Fife's live music venues in limbo - and facing challenging future

Venues have been forced to postpone gigs since the government ordered them to close their doors in March.

Work has been going on behind the scenes to reschedule them, but they find themselves in limbo with no answers as to when they may be able to open their doors to welcome the public back again.

The Woodside Hotel in Aberdour has been making a name for itself as a live music venue in recent years.

In March, it hosted a three day festival, Cash Back in Fife, celebrating Johnny Cash’s links to the Kingdom – one of the very last live gigs to be staged locally.

Owner John MacTaggart has been forced to rethink his plans for the rest of the year.

He said: “We have rescheduled just about all the shows we had into the new year. I think we’d be lucky to have any gigs this year.

“We have got two China Crisis concerts for December that I would really like to have on, but we might need to move them.

“James Grant was due to play in September but he’s now booked again for March.

“It seems to be that most shows at a lot of venues I’m seeing are rescheduling for March/April. People obviously feel that that’s the earliest they could reasonably see the shows will go ahead.”

John said the social distancing aspect of re-opening remains his biggest concern.

“People come to shows because it’s a small venue,” he said. “You’ve got a show which would normally have 100 people in and that would be economical.

“We don’t make money on the artist, but on the food, drink and overnight stays.

“If people are thinking they don’t want to go to a show because it’s going to be too crowded, then it becomes uneconomical.

“If we have to maintain social distancing the number of people will have to be reduced.

https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/ian-rankin-launches-new-rebus-lockdown-drama-online-2860744

https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/people/new-data-reveals-how-coronavirus-varies-across-fifes-council-wards-2858094

“A gig is enjoyable with 100 people in a room – there’s an atmosphere.

“But if you have fewer people and all of them are spread out, I’m not sure if people would want to come to that show.

“And I don’t think the artists would want to play to a crowd like that.

“Unless things really get back to normal, there’s a vaccine or some kind of mitigating drug that’s going to lessen the severity of it, I’m genuinely very worried about things getting back to the way they were.

“And the way they were was good.

“People liked coming to see the shows in a small cosy environment, but I don’t know if they will continue to like coming to a small cosy environment again.

“I just don’t think people will want to come to gigs wearing masks, sitting six feet apart and worrying about touching doors.”

And the Woodside is not alone in trying to reschedule dates with promoters and artists.

David Mundell, who runs Backstage at the Green Hotel in Kinross, said: “My music programme runs autumn, winter and spring, and in the summer I don’t do very much at

all.

“When the coronavirus effects hit I lost my first half of the programme of the year with no revenue.

“The programme is meant to start again in September, but of the bookings I had, I have probably cancelled about 40 gigs.

“Some were touring groups who didn’t want to come in September, which I can understand why.

“We don’t know when we can get back to normal. If they say you can start things again, say from September 1 for arguments sake, what’s the lead up time going to be?

“Will promoters have time to sell enough tickets and get the crowds in, and are people going to want to come to a gig again? Some people might be reticent in going to a gig.

“I saw Italy have allowed live gigs to recommence at inside venues with under 200 people.

“But they are not allowed to serve food or drink, everyone has to wear a face mask and they have to maintain two metres between all the seats.

“That’s not a gig as far as I’m concerned and I wouldn’t even bother with that.

“I can’t see things getting back to normal until February onwards. That’s where I’m looking towards.

“I hope I’m wrong, but that’s what it’s looking like to me.”

And similar concerns are being felt by those involved in the music scene across the UK.

Last month the Music Venue Trust (MVT) launched the #SaveOurVenues Fund in a bid to protect hundreds of grassroots venues throughout the UK from closure during the lockdown.

According to the MVT 556 venues in the UK are at imminent risk of being closed permanently.

For David, who has been running regular gigs Backstage at the Green Hotel since 1999, it’s a big concern.

“People go on about grassroots venues and how important they are for young bands coming through, but for some guys my age in their 60s and 70s, if it wasn’t for venues

like mine they wouldn’t have anywhere to play.

“All live music venues are important.

“I have created a destination venue. For 90 per cent of shows I have got people from Scotland, England and sometimes – even from abroad coming.

“I bring tourism into Kinross, with people staying overnight and spending money locally in hotels, restaurants, shops and local attractions.

“I just hope and pray, fingers crossed, that I can survive this and continue hosting the gigs.

“I have put some effort into opening an online merchandise website. It’s been up for three weeks and it’s proving quite popular.

“I’m probably in a better position than most people with just having a small venue, but I think unfortunately pubs and live music venues are going to be probably the last to get back to normal.”

Although the current situation is having a massive impact on the venues themselves, there are others in the industry also taking a hit at the moment.

John’s concerns also turn to them at this time:

“A lot of them are self employed and since they have lost the money made through CD sales which they used to have, they are now relying on live performances to earn a living.

“I really do worry about a lot of artists, how they are financially and I suppose mentally as well.”

While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you. In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you - wherever possible and providing it is safe for you to do so - to also please purchase a copy of our newspapers; the Fife Free Press, Fife Herald, St Andrews Citizen, East Fife Mail and Glenrothes Gazette.

Inevitably falling advertising revenues will start to have an impact on local newspapers and the way we continue to work during this period of uncertainty.

The support of our readers has never been more important as we try to make sure that we keep you connected with your community during this time. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. We need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Our team of trusted reporters are working incredibly hard behind the scenes - from kitchen tables and spare bedrooms - to look at how we can do this, and your continued support of our newspapers across Fife will help to protect their viability in the days and weeks ahead.

For more details on our subscription offers please visit email [email protected] or call us on 0330 4033004

Thank you

Allan Crow, Editor, Fife Free Press