‘It’s getting pretty desperate’: Musicians have been left with no income and ‘not enough’ Government support during the coronavirus pandemic The Musicians Union has calculated that musicians have already lost over £20m of income since the start of the coronavirus crisis

Touring and gigging musicians have been forced to find temporary jobs – even if it means putting themselves at risk – as they try to make ends meet after their income became completely slashed due to coronavirus.

A great deal of performers have had all their work cancelled for the foreseeable after the country – and much of the world – was put on lockdown to deal with the spread of Covid-19.

The Musicians Union has calculated that musicians have already lost over £20m of income since the start of the coronavirus crisis and, with job opportunities down a staggering 71 per cent, this is only set to rise.

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Self-employed musicians have spoken out against the new Government scheme to financially support freelancers, arguing that it would leave some with less than a quarter of their normal income.

‘This was the year I was going to actually make profit’

Gabriella Swallow, a touring cellist based in Muswell Hill, north London, is a single mother and co-parents her two kids – aged nine and 11 – with her ex-husband who works in the same industry.

She is concerned that they will both be severely financially impacted and will be left struggling to pay for basic necessities.

Ms Swallow was due to be on tour for most of this year and had been counting on the money to finally be able to start saving for a house following her divorce.

“Everything has been wiped from my diary,” she said. “I would have been leaving for Japan around now for a nine-day tour playing Bladerunner Live. We would have already done a two weeks in the UK, Ireland and Paris before. I was also on the Rob Brydon tour as well and we did eight days and then were doing the soundcheck on the Monday when the lockdown announcement was made.

“My ex-husband covers my rent and everything else I cover – so my household expenses will be hit hard. I used my savings to pay off my legal fees and this year’s was meant to re-stock. It was the year I was going to actually make profit and start saving for a house through one of the Government-aided schemes. All of that has gone out the window.”

She said she will sign up to the Government’s self-employment scheme but does not suspect to get much money as it only covers 80 per cent of profit. Like a lot of self-employed people, musicians don’t actually make a very high profit due to high cost of expenses for travel and maintaining instruments.

Their income is also often uncertain and unpredictable. The Government said it will calculate the replacement wages based on an average profit over three years but the self-employed have complained that the method unfairly impacts them.

“It is going to be not a huge amount of money really, certainly not anything that is going to cover what I need,” Ms Swallow said. “And I have two children to pay for as well.”

Ms Swallow said that, while she does not have any savings, she has one payment honoured by one of the tours she was supposed to be on. But she will definitely have to rely on Universal Credit to see her through.

“I have some musician friends who are in a much worse situation than me because of the way they have done their accounts. A lot of my friends have tried Universal Credit now with some success but the problem we have is no one has the end date.

“I don’t know whether I will be working in July. I am generally not someone who is scraping around for work but if I take out a loan I can’t say when I would be able to pay off that money. I have managed to get to this point without a credit card or loan and want to stay that way.”

Ms Swallow has a few music students she is still able to teach online and has also set up an online business via her website, which allows people to order musical postcards to send to people.

‘It’s getting a bit desperate’

Classical singer and climbing instructor Edmund Hastings, based in Camden, does not have anything to fall back on as both of his jobs require him to be out and about.

He normally spends around two or three months of the year abroad with his singing work and when back in the UK holds outdoor climbing lessons.

“Everything that I had in the diary has been cancelled with both jobs so I am looking at a completely empty schedule,” he said. “Being at the level that I am now, stuff comes in fairly far in advance so I tend to get booked up anything up to a year in an advance – but that has all been put on hold.”

He said there were two main issues with the Government support put in place: “Firstly, it’s not going to happen for a while, they are saying that by June there will be some settlement in place so we have got the next two months to get through.

“Then they are only giving us 80 per cent of our profits rather than our income – but most musicians write off a lot of income against tax – so I put most of my expenses against what I would have to pay which lowers my profit margin.

“Even though I take home about £40,000 a year, I write a lot of that off against tax,” he said, explaining that because he works from home he can expense his rent and bills, his vehicle expenses, travel, and any costumes he needs to buy for concerts he performs. “Then with climbing as well I have got all the kit and overheads for that,” he added.

“So according to HMRC I only make about £10k profit a year. A lot of the travel expenses slow down, but rent continues, bills continue, and I have to pay for food as well – so it’s getting bit desperate.

“If you are used to bringing home £40,000 a year and suddenly that is cut by more than three quarters it is pretty drastic. I am not going to be so desperate because I am only looking after myself, but friends of mine who have kids and mortgages its going to be really quite serious.”

Government action needed

Mr Hastings is trying to get some work as a delivery driver or in a supermarket to keep some money coming in but said there are not many jobs available at the moment. This also means he will be forced to put his own health at risk in order to continue to pay for bills and food.

He is also in the process of applying for Universal Credit and said he has an interview next week. Around one million people have applied for the scheme in the last two weeks.

Horace Trubridge, general secretary of the Musicians Union, is urging musicians to write to their local MP to highlight concerns that some will not be adequately covered by the measures.

He said: “It is absolutely vital that no musicians are left to fall through the cracks by the new self-employment Income Support Scheme. That’s why we’re urging members to continue to write to their MPs with our revised calls for action. If there is one thing that will change the game for all musicians, it is immediate and informed Government action.

“Furthermore, as we learn more about the scheme, we have been updating our call on Government and we are specifically asking for meaningful support for those who have been self-employed for less than a year; for people who are part employed and part self-employed to be able to access support through both the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Self-employment Income Support Scheme; plus calling for the removal of the £50,000 cap in the Self-employment Income Support Scheme, as no equivalent cap exists for employed people.”