Isle of Wight festival boss calls on government to let the music business help vaccinate

Isle of Wight festival organiser and music agent John Giddings has called on Boris Johnson to allow the live music industry to help with Covid-19 vaccination efforts.

In a tweet backed by Peter Crouch, Giddings suggested: “We are the music business – we have thousands of skilled people capable of running events and empty theatres/clubs/arenas – give us the vaccines and we will work 24 hours a day to sort it?”

Jeremy Joseph of G-A-Y stated that both G-A-Y and Heaven have offered their venues to Westminster City Council for vaccinations. “Heaven dance floor is already been split into social distancing booths, when made our venues COVID safe. We have for over 10 years worked with NHS to do HIV Testing, so we are ready to go with [vaccinating]”, he said.

Melissa Taylor of Tailored Communications replied, backing the idea with: “This is what they’ve done in Berlin. The vaccine centres and roll out being coordinated by people who previously were booking agents, club managers, promoters, bar staff.”

Dear @BorisJohnson – we are the music business – we have thousands of skilled people capable of running events & empty theatres/clubs/arenas – give us the vaccines & we will work 24 hours a day to sort it ?

— John Giddings (@JohnGiddings01) January 5, 2021

An image of the alleged ‘5G chip’ that some conspiracy theorists claim is being planted in coronavirus vaccinations was recently debunked as a diagram of the electric circuit of the Boss Metal Zone guitar pedal.

A new report asked MPs to provide a “restart date” for when gigs can return after months of cancellations, as well as stressing the importance of introducing Covid-19 cancellation insurance for live events, and to extend a VAT cut on concert tickets.

Meanwhile, London’s 100 Club is piloting a new ventilation system designed to combat airborne coronavirus pathogens.