Pentagon Tales * Trasmissioni dal lockdown

Markus Acher (Notwist, Lali Puna)
Germany

1. Where are u right now?
I‘m at home in Munich.

2. What’s happening in your country/city at the moment?
Here we have total lockdown since two weeks. Supermarkets and pharmacies are still open, everything else is closed. You are only allowed to go outside if you have a reason like buying food, walking the dog or for walks, and only with your family / partner. No meeting friends. The police is controlling.
Are there any restrictions?Are venues/shops/bars opened?

3. Did u have any tour/gig planned before this Thing started?
Yes, there is a Spirit Fest-Tour planned for end of may, beginning of june, which may not happen. This is very sad. There are also concerts / festivals planned with the Notwist, Fehler Kuti and Hochzeitskapelle, which will maybe be cancelled.

4. How this situation is reflecting on your everyday life?
I am at home most of the time. Sometimes I go out driving bicycle with my two kids, helping them doing homework, cooking, going to buy food. I found it hard to be ‚creative‘ so far. Too many other things in my head… I cannot concentrate.
I am worried about my friends and about the future of traveling and international collaborations. And about how to pay the rent and food the next months.

5. How the Music Community in your country/city is reacting?
Many friends have troubles financially and are in danger to loose their record-shop / label / band etc… Optimal-records, the most important Indie-Record-Shop in Munich is doing a live-stream twice a week on their Facebook-page to play new and favourite records, so that people can order them. The labels Trikont and gutfeeling also play their records on live-streams to give people the chance to support them. There are DJ-sets, live-Stream-concerts, ‚home-festivals‘ and blogs to support local musicians.

6. Do u usually have any help from the Government if u’re a musician in your country?Do musicians get money if they tour?
You can get funding, if you have a special project, that you cannot finance on your own. But you have to apply and it can take a lot of time and paper work.

7. How the Government reacted?Did they think about the economical loss and disaster the musicans are facing?
The government distributed money to freelancers, musicians and artists and small businesses, who lost all their income by the lockdown. You could apply. I haven‘t got money so far, but people I know have. I‘m hoping it works.

8. What’s the social situation where u live?How people in general are
living these days?What’s the percentage of your friends that right
now is not working for this reason?
Some people I know are in home-office, some continue to do music, writing or art at home. Most don‘t work anymore. Also if you have kids, it is hard to work, when they are at home all day.

9. How’s reacting the Society and do u think after this will be over something will
change in the everyday life?Do u think people will change anything in their life?
I really hope, it changes something. I hope it leads to an understanding, that we have to work together globally, across borders and nations to fight these problems. That everything is connected. That we have bigger problems then these narrow-minded fights everywhere. And I hope this stops the support for right-wing, nationalist, money-addicted, ego-centric politicians and parties, who don‘t care about their people and now even try to use this crisis to get more power. It‘s against all my experiences in life so far, but I really hope, it gives us the understanding and chance to change, to work together globally.

10. Is there anything u would raccomend to the people of the music world
during these hard times?
11. Is there any book/lp/movie u read/listened/watched recently that u would raccomend ?
I watched ‚Sans Soleil‘ by Chris Marker. I like to listen to Arthur Russell, to Roberta Flack and Tenniscoats ‚Music Exists 1-5‘ Box…and to greek rembetika …and many other records. I am happy now about all the records and books, I own! . I read a book of interviews with Jorge Luis Borges. I can recommend it.