Your Tweets Control the Music in SXSW’s Interactive Vending Machine Stage

Every concert-goer has had that sinking feeling. That gut-wrenching moment when you realise that the artist you forked out the big bucks to see isn't going to play your favourite song at their concert. It's about mid-set, they are starting to wind down through their songbook of classic hits and and you realise — with that awful mix of regret and sheer pissed-off-ness — that the little-known dirge from their underrated third album you love so much just ain't going to make the cut.

That's set to change at this year's SXSW, however. Doritos is sponsoring a giant vending machine stage that will host an interactive concert where audience members and fans from around the world can choose rap superstar LL Cool J's encore number. All they need to do is tweet in their favourite song using the hashtag #BoldStage. The six-storey vending machine includes an LCD screen collating, calculating and encouraging your tweets (through the incredible Mass Relevance software, which can process up to 400,000 tweets a minute), allowing you to help control the performances of such hip hop royalty as Public Enemy, Ice Cube and Doug E. Fresh.

But organisers are taking the concept of an "interactive" concert one step further. Not only can you help select the songs but fans also control what photos appear on the LCD screen; when smoke, lasers, confetti, beach balls and other special effects are used; and even choose the concert's opening act. Prior to the concert, three of hip hop's rising stars — Devin Miles, Snow Tha Product and Aussie Seth Sentry — will battle it out for the chance to perform one song at the opening the concert, with the song that receives the most #BoldStage votes getting the gig.

The iconic SXSW features a whole host of conferences, events, panels and products showcasing and celebrating the way new technologies are shaping the arts and the way we interact with world around us. The BoldStage also made an appearance last year's festival. The interactive element was less low-tech then, though you could search the town for giant quarters with which to purchase the giant bags of (giant) chips in the vending machine.

Via Mashable.