Safe concerts are the first step

PROMOTERS ARE aiming to demonstrate the safety of indoor concerts and trying out different audience formats following the lifting of some restrictions three weeks ago.

The moves follow the government’s decision to allow seated-only indoor concerts with capacites of between 1,000 and 5,000, provided that venues are no more than 50 per cent full. However, they say the live market is still a long way from overall viability.

“We staged one show with a Japanese band, Frontier Backyard at Shindaita Fever with 40 people in a 300-capacity venue and they performed twice that day.” Says promoter Harry Sato of Smash Corporation.

“Our events need to set a good example, showing the public that being at a concert is as safe as eating at a restaurant. We are trying to organize concerts within the limitations we are given, to keep our relationship with the market, the artistes and their agents.

“We are in stand-by to restart again with full capacity.”

Smash works with artistes including Tyler, The Creator, Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals and The Internet.

Creativeman Productions, which works with artistes including Paul Weller, The Chainsmokers and Shawn Mendes, recently cancelled its 110,000 capacity Greenroom Festival, set for September.

According to Creativeman’s Onta Shiroh Kawaguchi, “Even if we can’t depend on full or half capacity, the industry needs to re-start.

“Starting with this permitted capacity is one way.” He says.