Foals sold merchandise to support their crew during lockdown

1 June 2020, 16:38

Drummer Jack Bevan says that the impact on the staff that work with the musicians has been "devastating".

Foals have revealed that they've been raising money for their road crew during lockdown by selling merchandise.

Speaking to The Guardian, drummer Jack Bevan revealed that if the COVID-19 pandemic had hit when they were starting out as a new band, they wouldn't have been able to keep going.

The band were set to go on tour in Japan at the start of March when the crisis began and their UK dates will now take place in Spring 2021.

Bevan said of the situation: "The impact on artists is huge, but it's also devastating for people who aren't talked about so much - the road crew and the venue staff, who may not fall into the furloughing scheme.

"We've been selling fans Foals T-shirts to support the crew.

"We've actually sold 3,000, which helped tide them over for a few months."

He explained that the Oxford band were lucky to be in a position to take the rest of 2020 off: "If coronavirus had happened to us the year our first album came out, or even our second, it would have crippled us.

"We might have been dropped by our label.

"But because we're more established, we've been able to take a year off touring."

Jack added: "This is the longest I've gone without playing the drums since I was 14.

"Our initial plan was to spend 2020 touring, then go back into the studio next year.

"But I think we'll probably start writing later this year instead, and get back to touring next year -- if we're allowed."