Not so long ago in a world where touring and gigs were the norm, Matt Jones was at the helm of an MA console for Ed Sheeran’s Divide Tour, the highest-grossing tour of all time.
The tour encompassed 255 shows, grossed over AU$1 billion and was also named the most attended tour of all time with more than 8.5m people across 43 countries seeing Sheeran perform.
Today, like many of us, Matt is at home in Melbourne facing an uncertain future but he took time today to reach out to his fellow industry buddies:
This isn’t a “ woe is me” speech, but a reminder to others in a similar position that you’re not alone.
I’ll put my hand up. I’m scared. I’m anxious. I’m worried and I’m uncertain.
It seems like every other day in the news a vaccine is either 6 months, 12 months, 18 months or 24 months away. All of these scenarios stress me out. How can I continue without income until then?
I, like most in my industry, haven’t worked since February. Finances aside, this distresses me. I’m vehemently passionate about my job and my career. Yet here I am missing my work, my craft, my career.
People have argued that working in the arts, I should have been prepared for periods of unemployment. Okay, sure, I was financially okay for a period of quiet where I might not have been as busy as I was touring the world on one of the worlds largest tours, but a pandemic? Who prepares for that?
Unless you are an epidemiologist, you don’t prepare for that kind of scenario.
I don’t miss having a stable income as much as I miss my craft. I love what I do. And I can’t wait until the day I can get back to doing what I love doing.
I don’t have words of wisdom or any insight, but I can offer comfort to others in the same position as mine, you’re not alone. I too feel overlooked by the government grants and assistance packages. I too am struggling to make ends meet. I’m trying to find new ways to adapt to this scary new world where I can’t do what I’ve wanted to do since I was in high school, where I was told I’d never be successful in this industry.
I look forward to the day I can rediscover my previous success and get back to doing what I love doing and miss doing.
I wish I knew what the answers are going forward. I don’t. I miss my tour family and my international friends and I can’t wait to see them, hopefully, sooner than later.
For those that need a chat, please don’t hesitate to call, for those that like to chat, I do too. Please call! Xx
This is a story that resonates with many of us.
We all need to reach out to our industry buddies, do so today.
