Re-inventing Music – The new normal?

As the country begins to slowly reintroduce all the luxuries we have missed during lockdown, new restrictions and measurements are being taken to ensure that everybody’s safety is ensured. With the public eager to get back to normal, steps have been taken to try to mix safety and entertainment by opening the very first socially distanced venue in the UK. 

A pop-up amphitheatre in Gosforth Park, Newcastle upon Tyne was renovated to accommodate the social distance restrictions that the government have put in place. Instead of crowds of people coming together to enjoy their favourite artists, small platforms now cover the parks grounds to ensure everyone is kept at a safe distance. 2,500 fans were able to attend the concert, with 500 separate platforms.

Although the precautions that have been taken for safety measure, this raises the question, if this is the new normal for the live music industry, are people in favour of it?

“This ‘new normal’ ain’t all that bad!”

Musician Sam Fender, headliner of the first two concerts to take place here, was extremely positive about the new changes. He took to Twitter, posting a photo from one of the two shows, captioning it “What a week”. Two Door Cinema Club headlined the venue again only days later, also taking to Twitter with a video of their live show, stating, “This ‘new normal’ ain’t all that bad!”

One of the attendees of the Sam Fender concert shared their opinions on the experience, stating, “I enjoyed seeing live music again after so long without being able to, but the atmosphere wasn’t the same without being together with everyone.”

No matter whether or not you like this new normal, it seems like restrictions are going to have to stay in place for a while. With a second wave of Covid-19 still in question, the safest way for us all to enjoy entertainment, such as live music, is to be as careful and cautious as possible.

The atmosphere may be different and it is not exactly the same, but live music has always been about watching musicians you love and being surrounded by others who share that love with you, which is still achievable even with the new normal.