Kurt Morgan

I just read an article from Billboard magazine that explained some of the new plans that Ticketmaster (a Live Nation company) has for opening up live events in 2021 and I have some mixed feelings about it.

As someone who has relied on the income earned from being a touring musician, I am certainly eager to return to work, not just for my own financial stability but for the mental and emotional effects that playing music in front of an enthusiastic audience has on all of us. It has been a quiet 8 months in isolation but I know that I am not alone in being very eager to get back to something that we all enjoy.

Riding on the recent announcement from Pfizer regarding the availability of a new COVID-19 vaccine, Ticketmaster and Live Nation have just proposed a system for screening concert goers for COVID-19 and it goes something like this:

“Here's how it would work, if approved: After purchasing a ticket for a concert, fans would need to verify that they have already been vaccinated (which would provide approximately one year of COVID-19 protection) or test negative for coronavirus approximately 24 to 72 hours prior to the concert. The length of coverage a test would provide would be governed by regional health authorities -- if attendees of a Friday night concert had to be tested 48 hours in advance, most could start the testing process the day before the event. If it was a 24-hour window,  most people would likely be tested the same day of the event at a lab or a health clinic.”

I am not sure how this screening process would affect the artists themselves. I imagine that for any tour that includes Live Nation operated venues (basically all of them) that the artists themselves will be subjected to a similar screening process. I am not opposed to vaccines or for taking precautionary measures to ensure our health and safety but I would be lying to you if I didn’t admit that there is a significant part of my brain that is suspicious.

Perhaps it is because I do not entirely trust a monopoly like Live Nation or a Big Pharma juggernaut like Pfizer. I am more likely to believe that the real reason for Live Nation’s interest in a plan like this has more to do with recouping the inconceivable amount of money they lost this year as a result of the global shutdown than it does to spread joy through music. (According to Rolling Stone magazine, Live Nation reported a $320 Million loss in its 3rd quarter). Their announcement being made right on the tail of Pfizer’s announcement for a soon-to-be available vaccine also raises my eyebrows. I read in a different article that both companies’ stock rose following their respective announcements. Could it be that these companies have decided to team up to ensure their rebound from the losses of 2020 or is this just the paranoid ramblings of someone who does not underestimate the power of greed? How do you as concert-goers feel about being screened? Would you be willing to go through this process to see a live concert again?

Check out the entire article here and let me know what you think! There is no wrong answer here, but I would like to request that people be respectful to each other if they encounter a difference of opinion in the comments.

-K

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.billboard.com/amp/articles/business/touring/9481166/ticketmaster-vaccine-check-concerts-plan