So it all seems to be settling down, globally, into the dreaded “new normal”.
A pattern of lockdowns being enforced, eased, enforced again. Local
lockdowns to hit flare-up spots. Country lockdowns changing with medical
advice, political willpower, and with the cold statistics of how the
virus is spreading. Boris gets it, recovers. Trump gets it. On we go.
And if there’s a sense that we can’t all stay locked down, forever,
equally there’s one of acceptance that the “new” normal will be anything
but – and things will be this way for the foreseeable future. Nobody
talks about “this will be all over by summer” (or Christmas, this year
or next) any more.
And in all of this, gigs are coming back.
What it’s like out there, now
So before we look at COVID-19 DJ gigs, and at how to approach them
(assuming you even want to), let’s take a trip around the world, with
real feedback form DJs playing gigs, now.
(This may help you if you feel the rest of the world is partying, and
only your country, state or city is locked down. Accurate as of 1
October 2020…)
- In England, it’s “background music” with no more
than 15 people at a wedding, for example. In Scotland, though, you
apparently can’t even have background music!
- In the Netherlands, it’s a maximum of 30 people inside, all music must stop at 10pm – with more stringency threatened
- In Jakarta, Indonesia, total lockdown – all clubs shut until further notice
- In Canada, no more than 50 people, midnight closing – with stricter measures in Toronto, including no dancing
- In Montana, USA, where COVID-19 has not hit hard,
it’s 50-75% venue capacity, quieter music “recommended”, the face mask
rule only enforced for staff
- In Los Angeles all clubs and bars closed
- In Australia, certain cities are in full lockdown, no dancing permitted anywhere
- In Portugal, bars and clubs have to function as
cafes – no dancing, tables on dancefloors, enforced social distancing.
No alcohol consumption outside unless accompanied by a meal
We could go on, but you get the picture. This is global.
But of course it’s not only about laws being set from above – it is about how people feel on the street, too. Just because people can do something, it doesn’t mean they will.
If you fear the virus could seriously hurt you or your family, you
won’t want to put them at unnecessary risk by doing things that may
expose you or them to it. This is going to affect how popular DJ gigs
are in the near future, and the moods of people at gigs.
All of this means that things are very different for DJs right now,
and will continue to be for a long time to come. There is no guarantee
of a vaccine. We have no timeline for the way out of this. We’d better
get used to it.
Advice for playing COVID-19 DJ gigs
So if you are lucky enough to get a gig this week, this month, this
year, and you then move to thinking about how that gig will be, and how
you may do the best job of it, let’s look at each of those in turn.
- You may be asked to play quieter music – So it’s important
to play songs that work at a lower volume: Recognisable melodies, full
instrumentation, vocals. Think radio, not club. Sub-bassline, stripped
back, minimal house bangers do not really work at talking volume. Owners
of “silent disco” equipment may see an opportunity here, too
- There may be reduced capacity – So you can’t expect the
electric, heightened atmosphere only a packed club can deliver. You’ll
need to start “reading the room” like a bar DJ, not a club DJ, and
making people feel “all together” in other ways. Increased use of the
microphone may be one of them
- Venues may close earlier – So it is more important than
ever to get the programming right. To have a “beginning, middle and end”
mentality for programming the entertainment. For the DJs on the night,
if there are more than one, it’ll be important to get together and plan
the night as a whole
- Dancing may not be allowed – Why not spin this into an
opportunity, to play music that speaks to our times and to your people,
but that maybe you wouldn’t play when there was the impetus to keep a
dancefloor full? Again, bar DJs will know what I am talking about here.
Also, greater use of visuals and visual components in your sets may help
- Face masks may be required – How about masquerade-style
parties? Making a thing of it? Handing out branded or themed face masks
at the door? From a DJing point of view, it’ll be difficult not being
able to see people’s smiles. You’ll need to get better at reading
different types of body language
The above advice works for all DJs, but event DJs – people who play
weddings, birthdays and so on – have another huge issue to contend with:
Unpredictability. Who is truly planning anything in these times? That
includes the booking of DJs for events. Things are often changing daily.
You should consider adjusting your marketing and approach, to
position yourself as a “last minute” operation, ready to react and be
available at a day’s notice. Make sure all your potential clients know
that.
Switch things up so you can get all the usual planning, agreeing and
preparation done for an event in a week, not a month (or half a year or
more, in the case of a wedding). It strikes me that being nimble will be
a necessary quality for such DJs in these times.
