As the pandemic continues to wreck havoc throughout the US and Europe, the nightlife industry is finding it difficult to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Public health restrictions including lockdowns have left clubs and industry professions in distress, with limited direction on how to move forward.
BBC Radio personality Danny Howard added color to the dire picture and implored government officials to share their estimates as to when the nightlife scene could safely reopen. Howard is calling on the government to be more transparent with their return to normal expectations so organizers can plan accordingly.
The renowned DJ and music producer called the financial measures taken thus far to support the industry as “papering over the cracks.” In 2019, the UK nightlife sector was the fifth biggest industry in the nation, and without clear direction on how to move forward, the country stands to see the sector damaged with permanent job loss beyond repair.
Howard says the increasingly damaged live music industry is starting to impact labels and even how music is consumed. “One thing I’ve noticed during lockdown as a broadcaster and record label head is without nightclubs we are not seeing the journey of a record,” Howard told the BBC. “Songs are forgotten because they are not heard at a festival or a club and we no longer have those moments where you remember a tune coming on. We haven’t got these moments to put context around the music that we’re loving.”
“And if labels can’t sell records, they’re at risk of collapsing too – events, night life and night clubs are the beating heart of our entire industry,” Howard asserted.
Source: BBC
