EVR launching MelodyVR lockdown concert series

Virtual reality content company EVR Holdings announced the launch of ‘Live from LA’ on Friday, which it described as a new live music series delivered into fans' homes around the world, broadcast from MelodyVR's new studio location in Los Angeles.

The AIM-traded firm said that the series would begin on Saturday, with an exclusive show from John Legend.

It said the series would also include performances from Machine Gun Kelly, Katelyn Tarver and the Score during its first week, with a number of other artists still to be announced.

Live from LA was developed to provide fans with immersive performances from their favourite artists, and in a bid to overcome many of the Covid-19 pandemic-related challenges facing the music industry, while maintaining “the highest levels” of safety for both performers and crew.

The staging of the new content series would ensure artists could continue to connect with fans during a period absent of traditional concerts, tours or festivals.

Using virtual reality technology and its in-house technical experience, EVR said its studio facility in Los Angeles would accommodate “unique high-throughput production requirements”, while preserving the safety of artists, public and the on-site team/

It explained that, while the initial series of performances would be made available for fans for free during the current pandemic, the initiative was expected to deliver new opportunities for revenue generation for the company through the course of the year and beyond, via the potential monetisation of events and performances.

“During these unprecedented times, it is difficult to foresee the upcoming changes and challenges that we may face personally as individuals, and the changes and challenges that many businesses and industries will experience moving forwards,” said Anthony Matchett, chief executive officer of EVR division MelodyVR.

“MelodyVR was founded with the vision of providing fans with a new and exciting way of experiencing the live music they love, regardless of their location, age or financial means, and with a view that our company or content would never seek to replace the thrill of attending concerts, festivals or tours in person.

“Unfortunately, due to the recent events, we are now presented with a landscape where any mass-gatherings or public events are prohibited, which is extremely damaging to both artists and to the music industry as a whole.”

Matchett said that as a company that has “deep-rooted experience” with virtual events and immersive content, it was well-positioned to benefit the music industry, including partners such as promoters, artists, managers and record labels, many of whom were unable to conduct their business operations as usual.

“Our new studio facility in LA, which has been custom designed to maintain stringent safety standards whilst creating the highest possible quality content, leverages our unique skill set of broadcasting immersive performances digitally via the MelodyVR platform.

“It provides a viable, creative alternative for artists wishing to reach their fans whilst they are unable to perform publicly.”

He added that during the pandemic, fans had continued to access MelodyVR at an accelerated rate, with smartphone installs of the app increasing by 1100% in the last seven weeks.

“Throughout the course of the year ahead, we will continue to serve our consumers and the music industry by creating and broadcasting performances to fans from our unique studio location in Los Angeles, as well as from other locations in different territories.”

At 1538 BST, shares in EVR Holdings were up 11.4% at 4.79p.