Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Tim McCulloch]

I carry a different attitude and perspective about the whole covid thing and how it has impacted me and my career. First, it is busy as hell right now, so it is obvious that a large number of people give zero crap about covid. The ones I get angry about are the ones that require masks and negative or vaccine cards at their event for all staff..... My thought is this: If you are so scared, worried, and or proactive against/for covid, then what in the hell are you throwing a party for? And if so why are you requiring a whole crew to heed to your wishes in order to add security to your indiscretions? Refer to point A...

I myself am not vaccinated, will not get vaccinated, and truly don't care whether you finally get to throw that party you have been waiting two years to do. In my area, it is pretty hard to find a crew of vaccinated individuals who are well trained in our craft. We can't find enough people to work as it is, so one less party won't kill us. As to what we have had to do in order to keep the wheels rolling, well, we just keep putting out help wanted ads and trying as hard as we can to keep up with the number of jobs we have coming in. We wear masks when we are indoors as required, we keep our distance from people as much as we can and more or less, do as we have always done, just with not nearly enough staff to do it.

Our policies have changed. We increased our minimum to weed out small, low-profit margin jobs. We require a non-refundable 50% deposit and full payment 30 days in advance of the event. We schedule our setups and strikes to be separated from other vendors to reduce contact and clutter. We advise our clients that there are still rules relating to covid and that the industry as a whole is still recovering and adapting to them. We tell them we have to limit changes because we may not be able to get a certain product in time, that we need to staff well in advance to meet certain desires and things are more expensive than they were two years ago.

My advice, only chew what you can swallow, make sure you know your local rules relating to covid, and charge your clients appropriately. It is too busy right now to take everything that crosses your table, so cherry-pick your clients and maximize your profits while you can. Soon enough the market will be oversaturated with vendors again, so set yourself up to align with the higher markets. Don't overextend and certainly don't under-deliver simply get everything you can.

I strongly suggest you view this "I'm not gonna do..." through the eyes of OSHA.  It's up to the employer to provide a safe and healthful workplace.

My crew is 100% vaccinated as it's the way get work.  We comply with (or will implement our own) Covid 19 policies set by artists or clients.  And in spite of all that, an ARTIST likely exposed other performers and part of my crew last week.

Covid is not a trifling matter simply because you are not likely to die (statistically speaking).  Having long term Covid - the brain fog, especially - makes running a show or a business much harder.

[Scott Helmke]

Speaking for my specific area, going for the higher end means corporate, university, and big churches.  Around here that means they're very serious about COVID, so everybody is vaccinated.  I do agree that it's silly that they're putting on big events, though. But then a lot of local venues are getting pretty hard about requiring proof of vaccine too.

[Stephen Swaffer]

I strongly suggest you view this "I'm not gonna do..." through the eyes of OSHA.  It's up to the employer to provide a safe and healthful workplace.

My crew is 100% vaccinated as it's the way get work.  We comply with (or will implement our own) Covid 19 policies set by artists or clients.  And in spite of all that, an ARTIST likely exposed other performers and part of my crew last week.

Covid is not a trifling matter simply because you are not likely to die (statistically speaking).  Having long term Covid - the brain fog, especially - makes running a show or a business much harder.

I am curious (honestly, I am) how vaccination affects long term Covid and effects like brain fog?

A personal anecdote, for what it is worth.  Two weeks ago, my son had been sick and started feeling better, so last Monday I went over to work on his tractor.  For 45 minutes to an hour we worked huddled over his hydraulic assembly working together to try and get it working right.  About an hour after I left, he texted saying he had lost his sense of taste and smell. I am not vaccinated, but  I took precautions and informed my employer and he got tested the next day.  Unsurprisingly, he tested positive.  On the advice of healthcare pro's I waited 5 days to be tested-with both a quick test and a PCR test coming back negative.  There are things I have done over the last year on the advice of my doctor that are tried and true for all coronavirus infections, so my experience obviously would not be the expected normal outcome for everyone.

I'm not advocating anything, other than can we be less fearful?  And if you're concerned, by all means get vaccinated, if you feel it is the best thing for you.  If you are sick/showing symptoms perhaps the show must go on-but let it go on without you and make sure you have a backup plan in place so that can happen.  I am fortunate in my day job that a fair percentage of my responsibilities can be done remotely-and even for my church duties, I managed to coach others through that remotely even though we had an outdoor groundbreaking service and outdoor/remote services is something I usually handle myself.  We've never had better tools to allow us to be considerate and isolate than we do today.

Even with 100% vaccination, this isn't going away.  We need to learn how to deal with this smartly.  The group on here has learned to overcome some pretty challenging obstacles in AV production.

[John L Nobile]

Even with 100% vaccination, this isn't going away. 

You sure about that? When was last time you heard of a Polio or Smallpox outbreak?

It may not go away but it probably has a good chance of being eradicated with 100% vaccination rate. But that's not going to happen.

[Lee Wright]

I strongly suggest you view this "I'm not gonna do..." through the eyes of OSHA.  It's up to the employer to provide a safe and healthful workplace.

My crew is 100% vaccinated as it's the way get work.  We comply with (or will implement our own) Covid 19 policies set by artists or clients.  And in spite of all that, an ARTIST likely exposed other performers and part of my crew last week.

Covid is not a trifling matter simply because you are not likely to die (statistically speaking).  Having long term Covid - the brain fog, especially - makes running a show or a business much harder.

Yeah as business owners we have a big responsibility to any staff & our community to minimize risk.   Myself & the other main tech are both double vaxed & we plan to only take on extra contractors that are as well.    I really wonder once the dust settles whether there will be law suits around people with long term COVID effects especially since the path of infection can be genomically traced.       

[Lee Wright]

Speaking for my specific area, going for the higher end means corporate, university, and big churches.  Around here that means they're very serious about COVID, so everybody is vaccinated.  I do agree that it's silly that they're putting on big events, though. But then a lot of local venues are getting pretty hard about requiring proof of vaccine too.

Good point. We might need to consider if there's some type of events or venues that we don't take on such as private parties.

[Lee Wright]

You sure about that? When was last time you heard of a Polio or Smallpox outbreak?

It may not go away but it probably has a good chance of being eradicated with 100% vaccination rate. But that's not going to happen.

Yes unfortunately I think low vax rates are going to ensure that this is the new normal.

[Scott Helmke]

A personal anecdote, for what it is worth.

This is a problem that needs to be addressed with statistics, not anecdotes.  The trouble is that most people think in personal stories, while statistics is a college-level course. Most Americans won't get sick, most Americans won't die.  And yet more than half a million Americans are already dead.

[dave briar]

Last Thursday our local hospital entered “crisis care” status.  Staff have been given permission to triage care and limited resources to those most likely to survive.  The morgue is full so there is now a freezer truck in the parking lot. The nearest hospitals (100-200miles away) are essentially in the same condition and cannot take patients.  If you qualify for vaccination but choose not to that is certainly your right but along with rights come responsibilities. In the admittedly unlikely chance you get very sick from COVID please have the decency to die at home and not take critical resources away from those that are doing everything they can to preserve the public healthcare system.

On the business side we just lost another national artist this week who refused to play if we can’t at least require vaccinations to attend.  I think that’s six this month.  It’s looking like another very bleak winter coming up. I’m retired. Sound is my hobby but for the venue owner, employees, touring artists, and many of you on this forum this is your livelihood. I feel very sad.

[Luke Geis]

Let me put it this way, and I am not trying to make this a political, religious, or even a personal thing against anyone here or elsewhere. I am all about free choice. OSHA has already balked at Covid rules, going so far as to say that if vaccination is a requirement from an employer, the company could then be legally responsible for any ill outcomes related to the vaccination... They still won't grant Biden his sweeping mandate ( yet ), so there is that too.

My big thing about it is that I have had some BAD reactions in the past few years to prescriptions and even a particular over-the-counter drug. To keep it PG let's just say that the reaction is one that I wouldn't wish upon the person I hate the most in my life. It took three reactions to finally figure out what was causing the symptoms and each reaction was significantly worse than the previous. I am in ZERO hurry to try and find another drug to have a fixed drug eruption to. That is my personal reason. Beyond that, I am also in the camp of this being a BS social experiment. That is beside the point.

I say it, but it often is poo-pooed, but if the Govt truly cared about you and your health, cigarettes and alcohol would be illegal. Smoking alone is said to cause 480,000 deaths per year, of which 41,000 are from secondhand smoke. Let's not get into alcohol-related deaths ( cough 95,000 yearly )... Just between those two, there are half a million deaths per year, EVERY YEAR. There sure doesn't seem to be much ado about it though. So, I am apathetic to the whole Covid mandates and regulations. This WILL be a part of our life forever, just like the FLU, the cold, and other ailments. It will just get to a point where it is not as lethal or as worrisome. We will build natural immunity and I am pretty sure that with 70+% of Americans vaccinated now, that herd immunity is there, we are still just dealing with the butt end of those who were going to die anyway.

It sucks, it's not fair and I do feel bad for those who have suffered a loss, I am not the disease though. I didn't cause it, I didn't spread it, I didn't get it ( yet ) and I have not been sick in any way in over two years now!!!! I respect the rules for those who are around me, by keeping my distance, wearing a mask, and minding my hands, I just don't have any remorse for telling a client tough shit, if you want to throw a party right now, it's at your own risk, don't expect me to bend over for you. You don't want to get sick, then don't throw a party, too bad so sad. A client that is realistic and says optional, or respectful of, I'm on board 110%.

I am so busy right now, I could care less if I got another call tomorrow, I need another break. It's been stupid crazy. And the only time I am resentful of my work is when I have a client that is all about vaccines, negative tests, and masks 100% of the time. I would rather sit at home and make nothing. I work six days a week many 12+ hours a day, so yeah, I could use fewer clients right now. Covid mandates and regulations are a joke and anyone who does a large event and touts the covid safe crap is just doing it for face, not because they actually care, if they did they wouldn't throw the event. There may be a few companies that have jumped on the 100% vaccinated wagon, I only hope they don't have the pleasure of dealing with legal recourse when employees get sick or worse.

I know perhaps a dozen people in my inner circle who has been vaccinated, one of them has had a bad reaction. Seizures!!! He said his first visit to the doctor's office after having a seizure was crazy, he had a dozen of them standing around him asking questions, taking samples and notes. 100% because of the vaccine he got ( I can't remember which ). He says the seizures have subsided though, but can't drive to work due to them and the drugs he is on for them... The concerns are real on both sides of the argument.

So coming from a company that doesn't require vaccinations and is busier than they have ever been before, I only say that you have the choice to play the game or not. The people have spoken, the majority don't truly care. It's all a game of face. If they really want your services, the client will bend to your needs. Stop being a YES industry, WE NEED TO START SAYING NO MORE OFTEN. I said it years ago, we say yes too much. Choose your clients, don't let them choose you. Amid a pandemic, the company I work for is having a record year and doing it with 1/2 the number of employees it had in past years. We RESPECT the client's wishes and needs as best as we can, but we DO NOT give them the moon. If you think your company is successful because you are saying yes, you are wrong, it's because you have a service of value. You will get push back from saying no, but you won't lose a client that will make or break your company, you will just open the door for a better client to come in. For me, it isn't about the money, I have to enjoy and live with myself making the money I do. I will let clients go that don't align with my goals and I will cultivate the hell out of the ones that do, even if they provide me with less profit. When I stopped saying no to money and yes to clients that I truly value and who value me, I enjoyed the money I made SO MUCH MORE! All I can say is play by the rules, have standards and values, and the rest will sort itself out.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

[ProSoundWeb Community]