According to Billboard events promoter and venue operator Live Nation has launched a fund to help support concert crews that cannot work during the coronavirus crisis. The epidemic forced the postponement or cancelation of many major events such as SXSW and Coachella, leaving the crews who usually do the behind-the-scenes work — stage building, sound engineering, effects teams, and so on — without a paycheck for the duration of the state and federally-mandated “stay-at-home” orders. Live Nation has committed $10 million to its Crew Nation fund, with $5 million in direct support and another $5 million to match contributions by artists, fans, and employees dollar-for-dollar.
In a statement, the company explained the necessity of the Crew Nation fund, writing, “Crew members are the backbone of the live music industry, and we hope you’ll join us in supporting them through this temporary intermission until we can once again unite millions around the world through the power of live music.” A quote from Live Nation president and CEO Michael Rapino on Instagram reads: “”Concerts wouldn’t be possible without the crew working behind the scenes to bring them to life. To help out live music crews while concerts are on pause, LiveNation has committed $10 million to the #CrewNation.” Rapino will be personally donating $250,000.
Anyone who’d like to contribute to the fund can do so here with a PayPal account or purchase exclusive Crew Nation merchandise, with proceeds going to the fund, here.
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