Yes, Video Game Concerts Are A Thing & They're Coming To Australia

For most general music fans the term ‘video game concerts’ probably doesn’t mean anything, nor does it make any sense – but for hundreds of thousands (potentially millions) it’s the greatest show on earth. Now n00bs it’s time to meet Tommy Tallarico and his award winning travelling concert ‘Video Games Live’.

‘Video Games Live’ is an award winning (yep) immersive concert event featuring music from the most popular video games of all time. Created, produced and hosted by world renowned game industry veteran and superstar Tommy Tallarico, top orchestras and choirs around the world perform along with exclusive synchronized video footage and music arrangements, synchronized lighting, well known internet solo performers, electronic percussion, live action and unique interactive segments to create an explosive one-of-a-kind entertainment experience.

First starting in 2002, Tommy and co. have travelled every corner of the globe combining the magic, nostalgia and excitement of all you favourite video games with the electricity of live music utilising technology, interactivity, stunning visuals, state-of-the-art lighting and special fx to capture the herds and minds of gamers and non-gamers alike at 10,000+ attended shows. Check out the video below to really get it. We caught up with Tommy ahead of his Aussie visit (tour dates below) to find out how it all came about and just why people love it so much.

The Beginning Of It All

“My two greatest loves and passions growing up were always video games and music, but I never really thought to ever put the two together until I moved out to California (from Massachusetts) when I was 21 years old. I just got in my car and I drove out west, left my parents crying on the doorstep. I didn’t have a job, money, I had no friends, no place to stay, nothing.

I just drove to California and the first day I got there I drove to Orange County because the only thing I really knew out there was Disneyland. When I got there I picked up a newspaper and saw a job for selling keyboards at Guitar Center. I went down there and they hired me and I started the following day.

An Introduction To The World Of Gaming

“On my first day at the new job, the first person who walked in the store, happened to be a producer at a video game company called Virgin. I was wearing a TurboGrafx 16 shirt — a video game T-shirt — which, back then, 25 years ago, no one had video game T-shirts. He saw my shirt and he asked if I wanted a job testing games. I was like “Heck yeah!” I was in California for three days and I was in the video game industry.

Back then there was no such thing as a video game composer you had to be a programmer to do music and I didn’t really know too much about programming. I was hired as a games tester, and I would literally bug the vice president of the company every day, saying, “Whenever you need music, just let me know. I’ll learn how to do it, and do it for free, and if you don’t like it, you don’t have to use it.” So about three or four months later, one of the first games that I was actually a producer and a tester on was Prince of Persia for the GameBoy. I asked him to do the music and he let me. They liked what they heard and made me the full-time music guy after that.”

The Reception Of ‘Video Games Live’

“Absolutely incredible! We were the first to ever tour video game music (Video Games Live was started over 13 years ago) and we’ve been doing sell-out shows around the world for over 10 years now.

Our first show ever was at the Hollywood Bowl with the L.A. Philharmonic. People told me I would be lucky if 500 people showed up. Well… over 11,000 people showed up for the first show! We change the setlist every year so it’s always a new show. We’ve played to over 1 million people, had a very successful national television broadcast on PBS and have released four top selling albums which appeared on the Billboard Top Ten!”

Why It’s Done So Well

“I believe people have an emotional attachment to video game music because when you play a game… the music becomes the soundtrack of YOUR life!

Also, when people hear certain video game music it takes them back to when they were kids and playing that particular game for the first time.”

Favourite Show So Far

“The first one at the Hollywood Bowl was pretty special as I was able to prove it as a viable concept. We played to over 60,000 people in Taiwan in 2009, that was pretty special (and still the biggest video game concert ever attended). But anytime we play in Brazil or Chile it’s also incredible.

The fans down there are so passionate about what we do. I’ll be in my dressing room an hour before the show and the walls are literally shaking as the fans are stomping and clapping for the show to begin. In Chile they won’t let us leave the stage after the show. They just keep cheering and cheering until we come back”