"The past felt particularly not dead and especially not past on many of the year’s most acclaimed and most consumed albums. So much music deemed notable by critics and audiences alike in 2022 was profoundly shaped by the pandemic, the quarantine era in particular, giving it a temporal wooziness" - Jezebel reflects on the effects the pandemic has had on recent albums by Björk, Rosalia, Bad Bunny, Beyonce, and others.

It seems like Covid-19 is disappearing, especially now as there's a much more sinister threat. However, for musicians, Covid is still hanging above their heads. Pitchfork explored the issue:: "For rising bands and independent musicians tours are a crucial way to pursue a viable career path as a musician and often serve as the crux of their income. If musicians catch COVID-19, that’s potentially hundreds if not thousands of dollars down the drain... With mask and vaccine mandates evaporating around the country, artists are forced to once again ask themselves an important question: Should they risk their health by heading out on the road, or should they risk their income by missing out on another year of touring? Lately, it seems like indie artists are realizing there’s a hidden asterisk in this ultimatum; they can give touring a try so long as fans mask up".

An interesting point by Michelle Lhooq in her latest Rave New World post: "Clearly, we are entering the most absurd era of the pandemic, where ravers are actively trying to catch the virus, the scarcity of COVID testing is a joke, and the President himself is tweeting 'LMFAO IDK just Google it'. As the void closes in, the question lingers: is there any use resisting the nihilism of this moment? Or do you just cross the goddamn Rubicon, and jump into the gabber rave mosh pit?".

Between 2014 and 2016, Omicron was the name of an underground prog-metal band based in Hong Kong. The quartet only played a handful of gigs and weren’t around long enough to release an album. But thanks to a macabre coincidence - on Nov. 26, the World Health Organization announced the name Omicron for the latest Covid-19 variant - the Hong Kong band is suddenly getting some of the attention they missed out on during their existence. “Whether for the right or wrong reasons, we’ve been getting clicks” says guitarist Li Heng Chan of the defunct Hong Kong prog-metal outfit to Rolling Stone. “It’s been a lot to process”.

Nine in 10 UK musicians were earning less than £1,000 per month, and 22% were considering giving up music altogether, according to UK charity Help Musicians which made a survey among 929 musicians in August. One-third of musicians were still earning nothing after restrictions on live events were lifted this summer, according to Help Musicians, BBC reports.

Employment in the UK music industry plunged by 35% from 197,000 in 2019 to 128,000, UK Music unveiled in its This Is Music 2021 annual report. The report also shows that in 2020 music industry’s economic contribution fell 46% from £5.8bn to £3.1bn in 2020. Launching the report, UK Music called on the Government to introduce tax incentives and other employment-boosting measures to help the sector rebuild after the pandemic.

Jason Isbell asks Dr. Antohny Fauci questions about COVID-19 and safety protocols at live events. Fauci recommends outdoor concerts, since the danger of getting infected is dramatically higher in a closed space. Fauci suggests talking to people, giving them answers to valid questions. Fauci insists the work on the vaccine started two decades ago. Both also agree the audience should stop yelling out requests - "I know what you like, don't worry".

The two biggest American concert promoters, Live Nation and AEG, have imposed vaccine mandates on all their venues and festivals. New York City began requiring proof of vaccination for entry to all indoor performances. Plenty of artists have canceled shows and tours, others are demanding proof of vaccination to attend a show - Music REDEF publishes a thread on the rules of attending a show.

The Offspring drummer Pete Parada posted on his social media that he’s been ousted from the group because he won’t agree to get the COVID vaccine. He's been told he is not welcome on the upcoming tour, as well as not to show up at the studio either. Parada claims to have a legitimate medical reason for not getting the jab (the Guillain-Barré syndrome), Rolling Stone reports. In similar, COVID-related news, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that proof of vaccination will be required to participate in indoor activities, including live performances and entertainment, a first-of-its-kind program in the U.S., Billboard reports. Also, Japanese Breakfast announced that all upcoming shows for the tour will be masked and require either proof of vaccination or a negative PCR within 48 hours preceding the show.

Eric Clapton said he will not perform at any venues that require attendees to prove that they’ve been vaccinated against Covid-19, NPR reports. Clapton issued his statement in response to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement that vaccine passes would be required to enter nightclubs and venues. Clapton previously shared a message about his “disastrous” health experience after receiving the Covid-19 vaccine.