Live music venues appeal for donations
Some of Canterbury’s best-loved music venues are appealing for donations as New Zealand’s gig scene is ‘‘effectively paralysed’’ post-lockdown.
Live music is permitted under alert level 2 but crowd limits and compulsory seating mean no dance floors or mosh pits.
Thousands of gigs were cancelled across the country when the level 4 lockdown was imposed, forcing local venues such as Wunderbar, Cassels Blue Smoke, Darkroom and Space Academy to seek support to help them stay afloat. The gig scene is a large employer of venue staff, technicians and performers. So far, 26 bars and clubs have signed up to Save Our Venues, a nationwide crowdfunding campaign.
Lyttleton’s Wunderbar will reopen today but owner Alex Wallace said it would not host live music until the end of June.
It launched the fundraising appeal to pay wages and rent and has so far raised about a third of its $30,000 target, Wallace said.
‘‘The impact of Covid-19 has been obviously financial and also a huge mental strain on us. For the staff, it’s taken a personal toll on everybody,’’ he said.
The London St venue has hosted acts including Marlon Williams, Aldous Harding and Hollie Smith but Wallace said it could take years before live venues recover from the lockdown.
‘‘There are a lot of bands not touring [and] obviously you can’t internationally,’’ he said. ‘‘Hopefully by Christmas we will be back to normal, if we survive.’’
Darkroom, on St Asaph St, opened in 2011 and was one of Christchurch’s first dedicated live music bars post-quake. It has already exceeded its $10,000 target, with donations of $16,000, which will go towards utilities, accounting and insurance.
Co-owner Nick Vassar said his band, The Wendys will play two shows, at 8pm and 10.30pm, on Saturday. ‘‘Doors will open 30 minutes before the gig and the venue will close after the music to turn around for the next gig.’’
One to two bands or DJs will play two shows on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
Richard Barnacle, of 100capacity venue Space Academy, said navigating life after Covid-19 was difficult, but he was buoyed by support from the crowdfunding campaign.
Space Academy reopens as a bar with limited capacity at 5pm today. Tomorrow night it will stage an intimate gig for 30 people hosted by Ben Woods and The Clean’s Hamish Kilgour.
‘‘We can only fit 30 people in with the level 2 restrictions but it’s a start,’’ Barnacle said.
Cassels Blue Smoke said that venues across the country particularly small venues, were struggling to survive.
‘‘They are owned, managed, and operated by people like you and me, they are not big businesses.
‘‘Yet despite their humble size and grassroots style of operation, they manage to create a source of livelihood and support for a literal village of people.’’