Over the last six months, coronavirus has kept us all inside. It’s closed schools, pubs, cinemas and stores. Even McDonald’s shut its doors during the height of the pandemic, so how were music venues supposed to keep going? How has the music industry evolved during this unfamiliar time, and has it changed for good?
‘UK live music scene on red alert'. Alarming right, this comes from a BBC News headline at the beginning of October. It has been half a year since we’ve been able to go to a gig or festival. Half a year of not going out with your friends, meeting new people and dancing to the music you love, from speakers loud enough to permanently damage your hearing. What’s worse is that it could be another six months until we are able to properly do that again. If at all.
"The government restrictions have reduced capacity in venues down to 25% - then restrictions on hours, we estimate, has removed something like 50% of their income," Mark Davyd, from Music Venues Trust, has said. Despite funding from the government, there are obviously still people who are concerned about the future of live music.
How would you expect musicians to get their point across? By putting it in a song of course. “Don't need the government cramping my style. Give them an inch, they take a mile.” These lyrics are from ‘Born to Be Free’, Van Morrison’s anti-lockdown track, one of three by the way. He is calling others to help him stand up and fight against the restrictions being placed on venues, artists and audiences. He is not alone in asking for help to protect the industry. Emily Eavis is one of many who have voiced their support for #WeMakeEvents, a campaign committed to the survival of venues, organisations, performers and everyone in the crews: “Without major immediate support from national governments, the entire supply chain is at risk of collapse.” On Eavis’ Instagram post she stresses that the government needs to “recognise what the performing arts bring to the fabric of this country, and how much it adds to the well-being of so many.” On it’s 50thyear of one of the world’s most popular festivals, Glastonbury 2020 was cancelled just like many others. Adjusting to the way the weekend was going to be celebrated, BBC showed re-runs of sets from over the years, including Stormzy’s 2019 show, Muse 2016 and David Bowie from 2000.
One good thing about the campaigning currently revolving around music right now, is that Passport: Back to Our Roots have organised a series of live shows, where all money raised, helps small venues; “Big artists. Small gigs. Making a huge difference to grassroots music venues.” These big artists include Pet Shop Boys, KT Tunstall and Passenger. Tunstall has expressed her thoughts that "If we don't have this eco-system of smaller venues, we don't have big acts anymore."
Musicians are not immune to the virtual virus taking over our usual routines. Brass bands and choirs have evolved to rehearsing via video call, everyone and their nan has decided to utilise the once dormant Instagram Live feature and virtual tours are now apparently a thing. ‘The Weird Time of Life’ is the aptly named tour by Yungblud, in a statement he has said: “The thing I miss about playing shows is the individuality of every night. The different faces, the different energy, but most of all the different cultures. Our community may be from different parts of the world, yet we have similar beliefs, it is incredible.” The online shows will be “a unique localised experience with full-scale production.”
As audiences, we love the escapism that comes from live performances, but staying at home is obviously the safest option for all of us right now, so livestreams are clearly the way forward. Back in March, music magazine DIY adapted to this new way of consuming music entertainment and hosted a 20 week-long festival called ‘DIYsolation’, on Instagram live. Line ups were announced ahead of the performances with artists such as Sports Team, Arlo Parks, Pale Waves and Phoebe Bridgers. Don’t stress if you missed out because Billboard are updating a list of the best shows to watch from the sofa weekly. It’s not all sunny for the music magazine industry though, as in July, Q Magazine ceased production after 34 years.
With such a life-altering event like coronavirus, it would be ignorant to think things will go back to ‘normal’. There’s no doubt that consuming live music has changed for good. We will see more of a blend of what we knew, with what we are now used to. However much this new ‘normal’ will evolve, there’s one thing that’s for certain, people will always crave live music.
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