2019 began with a bright and exciting future for bands such as My Chemical Romance and McFly, as well as hopes for One Direction and JLS; but was all this buzz and excitement really going to turn out to be the beautifully nostalgic times our lives that we hoped for in 2020?
On ticket release days, people across the globe were desperate to grab another chance to see their favourite bands in person, either for the very first time or since their childhood times. Ticketmaster has had many complaints over the years of it crashing and fans being let down big time. This includes the site being down before anyone can access it, forms timing out too soon and the whole site crashing when even a single button is pressed.
Although finding tickets for reunion tours is a key recipe for missing out, it is also evident now that they may not happen due to the current coronavirus situation.
I checked in with McFly fan @JustTonicha on Twitter who is currently unsure of the impact this pandemic is going to have on her upcoming show in May. She has been a big fan of McFly from the very beginning and has mixed emotions on the result. “I was so excited. I just knew that I needed those tickets. I woke up early and ordered them straight away. I got myself standing tickets so I could run to the front. You need to plan ahead!”
Tonicha had bought her tickets through Ticket Line with O2 priority as she found Ticketmaster has never been her friend when grabbing tickets. You can feel the apprehension in the way that she types her lengthy paragraph responses, the potential disappointment hitting her harder than the ‘buy tickets’ button on release day. “Although it hasn’t been cancelled or postponed yet, I’m not keeping my hopes up. It does seem very unlikely that I’m going to see them in concert now.”
Despite the difficult times, she continues to keep her head up and urges other fans to stay positive too. “I would say to other fans, that we are all in this together! We can still listen to their music in the meantime. That’s not going away!”
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Not only does this crisis affect fans, but also the experts behind the magic. Industry professional Jess Pomeroy has recently had her work put on hold due to the pandemic. This has been an incredibly disheartening time for her and the entertainment industry. Her fears lie in her future contracts on reunion tours with The Pussycat Dolls and JLS where she is working as Head of Lighting. “It’s honestly devastating, you put in so much pre-production work that nobody in the public generally sees and suddenly it feels like all the work you completed was for nothing. Although we as a production team know that the tour will happen, it’s just a matter of when.”
Her fears spark up around the fact that this is also affecting the industry. "COVID-19 has had a catastrophic impact on the entertainment industry and we are losing billions in income." For everyone, the goal is to remain positive and hope that bands are able to get back on the road soon, and fans are able to feel this incredible nostalgia for real soon. Jess continues to stay in touch with colleagues and all it is now, is a matter of time.
“If we keep watching each other’s backs, we’ll get through it. The entertainment is an incredibly strong unit and we are supporting each other through this crisis.”
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