Robert in lockdown!
There was a significant moment for the live music industry last week when Nicola Sturgeon set out plans for indoor live music events to be allowed to take place from September 14.
In truth, however, it will be much longer than that before the majority of live performances as we know them can go ahead.
Venues across the country (from arenas such as the 14,300 capacity SSE Hydro to intimate stages such as the 300 capacity King Tuts Wah Wah Hut on St Vincent Street, both Glasgow) rely on being able to pack in the punters – and social distancing will make it very difficult for most venues to open their doors. The overheads and costs shared by venues, bands, and promoters are usually pretty hefty before one ticket is even sold. They include PA, sound engineers, lighting, lighting engineers, floor technicians, general venue staff on the door and behind the bar.
So you can see why a venue (no matter the size) needs to have the ability to sell at full capacity, and social distancing rules, meaning far less ticket
Ben Lomond from Loch Lomond Golf Course.
sales, are clearly not conducive to that. As for outdoor socially distanced gigs in Scotland through the winter – good luck with that in a howling gale in December!
Ultimately, it is positive that the government have set some kind of date for the next step in the long route back; but don’t think the live music industry is out of the woods yet by any means. I am afraid our next opportunity to take to the stage still feels like a long way off.
On a brighter note, some readers have noticed that I haven’t included any tales of my golf recently.
The sport has become my main hobby while I have time on my hands that would previously have been spent gigging but, after initially writing about it most weeks, I haven’t been wanting to bore you all too much with my golfing woes.
This week, however, I must say a massive thank you to Ken and Sheila MacLeod and their son, John, who invited me for a round at none other than Loch Lomond Golf Club a fortnight ago. What an incredible experience playing such a beautiful course and in such glorious weather conditions. Getting to see round Rossdhu House and the locker room with legendary names on the lockers such as Colin Montgomerie, Ernie Els, and Retief Goosen was quite something.
Only days later, in the slightly less salubrious but nevertheless excellent facilities of Milngavie Golf Club, my pal John Robertson won his first ever golf competition – posting a tremendous score of net 61. He started by slicing his drive off the first; duffing his second shot; coming up short of the green with his third; then pitching right into the hole for his par. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Golf really is the most mind boggling game!