Drone art shows are not new to Australia, but none have been so hyped up as THE DroneArt Show by global entertainment platform Fever – and failed to deliver.
Running for two nights only in Melbourne over the past weekend (23-24 May), DroneArt Show combined one of the most successful Fever original event, Candlelight Concert, with the allure of drones twinkling with colour and dancing into formations in the sky. Disappointingly, the performance was lacking in both sound and visuals.
The videos one might have come across of the DroneArt Show online, which previously went to LA, present an immersive candlelight environment characteristic of Fever’s earlier concerts. When staged at the Caulfield Racecourse, the illumination of candlelight barely made it past the front row of audiences seated on the lawn (a picnic priced at $75). In the seated area, they appeared like a mirage – and not the dreamy fantasy kind.
This is where a small live orchestra was situated, performing the most clichéd of classical music pieces for the night (no fault of the musicians themselves) including ‘The Four Seasons’ and ‘Swan Lake’. Trying to project sound at an outdoor venue with a crowd capacity in the 40-thousands is a hurdle to say the least, but the sound of food vendors calling out orders to the backdrop of Vivaldi didn’t help either.
Most of the drone performance felt constrained and underwhelming, interspersed with considerable periods of idleness (a technical challenge?) where audiences were left staring into the gray-blue sky. The impact was even more diluted by the bright stadium lights surrounding the audience viewing zone, never to be dimmed down or turned off so audiences could continue purchasing an $18 mulled wine throughout the event’s 65-minute duration.
There were two audible moments in which the drones elicited a “wow” from the audience – both thanks to the animal theme and larger scale, allowing a fox and a deer to appear as if hovering just above our heads. It shows that the performance has the potential to breathe magic into the sky, but for most of the time, it appears like a PowerPoint filled with clip art, existing on a slightly different plane to reality but not quite inviting viewers in on the journey.
If you think this is the voice of an overly critical art journalist, then don’t just take my word for it – a lady in the food line confessed that her companion fell asleep mid-movement.
Read: Performance review: Night Night, Alexander Theatre, Monash Performing Arts Centres
Coupled with the disappointing execution, high attendance cost and equally high food and beverage prices, the DroneArt Show in Melbourne did not paint a good picture for Fever. It felt disingenuous, hyping up the anticipation but delivering the least, all to ensure good returns – because who care’s if something is rated badly when it’s scooted off to another country after two nights?
It sure is something, but next to the price tag of a $69-$75 ticket, it’s barely enough.
DroneArt Show was held for two nights in Melbourne from 23-24 May.
