Local showbiz buzzing with excitement

X-Periments: Looking forward to doing the wedding scene

I’m doubly sure Cliff Richard’s ‘Big news, big news, have you heard the news…’ would have been reverberating throughout the local showbiz scene, on the morning of Saturday, July 10th. And, for good reasons, as well!

In fact, I was thrilled when I checked my phone, Saturday morning, to find that the existing Covid-19 restrictions have been further relaxed.

But, what got my immediate attention was the relaxation, connected with weddings, where 25 percent seating capacity of the venue, or a maximum of 150 guests, would now be allowed. And, that’s certainly great news for our entertainers.

Obviously, those who celebrate that very special occasion would now be in a position to have a band in attendance. So there’s going to be work for our musicians who did find the going really tough, during the lockdowns, where lots of restrictions were imposed, in order to curtail the spread of the virus.

Several ‘I do’ occasions, scheduled for the months of April/May/June, were postponed.

In some cases, the couple tied the knot, with only family members present – due to the restrictions.

Rajiv & The Clan, and Sohan & The X-Periments are two outfits that suffered quite a lot with the cancellation of wedding celebrations.

No doubt, new dates would be fixed for the postponed weddings and the two bands would certainly be in that scene again, but, there is always the possibility of the revised dates clashing. – two weddings on the same day, with the same band! And, that’s when the problems would crop up.

Sohan, however, expressed his joy on hearing of the good news and was quick to contact me to express his happiness.

And, this is what came up on his Facebook…

“So happy to hear that musicians are getting their jobs back! My sincere thanks to those who worked, behind the scenes, to make this happen. Now, let’s work strictly, within these safety guidelines.”

In the meanwhile, Dr. Asela Gunawardena, Director General of Health Services, has appealed to the public to strictly comply with the guidelines issued for permitted levels of functions.

Yes, this is absolutely important – if the showbiz scene is to brighten up, and musicians are to find themselves in a position to keep the home fires burning, with regular work coming their way.

Aquarius: Looking forward to getting back on stage

Benjy, from the band Aquarius, also expressed his joy at the relaxation of restrictions, and added: “We must all make sure that we don’t throw away this opportunity by not strictly following the health guidelines.

“I’m looking forward to getting back on stage, adhering to all the guidelines, laid down by the health authorities.”