On March 1, 2020, I wrote about my concerns regarding the coronavirus. By March 8, the piece was outdated due to the speed at which the virus was spreading and the toll it was taking on both our national health and financial well-being. Unlike other topics I have broached, there was no latency between my musings regarding the pandemic and the real-time consequences of how it played out. Similar to a tsunami, this pandemic cannot be reported in an op-ed manner with a “let’s wait and see” attitude, as it’s moving too fast.
By March 18, after spending a week canceling all my shows and events through May, I was working from home, and as with most of the event and concert producing companies around the world, the S.I.R offices and studios from New York to California went into a virtual lockdown. We in the event and concert industry were not alone in our shutdown, and the pandemic began taking its toll on worldwide financial markets. There’s no “good” time for any business to be shuttered, but this could not have come at a worse time, as the audio industry was gearing up for our busy touring season.
Everyone is Affected
Not only are the bands and venues affected, but caterers, bus companies, tour managers, road managers and technicians, to name a few have been sidelined. The snowball was rolling, and the shutdown put a stop to equipment manufacturing. No shows, no attendees, no venues, no gear needed, no buyers, no manufacturers — a simple and devastating formula for the worldwide $34-plus billion live event industry that is predicted to lose big, as the losses keep mounting.
I’d like to share the last paragraphs of the original article I wrote on March 1:
“As of this writing, the concert touring season is gearing up along with all the local summer events that require live audio. In the business of production and sound, we relish the crowds during events and concerts, but these clubs and venues can become a terrifying place if one is concerned about being infected by an airborne virus. It’s not difficult to imagine being in a space with hundreds or thousands of people where we, as the techs and engineers, are directly in the middle of it.
“Close proximity doesn’t end once the show is over, as everybody piles back into the bus for the ride to the next show. It might just be that everyone on the bus is young and healthy. It might also be that Covid-19 is not as contagious or lethal as predicted, but fear could be the real killer. As with the stock market, when investors start pulling out, the market ends up losing. As with the stock market, confidence is required to overcome not only the virus, but also the anxiety that accompanies it. If people fear to be in contact with other people, they will stay home. If clubs and venues can’t afford to book bands due to lack of clientele, then the bands stay home. If the people and the bands stay home, the audio crew stays home — not a scenario I care to see play out.”
Looking Forward
As we go into April, it seems that scenario is playing out and there is more, with collateral damage from the shutdown of our industry affecting all the cities that expected revenue from now-cancelled events. Restaurants, hotels, car rentals and airlines are among the other businesses facing losses due to the event industry being shuttered. As of March 16, Yahoo finance projected that 91% of all companies are being forced to take major responsive actions, 49% are anticipating layoffs, 43% anticipate liquidating assets and 29% of companies are considering bankruptcy or closing operations. Since mid-March, things have changed rapidly. For many, the anticipation of these actions has become an actualization, and at press time, more than 10 million people in the U.S. have applied for unemployment benefits or government aid due to loss of jobs and income.
This loss of a touring season is especially hard on freelance musicians and technicians who rely on a good six months of touring activity to make up most of their yearly income. And not being on a regular payroll, these workers may not have access to unemployment benefits. Fortunately, the $2.2 trillion stimulus package was passed, and hopefully these funds will arrive sooner than in the predicted three weeks’ time. In the meantime, those self-employed workers, independent contractors and freelancers can also apply for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance or (PUA). While the minimum weekly benefit amount payable is half (50%) of the average benefit amount in the state you apply in, it’s worth looking into.
Despite the current situation, I still remain hopeful we can overcome this worldwide scourge sooner than later. I have been optimistically booking some shows for June, but Covid-19 moves much too fast for any actual timeframe estimate, and my predictions seem to become antiquated almost as soon as they are uttered. I do see a rise in live streaming, and if this lockdown goes on, I believe a new modus operandi might be developed to counter the effects of our isolation. However, I also wonder how we, as an industry, will manage once we start up again.
As with the aftermath from 911, the residue that clings to us is heightened security from a Homeland Security department, enhanced security at concerts and sporting events and long lines at airports due to TSA checks. After Covid-19, will there be a required medical ID or mandatory temperature screening when entering any concert hall or event? Will there be health requirements to pass before the public is allowed to enter any given event? Will medical masks become compulsory in public?
If social distancing becomes the norm, how would that impact our industry? Will streaming or some other form of remote concertizing replace what we have currently had in place? Will we be able to even leave our homes without a security check? I know that some of this speculation sounds extreme, but staying at home for long periods of time gives my mind a chance to wander. While I do like looking ahead, it’s hard to predict what’s coming next because the situation is dizzying and moving too fast.
