FEATURE:
Back to Live
IN THIS PHOTO: Dua Lipa is due to perform at the BRIT Awards on 11th May at the O2, London (she is nominated in three categories, including Album of the Year for Future Nostalgia)
Looking Ahead to the BRIT Awards and Indoor Gigs
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ONE of the things music fans…
IMAGE CREDIT: BRIT Awards
are really looking forward to is the return of live music. Many artists have already organised gigs and tours for later in the year. Whilst a degree of uncertainty exists regarding how likely it is large-scale gigs can return by the summer, there are some positive signs. Reading and Leeds is hoping to put on a full-scale event this year where punters do not need to wear masks or socially distance. There will need to be testing and safety measures put in place. I will come back to that. Next month, the BRIT Awards is welcoming a live audience as part of a COVID-19 trial. This article from Billboard explains more:
“All attendees must consent to participate in a research program sponsored by the U.K. government.
The 2021 Brit Awards, set for May 11 at The O2 arena in London, will be both a celebration and an experiment. The show is expected to have an audience of 4,000 -- roughly one-fifth of the venue’s capacity. Here’s the surprising part: Audience members will not be socially distanced or required to wear face coverings in the arena.
In a statement, the Brit Awards characterize the show as the “first major indoor music event to welcome back a live audience – a pivotal moment in the return of live music at scale.”
About 2,500 tickets will be gifted by the recorded music industry to “key workers” -- the British term for “essential workers” -- in the greater London area. (This is meant to discourage longer-distance travel.) The remaining 1,500 tickets will be allocated for purchase by the nominated and performing artists and their teams, supporting record labels, management and show partners and sponsors. A “ballot” (lottery) for free tickets for key workers will open on Brits.co.uk on Thursday (April 22) at noon local time. But those free tickets come with a catch: All attendees must consent to participate in a research program sponsored by the U.K. government.
A statement notes: “The indoor ceremony and live show will form part of the Government’s scientific Events Research Programme, using enhanced testing approaches to examine how events can take place without the need for social distancing.
“Working closely with the Government to adhere to safety guidelines, this means The Brits, as the first live music show at The O2 in over a year, will play an important role in paving the way for the return of live music at scale as the UK emerges from the past year’s restrictions.
“…Audience members will not be socially distanced or required to wear face coverings in the arena, but they will be required to follow existing Government guidance when travelling to the venue and adhere to rules set out by the event organisers.
"Attendees must have proof of a negative lateral flow test result to enter the venue. As part of the wider scientific research on the trial events, attendees will also be asked to take a test after the event to gather further evidence on the safety of indoor settings, reduced social distancing and the removal of non-pharmaceutical interventions like face coverings.
"They will also have to provide contact details for NHS Test and Trace to ensure everyone can be traced in the event of an audience member receiving a positive test after the event”.
Geoff Taylor, chief executive BPI & Brit Awards, said: “This year’s Brit Awards with Mastercard is one of the most significant in the show’s history. Not only will we be celebrating the brilliant music and artists that have helped us through the pandemic, but we hope it will provide a path for the return of live music that fans and artists have so sorely missed … We’re… working closely with Government, The O2 and all our partners to ensure all safety measures and guidelines are adhered to.”
Danielle Kennedy-Clark, deputy general manager of The O2, said “We’re proud that The O2 has been selected to host the largest indoor capacity pilot event with The Brits. This scientific trial is an important step on the path to recovery for the live entertainment industry, and our operational teams are making the final preparations to be able to welcome people into The O2 arena again for the first time in more than a year”.
Whilst the O2 is a large venue that can safely accommodate thousands and stay safe, I think there will still be challenges. The BRIT Awards will be the first big event in this country since the pandemic started where we will see an event with so many people. It will be very odd and wonderful to see! Many festivals are cancelling this year as they are not sure whether they can go ahead safely. Some are going ahead but, for others, there is a risk that they might have to be cancelled at short notice. As we do not know what the guidelines and lockdown restrictions will be like in months to come, festival organisers are asking for a COVID cancellation scheme to avoid possible bankruptcy:
“Millions of tickets have already been sold and headline acts from Keane to Stormzy are preparing to return to the stage, but the organisers of hundreds of live music festivals planned for this summer are warning that if the government does not follow other European countries and offer to underwrite Covid cancellation insurance, they may be forced to pull the plug.
The national reopening timetable, largely unchanged since it was announced in February, will allow mass gatherings from late June. But scheduling a post-pandemic event brings significant financial risk, as a local or national spike in coronavirus cases could lead to a last-minute cancellation by public health authorities, which would leave festival organisers with huge losses.
PHOTO CREDIT: Colin Lloyd/Unsplash
Government-backed insurance is the “big missing piece of the jigsaw,” said Greg Parmley, the chief executive of the Live trade association. “There is no commercial insurance available for coronavirus. Other governments are stepping up and helping; we feel like we are banging our head against a wall. We are seeing a steady stream of cancellations and it will get bigger until the summer.”
The music industry, festival organisers and promoters have been calling for several months for a government-based indemnity scheme. This would operate like a form of insurance by providing financial support if events were affected by the coronavirus crisis, similar to the film and TV production restart scheme announced last July”.
I hope that festivals can go ahead safely and organisers have security and backing from the Government. Many venues around the country will want to welcome gig-goers and artists into their space. We will see how the BRIT Awards goes and whether they can bring thousands of people in and ensure that there are no big risks or concerns. It is going to be wonderful to see so many buzzing people in the O2 after so long! I think this will give heart to venues and festivals. I guess, if people can show a negative lateral flow test and adhere to social distance rules when travelling to and from venues, then they could be allowed to go mask-less and not adhere to social distancing when they are at the gig. It will be a major turning point and breakthrough after an intense and hard year-and-a-bit. So many venues have struggled to stay open for so long. With there being this massive desire for live music to return safely, it seems like we are closer to that happening! I hope that festivals get backing and are insured this year. If not, we could see many disappear for good. The same goes for venues that need funding. Many venues will not be able to reopen at full capacity for a long time, so they will struggle and not be at their best right away. I think the BRIT Awards trial is good news that many of us have been waiting for. Although it is an experiment and people will be nervous, the ceremony on 11th May will also be a huge celebration. It does not mark normality and things being over. It does, however, signal a huge step forward that will give hope and spirit to…
PHOTO CREDIT: Sam Moqadam/Unsplash
VENUES and fans alike.