The plight of the independent musician has been tricky of late. The constantly evolving state of the global pandemic has not only repeatedly resulted in loss of performing and touring opportunities, but it has bred an uncertainty about the future, and made it difficult for active creatives to not only survive, but to plan for the future, with so many uncertain variables.
Sydney based record producer/songwriter/musician Michael Carpenter was one of those whose projected work year fell off a cliff in mid March last year. With the studio fully booked, video work locked in and several tours etched into his diary, a prosperous and engaging year turned to dust pretty quickly.
"I calculated that i lost about $38,000 worth of work in three days," he said. "It was that dramatic. And i know many many creatives who were in a similar boat."
After a brief period of soul searching, Carpenter soon saw it as an opportunity. Aware that he couldn't sit on his hands for months, he gathered his resources as a band leader, producer and videographer and started hosting a series of live streams under the new banner of "The Album Show".
"We started with one camera and a live audio mix with only a few mics, and within a few months had moved to a multi camera, multi track livestream that started doing very well," he said.
These livestreams set the template for what The Album Show would become. The collective, involving a growing cohort of 25 musicians, builds classic artist and album shows. There's no wigs and costumes. Just good musicians playing great songs, often reinventing things to give a new perspective.
They now have nine shows, including "The Beatles Album Tracks and B Sides" "Creedence" "Bee Gees" "Petty Nicks" "The West Coast 70s" "Bruce Springsteen 'Born in The USA' album show" and more.
By the first glimpses of freedom in a post pandemic world, Carpenter tentatively started approaching venues around Sydney and the Central West, looking for restricted audience live show opportunities.
"We found a few venues that were willing to try out our variety of shows to see if it would work, and these shows have proven to be incredibly successful. So we're now growing the brand and stretching out to the greater Sydney area," he said
The Album Show has secured three shows at the Baroque Room in the Carrington Hotel, Katoommba.
"The Beatles Album Tracks, B Side and some hits" show is on Saturday, June 26, at 7.30pm. This will be followed up by "Crowded House" on July 10 and "Creedence" on July 24, with more performances pencilled in for later in the year.
