Live music is one of the hardest hit industries by the pandemic. Even if people wanted to go out to have a good time, it’s simply too risky. Besides, mass gatherings are still prohibited in most countries around the world despite the easing of quarantine rules over the last few weeks.
In London, a government-backed trial gig was held out at the Clapham Grand on July 28, BBC reports.
The venue with a seating capacity of 1,250 allowed only 200 people to attend the show played by Folk rocker Frank Turner. Needless to say, social distancing regulations were strictly followed by the organizers while attempting to find a new normal setup that would work in the long run for the artists, the employees, and the audience.
The trial gig however is considered unsuccessful as it didn’t generate enough revenue to cover the operating costs of the show.
OPM
In our country, the impact of the pandemic on the live music industry is even more felt by our local artists because of the restrictions that are still in place.
In a reflective Facebook post shared on July 28, Armi Millare, who’s best known as the lead vocalist and keyboardist of the monumental Filipino alternative rock band Up Dharma Down, said “I’m still grateful for the times pushing me to slow down, for I wouldn’t have known how to walk away.”
This photo was taken during our last live show before things went south. What I miss is the challenge to do it right on stage or execute the songs closest to the record or how I imagine it should be by impulse but I also treasure the release from everything else that came with the job. These days I spend just looking into what I probably would have done if I didn’t get into music. Before music, I lived an existence looking for the next best thing to keep me interested in living. Via official Armi Millare Facebook page.
What I miss is the challenge to do it right on stage or execute the songs closest to the record or how I imagine it should be by impulse but I also treasure the release from everything else that came with the job,” Millare wrote.
“These days I spend just looking into what I probably would have done if I didn’t get into music. Before music, I lived an existence looking for the next best thing to keep me interested in living.” she added.
Her post is accompanied by two photos taken from the last live performance they did before the lockdown.
As it is, it seems that the live music industry will have to exhaust all possible ways to cope with the crisis while we all wait for experts to successfully formulate the vaccine that would free the world from the new coronavirus disease.