Musician's Remote Bassist: A Digital Concert Triumph

Musician Thomas Dolby was "absolutely gobsmacked" when his Ukrainian bass player, Ana Pshokina, was denied entry to the UK for his tour. Faced with this setback, Dolby devised an innovative remote performance solution for the UK leg of his tour.

Pshokina, a professional musician for 15 years, was discovered by Dolby through social media platforms. Despite having a certificate of sponsorship, she was unable to board her flight from Portugal to the UK. Dolby described the situation as "really stressful" for Pshokina, who was turned away at Lisbon Airport.

Dolby decided to project pre-recorded videos of Pshokina performing onto the back of his stage. He called this adaptation a "light bulb going off" moment, inspired by her TikTok videos. Pshokina expressed her immediate willingness to participate, calling it a way to "make lemonade out of lemons" and was thrilled that Dolby kept her in the show.

The "miracle of technology" allowed Pshokina to perform remotely, with the audience reportedly moved by her large-scale projection. This creative workaround ensured the show proceeded successfully, with Pshokina receiving positive feedback from fans on social media.