time before the cookie crumbled for people fed on a diet of live gigs, given how starved they are of physical concerts. Self-isolation has changed their consumption patterns. And that holds true not just for a global audience, but even for India, given how this weekend will see a full-blown three-day virtual concert featuring 18 home-grown indie artistes plying their trade on Instagram Live.

Dashankit Londhe