COVID-19 TALK: Junior Brother urges fans to visit Irish artist Bandcamp pages

Junior Brother is one of the fine Irish artists hoping you'll visit Bandcamp and fill your cart with vinyl, CDs, mugs, t-shirts and other merch while the platform waives its commission for the day.

Hello friends, yes, today Bandcamp are kindly waiving their fees due to the tough circumstances many acts are in, so Please consider havin an aul shop for your Irish faves, especially acts you know who've cancelled big tours etc.! LP's, Tee's, Mugs here: https://t.co/Lc5Iw9GDSt

— Junior Brother (@JuniorBrotherIE) March 20, 2020

Those sentiments are echoed by Ye Vagabonds, the award-winning Dublin folksters who have a load of quality swag awaiting your splashing of the cash.

Hi everyone. If you were thinking of picking up any of our merch, today would be a great day for it as @Bandcamp are being sound and are waiving processing fees today - https://t.co/B2vTS3dPFF

— Ye Vagabonds (@yevagabonds) March 20, 2020

Limrockers Protobaby are joined by the Shannon Gospel Choir on this fine Bandcamp Bonanza Day offering.

Their fellow Shannonsider Postpunk Rodge points out that Bandcamp are pure daycent all of the time.

Must also point out that @Bandcamp only take 10% of digital and 15% of physical sales *anyway*, which is absolutely incredible compared to anything else. Support it every day, cos it’s keeping a huge chunk of art alive and kicking.

— Post Punk Podge As Told By Asparagus Montague (@PostPunkPodge) March 20, 2020

Meanwhile, a petition calling on Spotify to triple its artist royalty rate during the duration of the crisis is gaining serious traction on both sides of the Atlantic. Sign on the dotted digital line at https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/tell-spotify-to-stop-exploiting-musicians-during-the-covid-19-outbreak

They mightn't be open for business, but public-spirited types that they are Pantibar has installed these two hand sanitisers, and a tap for those passing by its Capel Street premises.

Pantibar's door is playing its part. Never has one door been asked to do so much by so many, etc
And before you ask: the tap is properly plumbed into the mains - and I wouldn't expect anything less from Shane the manager! pic.twitter.com/1Emi8n9GdK

— Dr Panti Bliss-Cabrera (@PantiBliss) March 20, 2020

Let's also hear it for The Chrysanthemum, the very fine Dublin 14 Chinese takeaway that's been looking after its local firefighters. Support these lovely people at http://chrysanthemum.ie

Thanks to Chrysanthemum restaurant for dropping in food to our firefighter/paramedics in Rathfarnham fire station, they're also dropping food to local older people #FeedTheHeroes #SocialSolidarity pic.twitter.com/aL9niMzlnb

— Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) March 19, 2020

Some more old pals of ours, Rascals Brewing, are making sure that socially isolating Dublin 8-ers at least have some decent pizza to scoff. We have to say that the system they've put in place is darn ingenious.

We are doing contactless call & collect pizza today, Saturday and Sunday from 4.30pm

We have a few points to note, see below

The takeaway menu is here:https://t.co/okJd2izhs6 pic.twitter.com/GKF1jCmZmJ

— Rascals Brewing - Open 7 Days a Week (@RascalsBrewing) March 20, 2020

Congrats to Today FM presenter Paula McSweeney who offers up the great news that her and the hubby have a new baby on the way. Starting next week her Early Breakfast Show will be broadcast live from her wardrobe.

We have a new bae on the way! How lucky are we?! Obviously this isn’t the time to take any risks, so I’m going to go into cocoon mode, and continue Early Breakfast next week from my wardrobe. There’s a sentence I… https://t.co/kNu4CZTuTC

— Paula MacSweeney (@sweetpmac) March 20, 2020

We're indebted to Hot Press reader Catherine Bolland for sending us this timely toilet roll riff on a Dexys classic. Kevin Rowland mightn't necessarily be amused, but we are.

We all do need a laugh in the midst of #CoronaCrisis I hope Dexys can see the funny side. @stuartclark66 pic.twitter.com/U8xOheqJYW

— Catherine Boland (@BolandCatherine) March 20, 2020

Some very sobering words from Siobhán McSweeney, AKA Sister Michael, who highlights the awful predicament the whole freelance industry finds itself in at the moment.

Our industry is descimated. We need your help. Otherwise god knows how many more 'Imagine' videos we will put out. Most of us freelancers, myself included, have seen our work for the foreseeable dissapear. Please sign this. Thank you so much. https://t.co/XXuXjykFGq

— Siobhán McSweeney (@siobhni) March 20, 2020