Dalkeith band leader plays on during lockdown

Accordion player Ewan Galloway (30), of the Ewan Galloway Scottish Dance Band, performed on Facebook Live most nights during lockdown and still plays online two or three times a week, as he deals with the devastating effect Covid-19 has had on live music.

Speaking about the overnight impact on his sole source of income when lockdown began in March, the professional musician told the Advertiser: “I had 15 bookings cancelled on the night lockdown was announced. My last gig was on the 14th of March in Stow.

“So I started playing on Facebook Live. The first 10 weeks in a row I played every night Monday to Friday. It started with 50/60 people, but quickly got up to hundreds.

“I’m still playing live on Facebook, not as much now as I had stuff to do in the house, but I’m still playing two or three nights a week. There was another page, Music From Scotland, who approached me to play every Monday night.

“I sit and play in my bedroom. When you are sitting looking at the comments coming in, often 900 a night, you see where people are listening from. It’s all over, from Dalkeith to Canada to Brussels. It just seems to keep travelling further and further.

“I get a lot people messaging to say how much they enjoy my music and some saying if it wasn’t for my music they would give up. It gives them something to look forward to during this difficult time, so that keeps me going.

“The way things are going I think I will be playing live until February/ March at this rate.”

Ewan was overwhelmed with the support he received, but admitted things are getting tougher financially.

He said: “I got a message half way though playing live once that my friend had set up a GoFundMe page.

“I just went self-employed in June 2019. I left the Royal Mail as I had filled my diary up that much with gigs. I have done my books for 14 years, but when I applied for a self employment grant they included my Royal Mail work so they said I wasn’t eligible.

“Now things are getting tougher. I have relied a lot on people supporting me online with donations.

“I have sold 300 CDs of the music I have been playing online during lockdown. That’s helped. And I’ve had about £4,000 from the GoFundMe page, so it all helps.

“I took a mortgage break and I have been relying on these donations and sales but it is starting to get a bit tighter, so I’m looking at ideas of what else I can do to earn money.”