Musicians’ messages on Covid hit wrong note
MUSICIANS, songwriters, pop stars, and rock stars are brilliant. Brilliant at playing instruments, at writing songs and at performing and entertaining millions of people with their lyrical and musical talents particularly when the are at the peak of their creativity.
But when it comes to virology, population health control dealing with a global pandemic their talents are not really in tune with what the world needs.
First, it was Ian Brown, frontman of the legendary Manchester band The Stone Roses.
He railed against the Government efforts to save lives and stop the virus killing more people than it already has.
Tweeting his opposition to the test and trace and the mandatory wearing of masks and even questioning a vaccine, which we don’t have yet.
‘ No test, no tracks, no masks, no vax’ was his considered contribution to the public health debate.
He was quickly followed by Oasis singer and guitarist, Noel Gallagher who, in a foul mouthed rant, opined about masks and said they were “pointless” and that he refused to wear one.
Gallagher said in the interview that if he doesn’t wear a mask and gets the virus then that’s on him.
It fails to register with him that if he then has it and doesn’t follow the guidelines he then poses a serious risk to others.
Now we have Van Morrison, Belfast singer songwriter, writing songs about the lockdown being enslavement.
He also encouraged others in the music business to fight the “pseudoscience”.
Interventions like this from household names is concerning because, unlike the collections of conspiracy theorists, malcontents and morons who attempt to stage anti- lockdown protests in our towns and cities, people like Brown, Gallagher and Morrison do actually have some influence over some people.
Their words get air time on TV and radio and column inches in the press and on websites.
I can imagine some of those who are flouting the rules on household gatherings by having house parties belting out I Am The Resurrection, Wonderwall or Brown Eyed Girl through their speakers this weekend in defiance of the rules.
Thankfully though their peak years are behind them, the 60s and 70s for Van Morrison and the 90s for Ian Brown and Noel Gallagher.
But they still attract attention and are still capable of carrying a great deal of influence.
At a time when cases all around the world are rising rapidly again with France and Spain hitting the same kind of numbers they saw earlier in the year, leading to a mammoth death toll, we need calm voices.
The World Health Organisation this week warned governments against ‘ lockdown fatigue’.
The longer people are asked to put up with restrictions they more we tire of them and even those who are abiding by them begin to struggle, especially when restrictions are not uniform.
They specifically state that leaders should avoid a “do not” approach and adopt a “do differently” approach and engage people particularly young people in finding new and safe ways to be social.
Lead rather than demand obedience, they propose encouragement and empathy.
The WHO also warns the pandemic risks unravelling decades of gains made in health and development.
Advancements in medicine, in treatment of other killer diseases are being put at risk which will have a lasting impact long after the pandemic is, hopefully, over.
That will take a vaccine, which Brown in particular was raging against which he brands a “false vaccine” and a “plan to chip us all” in his anti- lockdown lyrical offering.
Gallagher’s problem was masks, which is just one line of defence to try and stop the virus until we get a vaccine.
While government ministers and scientific and medical advisers try to wrestle with the efforts needed to control a pandemic and at the same time minimise the other harms that we are already seeing, others in the public eye who also have a voice that gets attention are detracting from the efforts.
They are however coming from a selfish point of view. Van Morrison wants his band back on the road.
Well so do the thousands of young, and older. Musicians who can only dream of the career he has enjoyed who are faced with no venues to play, no breakthrough and no huge wealth to cushion the blow.
Instead of encouraging conspiracy theories and questioning the science I doubt they, like most of use, have the ability to understand in the minute detail needed to monitor and counter a deadly virus they could either pen some new songs to help us through, or just shut up and let us enjoy their back ca talogue.
In one of his most successful hits, in the 1990s, when at the peak of his powers, Noel Gallagher wrote the line, ‘ Please don’t put your life in the hands of a rock ’ n’ roll band. Who’ll throw it all away’.
Twenty five years later and never a truer word sung, Noel.
I wouldn’t want to hear Jason Leitch sing ‘ Don’t Look Back in Anger’, so why would I listen to Noel Gallagher’s public health advice.
Please don’t put your life in the hands of a rock ’ n’ roll band