Introspective, Drum & Bass
How Is Corona Virus Affecting Drum And Bass Across The Globe?
Mar
The Corona virus affecting drum and bass and other genres is much more problematic and far reaching than people may think. That’s not to say it isn’t affecting literally everything else in the world at the moment too. This is literally a pivotal moment in the history of the world which will have far reaching repercussions for the future of mankind.
No joke. This is some properly serious, apocalyptic stuff happening here. Unprecedented actions have been taken worldwide. Most of the world is on lockdown and if they aren’t they should be. It’s not just the health side of things that’s scary; it’s also the crushing impact this will have on the global economy. As we saw from the last recession, no company is too large to go under and those who are not large at all may have already slipped beneath the waves.
Corona Virus Affecting Drum And Bass Raves
So, how is the Corona virus affecting drum and bass? Well, very shortly all mass gatherings of people will be banned. Some countries are saying over 1000, others 500 and in some places like the Czech Republic, over 100. This immediately means that all raves are off. All legal ones anyway. There could be a surge in illegal raves happening due to this, but whether or not people are concerned about their health and the spread of the virus remains to be seen.
Nightclubs are a prime place for human to human contact. This automatically means all venues across the country will be closed down. Bad for nightlife, even worse from a business perspective. Even venues that have global fame and regular clientele need to have revenue coming in so that they can remain open.
How long will they be closed for? Who knows. The directive coming from the government may see them shut up shop for the next 3 months, or possibly even longer, depending on how the next phase of battling the virus goes. We don’t know about you, but companies that make zero revenue over a 3 month period or more are generally unlikely to continue trading.
There is a lot of behind the scenes activity that goes into nightclub management and operation. Cleaning, repairs, maintenance, restocking, bar staff, security staff, permits, compliance, bills. Not to mention if a venue books big name artists, they all have to be paid and the expenses that come along with that.
Everyone wants and needs to get paid at the end of the day and if the doors are closed, then no money is coming in.
Closed, Forever…
The trouble with closing a venue is that once closed, the chances of it opening up again are slim to none. There are just too many costs to be covered, which usually need to be paid up front with no guarantee that the money will be recovered. It’s a huge risk for investors.
Assuming that the all clear is given after a few months of lockdown, all, if any, financial buffers will probably have been used up, meaning there is no money to get things started again. Let’s say that you want to relaunch with a big name dj. Who’s going to foot the bill for their set? What about the cost of bar stock? You could argue that all of these things would be paid for on credit.
Dj’s get paid after their set, breweries etc… would take payment on 30 days; but what if no one turns up in the wake of the health scare? Revenue is generated by the people going to the events. If no one goes, no money changes hands and no one gets paid. The venue would simply go bust after that event.
Cash Flow Is King
A lot of businesses, especially those within the events and hospitality industry, run on low margins and require cash flow all the time. We like to believe that the hospitality industry will always be there, but the reality is, it’s an incredibly fragile sector. Look at when the smoking ban came in and pubs up and down the country were forced to shut. Smokers didn’t want to go to their local only to be told to stand outside to smoke. It shook the foundations of the pub scene.
Many businesses, whilst profitable, are literally running on monthly revenue, meaning that the slightest dip or decline could put them in dire straights. Very few businesses worldwide, even large corporations, have massive cash reserves that can help them weather a recession. The difference being that with recessions, people are still going out and spending money. In this case, we have no idea how long this is going to last.
The problem with the Corona virus affecting drum and bass is that it branches out into so many different sectors. It’s not just the venues being affected. It’s the staff of those venues, the people who attend them and of course the artists who play to those crowds.
Corona Virus Affecting Drum and Bass Artists
Dj’s and MC’s make their money through releasing music and playing gigs. Streaming music is not really a viable income source for those who are not in the top echelons of fame. Drum and bass artists, whilst like gods among men in their scene, are not generating billions of plays on spotify that will earn them decent money.
For all the advanced technology we have for music creation and sharing, the drum and bass scene is still dominated by live events. And rightly so. Live events are a great way to experience the music and create memories that listening on your phone simply doesn’t give you.
If the venues are closed, artists can’t play to crowds. If the decks aren’t spinning, the tills aren’t ringing. It’s a house of cards situation. The venues rely on being able to book big name artists to draw the crowds. One can’t survive without the other.
It could be argued that in this time artists could generate new albums or singles for people to download, but how long does the creative process take to create something? Even then, how many downloads at £0.99 would be required to make ends meet at the end of the month?
We spoke about businesses having cash reserves, or the lack thereof earlier. What about artists that are on labels?
Drum And Bass Labels To Go Under?
It depends on the type of contract that a label has with their artists. Some would have a monthly salary model and will be required to create a certain amount of music and perform x amount of shows per month. Others will be paid on the volume of albums they sell and get a share in the gate revenue from events they play at.
Either way, the label is responsible for ensuring that their artists get paid. Now, record labels may be in a slightly more secure position here as they have digital and physical products they can sell in music and merch.
To do our bit in supporting the scene and the labels, you can checkout the shops from some of the top labels here:
(We know there are loads more labels out there who have stores. We get thousands of visits to this website every month, so it would be super helpful if you could drop your label shop link in the comments below so we can share our traffic with you).
The online shops may generate some regular, stable revenue, but it is unlikely that the majority of their money is made this way. Events and new releases are where they will make most of their money.
Labels have staff to pay and running costs too. Not to mention studio time to pay for and everything else that comes with that. Don’t forget, we are talking about the Corona virus affecting drum and bass here. This goes for the same for all music artists and labels. Recording and mastering studios, engineers, technicians. They are all going to be hit by this lock down.
There is a very real possibility that some of our most cherished labels may go under.
Drum And Bass Festivals Cancelled
We were devastated to hear the news that Rampage and Snowbombing have been cancelled. Given the current situation, it was the right thing to do. Unfortunately, this means that pretty much every festival this season will be off.
Let It Roll is still several months away, but the likelihood is that too will be cancelled. Many businesses will have already paid to be a part of those festivals and will most likely have lost that money.
Rampage released a statement saying that they will be moving the festival to September. It’s unlikely that it will go on then either. They have offered the tickets to be valid until the next even as they would lose millions of euros if they have to refund everyone. Again, as with the venues, cash flow is king. A loss like that would probably mean the end of that festival for good.
The far reaching effects of the lockdown in countries is compounded when you realise that it’s not just drum and bass that’s being affected, but all hospitality and events businesses. People traveling for the festivals are no longer going. Hotels are empty, bars and restaurants are not getting additional summer time revenue, airline companies aren’t flying, taxi drivers not getting fares to and from the airport. Literally everyone connected to these events will struggle.
Supporting The Scene
Sorry for the doom and gloom article. It’s not a nice thing to have to think about and it’s not all that nice to have to write about the potential catastrophic effects of a virus sweeping through all of humanity. However, this is the reality of it. Venues will close, artists will stop making music, labels will go under and festivals won’t take place. So, what can we do to support the scene and ensure it comes back stronger than ever?
Firstly, buy some merch or music from the record label shops. Ask events organisers to presell tickets for events post-lockdown. This will help them to show venues that the events will happen and they have money stored away for paying for things.
Don’t panic! Use this time to search for new artists and stream their music. Every little helps. When everything opens back up, go out to the venues, just make sure you’re washing your hands!
What other tips do you have for supporting the drum and bass scene in this uncertain time? Leave your comments in the section below.
