It is the same for me here in the Czech Republic. At the time of writing everything is back on hold with venues. I had a brief spell in the late summer where the gigs came back and that was originally going to be my article title: ‘Preparing Your Return’. However, we have now switched from ‘Play’ back to ‘Pause’.

What’s clear is that venues are going to take a massive hit. I see with sadness that some have closed already. Sh*t’s just got real! As self-employed sub-contractors to venues, whether they be clubs, bars, wedding venues or hotels, we are all now on the front line financially. The grant at 20% is seen as a top-up for self-employed workers who have experienced a drop in earnings, it’s not designed to support people like ourselves whose income has dried up completely.

This pandemic hasn’t reduced the flow for us, it turned the tap off completely. That is inescapable as a fact. So what do we do? Yes we have a need and desire to follow our chosen dream and profession, but we must remain on the right side of the law. We also have a need and desire to earn money; this wolf is rapping its knuckles firmly against the door! It’s time to put being a DJ on hold, we need to adapt and survive. We already have major skillsets that employers desire (see my previous article [‘COVID-19 Lockdown – A DJ’s Guide To Surviving Life!’, Issue 101 - May/June 2020]), and as people that have built up our own successful businesses we are all driven to succeed.