QUIET RIOT Singer JIZZY PEARL Criticizes Virtual Concerts: ‘The Constant Pandering For Money Doesn’t Look Good’

QUIET RIOT and LOVE/HATE singer Jizzy Pearl has criticized musicians for hosting livestreams on social media or via other platforms as a way of capturing revenue from their performances since the COVID-19 pandemic has wiped out artists’ touring revenues.

With concert promoters forced to suspend or delay the majority of their schedule for as long as social distancing is still taking place, livestreaming performances have been a way for some rock bands to generate the revenue they and their crew depend on to survive, or simply to keep their fans (and themselves) entertained while we all wait for venues to re-open. And as much of the world remains in quarantine, many industry experts believe that livestreaming will likely remain a crucial part of the live music experience in 2021.

On Wednesday (January 20), Jizzy took to his Facebook page to write: “A lot of people have given up on playing live. Its been a year and this Zoom shit is old and goofy at this point. Your Rock Star mystique is not enhanced by the visual of you sitting at your computer, I don’t care if you’re Brian May. Also the constant pandering for money…doesn’t look good. We as musicians all have bills for sure but Jesus…maybe that Mercedes SUV wasn’t a good idea.”

Two days later, Pearl returned to Facebook to elaborate on his views. He wrote: “I took a little heat about my last post–insensitive some might say. People gotta eat some might say. Yes thats true, I’m in the same boat as everyone else, all work has evaporated ‘When’s it coming back?’ I don’t know nobody does. But doing weekly Stage-its and weekly tip jars? Its like slowly cutting off pieces of yourself, selling yourself short bit by bit. When its all over who’s gonna want to pay $20 or $30 to see you or your band when they’ve seen you for $5? Or a ‘donation’ of $3? And the New Normal is Virtual concerts? Thats awesome, so instead of doing 20 or 30 shows a year I get to do just one? How exciting! What about the rest of the year, no more touring? This is our wonderful future? The longer this lockdown lasts the easier it is for people to Love their Couch–why go out ever when I can get MÖTLEY CRÜE delivered right to my home?”

In the face of the coronavirus pandemic, thousands of concerts and festivals have either been postponed or canceled, as social distancing and self-quarantining make performing live music and attending live shows all but impossible.

U.S. officials have repeatedly urged Americans to heed what federal, state and local officials are asking of them in order to curtail the spread and dampen the impact of the virus on the population.

Earlier in the month, Dr. Anthony Fauci said that theaters and other live entertainment venues could reopen before the end of this year if the COVID-19 vaccine rollout goes well.

As long as the majority of Americans begin to receive a vaccine by the summer, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said performances could resume almost close to normal “some time in the fall of 2021.”

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