Question 3: How did you/your company adapt to the crisis? What changes have there been to your business due to the crisis? What perspectives are you facing for the future?
Steffen Rabe, a booker with FKP Scorpio, who lives in Germany and has worked with Amanda Palmer, Pond and Gov’t Mule: “From the beginning on 16 March 2020, I worked part-time (reduced hours). I have been able to do home office since.”
Rémi Bruggmann, a booker and artistic coordinator with the Montreux Jazz Festival, who lives in Switzerland: “The crisis accelerated the plans that we had as festival. The festival has a long history with audio-visual archives and we wanted to perpetuate this and work to offer the best content creations all year round. We haven’t waited on this crisis to do so and it’s been a couple of years that we’re working on this digital experience, to try to stay ahead of the trends.”
Zöé Caldwell, an agent who lives in Australia and has worked with the Blue Man Group and Cirque Du Soleil: “I’ve adapted a lot over the past year--home country, job, and I even have a baby on the way now! I think international touring teaches you to be very adaptable, so I continued to draw on those skills and remained open to where the world would take me next. The future will look different, but I am hopeful we will be able to return to our international travelling life soon.”
Natasha Gregory, an agent with Mother Artists, who lives in the UK and has represented Amy Macdonald, IDLES, RY X, Tom Misch and Foster the People: “Our company is new (December 2020) so you could say it was in part due to the pandemic that we had the space and time to work on a new company that would epitomize who we are, what we stand for, and what is important in these times. Empathy, hard work and respect at the forefront. Whilst being ready to adapt at every turn.”
Clotaire Buche, an agent with Junzi, who lives in France and has worked with Woodkid, Aaron and Chassol: “Our employees are on furlough, we are adapting the production of our shows so our artists can play in front of smaller, seated audience. Still no perspective today, everything is uncertain.”
Dany Hassenstein, a booker with the Paléo Festival Nyon, who lives in Switzerland: “Home office technology was available at our company already before the crises and was implemented very easily. In terms of innovation, we are working on a new, covid-compatible event for 2021. Smaller, longer, with new experiences for the audience.”
Josh Javor, an agent with X-ray Touring, who lives in the UK and has worked with Queens of the Stone Age, Coldplay, Snow Patrol and Eagles of Death Metal: “Shut the office, put a lot on furlough.”
Rahel Feidler, a production manager with Showtime Entertainment Services, who lives in Belgium and has worked with Rock Werchter, Rock-A-Field, Rammstein (Lux), Tomorrowland and Jean Michel Jarre: “We started looking for alternative work to keep the cash flow going. Filip quickly found some work on a construction site nearby. And I even tried to find work as an employee in administration, but none of the many job applications was successful--most employers would ask if I want to go back to events after this crisis (a question which I always answered with yes), and as none thought this situation would last this long, I was turned down each and every time. To fill my days with some useful activities, I enrolled in a covid-19 compliance officer course and I renewed my SCC and first aid certificates. End of August, after more than 4 month of excelling in housewifing (which is absolutely not my strongest asset), I finally got a little job in Germany, running a temporary covid testing station on a highway. After this, some virtual events came up, where I could use my experience in stage management and TV. I decided to leave the quest for a fixed job and focus on the niche of virtual meetings and events. Thanks to my extensive network, I got the opportunity to join the team that coordinates and technically moderates virtual meetings in the European Parliament for the next couple of months. Not really R&R, but at least it gives me a regular income to survive the next half year.”
Björn Harder, a tour and stage manager with Try Harder Productions, who lives in Germany and has worked with Rammstein and Apocalyptica: “Since it seems the world is getting transformed, I changed my strategy. The globally attempted transformation of society (and the group behind this situation) does not want certain businesses anymore, so I had to rethink my general doing completely. I do not have the impression that the (private) entertainment industry is wanted in the future. As an end-result, I see only government-funded entertainment possible (financially feasible), which might be the end of art as we know it.”
Dick Meredith, a freelance tour manager, who lives in the UK and has worked with Bastille: “It’s impossible to adapt when there’s no prospect of doing what we do--live music. A stream is a one off, not a tour.”
Jan Smeets, an agent and booker for Live Nation Belgium and Rock Werchter, and has also worked with Passenger, who lives in Belgium: “As we were forced to work at home, we found our way to virtual meetings through Zoom. The trend of hard ticketed streamed shows is of interest for our sector. Hence, we are following this evolution closely. As it stands, 2022 looks like a bottleneck of concerts, so we fear oversaturation of the market. On the contrary, we are confident that the balance will be restored as from 2023.”
Luke Bell, a freelance tour manager, who lives in the UK: “We were lucky that our financial position was not precarious, we managed with savings and credit cards to get through without suffering, but we are much luckier than many of our fellow crew guys. We have recently taken on jobs together covid testing lorry drivers at the Manston airport site near our home. This should last for a few months and will hopefully see us through until touring opens back up again. Obviously our touring business has halted completely. It has not earned us a cent since March 2020. I am a partner in an audio company in the UK also, just a small one that we started a year before the pandemic--we have managed to do a little work there as we converted our facility into a live streaming venue, and have had work from bands and corporates there, so that will allow the company to survive until the proper touring work comes back in and business as normal can resume.”
Silvio König, a tour manager and production manager with Thirteen Fourteen Productions, who lives in Germany and has worked with Paul Kalkbrenner and Kraftwerk: “Hmmm... adapt? Not really. We made some streams and recordings. But no cool shows like we did before! I hope vaccination goes on and fast (not in Germany, haha, I think we are the slowest country in vaccination).”
Ton Maessen, a freelance tour manager, who lives in Portugal and has worked with Nick Cave and dEUS: “No adaption; it is a standstill. Only when we can fill up the venues again our business will become economically viable again.”
Alex Bruford, an agent with ATC Live, who lives in the UK and has worked with Nick Cave, The Lumineers, Metronomy and Fink: “We had to make some staff reductions last year, primarily in the admin departments that support active touring. Since then we have kept the team together and focussed on being prepared for when the business restarts, and finding other opportunities for our artists, i.e., live streaming and branding. Across the ATC group of companies we launched Driift--led by Ric Salmon and Brian Message, the company has become a market leading producer and promoter of live streaming events. In addition, we have used the time to form new relationships, including announcing ATC Live’s partnership with new US agency Arrival Artists.”
Silke Westera, a booker with FKP Scorpio, who lives in Germany and has worked with Tom Odell and Tom Walker: “I think for such a big company adapting isn’t easy as it might be for smaller ones. We aren’t changing our core business for sure, as that is what our hearts beat for and what we are optimistic to be able to work on hopefully soon again. But of course we are preparing ourselves for adjustments we might have to make production-wise in the future.”
Dirk “Bats” Dillen, an electrician with Powershop, who lives in Belgium and has worked with Rock Werchter, Rock-A-Field and Rammstein (Lux): “I have tried to occupy myself with other things, but normal life will have to return soon.”
Danny Simons, an agent with Grand Hotel van Cleef Musik, who lives in Germany and has worked with Thees Uhlmann and Kettcar: “Due to the limited work force because of kurzarbeit [the short-time working scheme] we had to strip down our activities. We focussed on established artists that are able to play ‘corona safe’ (seated) venues. This works at the moment, but due to the costs connected to corona show concepts it gets even harder to break new artists.”