Germany-based wireless carrier T-Mobile International says it is examining ways to develop its intimate “Street Gigs” concept on a broader scale.
The “invitation-only” ticketed T-Mobile Street Gigs are designed to be compact, allowing fans to get close to the performers, in eclectic venues.
Ralf Luelsdorf, T-Mobile International’s head of music, brand properties, says the company is analyzing the experience to see how the concept can be developed internationally.
“We need to rework the activities and the ideas, come up with the best concept, and see if we can take it to an international level,” he tells Billboard.biz.
Originating in the United Kingdom in 2005, the format gained high-profile media coverage for keeping the venue and artist secret until the last minute. At which point, T-Mobile would contact about 100 online-registered users who had successfully opted to be contacted with the details.
Among the U.K. acts that have participated are Mika, who played at a circus-themed site in London’s Berkeley Square; The Streets; and the Scottish act The View, at Edinburgh Castle.
In 2007, the Street Gigs concept was transferred to Germany, where the participating local acts included Sony BMG-signed rock band Revolverheld and hip hop act Freundeskreis (aka FK).
This year, eight Street Gigs are planned and the two held so far have been for Madsen and hip hop band Dynamite Deluxe. In Germany, the audience has been larger, at between 500 and 2,000.
The unusual venues have included a junkyard, the middle circle of a soccer stadium, a helicopter hangar and an airport terminal.
