STOP PRESS

CORONAVIRUS WREAKS LIVE-PERFORMANCE HAVOC

As this issue of Classic Rock went to press the global music scene was being torn apart by the COVID-19 pandemic. With the UK government banning gatherings of 500 people or more, and other countries closing all entertainment venues completely, live music effectively ground to a standstill.

Here in Europe there were postponements or cancellations from The Who, Queen + Adam Lambert, Santana, Richard Marx, Sons Of Apollo, Fish, Magnum, Greg Dulli, John Parr, Samantha Fish, The Mission, Steve Hackett, The Wildhearts, Warrior Soul, Rose Tattoo, Machine Head, William DuVall, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Biff Byford and many more. That list will certainly get much bigger, and there’s the very likely possibility of an enforced total shut-down.

North America’s two biggest promoters, Live Nation and AEG, suspended all of their tours for the month of March, causing Live Nation’s stock to drop by almost 50 per cent. In the US there was disruption to the agendas of Kiss, Pearl Jam, Rage Against The Machine, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Devin Townsend, Alice Cooper, Steve Hackett, Thom Yorke, Sebastian Bach, Sepultura and Yes, the latter also cancelling their annual Cruise To The Edge event. California’s Coachella Festival was moved from its April slot until October.

Whitesnake, Michael Schenker, Slipknot, Green Day and My Chemical Romance all cancelled visits to the Far East, while Guns N’ Roses and Sammy Hagar cancelled visits to South America.

The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, due to have taken place on May 2, was postponed until later in the year, and Record Store Day is moved from April 18 to June 20. The status of the UK’s summer festivals is unclear, while Hammerfest and HRH AOR, both set for March, were axed. A representative of Ramblin’ Man Fair, which is set for mid-July, offered reassurance that the event “goes ahead as planned”, although the organisers were “monitoring the situation as well as guidance from the Government and the World Health Organisation”. Organisers of the Steelhouse Festival in Wales told Classic Rock: “We are mindful of the current situation and adhering to official guidance, and will continue to do so.” A spokesperson for Download advised customers to keep an eye on downloadfestival.co.uk/info for the latest news.

One thing for certain is that the effect of coronavirus on the entertainment industry will be catastrophic, with artists, promoters, crew, venues and their staff, security and the touring and performance industry as a whole facing severe financial hardship.