2021 is already two months old, and you could say that not much has changed since 2020. As a full-time DJ, you're still condemned to inactivity, and the lockdown was tightened again before Christmas and New Year's. That pesky C is still around, merrily mutating away. nTV has been airing a special Corona program with every virologist I think there is in Germany since March 16th, 2020, and that, in turn, is slowly but surely driving politicians and the public crazy.

How was 2020...?

In short: modest...

The year started well; I had recovered well from my serious illness in the winter of 2019 and had a full calendar for 2020. Everything was going smoothly, and once everyone in our household was healthy again, things started to pick up with parties and booking requests. Then came March 14, 2020, my last gig of the first half of the year, and "ta-da!" the first lockdown hit.

From that point on, I had a lot to do in a different way. Rescheduling appointments, postponing bookings, helping colleagues with where and how they could apply for government aid, and of course, during the first lockdown, I also redesigned my website and immediately launched a page where professional musicians and singers could present themselves, to show solidarity across genres and styles.

From April onwards, the various sectors began taking action, all with the same message: we need support and/or prospects. Everyone started to develop their own agenda, launching their own campaign (some more successfully than others), and a few individuals even used the initiative to promote themselves. While it did create some momentum, it wasn't sustainable, unfortunately.

This won't happen a second time...

Since I'm somewhat caught in the middle, here's a small example from the wedding industry.

(to the other industries I also work in as a DJ afterwards)

From April 2020 onwards, the wedding industry repeatedly demonstrated nationwide that weddings should be allowed and even possible during a pandemic. Okay, I also play at many weddings, so I initially thought the protests were a good thing, but even then I had little hope that they would reduce the cancellation rate. What many ignored was the fact that the clients, meaning the couples themselves, also wanted to celebrate and get married. However, media coverage fueled fears, and everyone who wanted to celebrate the happiest day of their lives without a care in the world postponed their wedding.

Hygiene protocols were drawn up like crazy by restaurants, wedding planners, and even the brides and grooms themselves, and yet, in the summer, after vacationers returned, private celebrations, whether birthdays or weddings, were guaranteed hotspots for rising COVID-19 infection rates. And that's why the number of my DJ gigs in 2020 was limited to 18 events. Without COVID, there would have been over 60 booked at the time of the first lockdown.

The fear and concerns about celebrating during a pandemic were, and still are, deeply ingrained in customers, and no matter how many people take to the streets, in this area, the customer ultimately decides. When you also consider the number of COVID-19 outbreaks at private events in 2020, this caution is more than justified. I am certain that the opportunity to celebrate in 2021 will not be as readily available as in 2020, and if it is, it will only be under very strict regulations if the number of new infections does not decrease rapidly by April.

Have other industries done it better?

Again, in short: NO...

The event industry has launched several large-scale campaigns nationwide (Alarmstufe Rot) and conducted field trials and research (Tim Benzko concert) to draw attention to the precarious situation and to provide a scientifically sound contribution on how theater, concerts, opera, and arts and culture can continue even during a pandemic. However, in 2021, the industry remains in lockdown with no prospect of when things will be able to resume.

The restaurant industry experienced constant stop-and-go, numerous restrictions when it reopened, and despite a beautiful summer where beer gardens were always packed despite the pandemic, and the "staycation" trend bringing in some new customers, things aren't looking good for many, even with delivery services like Lieferheld. The outlook for 2021 remains bleak, and some businesses will undoubtedly fall by the wayside and not emerge from lockdown.

Clubs and discos are a very special case, as they were completely closed from mid-March and were not included in the easing of restrictions. While there were many illegal parties in various regions of Germany, these then led to a resurgence in coronavirus cases.

I think this is where the "death" and change will be greatest, because the situation is being exploited to drive clubs out of city centers, for example, mostly through rent increases for the venues. This, in turn, will lower the quality of life in major cities, and subcultures will be systematically driven to the brink of extinction.

Now, let's talk about the DJs, or the DJ industry if you can even call it that, because they're the ones I think we've heard the least about. This might be because club DJs don't get along with wedding and event DJs, and as a full-time DJ, I've sometimes had to listen to club DJs telling me I should get a "normal" job. (via Facebook)

In non-pandemic times, anyone with two thumbs and a Spotify or Apple playlist on a USB stick is a DJ, and they like to act all high and mighty. But during a pandemic, loyalty, collegiality, and solidarity in this "industry" are either nonexistent or practically nonexistent. Maybe everyone should eat a Snickers more often so they stop being such divas; perhaps then they'll have better luck with their fellow DJs, because what unites us is music...

Biggest Bullshit 2020 - Streamen

I understand that you have to think about how to move forward, but live-streaming a DJ set is like driving a car in a bad simulator, watching porn without masturbating, or cooking without spices. I watched a few of these live streams in 2020, from fellow DJs as well as big names, and both were simply underwhelming.

With big DJs, the visual aspect is what really makes it worthwhile, and some of it is truly well done (like the Tomorrowland New Year's Eve stream). The fact that they play new and unknown songs and tracks is also a nice way to hear new tracks. I think this is a great opportunity to hear new music, but that's about it. I would have heard the songs anyway through various release radar websites and newsletters, even without the stream.

What I absolutely can't stand anymore are the streams of, let's just call them "regular DJs" for now, who jumped on this bandwagon and are still jumping on it. They play songs in their playlists that I've long since weeded out (great, themed parties like the 90s – as if we haven't already heard the Spice Girls to death!), and then it's all set against a bad green screen or in a mock-up of an IKEA catalog showroom.

All the streams I watched last year barely reached a peak of 65 simultaneous viewers – great! – and even then, during pandemic times, people would drive or fly all over the place to stream in a fancy location, assuming they had a stable internet connection. Honestly, why would I watch a live stream where they play songs that are already on my playlists, accompanied by pseudo-groovy dance moves...? A highlight of my streaming abyss was the "guess the song title drinking game" during a live stream. You couldn't drink enough to make me want to throw up...

That's why I didn't stream anything in 2020. I would only stream if I could offer visuals with video or graphics comparable to the streaming services of top DJs, including added value for the viewer (whatever that may be), which I couldn't see in any DJ live streaming service. After all, your own place isn't the Boiler Room or Café del Mar in Ibiza, and there are some interiors I'd rather have never seen...

I made better use of my free time as a DJ. Firstly, I finally produced and released music again, opened my own small record label focused exclusively on electronic music, and secondly, I felt like I was catching up on the sleep I hadn't had in previous years due to awesome parties and events. Then , very unexpectedly, two awards landed in my lap in 2020, which I was thrilled about. And, as you've probably noticed, I haven't posted much. Be it on my blog or on Instagram, because I figure if you don't have anything important to say during a pandemic, you might as well participate in the #shutup challenge...

How is your social circle doing...?

There is one positive aspect to the virus: it quickly exposes the idiots on your friends list. Even within families, there are frequent discussions that encompass everything you've heard, read, and seen over the past year. When fake news is spread or passed on, you have to try to refute it objectively and with facts, but the longer the pandemic lasts, the more exhausting that becomes.

Social media has become a kind of pressure cooker during the pandemic, and what I find very unfortunate is that the tone is becoming increasingly harsh and aggressive when you don't share the same opinion as the other person or when it doesn't align with the general tenor of the post. People are quick to resort to the lowest forms of verbal abuse to silence others. Netiquette has sadly disappeared in these times, and the reporting systems of social media platforms must be working overtime.

In real life, I often get the feeling that some people aren't really taking the pandemic seriously. You can see that from the fact that as soon as the weather's nice, crowds of people gather in groups outdoors despite the lockdown. So that even the most clueless person understands, it's not about not being able to go out into nature (and I know what I'm talking about, living in a 38-square-meter apartment without a balcony), but about reducing contact. And that means, when you go for a walk (or sledding), you should avoid acquaintances or maintain social distancing. I know it's not easy, but it's definitely doable. Now, let the "conspiracy theorist shitstorm" begin...

I can absolutely understand the local authorities who took to the barricades because, whenever the weather is nice, a horde of cars with Munich license plates descends upon them. Even though the incidence rates in those districts have risen, and during the various stages of the lockdown, people were only allowed to move within a certain radius. I'm not talking about unnecessary trips here, but rather the day-trippers who would be better off taking a refresher course on "proper parking in the next town" instead of driving around aimlessly.

In 2020, one could easily have shaken one's head in disbelief at various mindless actions, enough to give oneself whiplash. A few years ago, I wouldn't have thought that egomania and the "me, myself & I first" mentality were so deeply ingrained in a civilized society. But Corona stripped away many of the superficialities of people who, in normal times, presented themselves as "the better human" and "always politically correct," only to reveal themselves during a pandemic as nothing more than ruthless egomaniacs, concerned only with themselves.

Two of the most fitting sentences that sum it up very nicely for me in 2020 were:

"An opinion is like an asshole - everyone has one" - *James Blunt on Top Gear

"A pandemic can only be fought as humanity" - *Author unknown

What I missed in 2020...

People celebrating, happy and relaxed. Traveling across the country from event to event. Alcohol. Carefree spirit and a USB stick... (no idea where I left it)

What I didn't miss in 2020...

The Schlager music crowd who always try to convince you of their music. The few people who neither recognize nor appreciate the value of my work. Police checks when I'm driving home from a DJ gig at four, five, or six in the morning. Venue owners who interfere with my work. Alcohol. Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys songs.

What I don't want to see in 2021...

DJ live streams. Traveling influencers or fellow DJs (simply stupid during a pandemic). People who deny the existence of COVID. Bad alcohol. Egomaniacs with a need for self-promotion. Rising COVID numbers. Conspiracy theories on Facebook. Another (the fourth) hard lockdown.

Will 2021 be a better 2020...?

We'll see how the pandemic develops; I personally have mixed feelings about the whole thing. What I do believe, however, is that we won't seamlessly pick up where we left off in 2019 or the first months of 2020. Certainly, there will be opportunities to hold events here and there, of whatever kind, but it will continue to be a scaled-back affair, and if Germany continues its current vaccination rate, we'll definitely have one or more partial lockdowns of some kind ahead of us until 2024...

For my part, I will continue making and releasing music, adhere to the pandemic regulations and rules, and hopefully play a DJ gig or two without having to get a COVID test twice a week. (I'm not a Bayern Munich footballer, after all.)

We can only fight the pandemic together, so please follow the rules (especially don't travel if you are unvaccinated), get vaccinated when possible, and stay positive and friendly to your fellow human beings, and then things will get better again...