Hands up if you recall live music program Live At The Chapel, the television live concert series that hosted local and international acts in the intimate surrounds of an 18th century bluestone chapel.
Filmed in Melbourne, the series ran from the late 90s to the mid-oughties featuring such guests as Foo Fighters, Coldplay, Jet, Wolfmother and The Temper Trap before unceremoniously wrapping up. Now it’s set for a return to Australian screens… of the computer variety.
Australian production company MCM Media is planning to relaunch Live At The Chapel as a web-based program – with a syndicated network screening – after its relocation from Melbourne to a historic church setting “in the heart of Sydney,” boasts a press release, ensuring the program’s “bedrock philosophy of presenting absolutely unique live music experiences.”
The relaunch is part of a two more major music series that will enter production over the next months, including two new series MCM Media has developed under the VEVO banner.
Namely, VEVO LIFT and VEVO GO. The former is a showcase for newly-discovered talent that focusses on interviews and performances that originally launched in the US and UK, aiding the leg-up for major pop stars like Jessie J and One Direction.
VEVO GO is designed at giving major artists “spontaneous concerts in unexpected undisclosed locations around the country,” one such example was Florence + The Machine gatecrashing fans at a record store for a live show, following the use of social media to announce the one-off performance.
Live At The Chapel along with the VEVO programs are designed as syndicated media programs that will use a range of social media, internet websites and television broadcasts to ensure their time when any one medium relies on the others for popularity.
Speaking of the new music initiatives, MCM Media CEO Simon Joyce said that “Australia has never had more access to music.” Adding: “At a time when audiences are fragmenting, music is boosting its reach through clever adaption to new technologies and platforms that make it easy for everyone to discover and enjoy music when, where and how they want it. Music stars are the new movie stars.”
Considering much of MCM Media’s press release focusses on the success of international acts (and particularly more mainstream pop acts) we’ll reserve our sheer enthusiasm until more details of the kinds of artists to be featured is announced. Still, there’s no denying that Live At The Chapel offered a popular forum for some of Australia’s more underrated acts.
So bust out those old Cold: Live At The Chapel compilations if you need a reminder. Neil Finn. The Cruel Sea. Motor Ace. Good times…
