Van Morrison is taking heat for calling social distancing measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 “pseudo-science.”
In a message he shared online last week, the 74-year-old singer complained it is not “economically viable to do socially distanced gigs” and “we need to be playing to full capacity audiences going forward.”
He urged artists and others in the music industry to “come forward, stand up, fight the pseudo-science and speak up.”
Morrison said his upcoming socially distanced shows are “not a sign of compliance or acceptance of the current state of affairs” but a move to “get my band up and running and out of the doldrums.”
On his official Facebook page, Morrison has been met with resistance.
“The science is real,” commented Dan Gannon. Aaron Heisler opined: “We love you, Van, but calling pandemic management protocols ‘pseudo-science’ is probably the dumbest and certainly the most dangerous idea you've ever put your name to.”
Andy Edgar shared: “Yes the science is scrambling to work out what we truly have here. But simply put it is lethal to many, highly contagious and can leave people profoundly disabled. … I feel sorry for live performance artists it’s awful but don’t tilt at windmills Van.”
Tim Kelly, who identified himself as “a part-time musician in Canada … a father, a husband and full time retail employee,” commented that it’s not the time to be risking lives for entertainment. “Fight for live music? Damn straight,” he wrote. “But fight for a reasonable and measured approach to resuming live performance, as well.”
Trish Kramarchyk Hipolito was more direct. “Van, this post makes me lose respect for the artist you are,” she wrote. “Is it really all about the money?”