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"The future for concerts and festivals and the
hundreds of thousands of people who work in them looks bleak,"
the musicians wrote in an open letter to British Culture
Secretary Oliver Dowden.
"Until these businesses can operate again, which is likely to be
2021 at the earliest, government support will be crucial to
prevent mass insolvencies and the end of this world-leading
industry."
The letter called for a clear timeline on when music venues
could reopen, as well as support for businesses and jobs.
Dowden responded to the musicians in a tweet https://bit.ly/3dQmayJ
on Thursday saying he is "pushing hard for these dates & to give
you a clear roadmap back". He said decisions on reopening of
live music venues would be difficult as it relates to the future
of social distancing.
Music venues, concerts and festivals - including the annual
summer Glastonbury festival - were shuttered or cancelled in
March when the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in the country.
Britain, whose death toll from pandemic is approaching 55,000,
showed a Reuters tally of official data sources, is in the
process of gradually reopening retail stores, schools and pubs.
The musicians in the letter said live music added 4.5 billion
pounds ($5.6 billion) to the British economy and supported
210,000 jobs across the country in 2019.
The appeal was signed by musicians across genres and
generations, including Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, Bob Geldof,
Coldplay, Sting and Dua Lipa, as well as producers and operators
of concert halls and clubs.
(Reporting by Leslie Adler in New York and Ann Maria Shibu in
Bengaluru; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
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