Covid-19 has gutted rock n roll and, tragically, for good reasons (STAY AT HOME).
Venues have closed voluntarily or due to state mandate. There are no bands to book, no places to play, and nobody can go anywhere anyway. Some bands are doing live-streams to supplement the experience. These can be great, but then the “I wish I could see them live” sentiment turns into more of an unrequited lament than a motivator to get out next weekend.
We have found ourselves in the doldrums of self-isolation; engulfed in anxiety, uncertainty, and political frustration. A lot of “what the fuck just happened?”, and “what the fuck is going to happen?”. There are many unanswered questions. You may often think of the great escape…but what happened to rock n roll?
What happened to that show you were looking forward to? Is that record you were expecting going to come out? When is your favorite venue going to open back up? Will they ever? What happened to everybody?
I reached out to some Fayetteville DIY stalwarts who fill different roles in the community to get their takes on the situation. Here are their thoughts on what’s already happened and some speculation on what things might look like when we return to something close enough to normal.
What they have to say has reaffirmed a lot of what I’m feeling, but they’ve also given me a lot to look forward to. I hope it can do something similar for you.
Courtesy of Liz Essex
Liz Essex, organizer and punk-in-residence
(The Fuck-tards)
“On a personal level it’s brought a lot of the worries about security and finances that everyone else is also having to deal with right now. As far as how it’s affected my activity in the scene, it’s stopped it entirely. No gigs are going on, everything is cancelled. I was supposed to be on tour right now. And it’s shed an unsure light on future prospects and if they’ll be able to happen at all. I had just booked headliners for a festival in July when all the trouble started, and there’s no guarantee that this will all be cleared up by then. We’re all stuck at home, listening to tapes or whatever and wishing we could go out to a show.“
Kurt Alaska, Tape Dad proprietor
“Personally, the virus has significantly affected my big boy job (I work for a small wine and spirits distribution company) and hurt my income. It sucks. Luckily, I have tape money saved up from some successful releases from late last year and early this year, so I still have funds to use for new projects. That being said, my main materials supplier, National Audio Company in Springfield, MO, is temporarily shut down due to the virus, so the Groaners and Untight cassettes that I have in production up there are paused for at least a month, maybe longer. So right now I am trying to decide what I’m gonna do to keep things moving forward. There are options, just have to decide on the right course of action.
I’m sure everyone is hurting right now, but I can’t imagine COVID impacting the way the business works for small independent labels long term. I think it’s interesting how a lot of folks are going all out on live streaming concerts and reddit AMA’s and all the social media-based resources for promotion, but a lot of that stuff seems residual from social distancing. Whether or not that will be an actual shift in how things are done remains to be seen. Small labels are primarily making money through streaming and record sales, so as long as folks continue to consume independent music then your local small label will probably be OK. I would assume that the big labels, who have complex revenue streams, more employees, and more skin in the game, will be suffering way more than the little guys.“
Demetrius Neal, the ubiquitous drummer
(Musclegoose, Molasses Disaster, Tüth…)
“On my way back from work, I usually trek over to my S/O’s apartment and eventually drop by Backspace, maybe expecting a show going down. I imagine my friends and I going wild inside. My heart is singing. I’m most myself here. Where I can hear discussions about some of my favorite bands and how they fit in the grand scheme of the history of rock, and, in a larger scope, the history of culture.
As a musician, having this part of my life cut off so suddenly has, er, left a negative effect on my mood. Playing music is, more or less, a basis of living. I’ve never been good at expressing myself coherently (peeps from the scene can surely relate) and playing and seeing shows might’ve been that solution I needed. An outlet. An ability to connect. Playing has made me feel love and rage and everything in between. And I’m sure every musician will agree when I say losing the connection that is live music has been challenging to the psyche.
The beautiful thought out of all this shit is that the scene will come back stronger. I’m seeing all these record accounts of Fayetteville bands throughout the decades; friends and bandmates making music despite the isolation. It fucking puts my heart in that type of moment. Those moments when I was at Backspace. Or J.R.’s. Or someone’s house show. Fayetteville’s rich with talent and subculture magic (please forgive me for the corny phrasing), and I’m happy I’ve been a part of its expanding history and hope to see what happens next.“
Bryce Martin, Backspace Coordinator/Dad
(Peace of the Sea, Chicken Nugget)
“Not being able to see family, friends, or live music is very difficult. But it has been inspiring to see our creative community put everything aside in favor of public safety and responsibility. It’s been surprisingly fun to explore a level of digital connectivity that I wouldn’t have considered otherwise. I’ve really been enjoying live-streamed shows and late night video chats with friends. Despite everything, it’s a great time for self-reflection, creation, and organization.
COVID-19 put a stop to all planned Backspace events for the foreseeable future. We’ve considered streaming some shows from the space during all of this. But our priority remains safety, and conducting a properly distanced performance in such a tight space is too risky for the time being. We hope to be able to utilize the space for community purposes when it is safe to do so.
I think this pandemic is bound to positively impact the way we think about health and hygiene in all public spaces. It’s unfortunately inevitable that many DIY spaces aren’t going to survive this. But for the venues that do see a future after this, it is the perfect time to get organized, refine your mission statement, repair old equipment, etc. I hope that after this much downtime, we all have safer, even more welcoming spaces to come back to.
I do think that this will reinvigorate public interest in live arts of all types. We’re bound to see bigger, more enthusiastic crowds once it’s safe to go out again. As this pandemic unfolds, people are realizing the value of the arts in their daily lives, and the importance of the people that create them. Hopefully this renewed appreciation translates to long-lasting support for our creative communities when this is all over.“
