It’s been almost four months since the lockdown began and decimated the entertainment industry. Depending on where you’re at, perception of the severity may vary drastically. To be honest, I’m reluctant to bring up the subject as I’m sure we are all feeling our fair share of information fatigue on the subject. That being said, we just happen to be in one of those industries where it’s hard not to touch upon when speaking of the current state of affairs. So, I’m going to do it here and then get back to our regular scheduled programming.
From my current location in Vancouver. BC, I feel extremely lucky with how things have unfolded. The majority of British Columbians approve of the way the government has handled the pandemic. So much, that our provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, has become somewhat of a deity and is held in reverence by most of the population. You wanna start a fight? Say something bad about Dr. Henry. I dare you! This gem was featured in the New York Times for her thoughtful and intelligent response to the crisis and even has her own merch and model of luxury footwear designed by acclaimed Vancouver shoemaker John Fluevog.
We went into lockdown relatively early (March 16th), and so far, it has made a world of difference. Most of the populace bought in before people started getting stir crazy in May. Canadians watch our beloved cousins to the south and can’t help but be concerned with the data coming out of the US. Currently, we are averaging about a dozen new cases a day in the entire province with less than 200 deaths overall and just over 3000 total cases.
Grateful is an understatement.
The provinces nightclubs began to open a few weeks ago with limited capacity and many new safety protocols and I’ve been happy to see some of my DJ brothers starting to get out there and play some shows. These new safety protocols make a lot of sense and everyone seems to be on board. Here’s rundown of what staff and customers can expect.
- Limited capacity
- Limited hours of operation
- 6 person group maximums
- Temperature Checks
- Plexiglass for days
- Retention of contact information (1 per group)
- No dance floors (more tables and seating)
- Social bubbles and limited mingling
- Social distancing
- Hand sanitizer everywhere
Most DJs have a thorough understanding of the risks associated with indoor spaces and the type of environment bars and nightclubs provide, but on the same hand understand the inherent risks of isolation and going broke. With the numbers looking how they are and the reality of keeping food on the table, I will have no problem putting on my mask, getting behind the decks again and gleefully telling my security pals “no requests”.
Looks like that could be sometime next month. Stay tuned.
djworldca.wordpress.com 
Hey James
Glad to hear things are starting to get back to normal where you are.
Are the DJs wearing masks and sanitizing their equipment upon entry at this point? We’re trying to figure out the best protocols for our own purposes and would love your input.
Please reach out to us any time with some of your information and best practices and we can even explore a guest article on our new blog! https://www.thedjcompany.co.za/
Here in Cape Town, SA, on the contrary – we are still completely shut down where events are concerned.
Our industry is suffering immensely as a result.
I look forward to hearing future updates from you and hearing what you have to advise us on.
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Hey Liam,
So far in British Columbia the infection rate has been relatively low due to an early lockdown and probably some luck (our school Spring Break is later in March and we locked down before, stifling travel). We are very fortunate to be in Phase 3 of our reopening plan. Phase 4 is when nightclubs and large events were to be given the green light but there has been pushback from industry and the government has been willing to listen and make adjustments to allow clubs to reopen with safety protocols in Phase 3.
While masks are not mandatory for patrons at some of the clubs that have opened, they are suggested and ALL staff are required to wear them. This of course includes DJs. Sanitizing the DJ gear before and after each performer will also be a new requirement and limiting the number of DJs playing to the bare minimum be our course of action for the time being. In addition, when not playing performers will have to reside in staff areas or green rooms. Dance floors will now have seating and social bubbles will be limited to groups of 6. Our industry has suffered incredibly as well, so we are trying to make the best of it. The clubs that are opened are only on weekends with 50% capacity limits as we slowly ease back into things. However, this could change if numbers begin to rise.
Hang in there, Liam! My heart goes out to all my DJ and music peeps as this is going to be a long and uncertain road to normalcy for us all. Feel free to email me at jtjames1@gmail.com if you would like to discuss further. I would definitely be interested in doing a guest feature with you and would extend the same offer to you if you want to contribute an article to DJ World West. Stay safe, my friend. – JT
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Thanks for that information, and for your wishes, J.
We’d absolutely love to exchange further with you – I think the local community would be interested to know what it’s like outside of our own little bubble.
So yes, I’ll be in touch.
All the best!
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