Aaron James, Indie singer-songwriter, campaigner and Dubliner says: "Like us all, I'm ready for things to go back to normal now as we impatiently watch the news to see what they say on the vaccine(s) success, but it's all sounding good this far."
As long as everyone else wasn't out having fun, well I suppose I was kind of at comfort with Covid if that makes sense. That's how I got through the harshness of those restrictions. Whatever works, works, I suppose.
Also, you didn't really have to be anywhere, and that was great at times, a relief as such, strangely enough. You could do the things you hadn't or wanted to do from home and people did so in their droves. As restrictions went on it became a bit more challenging, though.
Over Covid times I was thinking, I'm becoming more and more excited about the future for music, and for me and music. I think everyone everywhere realised just how much music, and specifically, gigs, are of the utmost importance to us all as a collective world. Very thankfully, there's excitement in the pipeline.
I'd like to mention a real gentleman, Barry Devlin (Horslips) who was lovely enough to write about me in his At Home With... Thank you for that Baz, it was a great help to me.
The post-Covid situation involves even more music going on in my head, whether that's listening, seeing or singing. During the restrictions I've honed my crafts, I've put pen to paper and can't wait to let loose. I've posted some spoken poetry along with a George Michael cover, and a couple of my own tracks (see bottom of page).
I've kept releasing more tracks and getting out there all the way through and climbing. I've been shown support from RTE Radio 1, 2fm and 2XM alongside regional stations also here, and indie and college radio stations, for example, from The States, Canada, UK, Australia and the Netherlands.
I'm mentioning these because I'm appreciative of it, not to boast. I'm very blessed and happy right now, and can only hope I can make it last for the years to come.
On a more serious note, one of the things that really annoyed me about how things were handled with Covid was that people were encouraged to use single-use face masks. Then some would dispose of them in places they shouldn't.
That's the sin there. When really for just about two euros more, (and a much cheaper and overall better situation too for the long run), there are reusables, that would have cut down significantly on the difficulties they pose to us now.
The many different chemicals we all used to protect ourselves from Covid in one way or another also worries me, more often ending up in the seas and absorbed into our bodies. Come on. We're porous creatures. It's obvious. It's not good for us.
If nature had a voice, we'd be flummoxed by her opinions, judging by the mistakes we make. But in another way, nature has a very strong hold on our minds, we fear her out of admiration and admire her beauty. It concerns us when something goes wrong around the world. That's our collective link. The denial of what is happening in terms of climate change is too much like the throwing of dice. So why take that chance? Work alongside everyone else on it, and hope. I think It's a better way of thinking too, hope.
I took it to the next level to protect those around me from Covid when I was allowed to visit. Every time I went outdoors I would put a washable mask on from the time I'd step foot outside the door 'til I returned back again.
To me it made sense instead of touching the mask throughout the time I was outdoors with potentially infected hands. Like I say, it was to protect, and it worked. I can say I did my bit, now we've reached this chapter's ending. But it sounds like it was a battle. For so many it was. And for some others, sadly still is.
I'd like to say a huge thank you to all the staff in shops, hospitals or drivers who braved the storm for us all. I have to say, the Garda have been very cool throughout all of this. Fair play. Know you're all appreciated. And I know, as we all do, if Covid had have happened within our own families and friends, that those on the frontline would have been there for us in a heartbeat.
Strangely, from the start of restrictions and lockdown I knew we would get out of this okay sooner than it was being put at times, from my own spiritual feelings and from stepping back to reason it out. And that the ghost stories of no gigs til 2024 or so, wasn't as real a threat as being said.
I just had in mind that there were tested vaccines that already existed on the way, cutting down the time for us all to get going again. But it was understandably very threatening and needlessly stressful to the musicians and other staff in the entertainment sector that there would potentially be no gigs for years.
My heart went out to those who had to pretty much die alone from Covid. I thought/think about them. And I recently thought of how if at anytime throughout Covid's hold you weren't/or became unwell, you were in trouble unless it was actually Covid itself that you had. This is how I understood it. More recently I found that very scary for family and friends and for everyone. It was a heartbreaking situation for those who pass, R.I.P, and for their loved ones too.
In the midst of it all, I really didn't like hearing labels being placed upon our futures, for example, 'the new normal.' It even sounds annoying to me. But we don't hear those kind of Covid related phrases as much now. We're on our way to the way it was, and better. Let's bring all of the good we've learned about us and the world itself, with us.
I was amazed with how quickly I began to enjoy TV talk shows more. Was it because it was without the audiences in studio that brought things together for a more relaxing watch?
I'm not sure yet. But I think the hosts/presenters became better at what they do even more so. Maybe that was because it was new for them too to work with. Two examples for me were firstly Ryan Tubridy. He shone in this new situation, I think.
And I also preferred the new way of guests being interviewed. On screen(s). The backgrounds views are interesting, many think. Entertaining in themselves. Maybe that's it but it's kind of futuristic without being too much. But a bit of both on screen and in house interviewing is good also, I'll say. Even the virtual audiences I like. Again, maybe futuristic. And it can look great the way they present those situations. But. Tommy Tiernan's genius show keeps us all going too. His truly original different and entertaining style completely works. Both presenters are up there, for me.
I'm not really a social media type of person. That's why my followings, followers and posts are in low numbers. (In other words, they are not fake accounts).
But what I post I try to make of interest in what I'm about. I do prefer putting time into the making of music more so. But I enjoyed the way musicians (and all businesses who could) took to Covid's challenges straightaway and just got on with it. In very exciting ways too.
A very good example for me would be how kindly Mick Flannery allowed his friends to use his own Facebook page to do there virtual gigs over Covid. Hats off Mick.
In thanks to the greatest band of all time, U2, in 2020 for their anniversaries, I re-released a track of mine on its twelfth anniversary named Tap from my remastered album Distance Between. It describes Bono's humanitarian work which pushes me to do more in my own ways.
The chorus of the song has the lyric "If you turn the tap, the water flows. If you close the tap, enough cuts off. But if one opens eyes, with wide open eyes, soon we'll all see." This is me describing Bono the way I see him. Please keep showing us how it should be done and thanks to all of U2's band members for being around for us. I say that in the utmost positive way. I think you're brill. Celebrate them now is what I say.
Finishing up, and it's different for me to say, but I was grateful over Covid to Instagram, they'd put at the top of my feed the extremely heart reassuring eco-business updates I get from them.
Those businesses and scientists have got us covered from what I read, concerning Climate Crisis and Climate Justice being rightfully prioritised in societies. Again, in a spiritual type of way, I know we can, and will make it through it all no matter what.
Out of so many existing businesses, we should be aware that there are only just over 100 of them, worldwide, that cause three quarters of all of the damage being done to us. Please don't allow that anymore. Get them to think for us. Let's all have words with them.
A blessing in disguise was seen very early on into the first lockdown. Nature quickly sprang back. We shouldn't forget that silver lining, nor let go of it ever into generations. It's precious. Way too precious.
Aaron James on Instagram here
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