النهار

BEIRUT: In an effort to spread some joy through music during the lockdown, Artist & More Entertainment decided to start live-streaming international and local artists every weekend.

The idea came to the CEO and owner of Artists & More Entertainment Anthony Abou Antoun, after he witnessed that people are not getting used to spending weekends at home.

On Saturdays, the Instagram account (@artistsandmore) streams a live set of Pop or EDM. While on Sundays, the genre is Tropical House music showcasing both international DJs, such as BJ Jones, Sylvian Armand, and DJs From Mars, and other local DJs such as Kurlz, Ed’n’Ray, and DJ Nic.

“The idea for the lineup was initiated when the lockdown first started ,” Abou Antoun told Annahar, “Although we usually have big festivals and performances, we decided to do something virtual that focuses on the local artists, as well as international artists.”

The music concert streams are being enjoyed by 1500-2000 users per stream, which are recorded using multiple cameras, a concept that has been adopted more for Facebook and not Instagram, making Artists & More Entertainment stand out with their production. The sets will be available on YouTube soon.

Although the live concerts are keeping quarantine boredom at bay, Abou Antoun explained the increasing challenges that the entertainment industry is facing during the lockdown.

“It has been a hard time in the entertainment industry ever since the October Revolution,” he said.

Abou Antoun continued to explain the dollar crisis, which is a problem when it comes to booking international DJs who are only paid in USD or Euro. In addition to that, many artists couldn’t make it to Lebanon due to safety reasons.

As for live-streaming and the digital solution for the entertainment industry, the challenge comes for clubs and festivals that cannot be recreated at home.

“You can’t make people pay for a live stream, especially in these difficult times. The internet in Lebanon also causes a problem as it goes down and so does 4G making it impossible to stream a whole concert smoothly,” he added.

Artists & More Entertainment operates as the largest entertainment company in the Middle East, they are known for their big and magical festivals such as The Frozen City Ice World Tour and the Jonas Blue Tour that brought joy and Christmas cheer during Lebanon’s tough economic crisis. The company also promotes shows for top DJs around the world and organizes festivals, parades, mall events, and shows.

“We go for really big and outstanding ideas showcasing as much talent as we can, so we decided to open a separate company for that [Crazy Events],” Abou Antoun said. “I always like introducing Lebanon to international artists. I always give them the Lebanese flag and film them sending a message to their Lebanese audience.”