A music group performing at the open-airDülmener Sommer concert in Germany in 2018
Aconcert, often known informally as agig orconcerto, is a live performance ofmusic in front of anaudience.[1] The performance may be carried by a single musician, in which case it is sometimes called arecital, or by amusical ensemble such as anorchestra,choir, orband. Concerts are held in a wide variety of settings and sizes, spanning fromvenues such as private houses and small nightclubs to mid-sizedconcert halls and finally to largearenas andstadiums, as well as outdoor venues such asamphitheatres and parks. Indoor concerts held in the largest venues are sometimes calledarena concerts oramphitheatre concerts.
Regardless of the venue, musicians usually perform on astage (if not an actual stage, then an area of the floor designated as such). Concerts often requirelive event support withprofessional audio equipment. Before recorded music, concerts provided the main opportunity to hear musicians play. For large concerts or concert tours, the challenging logistics of arranging the musicians, venue, equipment, audience, and tickets are handled by professionaltour promoters.
While the first concerts did not officially appear until the late 17th century, similar gatherings had been around throughout the 17th century at several European universities, such asOxford andCambridge. Officially, though, the first public concerts that required an admission were created by the English violinistJohn Banister.[2] Over the next few centuries, concerts began to gain larger audiences, and classical symphonies were very popular. Finally, after World War 2, these events changed into the modern concerts that take place today. An example of an early, post-WW2 concert is theMoondog Coronation Ball.[3]
The first known occurrence of concerts where people are charged admission took place at violinistJohn Banister's home inWhitefriars, London in 1672. 6 years later in 1678, a man by the name ofThomas Britton held weekly concerts inClerkenwell. However, these concerts were different. Before, there was an admission that people paid upon entering the building where the concert was held, but at Britton's concerts, patrons purchased a yearly subscription to come to the concerts. At 10shillings a year, people could see as many concerts they wanted to.
In addition to holding concerts at certain venues, concerts also went to the people. In 17th century France, concerts were performed in the homes of the nobility, for only the nobility. Organized byAnne Danican Philidor, the first public concerts in France, and arguably the world, were theConcerts Spirituels. These concerts were held on religious holidays when theOpera was closed and served as a model for concert societies all over the world.
In the late 18th century, music from the likes ofHaydn andMozart was brought and performed in English concerts. One notable work fromHaydn performed at these concerts was his set of 12 symphonies, also referred to as theLondon Symphonies. Concerts reflecting the elegance of England during the time period were held at the gardens ofVauxhall, Ranelagh, andMarylebone. The musical repertoire performed at these events ranged from works composed by young Mozart, to songs that were popular in that time period.
The nature of a concert varies bymusical genre, individual performers, and the venue. Concerts by a smalljazz combo or smallbluegrass band may have the same order of program, mood, and volume—but vary in music and dress. In a similar way, a particular musician, band, or genre of music might attract concert attendees with similar dress, hairstyle, and behavior. In the 1960s, rock concerts became associated with countercultural fashion and attitudes, often linked to the hippie movement.
A recital is asolo concerto, i.e. a concert by a soloist or small group which follows aprogram. It can highlight a single performer, sometimes accompanied bypiano, or a performance of the works of a singlecomposer, or a single instrument (organ recital). The invention of the solo piano recital has been attributed toFranz Liszt.[4] Also, a recital may have many participants, as for a dance recital. A dance recital is a presentation of choreographed moves for an audience, usually in an established performing arts venue, possiblycompetitively. Some dance recitals are seasonal.
Some performers or groups put on very elaborate and expensive shows. To create a memorable and exciting atmosphere and increase the spectacle, performers frequently include additional entertainment devices. These can include elaboratestage lighting,electronic imagery via (IMAG) system and/or pre-recorded video, inflatable sets, artwork or other set pieces, variousspecial effects such astheatrical smoke and fog andpyrotechnics, and unusualcostumes or wardrobe. Somesingers, especially popular music, augment concert sound with pre-recordedaccompaniment, back-up dancers, and even broadcast vocal tracks of the singer's own voice. Activities during these concerts can includedancing, sing-alongs, andmoshing.
Classical concerts embody two different styles of classical music — orchestral and choral. They are performed by a plethora of different groups inconcert halls or other performing art venues. Fororchestra, depending on the number of performers and the instruments used, concerts includechamber music, chamber orchestra, or symphony orchestra. Chamber orchestra is a small-scale orchestra containing between ten and forty members, mostly string instruments, and likely led by a conductor. Symphony orchestra, on the other hand, is a large-scale orchestra that can have up to eighty or more members, which is led by a conductor and is performed with instruments such asstrings,woodwinds,brass instruments, andpercussion.[5] For choral style pieces, concerts includeChoral music,Opera, andmusical theater. Each encompassing a variety of singers who are organized by a conductor or director.[6]
Rock concerts are those whererock musicians perform in front of audiences which may vary from small to hugestadium concerts.Mosh pits are often a feature of modern rock concerts.Rock concerts are often conducted at extremely high volume levels, near the threshold ofhearing loss.
There are a wide variety of concert venues that can range in size, location, and the type of music that is hosted at that particular venue. A concert hall is a concert venue which hosts mainly classical music such as a symphony, and they are often a part of a largerperforming arts center. One of the most famous concert halls isRoyal Albert Hall located in the United Kingdom. This venue hosts a wide variety of genres of music from classical concerts to pop concerts. An amphitheater is an uncovered circular or oval-shaped venue with tiers of seats surrounding the stage. Amphitheaters such as the well-knownRed Rocks Amphitheatre,[7] located in Colorado, hosts mainly rock and pop concerts. Rock and pop concerts, however, are mainly held in sports stadiums and arenas such asMadison Square Garden because of the tendency for these stadiums to have a larger capacity.
A concert tour is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries, or locations. Often concert tours are named, to differentiate different tours by the same artist and associate a specific tour with a particular album or product. Especially in the popular music world, such tours can become large-scale enterprises that last for several months or even years, are seen by hundreds of thousands or millions of people, and bring in millions of dollars, or the equivalent, in ticket revenues.
A concert residency[8] or musical residency[9] is a series of live music concerts similar to aconcert tour, but only performed at one location. One will have fewer shows than a concert tour. Theaters generally serve as the venues for them. Concert residencies are usually associated with the city ofLas Vegas. Bands and individuals might embark on one since it is easier than touring. Examples of concert residencies areBritney: Piece of Me andPlay by Britney Spears and Katy Perry, respectively.
Concerts involving a greater number of artists, especially those that last for multiple days, are known asmusic festivals. Unlike other concerts, which typically remain in a single genre of music or work of a particular artist, festivals often cover a broad scope of music and arts. Due to their size, festivals are almost exclusively held outdoors. New platforms for festivals are becoming increasingly popular such as Jam Cruise, which is a festival held on a cruise ship, as well as Mayan Holidaze, which is a destination festival held inTulum.
While admission to some concerts is free, it is common practice to charge money for concerts by selling admission tickets. Before the advent of recorded-music sales and mechanicalroyalties in the early 20th century, concerts were the primary source of revenue for musicians. Revenue from ticket sales typically goes to the performing artists, producers, venue, organizers and the brokers. In the case ofbenefit concerts, a portion of profits often go towards acharitable organization.[citation needed]
Additional revenue is also often raised through in-concert advertising, from free local concerts for local sponsorships to sponsorships from corporations during major tourse.g. 2009's "Vans' Warped Tour Presented by AT&T". BothVans andAT&T would have paid significant amounts to have their company names included at the forefront in all marketing material for theWarped Tour.[citation needed]
Concessions and merchandise are also often sold during and after concerts; often by the venue in the case of the former, and by the performing band or artist in the case of the latter.[10]
The global live music industry revenue stood at 28.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2023.[11] Taylor Swift'sThe Eras Tour in 2023 was record-breaking, generating $1.04 billion in revenue, averaging $17.3 million per show.[12][13]
Vasco Rossi's show at Enzo Ferrari Park inModena, Italy, which set a new world attendance record in 2017
The term "full house" is used to designate full occupancy by the audience of every seat or place at a venue. It also applies totheatrical productions andcinemas.[14][15]
As of 2017[update], Italian singerVasco Rossi holds the record for the biggest attendance of a ticketed concert with a total of 220,000 tickets sold for his show at Enzo Ferrari Park,Modena, Italy on 1 July 2017.[16][17] The record was previously held byPaul McCartney's 1990 concert with a paying audience of 185,000 inMaracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro.[18]Rod Stewart also holds the record for the biggest attendance in a free concert, with an estimated audience of 3.5 million during his 1994New Year's Eve concert inCopacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro.[19]
In some concert settings, such as classical music, the audience participates passively. In other concert settings, especially folk or rock concerts, the performers encourage and engage with an active audience response. The intensity of the sound environment and the crush of the mass audience can induce atrance-like psychological state in some audience members, and beyond the music itself, functions as an entry point to achieve analtered state of consciousness. It has been proven that live music stimulates the left amygdala more than recorded music does.[20]Vocalists and other musicians (if their instrument permits this) will oftendance or strut on stage as they perform, and the audience will often dance or sway in response (space permitting); this can also be considered a manifestation ofcrowd psychology.[citation needed]
^Tomlinson, Roger; Roberts, Tim; Allpress, Vicki (2006).Full House: Turning Data into Audiences(PDF). CreativeNZ.ISBN0-478-18554-5. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 1 November 2012.A revised and updated edition of Boxing Clever written by Roger Tomlinson and originally published by Arts Council England in 1993.
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