Bigger COVID-19 worry?

[hardtop]

I play in a "sometimes" touring band that brings in some okay money. It's not my main source of income, thankfully. (My regular job wont be affected immediately, but will indeed be impacted down the road).
However, the band is the main income for one of our guitar players (he has other music related side gigs). We just had to cancel a European tour and it's definitely going to impact him financially. We have fests in May, June, and July that could very well be in jeopardy (especially may). If they don't go through, it could get ugly for him. It's a really bad time to to be looking for a 9 to 5 type job too!
As for the live music bar thing... i have no idea what he new normal will be, when and if we come out on the other side, but I suspect the live music situation will be different. Several clubs/bars/venues definitely won't be back once the ban is lifted. Here in Denver it's 2 full months starting tomorrow.

 

[klejst]

With all this time to practice and polish our bass playing skills...think of how golden live music will be once it's back to business

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Mildly related - about 6 months ago there was an avocado shortage and place were scrambling to be able to make guacamole. So, some started adding tomatillo / mexican summer squash to the guac to "cut it". Tomatillo looks and tastes kinda like avocado when mashed. Fast forward to when the avocado shortage is over and do they stop adding tomatillo? Oh hell no, they cost a quarter of what an avocado costs. Profit! Point of that story is that sometimes we just don't go back to the way it was - and keep an eye on the guacamole ingredients.

 

[Killing Floor]

As soon as the pandemic (epidemic of panic) subsides people will bum rush their favorite haunts and the folks who support live music will be expecting live music. Sad thing is some bars will suffer and likely some musicians on the edge of success will suffer but in the longer term human society is going to get back to work pretty soon.

The larger venues will be fine, just plan on paying more for tix.

Meanwhile, it's a good time to bring your rig into the living room and crank it up.

 

[Ewo]

Aren't they [constitutional rights] by very definition, granted by government?

Mods: not intending to violate the rules with this, just meaning to reply to a reasonable question.

In the US, they're _acknowledged_ by government. The basis for the rights is described in the Declaration of Independence.

 

[EdO.]

So much negativity here, chill brothers chill. There will be a lot of pent up desire for socialization, and live entertainment will be a big part of that. Will things be different on the other side of this? Of course. Some places won't make it, some will change how they do things, new opportunities will present themselves. Might take a while but the venues will be back (Some survivors, some new ventures) and live entertainment will be back.

The wise will take advantage of the opportunity to up their game with personal and (hopefully) group rehearsal, add new material, revamp promo, whatever can be done to make themselves and their groups more saleable once things begin to straighten out. Make lemonade from the lemons we're getting right now. One definition of luck - preparation meeting opportunity. Take advantage of the opportunity and come out ahead on the other side.

 

[JZQuantum]

Bars and restaurants are closed in my part of the U.S., so who knows when they'll open again.

There may be some trepidation when they finally open again, but people who want to go out for fun and live music will go out. I'm not concerned about that aspect.

I'm more concerned about everyone seeing how important it is to follow the guidelines that our state and federal leaders are telling us. I feel like we are actually behind the curve on social distancing. We could have started a few weeks ago.

 

[fishdreams]

I understood they closed all bars and restaurants here, partly because people were still going out in droves in the city this past weekend. Not much social distancing from what I heard.

I guess scenes are different everywhere. Around here, playing covers in bars isn't a source of income I see pros depend on to a large extent (or any extent, for that matter). Everyone's teaching (whether in a music college, university or privately) has moved to online. So yes it's less money this month and it sucks with the ridiculous rents here. One thing that is for sure: pros are not going to stop playing just because gigs got cancelled.

I've had 2 records laying around that I just wasn't getting around to putting on the finishing touches (design, distribution, all that boring stuff). I look forward to having the time to finally get the suckers out into the world.

 

[jerry]

I'd be worried. A lot of the bars/restaurants will end up closing permanently all after this.

Bars out here pay insane rents in the best of conditions, and this is the busy season where they make a good amount of their yearly income. It's going to be a slog for almost everybody.

 

[40Hz]

Seattle canceled all live music … over 300 events … this will cause a total loss to the musician community of close to $500

Probably true too.

 

[40Hz]

The lack of gigs will be short term, but what if bars cancel shows, fill them with other entertainment and find that on some nights you can have more crowd appeal with a board game night or whatever they try and it works. Are you worried about regular Fri / Sat night gigs that just don't return when COVID-19 goes away?

Stop live music?

What and give up all that pay-to-play revenue plus the merch table skimming income they make off bands? Fat chance that’ll happen.

 

[two fingers]

I'd be worried. A lot of the bars/restaurants will end up closing permanently all after this.

Yeah this is the real worry. Bars and restaurants in many parts of the country are getting ready to he shut down temporarily. Some will survive. Some won't. Less venues altogether is more of a concern than their finding alternative entertainment.

 

[Ric5]

I hope this panic does not happen every time a new virus comes along

 

[postalflunkie]

An old friend of mine posted this on facebook, just another way to help out the musical community.

I’ve seen people asking how they can help some of their favorite bands/musicians get by since the clubs have been closed and shows have been cancelled. Although gigs are my only source of income, my wife has a good job, so fortunately, we will be able to get by. Most of my musician friends are not so lucky.

A real easy way to give them some support (and you actually get something in return) is to go online and buy their music. Buying a hard copy of a CD will pay them the most money, but downloading is the next best thing. Notice I said “download” and not “stream.” Here’s why:

- If you download a song for 99 cents on iTunes, the artist gets paid 64 cents.
- If you stream a song on Spotify, the artist gets paid 1/3 of a cent. That’s right- ONE THIRD OF A PENNY.

So either go to your favorite bands' website(s) or go to your online music source of choice (iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, etc) and search the artist's name, download some music that you get to keep and listen to forever, and know that the majority of that money is going to help your currently out of work musician friends (and mine) out in this difficult time.

Much love!

 

[uwrossl]

The lack of gigs will be short term, but what if bars cancel shows, fill them with other entertainment and find that on some nights you can have more crowd appeal with a board game night or whatever they try and it works. Are you worried about regular Fri / Sat night gigs that just don't return when COVID-19 goes away?

No. Quite the opposite. Bars/Venues are closing for the most part and not hosting crowded events in place of canceling them. What would be the point of that? I feel it could more easily have the opposite effect. People (at least in major cities) get apathetic to the fact that they can just go out any night of the week and see live music. If we take it away from them for awhile they'll start to miss it and maybe take it a little less for granted. For a little while anyway. LOL.

 

[Son of Wobble]

L.A Times reporting in the last minute two persons dead in Coachella Valley. So presumably cancelling Coachella was more than prudent.

 

[40Hz]

NH has followed suit and closed all bars and restaurants, except for takeout/delivery, effective tonight. MA did it already

CT has joined NY and NJ in a full shutdown. Schools, restaurants, bars, theaters, gyms. Gas stations and grocery stores remain open. Restaurants and bars can remain open for food and non-alcohol beverage takeout and delivery only. Supermarket chain Stop & Shop has instituted an “over 60 only shopping hour” due to concerns over some fairly aggressive “elderly jostling” that occurred in some of its CT stores last week. My town also closed its parks and recreation facilities to discourage crowds.

People and businesses here have been pretty good about it for the most part.

 

[Mike Whitfield]

this has already been happening. As new bars open and existing bars remodel, a lot are going with SOA A/V systems that an EDM DJ can just plug in to or cast to. My nephew is one such individual and he stays busy as an EDM jock supplying audio and video mashups to these places. These places have focused areas where the volume is pumping and others where you can still hear it but can talk without having to yell, and places like around the bar where it’s present but just so. All while sending vids to the slew of giant monitors all over the walls. Nephew shows up with a 6’ folding table, a couple milk crates with dressing for the table and other equiiment, and a couple Mac books and it’s on. I’ve been to a few of his gigs and everyone in the place is bobbing their head and/or moving to the beats, even those sitting in the conversation pits. It’s perfect for a bar so it’s no wonder it’s becoming the norm, at least where the demographic skews younger. There’s still plenty of live band work but it’s VFW, BPOE, etc. places catering to middle age and up who want a place to have a few libations and snacks with a live dance soundtrack.

I can certainly see why bars would like that. I drink maybe six shots a year but if trapped with an EDM jockey with audio and visual mashups I’d drink them all that night. Have to admit though that not having to yell at each other to communicate on a date would be nice. Although full disclosure I’ve been out of the dating market so long that I don’t even remember who brings the handcuffs and who brings the alpaca so I might be wrong.

 

[Son of Wobble]

I can certainly see why bars would like that. I drink maybe six shots a year but if trapped with an EDM jockey with audio and visual mashups I’d drink them all that night. Have to admit though that not having to yell at each other to communicate on a date would be nice. Although full disclosure I’ve been out of the dating market so long that I don’t even remember who brings the handcuffs and who brings the alpaca so I might be wrong.

LOL I had to look up "Alpaca." Evidently I am not quite so jaded as I assumed. Something to look forward to yet, cheers

 

[fdeck]

My band already plays jazz, so we can't do much worse.