Q-and-A: Loreena McKennitt on the dollars and sense of pandemic concert tours

TORONTO – Loreena McKennitt doesn’t consider herself an expert on pandemic concert tours, but over the past year she has taken a front-row seat to the hurdles of planning them.

Few things have gone smoothly for the independent folk singer-songwriter’s return to the road.

Earlier this fall, a run of dates was hobbled after her cellist came down with COVID-19, forcing McKennitt to rework the show, while a European tour set for early 2023 was scrapped when it became clear the financial risk was too high.

“It’s not for the faint of heart,” she said.

“Usually, tours need to be built at least a year in advance. And in a time of COVID, it’s impossible to know even six months (out) where things are going to be.”

That’s left the artist, best known for her 1997 hit “The Mummers’ Dance,” looking for safer bets.

In December, she embarks on a two-week regional tour of Ontario to promote “Under A Winter’s Moon,” an album of seasonal songs out Nov. 18. The shows, mostly booked in churches, kick off in Stratford on Dec. 2, rolling through nearby cities, including Hamilton, Toronto, Kingston and Ottawa.

The two-time Juno winner spoke to The Canadian Press about how COVID-19 uncertainties, lack of insurance and other unknowns are making it tough for live music.

CP: Your upcoming Ontario tour only has eight stops, none of which venture too far from your home. Why did you decide to make it short and swift?

McKennitt: When we were contemplating the December dates we thought the further you go into the fall and into Christmas, people are inside, kids are back in school. We knew the risks would go up and we needed to design a tour that was very close to the neighbourhood. Except for the third weekend, everybody comes back to their bed for the night.

CP: Some musicians have spoken about how inflation is making it impossible to profitably tour. Can you explain what it costs to tour yourself?

McKennitt: I finance my tours, so there’s no safety net. For example, we were hoping to do the European tour for four weeks, I would put the money upfront for the trucks, buses and sound equipment. That was looking to be in the neighbourhood of close to half a million dollars. If I came down with COVID at the beginning of the tour, I would be expected to shoulder that financial burden, which is just not possible. There’s no insurance that one can acquire (for an artist my size) — that’s a deal breaker. If you can’t get insurance, you’re running major risks.

CP: Your last tour wrapped up just a few weeks ago. What was it like planning for that?

McKennitt: Before we toured, we managed to hire (safety consultant) Dr. Raj Bhardwaj to give us some guidance as to how we could strengthen our protocols to reduce the risk. He was saying what we’re hearing anecdotally: We’re coming into another wave. All anybody can do is continue to promote (being) vaccinated. We designed quite a number of systems to protect ourselves.

CP: What were the systems?

McKennitt: We had a tour bus for the crew but the rest of us — the band and performers — we actually flew. Buses can be like incubators if somebody is sick. We also travelled with 15 or 20 HEPA filters. We put a HEPA filter in every dressing room. We had two on the tour bus. We had them in catering. These are the measures you can do to help mitigate it.

CP: Even with all these precautions your cellist still got COVID.

McKennitt: She was diligent about wearing masks, being in her hotel room and staying in a dressing room. The only time she was unprotected was each night on the stage for two and a half hours. You’re like sitting ducks playing Russian roulette. And that really sums it up. You’re just sitting on the stage thinking, “Well, I hope there’s not an overabundance of that virus in this room.”

CP: But you’re still entering a venue where most concertgoers are presumably unmasked at this point. Alt-rock band They Might Be Giants asked fans to voluntarily mask at their shows partly to lessen the chances of performers getting sick. What do you think of that approach?

McKennitt: On the tour we just finished I invited the promoter and venues to send a letter from me to ticket holders explaining that if they could somehow come masked that would be so great. We were sitting in front of 2,000 or 3,000 people each night and I don’t think we got much more than half compliance. I don’t know if that was because my message hadn’t gotten out to everybody or they didn’t take it seriously enough. So the operational consequences are significant. That is causing me to move extremely cautiously. For the December shows there is a mask mandate in effect. We will see how that goes.

CP: It’s likely a spike in COVID cases will mean more concert cancellations this winter as musicians get sick, but many in the industry say they’re pushing forward. You seem to be taking a more cautious approach. Can you reconcile the two?

McKennitt: Touring is doable, but it’s got to be based on facts, science and being proactive. Every situation will be unique and it does need some robust thinking. When I’ve spoken with some promoters — and even my agents — they’re concerned. At the same time, they’re not having to sit at the coalface of making things work. It is up to the artists and their management to grapple with the elements.

CP: Some artists are just saying forget touring. A few weeks ago, Philadelipha singer Santigold cancelled all of her concert dates, blaming astronomical expenses and a business model that doesn’t make sense.

McKennitt: Yeah, this is a sad thing. I’m very lucky. I’m a legacy artist, and my career got built up far bigger than I could have ever imagined. Technically, I could quit tomorrow and I would be fine. My comments come less from my own self-interest than just a wish for people in the industry, the public who enjoy music, and for the incredible role that music plays in our lives. I can see where people pack it in now. Many musicians and crew do not have a safety net and unemployment insurance, so the consequences of not performing for everyone are huge.

— This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 19, 2022.

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