Flashback to a year ago, Spilt Milk was gearing up to take 2020 by storm. We'd been a little sporadic beforehand but we were feeling as ready as ever to gig, interview and review our way across the scene. Unfortunately the universe had a very different plan for us.
Coronavirus enter stage right.
As the pandemic gripped at the globe, the world around us shut down. Every industry crumbled into dust in the shape of a big question mark on the floor - the music industry not being left out here. Gathering in crowds came to a halt shutting down the live industry, socialising on video and photo sets - also a hard no, and just being within 2 metres of another human being closed recording studios. All of this leaving us longing for a taste of the beer-scented tang of a music venue as we vacantly watch live streams from our bedrooms. It's fair to say that music culture took a boot this year.
It would be all very well for me to write here and drone on about what has happened to the industry we all love so much but what's done is done. It can't be all negative though.
Through the ashy soils of the live music industry, seeds began to sprout that offered us new ways to enjoy the music we crave. We took the live show online for one. Live stream after live stream and even whole festivals broadcast straight onto our screens. A little bit of well needed relief for artists and gig-goers alike. We pitched whole festival sites in our gardens too. The break meant that artists could take a breath, work on new material or tighten up old work.
All of this makes me only anticipate that first 'normal' show back even more. The atmosphere, the pent up energy, the roar of crowds or the sweaty 100cap venue walls - I've never wanted it more.
But patience is important, we need cross everything and hope that the live industry will settle back into some normality next year.