Omicron Indecision Is Putting Music Fans In An Impossible Position

In just a few days the spread of the omicron variant has caused untold havoc across the country. Numbers are exploding exponentially, placing long-cherished Christmas plans under threat as the dreaded ping-demic begins all over again.

Advice from authorities has been scant at best, and often contradictory. Limit our social interactions we are told, while schools remain open, bars and restaurants remain unaltered, and football matches go on unimpeded. With COVID anxiety rising – and with the festive season just around the corner – worried music fans have cut back on live shows, attempting to stay within the vague guidelines. The results have been catastrophic: in a new statement, the Music Venue Trust reports an immediate 23% drop in attendance, placing an existential threat over live music in this country.

For music fans, it’s a desperate situation. We’ve all seen the impact of the pandemic at first-hand – bands unable to tour, musicians unable to record, releases unable to hit vinyl. When the rollback over the summer seemed to permit a glimpse of freedom, we took it – festivals thronged with revellers, and the atmosphere seemed to be one of joy, and release.

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Right now, though, storm clouds gather once more. Fans want to help, they want to support musicians and venues financially – yet the current circumstances, with omicron hitting the UK like a tsunami, rule that out.

The impact is stark. In a statement, the Music Venue Trust warn that “rapid declines in attendance at this time represent an exponential threat to the whole sector”; the group also maintain that “losses of this magnitude cannot be sustained without throwing hundreds of music venues into crisis mode”.  

It seems appalling, cruel, and almost surreal to find ourselves at this point again. It’s reminiscent of the first weeks of the pandemic, when loosely worded bursts of advice wasn’t backed up with financial support for the live sector. At the time, Clash wrote that ‘Boris Johnson’s coronavirus fumble is crushing live music’ – words we stood by then, and continue to stand by now.

Mark Davyd, CEO of the Music Venue Trust, made his point with emphatic clarity: “It feels like we are back exactly where we were in March 2020, when confusing government messaging created a ‘stealth lockdown’ – venues apparently able to open but in reality haemorrhaging money at a rate that will inevitably result in permanent closures unless the government acts quickly to prevent it.”

Musicians who are in the financial position to postpone have already begun altering their plans. In Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon asked the public to limit social interactions to three households, or under – clearly, live music cannot take place under such restrictions. In line with this, Deacon Blue have pulled their remaining shows, with frontman Ricky Ross explaining that the band were “disappointed authorities didn’t make any decision regarding live concerts in the wake of Omicron spread”.

He added: “It’s clear to us Deacon Blue should not be playing and people shouldn’t be asked to attend gigs just now.”

Folks: We’re disappointed authorities didn’t make any decision regarding live concerts in the wake of Omicron spread. However it’s clear to us @deaconblue should not be playing and people shouldn’t be asked to attend gigs just now. We’re postponing our last two shows. 1/2

— Ricky Ross (@rickyaross) December 16, 2021

Christmas is traditionally a time for people to be together, and it’s also one of the social highlights of the year. Even under normal circumstances, it represents a significant point of income for touring musicians – in light of the current landscape, it’s even more important to their daily lives. For venues, too, this could be the busiest point of the entire year; indeed, the Music Venue Trust estimates that the festive season accounts for around 20% of the average venue’s annual income. The current circumstances must lead to a mere fraction of that.

In 2019 – the last full year before the pandemic – the UK live music sector broke fresh records, netting more than £1.1 billion in income, while placing it as a genuine world-leader. The pandemic has stripped this away, bulldozing venues and crushing the ambitions of young artists. With midwinter approaching, the government must act again to provide clarity, and protect a key British industry. If they don’t, music fans are essentially being asked to choose between supporting their favourite artists, and their own health – something no one should be asked to do.

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Words: Robin Murray
Photography: Ashley Verse

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