Concerts Are on Hold. Workers Behind the Stars Are Hurting.

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Ben Sisario

The lighting technician Joshua Dirks was on the road with Kiss last week. A few days later, he was working on a lighting plan at his home in Mount Juliet, Tenn.

Sound engineers, lighting technicians and more gig-to-gig employees who fuel the touring industry are “preparing for the worst” as the coronavirus puts a halt to live shows. Last week, Live Nation Entertainment and AEG Presents, the two biggest powers in the industry, put their shows on hiatus amid growing concern over the rapid spread of the coronavirus, sending stars like Billie Eilish, Jason Aldean and Cher to social media to apologize to their fans for the scuttled shows. How long the disruption lasts will depend on the Covid-19 outbreak. But even if the spread is contained soon, it may take months to recalibrate the complex scheduling details that go into planning a tour, and workers say they are bracing for a year of vastly reduced income. [More]