Metal Anarchy

According to a survey from the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) most independent venues will not be able to reopen by the time the COVID-19 pandemic ends. 2,000 venues across the U.S. took part in the survey, which found that 90% of them “will close permanently in a few months without federal funding.”

NIVA said the following in a recently released fact sheet:

* Independent venues were the first to close and will be the last to reopen.
* Venues have zero revenue, but obligations like mortgage/rent, bills, loans, taxes, and insurance continue.
* We have no work to offer our employees for the foreseeable future.
* The shutdown is indefinite and likely to extend into 2021 as our venues are in the last stage of reopening.
* The ability to open at partial capacity is not economically feasible. Rents, utilities, payroll, taxes, insurance, and artist pay are not on a sliding scale matching the capacity we’re permitted to host. They are fixed costs.
* Due to the national routing of most tours, our industry will not recover until the entire country is open at 100% capacity. NIVA members need assistance in order to survive until that day.

The following was also shared regarding the impact on independent venues:

* According to a survey of NIVA members, 90% of independent venues report they will close permanently in a few months without federal funding. Current PPP funding will not solve the crisis.
* Pollstar estimates a $9 billion loss in ticket sales alone — not counting food and beverage revenue — if venues remain closed through 2020.
* Live events provide 75% of all artists’ income.
* For every $1 spent on a ticket at small venues, a total of $12 in economic activity is generated within communities on restaurants, hotels, taxis, and retail establishments.
* The estimated direct annual economic impact venues bring to local communities is nearly $10 billion.

NIVA went on to say that they are supporting “the RESTART Act (S. 3814)… and other like-minded proposals that tailor the PPP program to work for shuttered businesses like ours that have zero revenue, high overhead and no clear timeline for reopening.” They are also seeking additional relief through tax credits and unemployment insurance benefits.

[via Blabbermouth]