Rolling Loud is one of the most prominent rap/ hip-hop music festivals in the world, racking in a total of 60,000 plus attendees in the 2019s event held in Miami Florida. Featuring artists such as Migos, Travis Scott, and many more exclusive rappers from across the globe. When Rolling Loud made its initial 16+ concert debut in Australia on the 27th of January in Sydney, I was never going to miss out. Officially selling out in 38 minutes, over 20,000 fans were ready for the show
When I arrived I was instantly immersed in the live experience. 360-degree roars of lyrics and bumping of the crowds creating the significant ‘mosh-pit sparked an indescribable feeling of belonging, I was surrounded by people all there for one reason, the music.
When I compared it with the ‘Dive Into the Pit’ article written by William Tyler Edwards from the University of Southern Mississippi, I analyzed the effects live festivals/concerts have upon undergraduates. A relevant interview to my experience writes “being in this scene, it taught me to be who I am today… I believe it's a way of letting things out, a so-called 'therapy’. Establishing the question, can these online streaming platforms get close to forming that sense of belonging that a real audience establishes?
The Virtual world of festivals
Despite the intent to a return in the following years, due to obvious pandemic reasons, Rolling Loud could not continue.
Like many businesses, small and large, the music industry was hit hard by COVID-19. This meant that a drastic modification of the industry was vital to keep their distinguished audiences and reputation alive. Rolling Loud successfully launched their first online live stream, linking with streaming powerhouse ‘Twitch’, the two entities joined forces for a digital festival series. The creation of this streaming media platform in my opinion had a strong influence on the locked-in music lovers. The online streaming method was also beneficial to those who may suffer from social anxiety, as watching from home instead of with hundreds of people could make the experience more complacent.
I switched on the ‘Rolling Loud’ live stream in 2021 with a smile on my face, due to a lack of live festivals through covid, I was ready to take on the online festival experience. As the acts started performing a sense of nostalgia was running through my body, and yes I mean entire body.
References
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Pitts, S., 2021. [online] Watermark.silverchair.com. Available at: <https://watermark.silverchair.com/gci035.pdf?Vice.com. 2021. Help or Harm? How Social Media Can Impact Musicians' Mental Health. [online] Available at: <https://www.vice.com/en/article/7xxpvx/social-media-musicians-mental-health-east-india-youth> [Accessed 1 April 2021].
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