COVID19 AND GIG CANCELLATIONS

Like all other artists, I find myself having to tell you what you probably already know.  All gigs are 99% likely to be cancelled for the entirity of this Spring because of the CoronaVirus.  I don't want this to be happening.  I can't afford for this to be happening.  I'm scared that people I know might die from this thing.  In other words, I'm just like everyone else!  Please see my gig listing to make absolutely sure if you like, but who are we really kidding?  My final three dates with Peter Knight have had to be postponed pending rearrangement and I am not anticipating any of the gigs with Jackie Oates, or with the Gigspanner Big Band to be going ahead this Spring.  Just because the gigs are still up on the listing doesn't mean they're going ahead and as each one is systematically wiped from the calendar I will update it to postponed or cancelled with a very heavy heart.

We will be launching the Gigspanner Big Band album, Natural Invention on April 10th as scheduled - but the lovely tour that Deborah put together for us to play all the exciting new music we wrote over the course of last Autumn now hangs so far in the balance that frankly I can't see it any more.  I was really chuffed to have joined the band and delighted with the way the new music has gone. We all worked so hard on it.  I think the album sounds amazing and I am genuinely looking forward to sharing it with you all.

But in the meantime.  I have no gigs.  Worse than that I now have no income.  If I don't play, I don't get paid.  All musicians are in the same boat there I'm afraid, as are many other freelancers and people in the gig economy.  It's scary times for many.  Our gigs will likely be rescheduled, but not until September at the earliest, some probably not until 2021... and ultimately that will be the same as cancellations for us.  At this time, it would mean a lot to all musicians who make little to no money from royalties and streaming services, if you would consider buying something directly from us.  My web-shop is here if you would like to do that.

So after a few days of self-pity and panicking, I will be ploughing headlong in to the "self-isolated" online free-for-all that musicians are currently unleashing.  This will mean new online content which I will attempt to make you pay for, or beg for with a donation button.  All my dignity has gone out of the window!  It will probably mean my new traditional tunebook being finished and sold in the shop (either as a download, or as a physical book if I can afford the printing costs).  Who knows ... I may even get around to finishing that solo album I nearly make every couple of years ;-)

So thanks for reading.  I'm sorry the gigs are off ... but ho hum ... not much I can do about that!

Leave a comment