if i understand this right, then (depending on which tier we're placed in) it will be possible for system of a down to play a concert in the bookshop. this is absolutely ridiculous and the government have patently not thought it through

first of all, our sound system. it works fine to amplify our regular bookshop events / record podcasts etc. - but is there a chance it could stand up to the punishing volumes of a SOAD concert? absolutely not

secondly, slightly less important but still crucial - lighting. our lights switches are downstairs by the back office - the light techie would have to turn them on and off without being able to see the stage

thirdly. tourbus parking. right through the pandemic bury place has been absolutely chocka from 11am onwards (delivery lorries). this isn't your uncle's pub band, this is SOAD, there is a serious amount of tech and they need to pull right up to the venue

fourthly - this is something the government could help with - setlist issues. we envisage a setlist drawing very heavily on 2001's *Toxicity*, maybe with 'Chick'nStu' from *Steal this Album* thrown in for old times' sake, and very little from (2005's) *Hypnotise* / *Mesmerise*

but neither Oliver Dowden, Matt Hancock nor Chris Whitty has so far said a word on this. this is an area where ministerial intervention might actually accomplish something - but all we get is silence

fifthly, support. i saw them with *dillinger escape plan* at the nottingham arena in 2002 and that was grand - but so far as I know there has been not the slightest effort from HMG to even check Dillinger Escape Plan's availability

(some jokers in the DMs suggesting we could get round sound system problems by going for a Serj acoustic gig. look if people are paying to see SOAD they want SOAD. they don't want serj warbling 'Arials' over an acoustic guitar)

sixthly, pyro. obviously an absolute no-no in a bookshop setting. they didn't use pyro in 2002 but my mate saw them at download in 2017 and says from what he can remember they had pyro then. but he was extremely high

it is astonishing that it seems to be beyond this government to find a single person who was at download in 2017 and was less high than my mate to ask them if SOAD used pyro. so much for world beating track and trace