Heartland

So when will you feel comfortable going to gigs again? Must admit I think going to anything this side of Christmas is a mistake and that (sadly) includes the pub where social distancing is difficult or impossible. How do you social distance in a gig?

Immediately. There's terrible risk every time you step foot out the front door, can't let it stop you stepping your feet out the front door

As for maintaining social distancing at gigs, ridiculous notion, sounds like the equivalent of watching football played in an empty stadium. Pointless, essentially.

Planet Dave wrote:Immediately. There's terrible risk every time you step foot out the front door, can't let it stop you stepping your feet out the front door

As for maintaining social distancing at gigs, ridiculous notion, sounds like the equivalent of watching football played in an empty stadium. Pointless, essentially.

Perhaps they'll bring back pyramids, stood on someone's shoulders - i reckon that just about qualifies enough for social distancing!

Charlie wrote:Perhaps they'll bring back pyramids, stood on someone's shoulders - i reckon that just about qualifies enough for social distancing!

Having seen the security swoop into action in Manchester last month the second Erudite clambered up on someones shoulders, this would be quite some U-turn on their behalf.

Planet Dave wrote: .......sounds like the equivalent of watching football played in an empty stadium. Pointless, essentially.......

I'd suggest, selfishly, that there is a point if the correct, and Mighty, Red team wins the league, at long last.



Btw, RIP Norman Hunter, Trevor Cherry and Michael Robinson.

Swinnow wrote:

Planet Dave wrote: .......sounds like the equivalent of watching football played in an empty stadium. Pointless, essentially.......

I'd suggest, selfishly, that there is a point if the correct, and Mighty, Red team wins the league, at long last.



Btw, RIP Norman Hunter, Trevor Cherry and Michael Robinson.

Michael Robinson as in the guy who played for you and City? Blimey. RIP gentlemen.

Stadiums - yep I can see your point of view, you'll have seen enough after one match of that though, it's horrible, watching that United europa match put me off football, and we won 5-0 or summat if The Sisters (and every other band) started playing gigs in empty rooms that we all watch on monitors at home, that'd be just as horrible.

Yeah that Michael Robinson bro, that one is a bit too close to the bone as the age group is far too close. And I saw a fair few Tranmere games on Friday nights back in the 70's so I experienced football with virtually no crowds, not something I recommend either.

Turning to the serious, I can't really see any indoor gigs in the UK or any sporting events with spectators before Christmas at the earliest, I'd guess most of Europe will be the same.

When we have 0 daily covid deaths for 15 days in row. From the 16th i start go to gigs

abridged wrote:So when will you feel comfortable going to gigs again? Must admit I think going to anything this side of Christmas is a mistake and that (sadly) includes the pub where social distancing is difficult or impossible. How do you social distance in a gig?

In an ideal world i.e. one in which the UK wasn't being governed by a pack of pathological liars who will say/do anything to maintain their popularity with the masses I'd say at the point at which they tell us it's safe to reopen bars and restaurants. In a more nuanced reality, I'll combine any relaxation of the lockdown with my own judgement based on the current daily rate of new infections and whether or not they have successfully implemented mass testing and contact tracing. Part of it will also be based on geography - rural Scotland is very different from London, or even Glasgow or Edinburgh in terms of population density and people travelling to and fro.
While a number of gigs I had booked have been moved to Spring next year, I have a couple rescheduled from May to September. At the time this decision was made in March it looked quite reasonable. Not so much, now.

i really don't want to go to any gigs this year. I can wait. I will turn bat s**t crazy but I can wait

There's a logic to having pro sports continue behind closed doors - watching it on TV isn't as good, particularly with no crowd, but it's better than no sport at all. It's pointless at lower levels, where clubs rely on the money from paying punters.

Ironically, the levels where you could manage social distancing fairly easily around a football field - the kind of places I tend to blog about - also suffer. When you need people to come into the bar and have a pint to ensure you can pay the match officials, you're a bit screwed if you can't open your bar because 75 people can't safely congregate there at half time.

As for gigs, I don't see any merit in staging a socially distanced concert. I can listen to recordings of the music and the outcome is not uncertain in the same way as a sporting event (same applies to theatre, stand-up etc). The whole point of the gig is the communal, social aspect.

When will I next go to one? Well, my 3yo is booked to see Zog at the local theatre in September (rescheduled from April). If that goes ahead, I imagine that will be my next public engagement.

the way i see it is this: dont snog strangers , dont nick drinks, dont share fags and spliffs and most importantly dont spit in each others mouths. luckily my spring sisters extravaganza wasnt ruined by the carnivorous walrus (goo-goo-ga-choob) and thats something. however i am missing lots of gigs all over ...not to mention (but i'm going to anyway lol) my 50th birthday is coming up soon; where hopefully many of my HL brothers and sisters will do me the hoonour of attending the first gig by my band The Glad Peas. thats gonna be on a big New Age Travellers site with techno soundsystems and live bands for 3 days so if its just me in my misfits bandana i will be truly FUCKED OFF.

eastmidswhizzkid wrote:the way i see it is this: dont snog strangers , dont nick drinks, dont share fags and spliffs and most importantly dont spit in each others mouths. luckily my spring sisters extravaganza wasnt ruined by the carnivorous walrus (goo-goo-ga-choob) and thats something. however i am missing lots of gigs all over ...not to mention (but i'm going to anyway lol) my 50th birthday is coming up soon; where hopefully many of my HL brothers and sisters will do me the hoonour of attending the first gig by my band The Glad Peas. thats gonna be on a big New Age Travellers site with techno soundsystems and live bands for 3 days so if its just me in my misfits bandana i will be truly FUCKED OFF.

Is that September? If everything is still in the mire simply rename it from festival / Lee's 50th to a herd immunity research unit, and I'll see you there Sir

Planet Dave wrote:

eastmidswhizzkid wrote:the way i see it is this: dont snog strangers , dont nick drinks, dont share fags and spliffs and most importantly dont spit in each others mouths. luckily my spring sisters extravaganza wasnt ruined by the carnivorous walrus (goo-goo-ga-choob) and thats something. however i am missing lots of gigs all over ...not to mention (but i'm going to anyway lol) my 50th birthday is coming up soon; where hopefully many of my HL brothers and sisters will do me the hoonour of attending the first gig by my band The Glad Peas. thats gonna be on a big New Age Travellers site with techno soundsystems and live bands for 3 days so if its just me in my misfits bandana i will be truly FUCKED OFF.

Is that September? If everything is still in the mire simply rename it from festival / Lee's 50th to a herd immunity research unit, and I'll see you there Sir

sure is bro. 22nd is actual day so 18/19/20 weekend.

Doesn't look viable though does it, really?

Can't see any Gigs happening this year. Can't see anyone going to the Cinema, Theatre, Pub, Club, Bar, Festival or f**king Gig or Party or whatever for a while.

Could be worse though.

new age travellers live in social groups of 50+ peoople anyway. those 50+ getting f**ked o9ff their heads and listening to music isn't even breaking lockdown. so yeah, looks highly likely.
and travellers sites are no-go areas for the pigs too so f**k it.

Somehow "the world" looks fed-up with lockdowns, so maybe things will change sooner to the better than one might expect right now ... ...

Given some careful meaures, I wouldn't hesitate to attend any gigs as soon as it is allowed again.

"I'll get drive-thru"

https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2020/05/ ... awful.html

well

got thickets for sisters in maastricht and a'pen in septembe, front22 10 oct in leuven and sinnersday on 31st of october in st truiden (all Belgium)

and planning to hit Italy in August or early September

well

got thickets for sisters in maastricht and a'pen in septembe, front22 10 oct in leuven and sinnersday on 31st of october in st truiden (all Belgium)

and planning to hit Italy in August or early September

Had a bit chat with the guy who runs one of our local small venues. He's pretty pessimistic about being able to operate with any kind of social distancing. Probably the most downbeat of the people I've spoken to about their businesses in the current circumstances. But there's a bonus Banshees reference for them as like that sort of thing, and a link to a ukulele cover of 'Life of Mars'

https://vocal.media/beat/durham-s-beautiful-launderette

prolly the mish or NMA @rock city.

And, continuing the theme, I did an interview with a guy who runs a DIY label in Newcastle. He's optimistic about how things are going for the label but concerned that likely restrictions on how venues can operate might effectively mean the end for his band. If you're not interested in that, it's worth checking out the link to the Salisman & His Blessed Eunuchs track that he's putting out at the end of July - thoroughly enjoyed a listen to that the other day.

https://bit.ly/3eUHUuE

As I see it here in Belgium, festivals, small gigs, FORGET it this year.

2021 is the best most can and will do

Our 'big' goth-new wave fest Simmer's Day on Nov 1st is cancelled, smaller gig I wanted to do in St.Niklaas with the American black rockers MIDNIGHT -- cancelled.

Especially when it involves American bands, either venues-bookers don't want them, or the musicians-bands don't want to come over out of self-protection.

IZ.

One thing I've heard is that the live music industry as a whole in the UK is asking the government for £50 million.

For comparison Wetherspoons has received £48.3 million