Geez COVID sucks!

After catching COVID in Melbourne two weeks ago I’m finally coming good. Bloody crook for about three days and still have an annoying sniffle and cough. The worst part was the “covid brain fog” that is only clearing up now.

Interesting listening to the new federal health minister on RN this morning – he could just as well have been speaking for the previous government. One thing he doesn’t get (like his predecessor) is how small businesses are being affected. 

Take our industry for example; I have been talking to many small business owners – typical conversion…

This is what politicians do not understand. Many small businesses revolve around the owner and if the owner goes down, so does the business.

Take my own isolation as an example – I caught covid on a Thursday, started to feel sick on Saturday, tested positive on Sunday, and then spent the next week in isolation. During that week I had to keep working. Fortunately my business model relies on freelance photographers – but I still have to project manage the jobs, including finding a replacement when a photographer called in sick with covid on the day of a shoot.

I finally tested negative 12 days after I caught covid – and governments are talking about reducing the isolation period to five days?

And let’s face it; the infection figures are wildly understated. I’m not in the stats and neither are most who do a RAT and then just self-isolate if positive, there is no reporting process unless people with COVID go to hospital and/or have a PCR test.

How our industry is dealing with COVID I addressed in an article last week, and I’ve had many comments agreeing with my sentiments. The question however remains – will we tackle this as an industry or will we wait for the politicians to “be guided by the health advice” and then make a decision based as usual on the political situation?

Events are back, but what of the risk?

I’ve done a few articles on the recruitment situation in our industry and it is now great to see an Adelaide company tackle the issue head on.

Recruitment and Retention: Novatech up the ante in Adelaide

Gary Fitz-Roy has more to say about loyalty – to clients and to suppliers

Loyalty means nothing…what’s left?

In other news

Music festivals are making a comeback and after two years of cancelled events Splendour in the Grass is back – and so are the Fun Police.

Last-minute licensing change throws Splendour into disarray

Byron Bay’s first Splendour in the Grass festival since 2019 has been thrown into a disarray less than two weeks before it is due to kick-off, thanks to a change to liquor licensing rules forcing all ticket holders under the age of 18 to be accompanied by an adult.

NSW Police throw last-minute spanner at Splendour

Just two weeks out from the first Splendour in the Grass since 2019, a last-minute change in liquor licensing laws for the festival mean minors aged 16 and 17 will now need to be accompanied by a ‘responsible adult’. Until last Thursday, this rule only applied to minors under 16. With such short notice, and tickets $200 a day or north of $400 for three days, a lot of underage ticket holders have found themselves unable to find someone to accompany them.

Cop this: New South Wales nabs ‘nanny state’ crown from Victoria

Well, this makes it official. Victoria, please hand your nanny state crown to New South Wales. The era of Danistan and Chairman Dan is over. Now comes the reign of Dom and his Minions.

However…

Splendour in the Grass: claim organisers didn’t know about under-18s rule contradicted by NSW authorities

The organisers of the 2022 Splendour in the Grass music festival were told all ticket holders under the age of 18 would have to be accompanied by an adult almost a month ago, despite telling the public they were only informed last week.

Strand Lighting files for bankruptcy

When I first started in professional theatre as a technician we lit the shows with an assortment of Strand luminaires including Pattern 23, 123 and 45s and then moved onto Pattern 223 and 743s. They were the mainstay of theatres in the UK and Australia. And until the PAR can came along were what we used for lighting bands as well.

Started on London’s West End in 1914 by theatre electricians Arthur Earnshaw and Phillip Sheridan, the company created the basis for modern theatre lighting and control, innovating constantly before being acquired by the Rank Organisiation in 1968. Acquired again by Royal Philips Lighting in 2008, the company was made part of the Philips Entertainment Group and embarked on developing LED products. They separated from Philips in 2019, with Strand and Vari-Lite retaining their status as stand-alone brands under the Signify umbrella.

Now, after 108 years, Strand Lighting, have filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in a Texas court.

Ironically, refurbished (and often polished) Patt 23s and 123s are in demand as design elements fetching up to $1200 each. If only I hadn’t sold mine off 20 years ago.