CCMA artists reveal pandemic has been really tough on them and industry
Canadian Country Music Awards (CCMA) Week has exposed just how difficult the pandemic has been on musicians.
"I'm not going to sugarcoat, it's been very hard for me personally," says Aaron Goodvin, an Alberta native who is nominated for two CCMA awards.
"It's just not seeing people, not being able to be in front of them, or not saying hello to people at work at hotels. That's a big part of what we do so I have missed that.”
Goodvin has played just five Canadian shows since the pandemic, when he would normally play five in a month.
Tim Neufeld, the lead singer of Tim and the Glory Boys (TGB) agrees with Goodvin, and says the COVID-19 restrictions have hurt Canadian Artists more than their American friends.
"We love it here in Canada, and London," says Neufeld, whose group is nominated for CCMA Group of the Year, and a rising star award.
"Even though this is an industry thing, when you think something might not come back or maybe touring is going to be different forever, to be able to come back and even just do this thing with all of the precautions and everything, it's just like water to the soul.”
Tim and the Glory Boys will stick around after Monday's award show and play Thursday night at London Music Hall (LMH) as an opener for Tenille Townes.
The Reklaws play at CCMA House Unplugged in London, Ont. on Sunday Nov. 28, 2021. (Brent Lale/CTV London)
The LMH was closed for over 600 days during the pandemic, but Tourism London hopes seeing artists back on stage, and music fans in the building will kick start the economy.
"You never know how it (the economy) is going to bounce back," says Natalie Wakabayashi, director of culture and entertainment for Tourism London.
"To be able to see our hotels back up to some really great capacity numbers, to see the venues full with events and even this weekend we filled not traditional music venues. I've got restaurants hosting private parties, so it's really, really exciting and some big sigh of relief".
The Hilton DoubleTree in downtown London, Ont. is the CCMA headquarters.
"The city has a vibe which is coming back again, which was before pre pandemic," says Sumit Bhatia, general manager of the Hilton.
In 2019 the hotel was around 80 per cent occupancy, and that dipped to as low as five to ten per cent during the pandemic. They've bounced back to about 50 per cent now, and Bhatia hopes the trend continues into 2022.
The London Music Hall in London, Ont. re-opened recently after being closed for more than 600 days during the pandemic. The venue was the host of CCMA House during Canadian Country Music Awards week. (Brent Lale/CTV London)
"It's not only good for the hospitality industry but it is good for restaurants, coffee shops and everybody," says Bhatia.
"We need more events because you even can see it with transportation as well. Look at all the cars lined up from country music.”
Tourism London feels this is a 'step in the right direction' after proving a large event can be done safely.
Monday's live award show at Budweiser Gardens will only be streamed for the first time, and will air on network television at a later date.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.