It’s been just over one month since the launch of #vaxthenation, which saw more than 400 of Australia’s biggest artists and performers join forces with leading tour promoters, music festivals, venues, ticketing agencies, record labels, comedy producers, theatre, opera and dance companies, media outlets, industry associations, peak bodies and global brands like YouTube and TikTok in a new campaign asking Australians to help ‘stop the interruptions’ and get vaccinated.
In response, Ben Mitchell released a song called Free The Nation and started a campaign of his own. Free The Nation Music has since seen over 170 vaccinated and unvaccinated musicians stand up for freedom against discrimination, segregation and fear, and promoting choice, respect and love for all.
However, the one thing we can all agree on is that the COVID-19 vaccine has left us divided.
So, we wanted to go to the source itself, and find out just what the country music community thinks about this topical subject. While it would be impossible to gauge every single opinion, we have carefully curated our twelve country artists to represent a range of different ages, genders, locations, family dynamics, life experiences as well as places they are at in their respected careers.
While not requested by the artists themselves, to allow a safe and open space to share their opinions freely without consequence, we have assigned each artist a random number and omitted key details to keep their anonymity.
In this twelve-part daily series, we asked our artists a range of taboo, topical and controversial questions to find out what the Australian country music community thinks of COVID-19.
NOTE: OPINIONS IN THIS ARTICLE ARE THE ARTIST’S OWN. PLEASE CONSIDER DOING YOUR OWN RESEARCH AND/OR SPEAKING TO A GP OR SCIENTIFIC OR MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL.
For other artists in the series, go here > https://tinselandtapshoes.com/tag/covid/
Photo by Zachary Smith on Unsplash
Are you currently vaccinated or unvaccinated, and why did you make that decision?
Artist 6: I’m unvaccinated because I really distrust pharmaceutical companies and politicians.
Do you think artists/performers should use their platform to encourage others to get vaccinated?
Artist 6: It’s everybody’s right to do what they want with their own body. When I saw that 400 musicians support #vaxthenation I can understand because if you live in [states that have been heavily locked down] you’re desperate to perform again and you’ve been beaten up so you’d do anything, but I think there should be another side to it as well. Which is why I’m trying to say, “Don’t make it mandatory.” Make it, “If you want to do it, that’s fine.”
What is your opinion on vaccinated only events? For example, Big Red Bash and Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash’s new ‘no jab, no jive’ policy, requiring ticket holders, artists, crew, volunteers and vendors over the age of 16 to be fully vaccinated to attend the events in 2022.
Artist 6: I hate it. It sounds like China and Russia, like a lack of freedom. It’s just not right that you should be treated like a second-class citizen because you refuse to put a drug into your body.
Would you mandate your own personal gigs be vaccinated only?
Artist 6: No, that’s apartheid. We have got to watch that we don’t go towards second class citizens, which is what we’ll become. We can’t give away our freedom to get freedom and that’s the point.
Do you think those who choose not to be vaccinated should have the same freedoms as those who do and why?
Artist 6: Yes, because you can pass this virus on with whether you’ve got the jab or not.
Are you concerned that speaking out about the COVID-19 vaccine will impact your career in a negative way?
Artist 6: No, my thing is to fight it because it’s a far bigger picture. What’s next to be mandatory? Facial recognition? Sterilization? We’re going towards China and Russia if we don’t start fighting. It’s not just about the jab. If people want to get the jab, go for it, but don’t make it mandatory.
What are your opinions on people who don’t share your same beliefs on the COVID-19 vaccine?
Artist 6: It’s a free democratic country … it should be a free democratic country, but it is becoming more totalitarian if we just follow the party line all the time. If 80% want to go for it, that’s great, but 20% should be allowed not to if they don’t want to. I’m pro-choice with anything to do with you.
To those you have voiced your opinions to (whether it be to fans, friends, or family), what kind of reception have you received?
Artist 6: Most people have been good. We’re not against vaccinations, we’re just not getting it at the moment. A guitarist doesn’t want to play with us this weekend because of what he thought I said in the newspaper and a fan said, “Are we gonna come off the stage because we are not vaccinated?” She said her immune system is bad and I’m thinking, “Of course we’re gonna come off a stage, that’s our act, we mingle, we sell CDs” but half the audience will be unvaccinated as well so it’s not just us. And, if you’ve got the vaccination, you can still pass it on, so I think she’s missing the point.
Do you think your location has any influence on your decision to get vaccinated/be unvaccinated? For example, someone in a major city who have been largely affected by lockdowns might have more urgency to get vaccinated than those in regional areas/other states?
Artist 6: It does because people are so fearful and eager, yet there’s no COVID cases here. I don’t know why people are panicking. I exercise every day, look after my gut, eat organic food and I don’t take any antibiotics or flu jabs, so I’m for preventative, healthy alternatives.
How has COVID-19 impacted you and your career?
Artist 6: Massively, we’ve been better than most other states. But, because we normally perform all around the world (and if they bring mandatory COVID vaccines) we won’t be able to go anywhere, play anywhere or do anything.
For other artists in the series, go here > https://tinselandtapshoes.com/tag/covid/
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