Van Morrison demands venues full of music fans
Here’s one thing that many people in the music world have long believed to be true: Van Morrison doesn’t care what you think of him.
He’s a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, the author of some of the best songs in popular music history, and has sold millions of records and whatnot in a career that stretches back 60-plus years.
He’s the Belfast Cowboy, and he’s apparently content to ride alone. And that’s pretty much what he’s doing these days.
The former Bay Area resident’s call for other Alist acts to back him on his “Save Live Music” campaign — which is built on the notion that coronavirus precautions for concerts are a bunch of hooey — has gone unanswered.
In an Aug. 21 post on his website, Morrison, 74, tried to rally the troops to his cause of once again packing venues full of fans — despite the recommendations to the contrary from health officials.
“As you know, we are doing socially distanced gigs at Newcastle Upon Tyne’s Gosforth Park, Electric Ballroom and the London Palladium,” he writes on VanMorrison.com.
“This is not a sign of compliance or acceptance of the current state of affairs, this is to get my band up and running and out of the doldrums. This is also not the answer going forward. We need to be playing to full capacity audiences going forward.
“I call on my fellow singers, musicians, writers, producers, promoters and others in the industry to fight with me on this. Come forward, stand up, fight the pseudo-science and speak up.”
It’s unclear what he’s talking about in regard to the “pseudo-science” (sic) that needs fighting. Is he saying it’s all hogwash that the coronavirus can be transmitted from the type of close contact one finds at a full-capacity concert? If so … well … wow.
Of course, Morrison, in his own way, is trying to address a real problem here, as the pandemic has devastated the live music industry. And few musiciansareinthetypeoffinancial position as Morrison in terms of being able to weather this storm, no matter how long it lasts.
But while many, if not most, artists understand why it’s necessary to hold off on playing live for now — valuing people’s lives over tickets sales — Morrison is ready to rock ’n’ roll right now.