Howdy all!
I hope you are all keeping healthy and happy enough during this rather rubbish time. The world is pretty unrecognisable, isn't it! There's likely not a business or individual on the planet that hasn't been affected by the pandemic in at least in some capacity, and The Benedicts are of course no exception to this, being unable to perform since March and essentially suspending most of our activity ever since! As performing in this band is a major source of income for all of our members, as well as providing each of us with a busy diary of gigs all year-round, these have been very testing times indeed, both financially and mentally, unfortunately.
BUT... it appears there is finally some light at the end of this dim and dark tunnel!...
As of the 13th August 2020, current government guidelines are now permitting live music both indoors and outdoors, which is of course incredibly positive news. We are very aware that these current regulations can change at any given moment and that not all venues are either capable or willing to host live music at this time, but still, this development will give performers such as ourselves the opportunity to get back to work. We are currently preparing various measures to ensure that we can comply with these guidelines and to help us operate in a safe manner by minimising contact between band members, venue staff and our audiences, and in turn helping to ease any concerns that many will understandably have. We want our clients, their venues and guests to know that we are doing everything that we can to ensure their safety while supplying the quality of entertainment that we've always provided. Things will, of course, be a little different, but by no means do they have to be less fun! Below we have listed the many actions that we are taking to encourage a COVID-secure environment for all during an indoor performance:
- We will supply a large perspex screen to shield and separate the band from the audience/dance floor area, reducing all contact with band members and minimising any airborne transmissions. The screen will be thoroughly disinfected using antibacterial wipes before and after the performance, and audience members will be asked to refrain from interacting with the screen, as well as maintaining an acceptable distance from band members.
- We will require a longer setup time so that can set up our equipment with minimal contact between band members. Members will also only set up their own personal equipment and will be required to wipe down surfaces/equipment that will be handled by others with antibacterial wipes. We are estimating that 1 hour 30 minutes + the standard 10-minute soundcheck will be sufficient. We will also require more time to dismantle the equipment at the end of the evening; approximately 45 minutes.
- We will wear face masks at all times, except during the live performance itself, and will regularly wash our hands.
- We will require more performance space than normal to separate individual band members and to maintain acceptable social distancing. We won’t be able to squeeze into any smaller spaces for example and will require as much width as possible (ideally at least 6m width x 4m depth, in order to maintain social distancing between band members).
- The guidelines suggest limiting all audience participation during the performance, so we would be forced to tone down guests’ involvement, and no individuals other than the band will be permitted beyond the perspex screen.
- Households must always remain socially distanced from each other during the performance (a single support bubble would count as one household). We will consistently communicate this throughout the performance.
So, there's a couple of rules there to follow, but in general, it's very manageable and won't dampen any celebrations. As long as your venue is able to comply with the current government guidelines themselves and is happy to host a live band then we are 100% good to go! Like so many acts around the world, The Benedicts are desperate to get performing again and we will do everything we can to ensure that all parties involved, from the client to the venue, and from fellow suppliers to the guests themselves, are comfortable with the measures that we are taking. We are incredibly flexible and more than happy to adopt additional measures should you are your venue require so, so please, do get in touch should this be the case - we are super friendly (and admittedly a little goofy)! ;)
Given that our 2020 diary has been near decimated following 5 months worth of cancellations and postponements, we do now have lots and lots of availability throughout the remainder of the year, with some dates still available for 2021 also, so do shoot us a message if we can be of any service to you and your event!
Above anything else though, we sincerely hope that you are all coping and staying healthy, and that we really hope to see some of you very very soon!
Catch you dudes on the dancefloor (socially distancing of course)!
Baz =P