'We need to punch Covid in the ass' - live artists struggle through red light setting

'National treasure' musician Troy Kingi says many of his fellow artists are hurting due to the recent change to the red light setting. Photo / File.

Two high-profile Northland performing artists have spoken out about the dire straits facing their industry following the Government's recent return to the red-light setting.

Sheer and utter despair sums up the sentiment among many New Zealand performing artists currently battling the third year of no or little work and uncertainty about the future.

Under the red light setting, they are unable to perform in front of than 100 people, making it near impossible to book gigs.

To make matters worse, as of December all resurgence payments for self-employed people came to a halt, leaving many in the arts and entertainment industry with literally no income.

Esteemed Māori musician Troy Kingi has been described as a 'national treasure' but is currently without work for at least the next four months.

The father of five said he was at a loss for words about how he felt about the current situation.

"I really don't know what to say, I have been trying to block it all out as there's nothing I can really do other than just wait it out," he said.

"I had one job on Saturday, then the next day we went to red and since then I've just been at home with my family."

Kingi said a lot of his fellow musicians were hurting and that the lack of certainty and financial support was taking its toll.

He said the situation had become so bad that many were having to apply for benefits just to pay their bills.

"There will be a lot of people living on two-minute noodles for a little while," Kingi said.

"People don't like asking for handouts, not even as a last resort, but there's just nothing available. We're talking about people's livelihoods.

"People can't eat or pay rent- we need to punch Covid in the ass!"

Kaitaia's Herepete Herbert aka DJ Venom has been a live performer (DJ) for approximately 20 years, which he says has taken him to various 'great destinations'.

Herbert admitted Covid-19 had impacted his industry greatly, with several of his own gigs cancelled due to the alert level changes.

Unlike Kingi, however, DJ'ing was not Herbert's full-time job, which meant the changes had not impacted his ability to earn an income to the same extent.

Kaitaia's DJ Venom. Photo / supplied.

"DJ'ing is very much a life passion and my performance life has created expendable financial freedom for me," Herbert said.

"But with the restrictions and frequent level changes, I have had to adapt to the changes and learn to roll with whatever happens.

"I am fortunate enough to have a great job as a health coach at Te Hiku Hauora GP Clinic and am considered an essential worker.

"My role is to help people with their struggles in life. This brings me great satisfaction, knowing I am doing something to help in these tough times."

Herbert said he continued to DJ at home, creating remixes, mixtapes and live streaming on social media.

Overall, the cultural sector relies heavily on independent practitioners and contract workers, with approximately 32,675 people self-employed or around one-third of the total sector and double the national self-employment rate.

The extent of the problem has led to the New Zealand music industry creating a Change.org petition, calling on the Government to bring in new support payments for live music and events industry professionals.

The campaign has been said to be the fastest-growing petition since 2016 when New Zealanders petitioned John Key to keep the New Zealand flag unchanged.

The petition now has more than 27, 500 signatures and counting, nearing its 35,000 goal as one of the top-signed petitions of all time in New Zealand.

Citing significant pressure on the arts and culture sector, the Government announced yesterday it would be delivering a 'lifeline' for the sector with its new $121m Omicron support package.

Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Carmel Sepuloni said the Government was moving swiftly to cushion the blow on the arts and culture sector following a shift to the red traffic light setting.

"The Government has been actively engaging with the sector to understand their needs as the pandemic has progressed. We're responding by delivering much-needed financial relief," Sepuloni said.

"The arts and culture sector contributes approximately $10.9 billion to the New Zealand economy, making up about 3.4 per cent of GDP.

"The red traffic light setting, while needed to protect the health and safety of New Zealanders, has had an impact on the livelihoods of those who make a living out of arts and culture.

"That's why we're committing to a one-off $5,000 grant for self-employed individuals/sole traders who can show proof of a loss of income or opportunity to work."

Sepuloni said it was important to reassure artists and crew that they would also get paid despite their event being cancelled in the red setting.

She went on to say the scheme included an obligation to make full payment, as if the event had gone ahead, to artists, performers and production crew and/or organisations.

In addition to the $121m Omicron support package, other funds for the cultural sector as part of the $374 million Arts and Culture Recovery Programme had also been allocated.

For more information, visit: www.mch.govt.nz/support-arts-and-culture-sector-red or email: support.culture@mch.govt.nz to ensure you receive the support on offer.