The COVID-19 pandemic has massively impacted everyone. One particular industry that has felt the sting of this devastating phenomenon, is that of live music. With people either locked down or being forced to social distance, attending live gigs has become an impossible notion. And without events for people to attend, the venues that rely on this to stay afloat, are suffering terribly.

Earlier this year, I wrote of the fear felt by Melbourne, Australia’s live music venues, and that they likely would not survive COVID-19. Fortunately, thanks to a lot of fundraising and a little government support, things are starting to turn around there. Sadly, America still has a long way to go. The President recently announced a stimulus package to help these venues, but some artists are commenting that this has come too late.

One such artist, is Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters. But Dave being Dave, he was not about to take a disaster lying down. He took action. Save our Stages was a massive online event held back in October, with the aim of supporting live music venues to keep themselves going until they could reopen.

Grohl took to Twitter recently to applaud those that supported this venture, and to thank the people that were instrumental in making the Save our Stages Act a reality. The result will see an injection of $10 billion into the live music industry, which will go a long way to preserving the careers of many. The funds are primarily being allocated to the smaller, independent concert venues, which have been hit hardest by the pandemic and associated lockdowns.

Independent movie theatres and cultural institutions will also see funding to help them reopen when the time comes. Currently, most of these artistic venues remain closed, as it is not safe for them to open their doors. But this money will help them to survive until that glorious day comes when they can resume hosting events. It may have been a long time coming, but Grohl and Foo Fighters have been a huge part of making this a reality by raising awareness and doing their part to help save America’s music industry.

Author: Harley Houghton

Harley Houghton is a writer and blogger, based in Melbourne, Australia. Her passions include music, especially metal, gaming and comics. Check out her blog www.harleysmadhouse.com and follow her on Twitter.