Country Sound: the show will go on

The entertainment industry is set to take a massive hit as the impact of the coronavirus strikes home in a huge way. The decision of the Irish Government to cancel all events of over 100 people (indoor) and 500 (outdoor) has heralded the complete shutdown of the industry until 29 March 2020 with the strong likelihood that this will be extended further.

The Country to Country Festival (C2C) in Dublin, London and Glasgow, hosted by MCD Productions and scheduled for last weekend, became the first major entertainment victim of the new directive. All other shows, concerts and dances, including the regional Drama Festivals, have all fallen by the way side.

The live country music scene has ground to a standstill with the huge uncertainty adding to the despondency that has suddenly gripped the industry.

The only upside is the country music shows on the regional radio and internet stations who are set to secure higher audience figures.

Willie Carty from Portumna (pictured left) has been associated with the music scene since the early 1970s. He was a member of the original Conquerors Band and has also been manager of Mike Denver for several years. He is fully aware that we are entering unchartered waters.

“This is bigger than we can imagine. This is a worldwide thing. Everything is closed down here when it comes to the entertainment scene for the next two weeks but I think it will go way beyond that.

“Almost every business will suffer. The postponement of the GAA games and other sports will have a serious impact. Salthill lost out on around 12,000 supporters because of the postponement of the Mayo v Galway league game last Sunday.

“Those occasions are a huge economic boost to an area and towns and villages along the way.

A number of major hotels have already announced they are closing for a few weeks

“And you can multiply that impact with all the other matches, GAA and soccer, that are now off limits. Bingo halls provide such a valuable social outlet for so many people and they are going to miss the weekly outings in a special way.

“A number of major hotels have already announced they are closing for a few weeks. This is a huge blow for all associated with the hotel and accommodation business.

The Galway native feels that people will need to believe the situation is contained before normality begins to descend again. “Concerts can be rescheduled for any time. The overseas trips are very uncertain just now. It could be late May or June or further before things really settle down.

“We just don’t know how it all is going to pan out. At the end of the day, entertainment is just a small section of that overall scene. But I am certain there will be a whole new buzz when things return to normal.”

What you have right now is a complete closed shop with regards to the entertainment scene

Tom Kelly, who served as manager for Brendan Grace for close on 30 years, and who is the promoter of the current tours for Mike Denver, Johnny McEvoy and Isla Grant, says the current situation is unprecedented in his years in the business.

“What you have right now is a complete closed shop with regards to the entertainment scene. All musicians, unless they are doing studio work, are basically out of work. It is a huge inconvenience for working musicians who are, to all intents and purposes, laid off from work.

“I am working away on rescheduling dates for May and June in the hope that things will be more normal by then. I am fairly confident that things should be looking better in a few weeks time,” says Tom.

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