Neil Young shared his thoughts on musicians going on tours and concerts while there is still an ongoing pandemic. He stated in his newspaper ‘The Times-Contrarian’ that the people who are spreading the virus are those who cannot give money up.
Neil Young is a successful musician that received many Grammy awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. His work as a solo artist and with bands like Buffalo Springfield and CSNY was widely appreciated by millions. According to ‘Rolling Stone,’ Young’s music in Buffalo Springfield was very influential in the development of folk and country-rock genres. In 2019, Young created an online archive of all his albums and songs that can be accessed by a subscription.
Young is not only a successful musician but he is also an activist that likes to share his opinions about the ongoing problems in the world, especially in the United States. In his archive, there is also a newspaper called ‘The Times-Contrarian, which he recently used as a platform to reveal his opinions about the ongoing Covid crisis.
He stated that the pandemic is continuing because the big promoters want to continue earning money. The musician thinks these managers are putting the audience and their families at risk just to earn money and are responsible for the rapid spread of the virus.
Here is how he blamed the big promoters:
“Money and business. These two need each other. This has been the American way for years and years. Now it has turned on the country in a new way. Garth Brooks and others like him have been responsible and pulled back from doing more shows. That’s a good example. But it will take the big promoters and managers/agents to make the difference. If it’s all about money, I think they should protect the people who are their livelihood.
The big promoters, if they had the awareness, could stop these shows. Without that, everyone just keeps going like everything is okay. It’s not. Live Nation, AEG, and the other big promoters could shut this down if they could just forget about making money for a while… They control much of the entertainment business. They hold the power to stop shows where thousands congregate and spread. It’s money that keeps it going. Money that motivates the spreading. The big promoters are responsible for super spreaders.“
According to Young, the people who greatly influence society should be careful about how they stand against the Covid-19 pandemic. If big promoters say it’s okay to be present in crowded spaces, their fans will trust them and put themselves at risk as they have really missed social events.
