It’s no surprise that workers in the gig economy were among the hardest hit during the pandemic, and that includes those who earn their livelihoods by playing music.
Many bands and musicians are now beginning to emerge from the hiatus brought on by the pandemic, and are hitting stages once again. But not without reservations.
“We’ve got 15-20 shows with ‘After the Lounge’ kind of already in the works, and some already pen to paper,” said Scott Bollert, the lead singer from London, Ont. based rock band ‘After the Lounge.’
A music promoter himself, Bollert said he continues to worry about the possibility of more false starts after having gone through multiple lockdowns.
“But you don’t know why we did that before. 2020 we did that, we had a whole lot of stuff we had to cancel, and 2021 everybody thought we were going to be coming out of the gates and that curve was going to be gone. And of course it didn’t end up happening that way,” he said.
In an interview at the band’s first show back from the pandemic at the Eastside Bar and Grill in London, Bollert reflected on how many artists had to put their music careers on the back-burner during COVID.
“Lots of people had to go out and find other jobs. They didn’t have the opportunity. Lots of people didn’t have the opportunity to get CERB and different things, and different grants and stuff,” he said.
And booking shows doesn’t necessarily mean having full houses, as some patrons are still nervous about coming back to bar and nightclub environments. However, it’s not like that everywhere according to musician Alan Charlebois, who was also on the bill at the Eastside on this night.
“Depends on which place you go to. I find that in younger bars it’s like it never happened. You can see people are even dancing up on each other, even while there were still mask mandates. People were putting them [masks] up when the manager walked by, then putting them back down.”
With a number of establishments not having survived the pandemic, the Eastside is one of the few remaining straight-up bars in London that still feature full bands, as opposed to smaller acts with one or two people.
What it means is fewer and fewer opportunities for working musicians. It’s not something Eastside owner George Karigan takes any pleasure in.
“Bands are thirsty to play places and there aren’t any places to play. That’s the shame of it all,” said Karigan.
And while his business is still standing, the biggest hurdle now is inflation, he said.
“The cost of employees. Minimum wage is going up again. Food cost is going up again. Utilities are going up again. We’re looking for breaks everywhere we can get them,” said Karigan.
What it means for patrons is that they may have to pay a little more to get in to see their favorite bands. Five and seven dollar cover charges are now seven and ten dollars, respectively.
As for Bollert, while he admits he’s apprehensive about 2022, he’s looking ahead with a positive attitude.
“I think if people see the opportunities are there again, I think it’s going to be a good summer. I’m planning for that. It’s going to be a good summer,” he said.