17/03/2020
(NOT) FOR EVERYONE
First and foremost, BLOC+ is a team. A team of vibrant, talented and hard-working people. In tough situations we have always come together, just like other small businesses.
Bastard Boris’s statement yesterday caused a lot of panic and confusion to those in the hospitality industry. By only “recommending” the general public avoids pubs and clubs yet refusing to close them outright, he has effectively abandoned small businesses, and in particular our employees. If the government considers small venues, bars and cafes a risk to public health then they should be ordered to close and thus enable their insurance policies to kick in. Currently this is not the case. These are surreal and upsetting times for many. Johnson has passed the buck and placed a moral responsibility on us to decide whether we should stay open or not.
There has been a lot of speculation surrounding why many businesses continue operating. Why? Well, as a business we need to pay our staff. End of.
We were considering closing early, cancelling musicians, reducing our menu amongst other things. The reality is, if we close early, we can’t pay our security and by reducing hours, staff lose work. If we cancel musicians, they don’t get a fee and our sound engineer doesn’t get paid. If we reduce our menu then kitchen staff lose work and so on.
These are people with homes, families and lives, now fearful of losing these same homes and not being able to support these families at the worst possible time. Our staff already are beginning to feel the effects of the uncertainty and it is clearly affecting mental health. From this moment, we want to ensure we can pay our staff. If the venue is empty so be it. As long as we can pay them and support them. They are our priority. If we close voluntarily, as the insurance situation stands, we can’t do that. And we are not alone.
The devastation that Covid-19 has caused already for families is beyond comprehension and we are thinking of all those affected. We are in no way forcing our staff to work and they have been made aware that if they feel unwell or in any way uncomfortable they DO NOT need to come to work. There will be no penalty or punishment. We will remain open for their sake. Not profits.
If you want to support us, we welcome that with open arms and thank you in advance. If you don't, we understand. If you want to criticise us then please try and understand that we pay our taxes, we work hard, we are at at the lower end of a chain with a big floppy-haired blonde sh*tebag at the top trying to make us question ourselves and our intentions in very difficult circumstances.
BLOC+ opened 19 years ago and for years we have programmed music 7 nights of the week and all for free entry. We have had numerous touring and local musicians who have played our venue and countless DJs. We pay fees to those musicians, we feed them and we water them. This is the heartbeat of our venue along with our staff and customers. We are also independent and fiercely proud of that.
We have the most incredible customers that remain loyal and we continue to welcome new customers from around the world which we couldn’t do without. Lastly, our suppliers are also worth thanking, as they have been so supportive recently, including donating goods for free to food-bank collections and for other charity initiatives. When the closure finally comes, BLOC's food stock will also be donated to food banks. Nothing will go to waste.
Thanks for reading and stay safe.
TEAM BLOC X
