(Photo by J. Kempin/Getty Images)
The Game of Thrones Live Concert is in the back half of its 2017 lifecycle, and by most accounts has been a smashing success. Vulture spoke to show composer Ramin Djawadi about managing such an elaborate display. “I feel like we have so much going on,” he said. “We have all this movement and color, and you’ll be like, ‘Oh, wait! What’s happening on the left? What’s happening on the right?’ Because it will be happening all around you.”
For those who haven’t attended the Live Concert Experience, there’s a bit where fake snow flies through the air, fire spurts from the stage (red and green), and wierwood leaves waft onto the audience during a performance of “Goodbye Brother.” So yes, there’s a lot of spectacle. involved.
I saw watched some of the most powerful Game of Thrones scenes on giant screens with a live orchestra and freaking pyro. What a night! pic.twitter.com/70uyvXBPid
— Luke (@luke_theduke21) February 21, 2017
And there was some stuff so elaborate it got cut. At one point, there was going to be a screen that came down and separated parts of the audience — it was supposed to stand in for the Wall. The soloists and choir members moved across the stage a lot more, too. “It’s physically exhausting,” Djawadi said. “But it looks so cool when we use the whole space.”
Plus, although the soloists stay largely the same, Djawadi uses local musicians and singers in each of the many North American locations he visits on the tour. That means extra rehearsal time. All in all, it’s a massive undertaking, but it clearly hasn’t dimmed Djawadi’s spirits. In fact, he’s already considering “a sequel” to follow season 7. Who knows what kind of amazing new tracks he’ll write for the show’s upcoming episodes?
He’s also thinking about a similar concert tour for Westworld, the other huge HBO sci-fi/fantasy show he composes for. “I definitely have ideas, because we could do a whole concert from just the first season. The player piano plays such a huge role in that one, so it’s a must-have as a centerpiece. And imagine the possibilities for guest stars! I would love it if anyone like Radiohead or Trent Reznor wanted to be involved. It would be such a blast.”
But for now, Djawadi is wrapping up the tour before presumably penning new tunes for Game of Thrones season 7. If you haven’t seen the Live Concert Experience yet, here are the remaining dates.
- 3/16: San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center
- 3/17: Houston, TX – Toyota Center
- 3/19: Denver, CO – Pepsi Center
- 3/23: Los Angeles, CA – The Forum
- 3/25: Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena
- 3/26: Phoenix, AZ – TalkingStick Resort Arena
- 3/29: San Jose, CA – SAP Center
- 3/31: Seattle, WA – Key Arena
- 4/1: Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
- 4/2: Portland, OR – Moda Center
If you have the means, we definitely recommend this show. Although don’t go if you haven’t seen the show and don’t want to be spoiled, obviously. “There are certainly a lot of spoilers,” Djawadi said. “This is a crash course.”