Canada to host ‘first major event using rapid screening’
The Ontario Festival Industry Taskforce (OFIT) is spearheading the organisation of a concert that is said to be the first major event in Canada to use rapid screening.
The event, dubbed The Long Road Back, is due to take place this month at the Casino Lac-Leamy Plaza at Lansdowne Park, Ottawa, with a performance from local Motown tribute band, The Commotions.
Attendance will be limited to 100 participants, and all spectators as well as staff, musicians and crew must prove they’ve tested negative for Covid-19 within 48 hours before the band performs.
Once at the event, attendees will be seated at tables and will be required to wear masks and adhere to social distancing throughout the event.
According to the organisers, tickets – which were priced at CA$25 and could only be purchased in groups of four – sold out in under an hour.
“As we look ahead to the summer of 2021 and beyond, establishing best practices for live music events now is critical”
“As we look ahead to the summer of 2021 and beyond, establishing best practices for live music events now is critical,” says OFIT chair Mark Monahan. “In order to produce summer and fall events, rapid Covid-19 antigen screening is needed to demonstrate live concerts can happen safely.”
The concert was originally slated for 27 March but has now been postponed after the city’s chief medical officer of health said the city will likely limit outdoor public gatherings to 25 people next week.
The organisers say the event will be rescheduled “for the earliest possible date” should restrictions be tightened.
The concert is produced in conjunction with local promoter Live DNA, the team behind Ottawa Bluesfest, the Canadian Live Music Association, Ottawa Festivals Network, and the National Arts Centre. The organisers are producing the event under the guidance of Rapid Test & Trace Canada.
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Canada’s Kinaxis to fund venues for livestream series
Ottawa-based supply chain software company, Kinaxis, and Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA) are partnering on a livestream concert series to support performers and venues hit hard by Covid-19.
The 30-concert series, entitled Kinaxis InConcert, will be funded via a C$250,000 sponsorship from Kinaxis and facilitated through an application process wherein live music venues can apply for financial help to produce a livestreamed show.
Venues can apply for up to a maximum of $6000 to help to cover the costs associated with the production of a livestreamed concert and may also be awarded costs associated with artist fees and staff/production crew.
Promoters and festivals must apply in partnership with a live music venue, or indicate which venue they plan to rent for the stream. Concerts can be programmed from January to June 2021 and applications are open now until 28 February 2021.
“We are grateful to Kinaxis for setting an example of the kind of private-sector support that Canada’s live music community desperately needs,” says CLMA president and CEO, Erin Benjamin.
“Kinaxis are setting an example of the kind of private-sector support that our live music community desperately needs”
“Kinaxis InConcert is a reason to come together to celebrate our artists, support our venues and connect to music fans. It is much needed good news for an industry that has suffered unprecedented economic hardship.”
John Sicard, CEO of Kinaxis, says: “The Kinaxis culture is anchored on the simple words ‘people matter here’. This extends to the communities where we live, work and play.
“Sadly, the people supporting our music industry, and especially the artists themselves, have been tremendously affected by the restrictions resulting from Covid-19, and that means we miss out on the joy they create through their live performances.”
According to the organisers, Canadian venues are closing their doors at an alarming rate, leaving countless Canadians who benefit culturally and financially from this sector in a precarious situation.
A recent study conducted by Nordicity, found that each venue that closes costs an average of $575,000 in annual GDP contributions, and $148,000 in provincial and federal taxes.
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Ken Craig to head up new Live Nation Ottawa office
Live Nation has announced the opening of a new office in Canada’s capital city, Ottawa.
The new operation will be overseen by Ken Craig, an independent promoter with a long relationship with Live Nation Canada, who becomes vice-president of the Ottawa region. The company currently promotes around 70 shows a year in the city, which has a population of just shy of a million.
“Ken has been a colleague for 30 years,” comments Riley O’Connor, chairman of Live Nation Canada. “His passion for the entertainment business is reflected in his work ethic, as well as in making everyone feel welcome and excited to be participating in live concert experiences.
“We are proud to officially welcome Ken to the Live Nation family”
“We are proud to officially welcome Ken to the Live Nation Canada family as we continue upon our path of bringing the most vibrant and exciting live entertainment to fans across Canada.”
Craig is a long-time senior contract producer for Live Nation Canada, overseeing the production of arena, stadium and outdoor sites across the country, including the development of a venue production strategy at the new Videotron Centre (20,396-cap.) in Quebec and the development of several greenfield sites, including Magnetic Hill in Moncton and Wesley Clover Park in Ottawa. He has also promoted and produced Jerry Seinfield’s Canadian dates for the past ten years.
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