Aaron Grech July 29th, 2020 - 1:54 PM
Frank Turner recently held a socially-distanced indoor show, however unlike recent infamous performances by Travis McCready and Chris Janson, this event was held to test the possibility of holding these types of performances. According to Turner, and the venue manager Ally Wolf, this event was not successful, nor financially viable.
Turner stated that he agreed to do this event to show how “this specific set-up doesn’t work.” He went on to explain that despite not charging for the performance or advertising, this sold out show still managed to lose money. This test event was held at The Clapham Grand in South London, where it operated with a total of 200 people, out of its usual 1,250 capacity.
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I wrote a blog about last night’s show, on my site now. 📷 @capturedbycorinne
“We needed to show that this isn’t a complete solution or a workable model, that either restrictions need to change or more funding is required; essentially that fight is far from over,” Turner elaborated.
There were other stringent social distancing measures placed on the event as well, including track and trace, one-way systems, table service, temperature checks at the door and the requirement that the audience members were not allowed to sing along. Turner explains that the latter provision was discouraging, as it affects the live experience of the show.
“Getting the crowd involved in the performance is at the heart of what I do on stage, and the shows I play work towards a moment of unification, where the barrier between performer and audience breaks down. That wouldn’t now be possible (or at the very least would be much harder),” Turner elaborated.
Wolf echoed these sentiments, stating that while Turner’s set was “great” fans couldn’t get “caught up in the jubilation of finally being able to put on a show.” Both agreed that events like these wouldn’t be viable either, with Turner stating it would “bankrupt everyone involved,” while Wolf added that it was “not a financial model that the industry can remotely rely upon to get to be sustainable.”
Despite this failure, Turner was happy to return to the stage after hosting a series of live stream events during the shutdown. “But it was, as I say, a gesture of cooperation, an attempt to feel out the situation with an eye to taking steps in a better direction. But most of all it was a fucking GIG. I have missed that, for sure. It turns out, live music really, really matters,” Turner wrote on his website.
Turner teamed up with NOFX for the album West Coast Vs. Wessex earlier this year. His latest album No Man’s Land came out in late 2019.
