‘DJs selling their equipment due to Covid-19 restrictions’

By Sarah Slevin

A Mullingar DJ has said many entertainers have given up their craft and sold their equipment due to the uncertainty caused by Covid-19 restrictions.

Since March 2020, DJs, late venue entertainers, performers, musicians and more had to cancel gigs due to the pandemic but last month they were getting back on their feet with late opening times for bars and nightclubs back.

Less than month later, however, that was reversed, meaning bars and nightclubs were ordered to observe a midnight curfew after a government announcement made on Tuesday 16 November.

DJ Troy Thompson is the Booking and Promotions manager of Triadent Arts & Entertainment, an agency for DJs and entertainers.

“When the pandemic first hit, we lost all our main events and we had investors pulled out. We said we’d get back and had to keep pushing dates of gigs on, but we are getting nowhere.

“We are waiting on the government to give guidelines but it’s so up in the air,” Troy said.

Although Troy said the closing time has not affected him personally, he said he knows a number of DJs who relied on nationwide gigs who are now essentially unemployed.

“A lot of people I know have sold all their pieces of equipment over the last two years and left the industry altogether.

“That’s people I know had been in the industry for 20 or 30 years,” Troy said.

Troy said the uncertainty of guidelines has made it difficult for people to return and he said the government have a lack of care for the industry in general.

“A lot of people aren’t going back unless they’re guaranteed that they are able to do it properly,” Troy said.

“The government don’t care about us, it’s always a last-minute decision with restrictions for us. They don’t realise the cost involved for the people that are in it,” Troy said.