Page 41 - Black Velvet Rock Magazine Issue 104

BV104 pg41_BV104 pg41 30/03/2020 00:14 Page 1

BlackVelvetMagazine.Com - 41

Coronavirus Chaos

t’s been a trying time for everyone with John urged people to support the #welovelocal Website Twitch.tv have held their own
Icoronavirus taking grip of the world. Our fund, helping his own local area of Westfield, StreamAid event raising funds for the COVID-
lives have all been turned upside down. NJ. The Westfield United Fund partnered with 19 Solidarity Response Team. Halestorm, All
Firstly, our massive thanks and shout-outs to the town of Westfield to help local businesses Time Low, Simon Neil of Biffy Clyro and many,
everyone in the NHS who have been working and their employees that have been devas- many more took part in the event on March
to save lives and help others. You are the best tated by the coronavirus crisis. Donations can 28th. Fox also presented The iHeart Living
and we love you! Our thanks also to all of the be made on the donation page at www.west- Room Concert For America, which featured
other key workers, especially those making fieldunitedfund.org. Dave Grohl, Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong,
and selling food and products to keep us all To raise money for their own crew mem- Billie Eilish and more.
going… all the supermarket and shop staff that bers, who have been out of work due to the
are clocking in and doing their jobs, risking band not being able to tour, Motionless In ther musicians have been signing up
their own lives by being out in the public and White have been selling a ‘Crew 2020’ T-shirt, Oto Cameo, a site where you can buy
near others, like the NHS. Thanks to everyone giving 100% of the profits to their crew mem- a personal video message from your favourite
that is still working in these scary times and bers. T-shirts were available from www.mi- artist. Justin Hawkins recently told Instagram
getting things done for others. wmerch.com. followers that he can be found on there.
It’s obviously a tough time for musicians, Cameo.com features not just musicians, but
who generate income from being out on tour, ome band members have been gen- actors, athletes, comedians and creators.
playing concerts for others. Gigs and tours Serously giving their own time to help Prices range from £166 for a personalised
have been postponed and cancelled left, right others. The guitarist of Northern UK progres- video message from Steel Panther’s Michael
and centre. This is for the best to avoid coron- sive / melodic metal band Sertraline Tom Wil- Starr or Twister Sister’s Dee Snider, £100 for
avirus spreading. Even if you think you won’t son has been offering free Skype guitar a message from Phil X to just £12 for a video
catch it, you never know, and by becoming in- lessons. Tom is a school music teacher usu- message from new Black Veil Brides bassist
fected, you would then pass it on to others, in- ally, but unable to teach at school while the Lonny Eagleton. You can gift friends a mes-
cluding older relatives and the more vulnerable schools are shut. The free lessons are one per sage from one of their favourite artists - a
folks in society. Until they find a cure, our best person for 20 minutes – although if you enjoy unique present that they won’t ever forget.
hope is to be in lockdown, to stay home and your lesson, you can then book extra time with While the world is at a standstill, if you can
avoid being near others. There are too many Tom on a paid basis. Tom’s contact address to afford to donate somehow to musicians,
deaths. It’s too dangerous to be out in case book a free lesson is whether it be buying some of their merchan-
you catch it, or pass it on to someone whose TWGuitarLessons@gmail.com. Sertraline are dise, to sending a Paypal donation when
immune system is not releasing their ‘Clouded Minds watching a stream, or buying a Cameo video,
strong enough to battle it. & Silver Lines’ EP in May and it will help keep them afloat.
Because of that, Tom offers you the chance to If you are struggling yourself at this time,
bands can’t make money learn some of the band’s mate- reach out to others. But if you can, use the
and, like you and I, are rial. time at home to relax and recharge your bat-
having to retreat and stay teries. While we can’t go out, unless it’s to ex-
home. Some have turned f you’re at home and miss- ercise or for essential supplies, we can
their talents – like Jon Iing the feel of live music, appreciate our lives, our friends and families.
Bon Jovi, for example, check out the Facebook group, We can look within and grow, learn something
into writing new songs on The Front Row Club – Online new, read a book, watch movies, listen to
the subject, giving fans Gigs & Streams, which is keep- bands on Spotify (another way to generate in-
the opportunity to ‘write a ing Facebook users up-to-date come for them) and support local businesses.
verse’ to add to the song. Jon then sang some with all the online live streams and perform- We can also realise how awful it must be for
of the verses on his Instagram account. David ances. One member of the group wrote ‘I animals that are in capitivity, whether in zoos
Coverdale came up with an amusing ditty for started the week hugely anxious about not or laboratories - and campaign against captiv-
coronavirus, singing ‘Fuck off, fuck off, we leaving the house. Now, I feel like we can do ity. If we can’t stand to be stuck in a house for
don’t want you anymore. Don’t come knocking this’. a month, imagine how animals feel behind
at my door’. While many artists have been doing Face- bars, in a small cage or room that they can’t
Many artists have been doing live streams, book live shows, others, such as Jesse Malin, ever escape from. And we pray that they’ll find
with musicians like John Rzeznik of Goo Goo have been using YouTube to get their live a cure for coronavirus sooner rather than later,
Dolls holding porch concerts. John helped streams out to viewers. Jesse has chosen to and look forward to the time when our lives do
raise awareness and funds for the small local call his streams ‘The Fine Art Of Self-Distanc- get back to normal, when we can go out,
businesses that are impacted by COVID-19 ing’. He gives a donate button on the page for travel, see shows and be free again.
playing his acoustic guitar on his front porch. those wishing to donate.
Shari Black Velvet

Eatin’ Ain’t Cheatin’ VIVE SNACK BARS

Vive is a brand of natural protein snack bars made in East London, UK. The brainchild of
Ishak, Vive bars are yummy snack bars packed with protein, full of fibre and that contain a va-
riety of vitamins and minerals too. They come in three main flavours - salted caramel, peanut
butter and hazelnut, all wrapped in dark chocolate - although they have extra ‘flavour of the
month’s, which are suggestions from the general public that are then set into motion and pro-
duced for a month at a time. Flavours of the month have included cherry bakewell, mocha al-
mond and mint choc chip. Each Vive bar is vegan-friendly and contains 10g of protein, making
them great for sporty Sallys, healthy Herberts or just your every day Joe Bloggs. Check the eat-
vive.com website for more info, where you can also purchase their own brand of protein powder
too. If you head to http://eatlive.com/pages/free-taster-box you can order a free taster box of
three snack bars, one of each flavour - all you do is pay £2 for delivery. They are definitely a
yummy snack, and if you have a busy day, they are the perfect pick-me-up, filling you up and
fuelling you with energy.

CORONAVIRUS CHAOS / EATIN’ AIN’T CHEATIN’