Days of Rona: Rolf Gustavus of Stickman Records
The ongoing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the varied responses of publics and governments worldwide, and the disruption to lives and livelihoods has reached a scale that is unprecedented. Whatever the month or the month after or the future itself brings, more than one generation will bear the mark of having lived through this time, and art, artists, and those who provide the support system to help uphold them have all been affected.
In continuing the Days of Rona feature, it remains pivotal to give a varied human perspective on these events and these responses. It is important to remind ourselves that whether someone is devastated or untouched, sick or well, we are all thinking, feeling people with lives we want to live again, whatever renewed shape they might take from this point onward. We all have to embrace a new normal. What will that be and how will we get there?
Thanks to all who participate. To read all the Days of Rona coverage, click here. — JJ Koczan
Days of Rona: Rolf Gustavus of Stickman Records (Hamburg, Germany)
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How have you been you dealing with this crisis as a label? As an individual? What effect has it had on your plans or creative processes?
As a label the three of us have managed fine. Jeannette and myself have been working for seven weeks without a day off and we are eternally grateful for all the support we’ve seen through the last few months. Nick has been stuck in Berlin most of the time and it’s probably been harder on him since he was condemned to inactivity.
How do you feel about the public response to the outbreak where you are? From the government response to the people around you, what have you seen and heard from others?
As critical as I’ve always been when it comes to the German government, I do believe that they did a good job when it comes to dealing with the spread of the virus. There’s no blueprint for this situation and so far, this government hasn’t cut people’s liberty freely and the foundation of our western democracy is not in danger.
Folks in Germany are getting tired of the restrictions and social distancing has become more lax where I live. That worries me because I’m convinced that this is far from being over.
We live on the outskirts of Hamburg and having our office next door to our house, we could continue to be the hermits we’ve always been. For us social distancing hasn’t been a problem.
However, we sure miss meeting our friends for dinner or going out for a drink but we’ve got each other, our cats and the company, pretty self-sufficient in a way.
What do you think of how the music community specifically has responded? How do you feel during this time? Are you inspired? Discouraged? Bored? Any and all of it?
I think the DIY mechanisms that we started out with when we were young have become a lot more important, one of the few encouraging things that still work!!! Networking with like-minded folks will be essential for survival and I think we’re all still learning that lesson.
As long as there are no live concerts and tours, that’s really all we can do to keep the faith.
I don’t feel discouraged at all, much to the contrary. I even harbor hopes that a few good things come out of all of this. Music should be valued as a cultural good and not a consumer article.
Unfortunately this crazy global madhouse has turned us all into creatures demanding instant gratification of our (mostly trivial) wants and needs. Hopefully artists and their work will be seen with more appreciation… there’s always hope!
What is the one thing you want people to know about your situation, either as a band, or personally, or anything? What is your new normal? What have you learned from this experience, about yourself, your band, or anything?
As mentioned previously, the support we’ve seen the last few months has been encouraging and we’re more motivated than ever for the three of us to continue full steam ahead.
Our new normal is to take good care of ourselves, eat well and nurture our friendships.
All of this makes you appreciate what really matters in life and I can do without a lot of the superficial crap that usually occupies too large of a fraction in our lives.
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