IDLES, Pussy Riot, Sports Team to play virtual charity festival in Minecraft
IDLES, Pussy Riot and Sports Team are among the artists set to play new virtual festival Block By Blockwest.
Taking place next Saturday (April 25), the festival takes place inside popular video game Minecraft.
The new event, which aims to raise money for the CDC disease prevention charity, will also feature the likes of Citizen, Fever 333, HEALTH, Cherry Glazerr and more.
Get full details on Block By Blockwest below.
We will be abandoning our human bodies and entering the cloud in aid of @CDCFound https://t.co/knrKFP59Ho pic.twitter.com/9V7PtzRZCd
— Sports Team (@SportsTeam_) April 16, 2020
The festival is the latest in a number of virtual festivals to take place within Minecraft. Last week, American Football topped the bill of a new festival alongside the likes of Baths, HANA and Anamanaguchi, held in a fictional space on Minecraft called Elsewither, which is based on the Brooklyn venue Elsewhere.
Also set to take place next weekend (April 24), futuristic pop duo 100 gecs are launching their own virtual Minecraft festival.
The lineup for Square Garden features many of the duo’s collaborators and contemporaries, including Charli XCX, Cashmere Cat, A.G. Cook, Dorian Electra and more.
Virtual gigs and festivals have been on the rise since the world started self-isolating during the coronavirus crisis.
In an investigation into the emergence of virtual music events, NME wrote: “Part of music’s role in our lives is one of comfort and catharsis, especially in strange times like these. Artists who have carried on playing to packed venues over the last few days have come under heavy criticism – we’d all much rather be in those spaces feeling the healing effects of jumping around and singing along to our favourite songs but, right now, it’s a risk not worth taking.
“As we all polish off our self-isolation snacks and try to do something other than binge Netflix, musicians are doing their best to replicate the effects of traditional gigs online as best they can.”
IDLES revealed at the end of last year that their upcoming third album is almost finished, and sees them working with up-and-coming producer Kenny Beats.
