Live Music… We Miss You!
February 3, 2022
When the COVID-19 pandemic caused several shut downs and cancelled events in 2020, music concerts were hit hard. Concerts were cancelled, rescheduled, rescheduled again — the whole situation was a mess. This was detrimental to some smaller musicians, who largely make profit from selling concert tickets and merchandise. In recent months, concerts have been held, but with safety protocols such as wearing masks and even proof of vaccination required for admission at some. But of course, there is no immunity to COVID at such close events such as a concert, especially in general admission venues, the result is that many musical events have come to be viewed as risky and potentially dangerous events.
Even the musicians themselves have caught the disease and had to cancel events because of it. Arizona-based pop punk band Doll Skin joined Anti-Flag as an opener for their North American Tour 2021, however from November 7th to November 12th, drummer Meghan Herring and fill-in bassist Tay — previous bassist of the band Forever Emerald — had tested positive for COVID while on the tour and had to stay off until they tested negative multiple times. Another band, Neck Deep, held a U.S. headlining tour this year. Unfortunately, on December 8th, the day of the Baltimore date of the tour, the band announced that due to confirmed COVID cases in the band, they had to cancel the remaining dates of the tour. Back in 2019, bands Green Day, Fall Out Boy, and Weezer announced their co-headlining tour HellaMegaTour for 2020. When the tour was rescheduled to 2021, the dates changed, making some fans unable to even attend the concert. Additionally, on August 4, Fall Out Boy announced they would not be performing at the New York and Boston shows of the tour because someone on their team tested positive for COVID.
These incidents are devastating to both the bands and the fans who had paid the money to see them, and they are only a few examples out of many concerning the safety and future of concerts. It is unsure whether it is even safe to hold concerts at this point in time. COVID has not gone away, and in fact has spiked again recently with the omicron variant. While the absence of concerts can prove troublesome for bands, especially smaller, local bands, is it truly worth risking the health of both the people who attend and the musicians in the concerts?
Sources:
Doll Skin official Instagram page
Neck Deep official Instagram page
