Every Musician's Nightmare!

So, we are now roughly a year and a bit since concerts have been difficult or impossible to schedule in the Netherlands. It has been a pretty rough year for musicians and we've all been trying to find ways to work around the problems... but I won't be surprised if we see a huge loss in talent and skills in this sector all around the world. I realise that there are many well-meaning ideas to take to the internet to produce streaming content and all of that... but let's just say that those sort of suggestions are generally well-meaning perspectives.

Despite all of this, it could be much worse. At least I live in a country that has some support for freelancers... even if it is a bit weirdly catered from a salaried perspective! One weird thing was that you would apply for a single block of around 3 months... but they would prefer that you apply at the start of the block. However, what freelancer knows their income/expenses three months out in GOOD times? Which means that you are likely to have to repay most of the support... or struggle under the limit until it can be reconciled?! In fact, I was chided for filling out the claim at the END of the period (probably like most freelancers...)... and then the person also was a bit surprised that I didn't have a bookkeeper! I'm a freelance musician... I have an accountant to handle the year financials, NOT every fricking week!

However, that support doesn't last forever, and it starts to get more and more restrictive for eligibility. Still... could be worse.

So, we all have to find ways to fill our time and given that we've had a constant barrage of cancellation emails and phone calls (and with groups just generally now being too scared to schedule...)... it seems like it is a perfect opportunity to do an update of publicity materials! PHOTO SHOOT!

I can't even describe the horror with which most musicians (real musicians, not the ones you see on videos....) react to those words. Our little troupe also consists of singers, dancers and actors... and they were much more at ease with the dressing up, and posing of different scenes.

Thankfully, the photographer was probably all too aware of our inability to do more than stand and not fall over... the musician's were used as framing around the actor's scenes. So, we would just stand around with our instruments whilst the talent did their scenes!

We were debating whether this was more painful or less painful than audio recording... there were others that thought recording was worse... me, I think this is much more painful than doing audio recordings. Don't get me wrong, I dislike making recordings, I prefer live concerts... but Photo Shoots.... ARARARARARARGGGHHGHGHGHGGHG!

It's probably why most musicians have publicity photos that are decades old!

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