2020 has been a year everyone will remember as the year of the Pandemic. As challenging as it has been, there have also been moments of kindness and humanity and these gestures have helped so many of us to get through a difficult time. With such a focus on well being and health but an overriding concern on the economy and the resulting damage to it which has taken place, it’s been fantastic to see many industries pull together. It’s certainly been a challenge for us at Live Entertainment and we’ve found 2020 to be a year of obstacles but also one of sheer determination.
Our goal has always been to provide entertainment solutions for our customers and we continue to pride ourselves on matching the right acts to meet a customers’ needs. Whether they are music acts or entertainment specialists spanning a range of categories, we always aim to deliver the best in entertainment. Working with a multitude of talent, we hand pick every act that we supply so that you will remember the event for the rest of your life and now we are adapting to offer lockdown friendly entertainment.
However, it has been a real challenge in 2020 as lockdown occurred and we had to adapt quickly to be able to serve customers but still conform to the newly installed lockdown rules. We’ve supplied music acts for weddings, dancers for birthdays and entertainment specialty acts for corporate events but the Pandemic has caused everyone to stop and think differently. Our approach has been to work effectively and utilise what’s available to us, whilst staying within the confines of the lockdown law.
Live Lockdown Entertainment: So how have we adapted?
A lot of our customers include hotel owners and businesses who had started to trickle back into a normal working pattern, requiring acts for online events and remote performances. Here are some of the changes we incorporated and new service offerings which adhere to the live lockdown entertainment rules:
- Virtual Music Concerts – Matching our performance artists with the right company where a virtual performance was just as effective and could be completed safely
- Live Small Outdoor Performances – Some of our band performers and singers are able to travel and perform live for small gatherings at outdoor controlled events (pubs, corporate events, private parties etc.)
- Global Zoom Streams – This has been one of the most popular ways for businesses to adopt for their individual entertainment needs. We’ve supplied many companies with fantastic music acts and online entertainment through group streams. Effective, safe and most importantly, it enables us to continue to provide a great service even during lockdown.
Lockdown Music Hire
One of the most interesting aspects of the lockdown process has been trying to provide music acts to people effectively through virtual means or through socially distanced events. Presenting our acts virtually through Zoom was always going to be a challenge but we were confident our talented musicians and performers would be able to convey their performances to a high standard. Our customers have been extremely happy with the results and it’s fair to say that we haven’t allowed lockdown to dampen our spirits or prevent us from providing the best service possible.
Whether you are looking to hire a band for your wedding or socially distanced singers we can match you up with the right act.
How to Book Lockdown Live Acts
We’ll always aim to match you with the right act for what you need but many of our customers use our online portfolio and decide on which package they want and will then go through the following booking process:
- Email or contact us through our contact form
- We email or call you back to confirm availability and a quote
- Virtual bookings are priced and listed on the website
- Live events are priced and listed but do not include travel expenses so please seek a quote
- Once agreed, we will issue the contract take a 20% deposit – customers have 7 days to pay and sign (the artist will be “held” until complete)
- Once the deposit is paid and the contract is signed we will hand over contact details for you to communicate with the performer directly to discuss event details
- Remaining balance should be paid up to 3 days before the event, at the latest (or delivery date of a prerecorded act
Lockdown Entertainment and Music Venues
There was a lot of trepidation when it came to whether pubs or music venues should reopen in the UK and no doubt with spikes occurring across the country at various times, it was inevitable that some areas’ lockdown measures would remain in place. However, as we learn to live with this as a common virus, which will eventually join a long line of virus strains that we adapt to, we will return to full services across many industries. British pubs are part of our culture, along with music and performance venues. It’s great to see so many back in full swing, even at reduced capacity and with protective measures in place but how do lockdown live acts actually work?
Guidance For Live Music
There are measures in place for venues to be able to have live music acts and these rules are to ensure people are as safe as possible whilst still being able to enjoy the performance. So what are the key changes?
- E-tickets are encouraged by venues to reduce contact and to be able to aid track and trace
- Social distancing markers should be laid down in the venue to help visitors stay apart from one another in groups
- Configuration of space must be considered depending on the act being performed (movement or static) and how this will affect the audience
- Seating is preferred to better control audience positioning and aid social distancing
- Screens should be used where possible in venues where space is tighter, in order to separate the audience out more
- Cleaning schedules should be clearly planned out and adhered to stringently throughout the day, with deep cleaning necessary across the whole venue
- Singing from the audience is discouraged and music or background music should not be at a level which makes it difficult to talk (therefore resulting in people shouting and potentially spitting droplets to one another).
- A clear entrance and exit route should be created to prevent crowding and congestion in the venue
- Dancing is prohibited unless in your seat or in your allocated standing position
Virtual Performances
With live music there is a greater risk of transmission of the virus simply because of the performance itself and that’s why the guidance stated above is important to follow. However, even with virtual performances, if performed to a gathered audience would still need to be managed safely. The guidance for group virtual performances is similar to that of live acts but include:
- Regular Deep cleaning
- Screens between booths or tables where possible
- Arranged seating for optimal viewing of screen
- Social distancing markers should be laid down to help guide visitors
- Entrances and exits should be organised appropriately to avoid congestion