Make Your Home a Stage - SofaConcerts' latest suprise video

Sunday afternoon. It’s a hot afternoon in Hamburg, one of the sunniest days in a long time. Everyone is enjoying the sun, people are strolling through the city, eating ice cream. But what is this? A sofa right in the middle of downtown? “Make yourself comfy… and enjoy!” – is written on a sign.

What about you?
Would you have been curious enough to take a seat? See the result and what happened to those who did!


So what is this all about?
          
Well, as you may know we love good music and how it can move people no matter who they are and where they are from. We teamed up with singer Marvin Brooks and had the goal to surprise random strangers with his music. But how can you surprise people these days? Well, the couch causes a stir already. 
As soon as someone would take place on the couch, we were ready to start: From all sides, our friends and helpers came along and carried in things. In less than 15 seconds an entire living room would have to be set up.

Let the music begin!

But this was not the end! Things kept happening fast: Marvin Brooks came around the corner and surprised everyone with its incredibly powerful and soulful voice. Just a few seconds later his guitarist joined him. Then a cajon player followed, plus strings and a wind section came in. Even the children's choir of Lukulule e.V. joined the spectacle.

And then?

Well, remove everything as quickly as possible and wait a new for unsuspecting "victims". We felt so much excitement and joy and saw loads of faces beaming with happiness. The reactions were as unique as every person who took place. From the elderly man to the two friends, the small family and another couple with their cute dog, everyone was amazed, some even started crying!

 
We had prepared the campaign for quite a while and got very creative:  We built living room walls, wallpapered them, carried furniture through half the city, rehearsed with the kids... everything had to be right on the spot on that day. We were very excited.

But there were uncertainties, too...

Would anyone take place on the sofa? Who would be curious, who would be too busy? Well, our worries were unnecessary. Many passers-by stopped and watched the spectacle from the side on. No wonder, Marvin's music swept everyone away. For several hours we surprised the passers and brought many smiles to the faces.

A great, but also exhausting campaign lies behind us. Quickly bring the sofa back to the van and no one will suspect that we were even there. What remains is a great video that will remind us all of this amazing day.

Thanks to this wonderful crew!

We would like to take this opportunity to say thank you again to all of our friends, helpers and the film crew. Only with your support we were able to make this happen. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Who would have thought, that a living room wall could be so heavy… ;) The blisters on our fingers will remain as a small reminder of the action;)
A special thanks goes also to VERY US for their great support and their significant contribution to the realization.

And what about SofaConcerts?

So what do we do when we don't organize fun videos? Well, we still allow people to have a great time with live music - in their homes or on whatever stage they can imagine. On our platform www.SofaConcerts.org you can dicover great artists and invite them to perform for you and your friends - in short: To make your home a stage!

Find out more about how this works exactly:

http://sofaconcerts.blogspot.de/2016/08/house-concerts-sofaconcerts-how-does-it.html

None is like the other. But all SofaConcerts have one thing in common: They are very special!

Have you ever attended a SofaConcert? Well, imagine what it would be like to give one! Apparently it can be more daring to perform for a small but very attentive audience sitting just a meter away from you than to perform to a large crowd from the safe distance of a big stage. Every gesture, every tiniest move is witnessed by the guests. So you better not make any mistakes, right? ;)

We already shared different stories about what it feels like to host a SofaConcert, but this time we would like to turn the table and introduce you to Matt Woosey. Matt is a singer/songwriter from Worcestershire in the UK who is now living in Germany. He has already played quite a number of SofaConcerts - we wanted to know why exactly he is such a fan of these smaller gigs and asked him a couple of questions:

So where does this fascination for living room concerts come from, Matt?

I realised that I wasn't enjoying the bar gigs like I used to. I'd become tired of the music industry. I used to play noisy gigs where nobody listened, so I switched to only doing gigs where you had to buy a ticket to get in. Then I realised that nobody was buying tickets and I was cancelling shows all over the place. I became really upset with how things were going in my career until I moved to Germany and found SofaConcerts.

It seemed to answer all of the prayers I had as a musician...listening audiences? Yup! Am I able to make a living out of it? Yup! Does it spread my name around the country so that I can return with my band and do a 'proper' gig somewhere nearby? Yup! Am I playing to open minded, friendly people who are there to listen to music? Yup! Can I play my own music and will people be happy if I don't play any covers? Yup!

But where is the difference between a SofaConcerts and a normal gig?

I always get nervous though, at SofaConcerts, at normal gigs, at festivals... wherever really. I just get nervous. But being in such a small space with people so close and watching and listening to your every tiniest move is quite different to a normal gig.

Additionally, people are engaged, enthusiastic about new music, friendly and open minded. They are always interested in listening to my music. You are on a very tiny space, sharing all of your feelings with people you haven’t met before. That’s great!

And all concerts have something in common: They are very special. There is always the possibility to talk to the hosts, to get in a deep contact with the guests and you always share a little bit about yourself with all of them.

Some hosts are a little bit nervous before their first concert. They fear that their living room is not big enough, that they can’t live up to the artist's expectations… Can you put them at ease?

Yes! First, have a glass of wine, maybe two. Then all you have to do is realise that, if someone has a profile on the SofaConcerts website, it means that they want to spread their music and their name around Europe. Real musicians who don't spend their lives on facebook and the internet, are happy to make connections with people, no matter how big or small the living room and no matter how many people are there. Playing music is about moving people, making them feel something, that's the only thing I want and I don't have any expectations from the host.

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There is one last question we really had to ask: Is there anything true when talking about German clichés?

Matt smiles. “Well, normally, the gigs are very organised and start on time. And if people say they will turn up to the gig…they turn up!” 

Thank you Matt for sharing your views and experience with us!

On the Sofa with: Young Chinese Dogs

!! The new album "Great Lake State" is out just now !! 

When we first experienced Nick, Birte and Oliver on their SofaConcerts tour last summer, we were immediately intrigued by their charm, jokes and the fun they have on stage. Now they just released their new album and we are thrilled to hear that most of the songs on it were written during that same tour - on your sofas, around your kitchen tables and in their tour bus! We can't wait to hear more of them!

Three powerful voices, two acoutic guitars and one cute minitature piano is all they need to create their unique sound - a fusion of indie folk with rock'n'roll vibes. Once you experience them live, you'll notice at once: Not only are they a perfect match in terms of music but also in terms of friendship! Maybe this is exactly why we can't help but like them so much!

SofaConcerts: "Nick, Birte, Oliver, great to see you again! Tell us: What was your favorite SofaConcerts moment?"

Young Chinese Dogs: "It was at our first SofaConcert we did in Stuttgart. When Andi of "Die Fantastischen Vier" happened to show up at our gig and we eventually ended up getting totally wasted with Andi by the end of the night. Stuff like that only happens on SofaConcerts!"

SC: "What or who inspire your music the most?"

YCD: "Books, movies and of course everyday things that happen to us."

SC:  "What was the soundtrack to your first heartsickness?" 

YCD:  Nick: "I guess I shouldn't say that but it actually was Shakira's 'Underneath your clothes'. I still love that slide solo and key change."

Birte: "It was Notwist 'The invcredible change of our Alien' and 'Milk' from Garbage."

SC: "At the moment you guys spent your time in the studio to work on your new album. 

When is the best time for SofaConcerts-hosts to invite you again into their livingroom?"

YCD: "We loved how we could try out new songs in such intimate settings and get honest and direct feedback. So I guess the perfect time is during a creative phase. Cause all those things that happen during a SofaConcerts-Tour are so inspiring. It helps you write more and better songs and value what you accomplished so far. 

BTW: Our new album 'Great Lake State' is out just now, so feel free to get your own picture of our lyrics. ;-)"

SC:  "Thanks a lot for this interview and congratulations to your album! It's running all the time in our office!"

  

Now it's up to you! Check out their music and tour dates and remember them when you plan your next concert! àinvite Young Chinese Dogs now!

www.youngchinesedogs.com

https://www.facebook.com/youngchinesedogs 

On the Sofa with: Nature in the City

"Thanks for this unforgettable concert" // "It was so beautiful ..." // "A special and soulful band."

Did you know "Nature in the City"? We really think you should meet these two guys from Berlin and enjoy their special and emotional music. We love their songs and asked them a couple of questions for you:

SofaConcerts: "What was your favorite SofaConcerts moment?"

Nature in the City: "We played in an inner courtyard in Berlin and the acoustics were super nice. This is a bit technical, but Johannes and I were trying to hit the resonance of the court yard during one of the songs. Must have been the right key! Once we found the pitch, the court yard sounded like a big speaker and was being extra resonant. And a lot of the people had to laugh at this acoustic phenomenon. That was great, because even thought these were just musical shenanigans almost everybody got it."

SC: "When did you start learning your first instrument and what was the reason for it?"

NiC: "Johannes comes from a musical family, so string instruments were around all the time. 15 years ago he picked up the upright bass. He also plays the drums. Robin started out with 9 years of alto sax, but found his passion for songwriting in 11th grade and since was inseparable from his guitar."

SC:  "What was the soundtrack to your first heartsickness?" 

NiC: "Coldplay, the whole 'Parachutes' CD!"

SC: "How did you come up with your band name? Is there a story behind it?"

NiC: "Robin was standing on a roof top in Boston one morning. The sun was coming up over the concrete jungle and he was wondering what it is exactly that connects all human beings within that jungle. It was then that he recognized himself and the others as being part of nature. As a homage to that thought, he came up with the name 'Nature in the City'."

 

SC:  "Thanks a lot for these inspiring answers! Keep up the good work, we hope to hear much more of you!"

Now it's up to you! Check out their music and tour dates and do remember them when you plan your next concert! àinvite Nature in the City