LIVE MUSIC SINGS THE BLUES DURING COVID-19

Note: This article was published in the Spring 2021 print edition of The Berkeley B-Side.

Just over a year ago, the world went dark — the live music scene was silenced by the surging COVID-19 pandemic. Music halls with no music, venues with no lights, and hundreds of thousands of people out of work. Music lovers were devastated to see concert after concert and festival after festival canceled. Bands and artists who were unable to tour; their world had come to a standstill. However, musicians were not the people hurt most. Artists and bands earn streaming revenues and on average earn more than the people who make live music possible: venue staff, stage crew, and tour photographers. They are the lifeblood and labor of live music, yet their stories remain untold.  

According to Pollstar, a trade publication for the concert industry, in the first quarter of 2020, prior to the start of the Covid-19 Pandemic, ticket sales for live music events reached $39,000,000. In the first quarter of 2021, a year after the world came to a halt, ticket sales for live music events reached a mere $397,388. All across the country, small independent venues were forced to close their doors for good. The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) conducted a survey and found that it was likely that ninety percent of their 2,000 members would have to close their doors permanently. NPR said that the live music industry sits “on the brink of catastrophe.” 

These are not just statistics. Behind every venue closure and every cancelled tour are the stories of thousands of hardworking individuals forced out of the industry that they know and love. These are human stories. 

Tour Photographer Brittany O’Brien, who has toured with Hippo Campus, Young the Giant, Imagine Dragons, and many others knows the live music industry intimately and has seen many of her friends lose their jobs or decide that they are done with the industry for good. Those out of work are often uninsured and receive very few, if any, unemployment benefits.

“There are very few protections in place for these workers. Many people are getting limited, if any, unemployment benefits and don’t have a strong enough resume to start over in a new industry. There are no 401k’s or health insurance benefits when you’re a contract worker, so you’re really on your own waiting for the pandemic to end,” said O’Brien.

Full article available @ Berkeley B-Side:

https://berkeleybside.com/live-music-sings-the-blues-during-covid-19/