Rules for the return to live Music

Cols

markslade07 said:

Cols said:

Indoor live music is permitted with “socially distanced audiences”.  

This is how I currently understand it too, however I have seen some venues cancel gigs as they say the performers can't be 'socially distanced'. I suspect there are very few venues where all band members could be 2m+ apart.

As it happens, we have an indoor gig booked for October in a large venue, and as of yesterday (just before the announcement) the venue owner was still wanting to go ahead with it...I wonder if today's news will have changed this.

Getting all legal, it’s the venue’s responsibility to risk assess an event in advance and ensure proper controls are in place to adequately control risks posed by identifying hazards, including COVID-19.  If they don’t feel appropriate controls can be put in place, the event can’t go ahead.

As part of this process, they need to take account of government guidelines, which are vast and woolly.  The relevant section states:

Steps that will usually be needed:

1.  Observing social distancing at all times while playing.

2. For professionals (i.e. for work purposes) where social distancing is not possible, using fixed teams which are positioned socially distanced from any other fixed team or anyone else. 

– Note that this fixed team approach is not recommended in non-professional environments unless all the members of the fixed team are part of the same household or support bubble. 
– It is also unlikely that this fixed team approach will be feasible where professional performers work with more than one group or organisation simultaneously.

So it’s not mandatory, but it is a recommendation.  If the venue is doing things by the book they’ll require socially distanced bandmates.