Post by Drew on Aug 23, 2020 18:20:37 GMT -5
Source: edm.com/news/dave-clarke-blasts-djs-performing-during-pandemic
Renowned English DJ and electronic music producer Dave Clarke took to Facebook this week to decry DJs who have decided to perform live amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. He also blasted organizers of such parties as "selfish" and explicitly voiced his doubts of any major music festival taking place in Europe through 2021.
Clarke expressed his dismay at "The Scene" and criticized "top flight DJ's who financially do NOT need the money but are in some FOMO pact" and who he believes were pushed by their managers to DJ in environments that were "far from legal." He also ripped them for stripping the current dance music zeitgeist of its culture and dishonoring the "legitimate clubs/ events that closed their doors and face hardship" by putting forward "greedy business ethics above all."
Clarke went on to conclude his salvo by doubting the safe return of live music events. "Of course there are inconsistencies in all of this and it doesn't feel fair but by doing these gigs give ammunition to authorities to further delay events coming back, and now despite feeling pragmatic that perhaps small events could come back this year I severely doubt if any major festival will happen within the central European block next year either," he wrote.
Back in March 2020, during the initial outbreak of the virus, Clarke called on those who experienced gig cancellations to "send the fees back to the promoters" because "it enables them to refund the fans and helps everyone survive to get through this very long hardship."
You can read Clarke's August 17th, 2020 Facebook post in full below and watch videos from recent shows amid the ongoing pandemic, featuring Nina Kraviz, Dax J, Amelie Lens and more, courtesy of Business Teshno.
I have been watching (like many in our industry) at what has been happening, so many "coincidences"....... in Belgium there was a party very near Antwerp which sent out an email containing : "Het goede is dat we geen rekening moeten houden met social distancing en mondmaskers zijn niet verplicht." (Basically Social distance measures and facemasks are not obligatory), then a few weeks later Antwerp enters into Curfew. In Paris there were some strange parties too , now Paris has also seen an uptake in the virus and yes of course Italy, now a big uptake in the virus there.
We all miss playing, but to play these events as an international DJ of repute has put down our industry in the eyes of those that look for any reason to not make it easy.
To do these events without doing them properly (I saw one event here in Amsterdam, it was strange but done properly, other clubs like Fuse and Kompass have been trying their best in these strange times and bring some joy in not ideal circumstances) is selfish, and please do not see yourself as a legitimate rebel, to quote Mike Ziemer:
" The Underground raves in the 90's were a response to an underground movement to spotlight techno and house music because venues wouldn't book it, it wasn't a backdoor way to throw events during a global health crisis. Quit referencing the past to justify destroying our future".........you are just doing this for ego and profit.
Of course there are inconsistencies in all of this and it doesn't feel fair but by doing these gigs give ammunition to authorities to further delay events coming back, and now despite feeling pragmatic that perhaps small events could come back this year I severely doubt if any major festival will happen within the central European block next year either.
Renowned English DJ and electronic music producer Dave Clarke took to Facebook this week to decry DJs who have decided to perform live amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. He also blasted organizers of such parties as "selfish" and explicitly voiced his doubts of any major music festival taking place in Europe through 2021.
Clarke expressed his dismay at "The Scene" and criticized "top flight DJ's who financially do NOT need the money but are in some FOMO pact" and who he believes were pushed by their managers to DJ in environments that were "far from legal." He also ripped them for stripping the current dance music zeitgeist of its culture and dishonoring the "legitimate clubs/ events that closed their doors and face hardship" by putting forward "greedy business ethics above all."
Clarke went on to conclude his salvo by doubting the safe return of live music events. "Of course there are inconsistencies in all of this and it doesn't feel fair but by doing these gigs give ammunition to authorities to further delay events coming back, and now despite feeling pragmatic that perhaps small events could come back this year I severely doubt if any major festival will happen within the central European block next year either," he wrote.
Back in March 2020, during the initial outbreak of the virus, Clarke called on those who experienced gig cancellations to "send the fees back to the promoters" because "it enables them to refund the fans and helps everyone survive to get through this very long hardship."
You can read Clarke's August 17th, 2020 Facebook post in full below and watch videos from recent shows amid the ongoing pandemic, featuring Nina Kraviz, Dax J, Amelie Lens and more, courtesy of Business Teshno.
Dave Clarke said:
Very disappointed in "The Scene".... to be clear I am not talking about any DJ that has true financial worries and has to take work, that is their decision alone, however there are a few top flight DJ's who financially do NOT need the money but are in some FOMO pact (pushed on by their managers no doubt) and DJ'ing in environments that are far from legal. "The Scene" really is making a great argument out of taking out the word Culture from all those legitimate clubs/ events that closed their doors and face hardship by putting forward their own greedy business ethics above all and sundry. Those international dj's that do these parties have basically spat at those legitimate industries, they have spat at the backline crew that have made them look a hero, and for what? A successfully released sponsored post on socials talking about how they missed gigs, f*cking idiots, this is not over and they have probably made this worse, on their watch, but hey great gig...... I would respect them more if they actually were conspiracy thinkers (I believe as things stand that this virus is real and 5g doesn't cook sparrows) and made a stupid stand but this is only about their ego and their fee.I have been watching (like many in our industry) at what has been happening, so many "coincidences"....... in Belgium there was a party very near Antwerp which sent out an email containing : "Het goede is dat we geen rekening moeten houden met social distancing en mondmaskers zijn niet verplicht." (Basically Social distance measures and facemasks are not obligatory), then a few weeks later Antwerp enters into Curfew. In Paris there were some strange parties too , now Paris has also seen an uptake in the virus and yes of course Italy, now a big uptake in the virus there.
We all miss playing, but to play these events as an international DJ of repute has put down our industry in the eyes of those that look for any reason to not make it easy.
To do these events without doing them properly (I saw one event here in Amsterdam, it was strange but done properly, other clubs like Fuse and Kompass have been trying their best in these strange times and bring some joy in not ideal circumstances) is selfish, and please do not see yourself as a legitimate rebel, to quote Mike Ziemer:
" The Underground raves in the 90's were a response to an underground movement to spotlight techno and house music because venues wouldn't book it, it wasn't a backdoor way to throw events during a global health crisis. Quit referencing the past to justify destroying our future".........you are just doing this for ego and profit.
Of course there are inconsistencies in all of this and it doesn't feel fair but by doing these gigs give ammunition to authorities to further delay events coming back, and now despite feeling pragmatic that perhaps small events could come back this year I severely doubt if any major festival will happen within the central European block next year either.