Charles on… anything that comes along

Ah, witness another idea that’s not going to go very far. (Is this me doing stop energy? Anyhow.)

Excited press release from mobile network 3: History will be made on 2 November as [rock band] Rooster perform what will be the UK's first gig broadcast live to third-generation mobile users.

Er, what? I mean, history, sure, but rather in the style of making history by stacking a million one-pence coins on each other, as in, sure you can do it but what’s the point?

Read on for more detail: 3 is offering 1,000 places to fans of the band to watch the ground-breaking gig live on their 3 mobile, with highlights of the 45 minute performance and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage then made available for download by over 1.2 million 3 customers. The gig, since you’re wondering, is going to be at London’s ICA.

So let’s get this straight: 3 is offering these lucky, lucky people the chance to watch a gig in the tiny video screen of a mobile phone?? Exactly how pointless would that feel? Will the video be able to follow the band’s movement? And what’s the sound quality going to be like?

It reminds me very strongly of the period back in, oh, 2000 or so when performers like Madonna and Elton John were doing online gigs paid for by wannabe “content ISPs” like MSN. And look now - everybody watches gigs on their computer every day, don’t they? Nobody bothers going to Glastonbury, and the TV channels don’t show it, because… oh no hang on.

And so it will be with “gigs to your mobile”. And that’s assuming they can even find 1,000 people who are (1) Rooster fans and (b) own a video mobile. If you get four or five crowded around a single phone, things could get ugly.

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