Video Games Live Coming to London, Ontario!

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It is with great pleasure that we announce Video Games Live is coming to the RBC Theatre John Labatt Centre here in London, Ontario! The show will take place on Wednesday, March 21 at 8pm and tickets go on sale Friday, January 20 at 10am. Video Games Live creator, producer and host, Tommy Tallarico (of Electric Playground fame) is teaming up with Orchestra London for this one-night concert. Tickets range in price from $26.75 to $71.75.

Read the official press release from the John Labatt Centre and Orchestra London

The most memorable video game music of all time performed by a symphony orchestra!

What’s the best way to describe Video Games Live?

Picture the energy and excitement of a rock concert mixed with the power and emotion of a symphony orchestra combined together by the technology, interactivity, stunning visuals and fun that only video games can provide.  Completely synchronized cutting-edge video screen visuals, state-of-the-art lighting and special fx, stage show production and special on-stage interactive segments with the audience dazzle crowds of all ages – gamers and non-gamers alike.

Being life-long gamers, the entire GDP team is truly excited that the RBC Theatre John Labatt Centre is bringing a show of this caliber to London! If past shows are an indication, we’ll be treated to game music going all the way back to classics we played on systems including Atari 2600, Coleco Vision and Nintendo! Well-known franchises like Final Fantasy and the Legend of Zelda started out way back on the original NES and the advancing technology of newer systems has allowed its rich themes to mature while still retaining their original charm and recognition.

Looking back, the quality of music that composers were able to achieve with the NES, SNES and Genesis still impresses me today. Growing up, I was a bit obsessed with video game music. As Mathew can attest to, I had several mixed tapes of my favourite music that I would listen to constantly. I can say without a bit of exaggeration, that a lot of the music created on the SNES with its revolutionary audio CPU has yet to be bested in terms of quality. That thing was a beast!  Much of what I fell in love with from that era included music from game franchises such as:

[links point to YouTube clips of some of my favourite tunes]

• Final Fantasy (Aria de Mezzo Carattere – Final Fantasy VI Opera Scene) – I had previously written a post on this music/scene and it is truly a case of technology taking a back seat to artistic ability. Nobuo Uematsu is one of the greatest composers of our time!
• Legend of Zelda (‘Overworld’ from A Link to the Past) – what needs to be said about this theme? Probably one of the most recognizable pieces of music in video game history!
• F-Zero (Mute City) – the sense of speed in this classic was incredible, thanks to the Mode 7 graphics that the SNES allowed. The intense music complimented the action perfectly!
• Super Turrican (Stage 1-1) – this side-scrolling shooter was made even better with its rich sounds and driving beats!
• Gaiares (Mission 1) – this Genesis shmup is one one of my all time favourites and the music is a big reason why.
• Actraiser (Tortoise Island & Altheria from Actraiser 2) – this is probably the first franchise where the music felt truly symphonic. An incredible achievement!
• Phantasy Star (‘Advanced’ from Phantasy Star 2) – even though some of those dungeons were hard as hell, the music implored me to keep going! Composer Tokuhiko Uwabo squeezed every last bit of quality he could from the Genesis.

These few examples barely scratch at the surface of all the memorable music to come out of those generations of gaming. As things progressed and many of the technical limitations imposed on video game music were eased, we were treated to soundtracks that rivaled big-budget motion picture scores. More notable music from games and franchises released over the last 16 or 17 years include:

• Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
• Metal Gear Solid
• Chrono Cross
• The Elder Scrolls series
• Halo series
• Katamari Damacy
• Xenogears
• Command & Conquer: Red Alert

Legend of Zelda Medley

Another piece of exciting news is that we’ll be working closely with the John Labatt Centre to help promote this event. During the time leading up to March 21, we’ve got some things planned such as interviews and articles and we’re looking into doing something special on the night of the event!

Personally, I haven’t looked forward to a show as much as Video Games Live in a long time! I missed it when it came through Southwestern Ontario last year and the good fortune of working with the John Labatt Centre for its first time in London is even more exciting. It promises to be a high-energy, nostalgic show. March 21 can’t get here soon enough!

Check out this official trailer for a good idea of what to expect: