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The 5 unspoken rules of gigging in London now

Rock and roll and dancing and social distancing

Joe Mackertich
Written by
Joe Mackertich
Editor-in-Chief, UK
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All the social distancing stuff changes on July 19, but the unspoken conventions of post-lockdown London are going to be hard to shift. This is no bad thing. The pandemic (as well as being a total suck-fest) has in many ways made us more compassionate, more patient and more appreciative of our friends and families. Live music will certainly never be the same again. Here are some new rules to obey.

1 Take heart: the venue is not half empty, it’s half full. Enjoy the fact that for the first time ever you’ve got a brilliant view of the stage because everyone is sitting down and the joint’s capacity has been cut by 50 percent. 

2 Toilet etiquette has changed. Owing to social distancing, the queue for the loo will still contain the same number of people as before, but will be eight times longer. Bonus: shouty, spitting-in-ear small talk is out.

3 Gone are the days of buying your fave band’s T-shirt at the end of the show. Now it’s all about getting their limited-edition facemask and wearing it proudly on the tube home. 

4 Keep your limbs to yourself. Chucking yourself around a dancefloor or a moshpit is out, but that’s no reason not to make some seated moves. Now is definitely the time to perfect your most fabulous shoulder shimmy. 

5 Sure, your phone might now be full of semi-functioning drinks delivery apps, but don’t despair. Instead hold on to the fact that no longer must you queue at a packed bar and miss half the gig so you can get a warm £6 pint. You can now have your warm £7 pint delivered to your seat. The sheer opulence!

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