Capacity for the Bishop Gunn singer’s show was restricted from 1,000 people down to 200. Unsurprisingly, face masks were required and attendees had their temperatures scanned before entering. The six-feet-apart rule was enforced among show-goers through group seating or tape. All that amounted to a sparse-looking concert experience, as social media posts showed. Even restrooms were capped at 10 people at a time, and drinks had to be prepackaged or lidded. 

For the dance music scene, that suggests that shows may feel rather empty, similar to arriving super early. Dance music revolves around the experience of being in a venue packed with fellow enthusiasts. Floor tickets are often preferred over seated areas to allow for moving around and getting lost in the crowd. Unfortunately, getting back to normal is shaping up to be in the distant rather than near future. 

No dance music events are planned at U.S. concert halls as of yet. Earlier this month, Missouri’s governor issued guidelines allowing for concerts with social distancing requirements. But many city officials refused to lift bans. 

Drive-In Concerts

Meanwhile, drive-in raves are officially coming to the US. Trap DJ Carnage took a page from Germany and Denmark and is holding the very first ‘ROAD RAVE’ shows near Phoenix on May 30 and in Orlando on June 6. Capacity will be capped at 500 vehicles, with two to six people each. Will fans be able to get out of their cars?

“You will have a parking space in which you can get out and stretch your legs as well as use the restroom,” the frequently asked questions section states. “You must, however, enjoy the show from your space and we strongly encourage you remain within your vehicle.”

It remains to be seen if fans will follow the rules, especially while drinking and turning up, and what will happen if they don’t. For the dance music community’s sake, let’s hope all goes smoothly at both the drive-in and concert venue shows. A socially distanced dance floor is better than no dance floor. 

H/T Consequence of Sound

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The COVID-19 pandemic has shut down live events abruptly and left ravers with canceled plans. It was predicted that live events may not return until fall or even 2021. However, Arkansas seems to have a plan of their own. On Monday, the governor, Asa Hutchinson, announced that indoor venues could resume live shows as of May 18 and listed specific guidelines.

A venue in Fort Smith, Arkansas booked Travis McCready, the frontman of Bishop Gunn for a show on May 15th. According to Ticketmaster’s event page for McCready’s show, the 1,100 capacity venue has been reduced by 80% to 229.

Face masks will be a requirement for all attendees, with masks for purchase at the venue as well. The attendees are at least six feet apart to ensure the separation of people who haven’t been social distancing together. In addition, there will be a 10-person limit for the bathroom, which will be actively wiped down along with the other touch points at the venue by the staff.

Prior to the event, the venue will be sanitized via fog sprayers. Then, as precaution and a measure of safety, fans will have their temperature taken when they arrive. Per CDC guidelines, there will be one way walk-ways in the theater that’s overlooked and controlled by employees on site.

The efforts of the venue to create a safe environment for the Travis McCready show didn’t align with the Arkansas governor’s timeline and guidelines. The venue hasn’t addressed the discrepancies but confirmed with Billboard that the show will take place on May 15th.

Keep up with the latest music news and releases through EDM Tunes!

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Backwoods Festival was suddenly canceled on the last night after a helicopter giving rides to the festival was reported missing close to the festival.

Backwoods Festival took place at Mulberry Mountain and features lots of EDM artists. When the pilot didn’t arrive back when he was due, something was obviously wrong. The festival cancelled all remaining sets for the night and issued an announcement. G Jones and Zeds Dead were impacted by the cancellation.

Just two weeks ago, Backwoods Festival featured the helicopter service from Tulsa County Helicopters. In an interview about their relationship with the festival, the company elaborated on their service. Festival attendees are encouraged to take a helicopter ride to get a bird’s eye view of the festival and enjoy the change of scenery. The service would be available for all three days of the festival from noon to sunset. In addition, they have their own tent on festival grounds.

On Sunday afternoon, the local police received a report that there was a missing helicopter. Following that, after an hour since the first call, rescue crews located the helicopter through a passenger’s 911 call. 

Later, the rescue personnel recovered Zachari Peterson, but pilot Chuck Dickson and passengers Sarah Hill and Marco Orneals died from the crash. Zachari Peterson suffered from some broken bones and internal injuries, and the hospital listed him in critical condition. Additionally, the circumstances of the crash are unclear although there was a reported storm coming in.

The news picked up traction after Festive Owl had posted about it.

Below is a video from festival grounds:

Backwoods Festival just posted a statement on their Facebook page regarding the matter. They provided further information on the four individuals in the incident and explained the cancellation. The festival did their best to respond to the tragic event and be considerate of all the attendees.

All the condolences for the families and everyone affected by the tragic incident. As more information comes out, we will continue updating.

Hopefully, helicopter companies will increase security measures and consider new policies.

The post Helicopter Crashes Near Backwoods Festival Resulting in 3 Dead, 1 Injured appeared first on EDMTunes.