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Coronavirus: music festivals, big gigs, sports events and big gatherings - going ahead and cancelled

it's only a matter of time till they're shuffled back again and ultimately cancelled.

Far from inevitable .....
Could equally easily turn out next year that the organisers of the event-that-I don't-care-about-either ;), will have been slightly over-cautious (albeit also sensible!) about their timing and planning.
 
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Talking of which...
UK sewage plants fear deluge of stale beer
Water and sewage companies are racing to stop millions of pints of stale beer overwhelming the UK’s sewage system and threatening the environment as pubs rush to replace stock before reopening on July 4.
UK sewage plants fear deluge of stale beer

Gill Plimmer and Alice Hancock in London JUNE 26 2020, FT

Water and sewage companies are racing to stop millions of pints of stale beer overwhelming the UK’s sewage system and threatening the environment as pubs rush to replace stock before reopening on July 4.

Water companies say that although larger cities such as London have sewage processing facilities that can cope with a huge influx of stale beer, some smaller plants risk being overwhelmed.

About 70m pints of beer have been left on pub premises since the UK entered lockdown in March, according to the British Beer and Pub Association. The beer, which can usually last three to six weeks before going off, needs to be removed from cellars before publicans can bring in new barrels and reopen. But any sudden release into the sewage system could overwhelm the bugs that break down effluent at the treatment plants, water companies said.

If the sewage is released directly into rivers and beaches without treatment, it could cause environmental damage, such as depleted oxygen levels, potentially killing fish and plants.

Trade body Water UK said: “Water companies are as keen as anyone to see pubs open again and have been working around the clock to process thousands of applications from pubs and brewers.

“It’s really important that beer is disposed of in the right way, so it doesn’t damage the environment, marine life and the sewer networks, which is why there are environmental regulations controlling how waste beer is dealt with safely.”

In an effort to encourage pubs to contact them, water companies have agreed to waive the fee they usually charge businesses to release large quantities of waste into the sewers. But pub owners have been holding off, awaiting government guidance on reopening.

So far about 40 per cent of pubs have been in touch with water companies, meaning it could “all be a bit last minute,” said one water industry executive.

Ralph Findlay, chief executive of the pub group Marston’s, said that there had been a “significant delay” in disposing of beer. “It was a frustration at a time when everyone’s minds were turning to opening [that] we hadn’t got the right protocols in place to change over the beer until very late in the day,” he said.

With the prime minister’s announcement on Tuesday that hospitality businesses, including pubs and bars, can reopen from July 4, many are now rushing to prepare their sites.

In order to manage the beer waste, the British Beer and Pub Association has established a website through which pub owners can notify brewers of how much stock they need to dispose of. The brewer continues to own beer up until the point that it is sold to the customer.

The BBPA recommends in its guidance for pubs that points connected to a foul drainage system “would be an ideal disposal point” for waste beer. But it added that permission should also be sought from the local water company before it is thrown away.

The pollution fears come as routine inspections of water quality in rivers and beaches remain suspended by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Drinking Water Inspectorate has also told water companies that they can postpone testing at domestic and commercial properties until the coronavirus emergency has subsided.

Defra said: “The environment secretary has written to the British Beer and Pub Association about the need for safe disposal of waste beer currently held in pub cellars.

“We understand that pubs need to clear their cellars to allow for restocking and we are working across government and with the industry to support their preparations to reopen without causing environmental harm.”

Good article.
(Post would be more for the pubs re-opening thread though. maybe?)

But the bit about "The beer, which can usually last three to six weeks before going off .... " fails to mention that to a large extent, staleness timing would in the earlier stages have depended so much on exactly what type of beer -- traditional beer ;) goes off far quicker than pasteurised/chemically treated/non-live beer .....

Neither would be good for the sewers though by now, anyway, so general points taken ....
 
One of my friends is a promoter. Her cancellation insurance has gone up from £38 to £300 - which is not affordable as she ony puts on small gigs and doesn't make that much
My insurer for an event supposed to take place in March 2020 (which did not cover C-19 or any associated costs) has just billed £1200 admin fee to move the cover for same event in March 2021 :mad:

The policy was £5.2k and now costing us £6.4k for the same cover :rolleyes:

Trillian: The insurance business is completely screwy now. You know they've reintroduced the death penalty for insurance company directors?
Arthur: Really? No I didn't. For what offense?
Trillian: What do you mean, offence?
Arthur: I see.
 
A good example of the dire situation though. If the Albert Hall is struggling then other venues are in serious trouble.

Indeed.However, the theatre still exists if the company running it goes under. Someone can buy that theatre and reopen it.
 
Indeed.However, the theatre still exists if the company running it goes under. Someone can buy that theatre and reopen it.
I suspect there will be more theatres/venues up for sale than buyers willing to take them on :( Albert Hall is an exception of course because of it's status and tourist pull etc. Likely most of the big West End ones will be okay but there are a LOT of town theatres already running on a shoestring before this shit started.
 
Ugh:

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Helen Page, Group Brand and Marketing Director at Virgin Money, said: “At Virgin Money we are being as innovative as possible during these challenging times, and music is very much at the heart of our new brand direction. We are delighted to play a part in bringing back live music events as we start to emerge from lockdown.

1593771953486.png

 
Literally everything live music shouldn’t be.
I know it will 'provide jobs' for an industry that is royally fucked but this looks like an entirely different industry to me, and not one I want to be part of. Cars-only, pre-paid drinks collected on arrival and then made to consume it all stood in a cage miles from the band and metres away from anyone else.

I'd rather watch a busker in the park. At least I'd feel connected to what music is supposed to be about.
 
sponsored by big finance at a time where it will literally die out if not given funding?
fuck it, yes of course it's shit, but if it can get some money out of corporate entities and into the hands of musicians, technicians, crew and suppliers, then bring it the fuck on.
 
sponsored by big finance at a time where it will literally die out if not given funding?
fuck it, yes of course it's shit, but if it can get some money out of corporate entities and into the hands of musicians, technicians, crew and suppliers, then bring it the fuck on.
I'd rather throw a few quid at local artists playing acoustic music in the park/square. Corporate banded, car-only cage rock ain't for me.
 
sponsored by big finance at a time where it will literally die out if not given funding?
fuck it, yes of course it's shit, but if it can get some money out of corporate entities and into the hands of musicians, technicians, crew and suppliers, then bring it the fuck on.
Yeah. Ultimately the industry has no choice but to come up with things like this, and as you say, if it keeps people afloat then so be it. Quite what the appeal is for anyone as punter though, urgh.
 
Yeah. Ultimately the industry has no choice but to come up with things like this, and as you say, if it keeps people afloat then so be it.
I don't think it will through. It'll just be an expensive corporate-branded distraction for the better off and most likely only offer tech support work to the bigger businesses. I don't drive so I'm automatically excluded from these events anyway, so fuck them.
 
crack on mate, but if i don't get some work soon, shit or otherwise, i won't have any money to throw at people, local or otherwise
I've got zero work too - and zero prospect of that outlook changing any time soon - but I think I'll be able to spare a quid for a busker if I'm drinking my £1 cans in the park.
 
I don't think it will through. It'll just be an expensive corporate-branded distraction for the better off and most likely only offer tech support work to the bigger businesses. I don't drive so I'm automatically excluded from these events anyway, so fuck them.
all the small independent suppliers i know are doing gigs like this at the moment, it's their sole source of income, and it's given some work to a few mates as well. yeah, it's shit, but its all there is right now.
 
sponsored by big finance at a time where it will literally die out if not given funding?
fuck it, yes of course it's shit, but if it can get some money out of corporate entities and into the hands of musicians, technicians, crew and suppliers, then bring it the fuck on.
I can't agree.
The average artist will not get a look in.
This is money supporting money and attended by people with money.
Sanitised wank at best.
 
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