The Zine UK

The Music Industry continually adapts rapidly to #SaveOurVenues and community. The well-being to mental health that surrounds live music events can never be over-estimated. DIY grassroots spaces, able to change within hours, are leading the way. It’s true to say the euphoria to fuel these pandemic stricken days is definitely recharged by watching artists perform their skills in a live setting. We couldn’t BE more viable. When lockdown was first announced (23rd March) the first Balcony Online Festival was live stream broadcast the following day.

The goal posts change weekly. Please check your show before setting out and look after other people and yourself when outdoors. Lets get our gigs back sooner rather than later!

Friends at the recent gig headlined by The Pagans S.O.H. were just so happy to have been at an actual gig gig. Special guests, Y!kes tweeted “One mass!ve sold out show last night with our brothers in the_pagans” continuing “Big up @bhampromoters & @DeadWaxDigbeth for putting on an event that was as safe as it was fun. We’ll be back soon Birmingham”.

So far, reactions like that have been the case from around the country.

Regular readers of TheZineUK doc, will spot more familiar names in these next posters for forthcoming, precautioned events happening this month, alone. Starting with The Novus, the Midlands rockers are breaking the mould, again, with a socially distanced tour.

Understandably, seated shows and live streams are not like old world gigs and safety first ain’t about moshing. The idea is to aim for a brighter future of “proper” shows with a capacity to pay artists, crew and venue staff alike.

Kind of continuing from the round up article of TheZineUK’s first six years, ‘To Dystopia, defiantly’, artists and allies are doing everything possible and safe that they can to maintain this industry until it can be (genuinely) world beating again. In the mean time, new, collaborative connections continue to be made. It’s what we (need to) do.

Amersham Arms (where TheZineUK was born) is a wide stage in a wide room, so finds itself with a filling calendar! (see Instagram for listings info).

We are in hard bleak times where Dickensian meets Orwellian. European nations have furloughed their arts until Spring. Villains know the price of everything and the value of nothing, so Brexitannia is out of time.

Reality tweeted by Amy Lamé london.gov.uk/coronavirus @amylame :

“FACTS: Culture & creative industries contribute £10.8bn a year to the UK economy The sector contributes £2.8bn a year to the Chancellor's Treasury via taxation It generates a further £23bn a year in revenue and 363,700 jobs. We are viable”.

In that vein, a huge thank you to all who strive to create, perform, engage and entertain. Above, another stellar line up promoted by industry shakers.

Hopefully as we adapt to this newer world, our actions now will help bring back artists (they will keep being born, the human animal makes a song and dance about everything). These are all new experiences, like Kick Out The Jams adding Hoxton to it’s Mix-Up locations.

TheZineUK friends were out recently and the sunshine of live music performance experienced, warmed our souls. Jeanie and Jonny had two weeks to help create a one week festival, and they pulled #SNCFest 2020 off, supremely. I, personally felt so uplifted that I’ve got many more tasks completed this past month. I feel different. Forgot that I’d fallen into lockdown lethargy.

The Saturday night (5th September) venue, Stanley Halls, was a tall stage in a high ceilinged venue, so it was well ventilated. Solo gig adventurers shared a table

If anything, it was like attending a music awards TV show like a mini Brits the 1960s or something. If the artists can pull it off live with charismatic performance and good songs, you can be entertained while seated and they can feel and see the reactions to their music. MOSES (above) emitted rays of joy.

CANCELLED - A matinee show, then an evening set for Big Joanie on 18th October.

Was going to be an afternoon matinee then evening set. Ways to not go past capacity and look after audiences, artists, crew and venue staff alike. All the above handful of shows will be completely different but SO worth it.

Phoenix Raven (below) sang a cover of “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley, and every little thing really was alright that full moon with Mars twinkled night!

Yes, I really want to get claustrophobic again one day at a gig but right now, I just want as many fellow human beings not to suffer from something awful and not to end up destitute because our greatest treasure, culture, is not recognised. Grim times. Music Venue Trust ask everybody to please respect safety and fellow gigs goers, so that we can keep healing, hopefully. Daily, we keep learning new ways to make brighter days.