On Google, a red bar runs across the name and location of Mow’s Bar in Quezon City. “Temporarily Closed,” it reads, in bright white letters – a stark message that echoes every time the venue, along with other Metro Manila music haunts, turns up on a search.
The GCQ is a welcome development for business owners who now have the chance to make up for lost income. But bars and pubs – along with other “leisure” establishments like gyms and cinemas –While other industries can now hold on to slivers of hope, the live music industry remains in the dark – and it’s a blow to the owners and staff of these venues, who continue to worry about the financial strain the quarantine is putting on their businesses.
“Our staff don't have jobs right now, however they get a little financial support from our company. But due to the extension of this lockdown and the prohibition of bars to open, we won't be able to sustain supporting our staff financially.” “I personally think that it's going to be a slow movement having people get back to watching live gigs, especially taking into consideration that most live gigs are ticketed and that a lot of people don't have stable income or gigs aren't really priority at the moment,” she said.
For a gig venue, adapating will certainly include crowd control. It’s hard to imagine crowds converging for fun while a coronavirus vaccine is still non-existent. This might mean that even when live music venues are allowed to open, it won’t necessarily be a smooth road to recovery for them. “Establishments will need to adapt. Maybe they can start opening food delivery and/or private services, [or] adapting a way to integrate live online shows,” he said.Cesca did note that the live music scene is now moving to the online space, with many of them are holding gigs and connecting with fans on their social media accounts – “But that isn’t really live anymore, is it?”