mx wcfc
Well-Known Member
So have Winchester Cathedral. They are just spreading it out a bit. Locals are unhappy.Yet Birmingham city council have recently announced that the annual German Xmas market will be going ahead
Coronavirus: music festivals, big gigs, sports events and big gatherings - going ahead and cancelled
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beesonthewhatnow
going deaf for a living
The overwhelming reaction on FB was along the lines of “oh for fucks sake”. B’ham is on the brink of local lockdowns as it is
Slightly easier to maintain cleaning and distancing (not that people will) there than at the Hyde Park Wintervalfest though.Yet Birmingham city council have recently announced that the annual German Xmas market will be going ahead
I have the first big exhibition in March and am setting up an IKEA type one way system round the show
Also have got an app sorted for ticketing, booking talks/seminars and such round the exhibition
There will two sessions (09:00-14:00 then 15:00-20:00) on Friday/Saturday and usual hours (10:00-17:00) on Sunday when it is usually quieter
Am going to have bags made up with mask and hand sanitiser for all visitors
Sanitiser on all stands, features and catering points
Extra security lined up just in case of cunts
All sensible but all expensive!
Am going to try and get some sort of 'Covid Sponsor' but I doubt there are many feeling like splashing cash atm
Do have the advantage of working with ExCel.
Whilst it is a corporate hellhole they are the best positioned to deal with the issues and deep pockets to fix things.
beesonthewhatnow
going deaf for a living
Errrrr, have you been? It’s a chaotic mass of people at the best of times, I can’t see any way they’ll be able to impose any sort of distancing at all.
Nope, not been. It is not cheap or easy but it is doable with the right layout, capacity measures and staffing. I know it is tricky but either do it or don't.
Bahnhof Strasse
Met up with Hannah Courtoy a week next Tuesday
mx wcfc
Well-Known Member
Same thing at Winchester. They have cancelled the ice skating rink, and want to spread stalls out around the cathedral grounds, but there is no way social distancing can be maintained.
Bath and others have cancelled too. Winchester is run by the Cathedral, rather than the local council, so needless to say, money comes first.
That is the government lineMassive on-site Covid hospital too
There is a 10k sqm space that is on hold and storing all the unused and massively overpriced medical equipment that was never used. Probably about 5% of the venue space.
Bahnhof Strasse
Met up with Hannah Courtoy a week next Tuesday
Same thing at Winchester. They have cancelled the ice skating rink, and want to spread stalls out around the cathedral grounds, but there is no way social distancing can be maintained.
Bath and others have cancelled too. Winchester is run by the Cathedral, rather than the local council, so needless to say, money comes first.
Jeebus was well in to markets and shit taking place in temples. Have they set up a branch of Wonga near the font too?
BigTom
Well-Known Member
Nah. The german market runs down the middle of new street, a pedestrianised street. The only way you could do it would be by making each side of the market one way and having strict controls for every side street that joins it and even then I just can't see it working or being accepted by all the shops on new street.
It's not like the market is in a square or somewhere where it's the only thing going on, it's slap bang in the middle of a normally busy anyway city centre and takes up at least half the street.
the bit that's in victoria sqaure you could halve the number of stands and make something work but the rest of it, not a chance.
So it is a fools errand and should not be on
BigTom
Well-Known Member
On a slight tangent I'd guess we are going to be in for a slew of those scam winter wonderland type places this year since most (if not all) of the council / professionally run ones won't happen because of the practical and financial impossibilities of social distancing.
Lapland?
mx wcfc
Well-Known Member
No, but you might need a loan to pay the entry fees these days!
BigTom
Well-Known Member
Sounds right, can't remember if that was the one that started the thread on here that gets bumped annually as somewhere or another has some shitty christmas attraction that scams people into attending with false promises of what they'll get.
beesonthewhatnow
going deaf for a living
Fielding Trucking has folded. I know most on here won’t know them, but they were one of the major specialist entertainment industry transport companies.
The supply chain for the entire events industry is on a cliff edge.
The supply chain for the entire events industry is on a cliff edge.
Bahnhof Strasse
Met up with Hannah Courtoy a week next Tuesday
This is what this dithering mass of shite that passes for a government is failing to understand, viable businesses that are forced to stop trading will be viable once they are allowed to trade again, in the meantime they need support or else once this shit is over they and the skills they offer will be lost. Targeted furlough, they will probably announce it at the end of October, once >1m have been laid off...
Mogden
I like tea
Having spoken to a part time musician this week who is friends with musicians for whom it is a full time job and who tour extensively, quite a number of them have expressed that if they never toured again, they'd be okay with that, some even saying they actually never want to do another live show. I think time away from touring has given some of the more mature performers reason to question that aspect of their career. Being on the road umpteen days a year and waking up not knowing what city you're in must be a full on headfuck but a treadmill you can't get off usually. It's an interesting discussion.
beesonthewhatnow
going deaf for a living
I know of at least 3 long time engineers that have moved into new employment and are unlikely to come back. They’ve had long (15-20 years) careers touring and have discovered the joys of eating meals with their children and actually waking up next to their wives. I’d put money on this becoming more and more widespread the longer this goes on.
Wish for all the festivals and gigs you want next summer, at this rate they’re going to be fucking quiet.
Bahnhof Strasse
Met up with Hannah Courtoy a week next Tuesday
Sounds similar to those happy to work from home. Presumably your guys can make do comfortably with the income from Spotify or whatever, up-coming bands need to tour.
Mogden
I like tea
Yes the majority seems to be putting out albums and dedicated fans will snap them up. Very different for up and comers like you say. Having said that, will a younger audience be more inclined to pay for a regular ticket for access to an online gig and host their own parties for it as they're more tech hungry?
Bahnhof Strasse
Met up with Hannah Courtoy a week next Tuesday
According to my 16 year old; no, will rip it for free somewhere.
Mogden
I like tea
Hmmm so what would incentivise younger music fans to pay up to watch? A combo gig ticket and limited edition t-shirt? Pre gig Zoom party calls with the artist?
Bahnhof Strasse
Met up with Hannah Courtoy a week next Tuesday
Dunno, she likes live music and is will to pay to see it, but she pays for jack on the internet, just nicks it all. She can also screen print so I guess she could rip off any t shirts too..?
Mogden
I like tea
Someone, somewhere will always buck the business plan I guess. It's just finding the new way to approach the whole entertainment industry to maximise profit and provide something worth paying for! I don't think it can die completely.
SheilaNaGig
Break requested
Some of my musician friends/family are okay with the changes and working to be ready for whatever the music scene looks like in the future. Established artists are already releasing new LPs, some to decent sales (although I suspect some of that is fans diligently propping up their favourite independent artist).
The backline is fucked. My friends who work in promotion, rigging, sound, crewing etc are at their wits end. They’ve spent their whole working life in the industry, only a few of them are going to be able to re-skill, some are too old or broke to do that. Those with transferrable skills are facing a saturated market elsewhere.
Hacks and writers that had a reputation and a place to publish are alright, mostly.
The people at the very top will find some way to make it work, not least because they’ll be putting out product to consumers who aren’t especially interested in deep rockanroll culture/experience, so that’s going to be online stuff, drive in stuff etc. Not for me, but it’s part of the music industry and I’m glad it fighting back.
Bedroom estate bedsit music will be alright, it will just keep doing what it’s been doing, racking up the views on YouTube and pushing into the future. There will be block parties, guerrilla raves, clandestine shit going on at AirBnB rentals. I’m curious and watching all that.
Festivals are fucked. They’re going to have to reinvent themselves. And all the bands that truck around the small and mid-level festival circuit are also fucked. I’m as flummoxed as anyone else on this, and I’ve not heard any viable way to make them work. All the suggestions I’ve heard and talked about with others crumble up and blow away as soon as you look at them. Illegal raves and free festivals seems to be the only response here.... Or secret private celebration gatherings.
Scenes like that surrounding The Windmill in recent years are also fucked. Small intense live gigs, month long residencies at mobile club nights, bands that cross pollinate ideas, that live and tour together, set up club events and record in each other’s bedrooms, that’s all fucked. Some of them are making music and some are trying to develop and expand their creative endeavours (some are writing prose now, some are painting) . The smaller venues that put on these bands are all fucked (there was a huge successful fundraiser for The WIndmill but the landlord swallowed the entirety of what was raised, leaving nothing for the venue). And this is the spawning ground for new talent. These small local independent venues and the scene that springs up around them is where new ideas and new talent springs up, learns how to play, how to tour, how to record, write, play, make. Gigs aren’t just about the music, they're about the culture. I’m so sad and worried about the impact the pandemic will have on all that.
The backline is fucked. My friends who work in promotion, rigging, sound, crewing etc are at their wits end. They’ve spent their whole working life in the industry, only a few of them are going to be able to re-skill, some are too old or broke to do that. Those with transferrable skills are facing a saturated market elsewhere.
Hacks and writers that had a reputation and a place to publish are alright, mostly.
The people at the very top will find some way to make it work, not least because they’ll be putting out product to consumers who aren’t especially interested in deep rockanroll culture/experience, so that’s going to be online stuff, drive in stuff etc. Not for me, but it’s part of the music industry and I’m glad it fighting back.
Bedroom estate bedsit music will be alright, it will just keep doing what it’s been doing, racking up the views on YouTube and pushing into the future. There will be block parties, guerrilla raves, clandestine shit going on at AirBnB rentals. I’m curious and watching all that.
Festivals are fucked. They’re going to have to reinvent themselves. And all the bands that truck around the small and mid-level festival circuit are also fucked. I’m as flummoxed as anyone else on this, and I’ve not heard any viable way to make them work. All the suggestions I’ve heard and talked about with others crumble up and blow away as soon as you look at them. Illegal raves and free festivals seems to be the only response here.... Or secret private celebration gatherings.
Scenes like that surrounding The Windmill in recent years are also fucked. Small intense live gigs, month long residencies at mobile club nights, bands that cross pollinate ideas, that live and tour together, set up club events and record in each other’s bedrooms, that’s all fucked. Some of them are making music and some are trying to develop and expand their creative endeavours (some are writing prose now, some are painting) . The smaller venues that put on these bands are all fucked (there was a huge successful fundraiser for The WIndmill but the landlord swallowed the entirety of what was raised, leaving nothing for the venue). And this is the spawning ground for new talent. These small local independent venues and the scene that springs up around them is where new ideas and new talent springs up, learns how to play, how to tour, how to record, write, play, make. Gigs aren’t just about the music, they're about the culture. I’m so sad and worried about the impact the pandemic will have on all that.
I unhappily tend to agree with that general point
, but with this big caveat :Faint outside-chances of a safe and reliable vaccine at some point excepted
8ball
Maximum Facepalm
I unhappily tend to agree with that general point
Faint outside-chances of a safe and reliable vaccine at some point excepted
We might get a safe and reliable one that still does not offer more than 40% protection, meaning with the nature of the virus, 100% vaccination rates might still not "make it go away" without significant other measures staying in place for quite a long time.
8ball
Maximum Facepalm
SheilaNaGig
Break requested
I unhappily tend to agree with that general point
Faint outside-chances of a safe and reliable vaccine at some point excepted
Bless you for your optimism William.
