this is bbc news, the headlines: the american golfing legend tiger woods has been involved in a car accident in los angeles. he suffered multiple injuries to both legs and has been having emergency surgery. the la county sheriffs as the car hit a central reservation and ended up several hundred feet from the road. # sheriff says. two committees of the us senate are investigating last month's deadly rights at the capitol building by supporters of donald trump. police and security officials blamed failures in collecting intelligence leading up to six of january. intelligence leading up to six ofjanuary. there has been conflicting testimony as to weather the national guard was requested. protesters have taken requested. protesters have ta ken to requested. protesters have taken to the streets of the georgian capital, tblisi, demanding the release of the leading opposition politician forcibly arrested on tuesday. authorities have described him as a criminal. western diplomats have criticised his arrest as a backward step on georgia's path to democracy.

now on bbc news, hardtalk. welcome to hardtalk. i'm stephen sackur. the cost of covid can be counted in so many different ways. first in the ledger is the mounting death toll. next comes the economic cost, jobs lost, businesses ruined. and then there is the disastrous impact on culture. in much of the world we cannot gather to enjoy the arts live. the creative world we used to know may be hard to revive. my guess is one of the uk's top live music promoters, harvey goldsmith. has the cultural cost of covid been ignored?

harvey goldsmith in london, welcome to hardtalk. thank you. back in november, _ welcome to hardtalk. thank you. back in november, you _ welcome to hardtalk. thank you. back in november, you said - back in november, you said this. you said, "almost 50% of events agencies", such as your own, i guess "do not expect to survive beyond the end of this year, and if it goes to february beyond," that is where we are now, "seventy 5% will not survive if events have not resumed by then". so here we are at the doomsday month you were talking about. you are still around, you are still trying to keep your business afloat. do you think you are exaggerating a tiny little bit? not really, not at the time,

and i'm not exaggerating now. i mean, we are, all of us are at our wits�* end. because we can�*t see a pathway to go forward. it is very hard to get through to government how our industry actually works. i am very fearful that we would have lost most of the summer with all the outdoor activity, which will affect a huge amount of people, and quite a few of them will actually go out of business because there is only so long you can keep this going. you are a promoter— you can keep this going. you are a promoter and - you can keep this going. you are a promoter and a - you can keep this going. you are a promoter and a producer and obviously you need venues to put your gigs, your concerts, on in. i am wondering what you are hearing about the viability of some of the venues you have used in the past and want to use in the future. like us, in want to use in the future. like us. in wanting _ want to use in the future. like us, in wanting to _ want to use in the future. l «e us, in wanting to produce want to use in the future. l fie us, in wanting to produce and promote, venues are desperate to open. and again, they are all hanging on by their bootstraps. so there is a formula, and what we have been

pushing government to do is, while we have got this hiatus period, untilwe while we have got this hiatus period, until we know when life can restart in some form or another, let�*s prepare for it. and at the moment, not enough work has been done to allow us to come up with a formula to prepare for it. that is a bit disappointing. if we are going to do any touring or any large shows of any size, we need insurance. at the moment the insurance. at the moment the insurance world has just walked away from us. so we�*re pleading the government to set up a bond, as they have done in the film and television industry, which we will contribute, we are going to pay the premiums for it, but they need to set up a bond and push the insurers and labour have become the underwriter, if you like, so that we can at least get some cover should shows be cancelled once again. because a fair amount of our money is paid up front, before the show takes place.

front, before the show takes lace. ~ , , ., place. why is the government coin: place. why is the government auoin to place. why is the government going to listen _ place. why is the government going to listen to _ place. why is the government going to listen to harvey - going to listen to harvey goldsmith? because you, not so very long ago, went on the record the government �*s stance on bailing out culture and the arts in the uk as a calling —— appalling and disgraceful. so maybe you don�*t have much credit in the bank with the government. they put up more than £i.5 government. they put up more than £1.5 billion to try and rescue culture and you still said it wasn�*t rescue culture and you still said it wasn't enough. i didn't say it wasn't _ said it wasn't enough. i didn't say it wasn't enough - said it wasn't enough. i didn't say it wasn't enough stop - said it wasn't enough. i didn't say it wasn't enough stop i i say it wasn�*t enough stop i said it wasn�*t going in the right direction, which i don�*t believe it is. we are not the subsidised arts. we never have been. we have never asked for subsidies before. what we are on as a survival trail. and unfortunately, what happened was, the secretary of state is using this as an excuse to say, we have taken care of the industry. well, they haven�*t. they haven�*t even started. so there is a long way to go. going back to those key issues, we want to create a pathway where we can have a bubble, if

you like, that is covid negative. and we want to create the tools to make that pathway. and then we have to cross them out, and then we can figure out how to deal with it. but we haven�*t got a lot of base one yet, to figure out how to make a safe bubble to allow people to things in the normal way. social distancing just doesn�*t work, i�*m afraid. it doesn�*t work, i�*m afraid. it doesn�*t work on an emotional level, and it certainly doesn�*t work on a financial level. it certainly doesn't work on a financial level.— financial level. but harvey, the government _ financial level. but harvey, the government has - financial level. but harvey, | the government has offered financial level. but harvey, - the government has offered you a bit of a signpost now, because in the last couple of days they have indicated that they think the very rapid testing that is now technologically possible could be used to precisely to help music venues, live concerts, theatres as well, reopen, and offer test to customers as they arrive at the venue. is that the pathway that you are in ——

that your industry can follow? without a doubt, but we have been asking for this since november. all we ask the government to do, we were not saying, give us a date, we were saying, give us a date, we were saying, let�*s work towards a target date, work backwards and say, what is it we need to do to have a safe, healthy show that can work financially and emotionally? and we couldn�*t get any engagement. they kept putting it off. we want to prepare. we can�*t be told on tuesday, yes, you can go back to work on saturday. that�*s impossible. we need four months, because we have so much extra work to do in order, one, to figure out with government and the health departments, what is the system of the protocols that we need to do, what is the sanitisation level, what is the sanitisation level, what do we do about ventilation, are the testing apparatus there to do 2a hours, how do we do it, et cetera. of course, the more that the vaccine penetrates, the better it is for everybody. i

vaccine penetrates, the better it is for everybody.— it is for everybody. i am 'ust wondering i it is for everybody. i am 'ust wondering to i it is for everybody. i am 'ust wondering to myself, i it is for everybody. i am just wondering to myself, why . it is for everybody. i am just - wondering to myself, why should the public watching this, both in the uk and around the world, if madonna or the rolling stones or any of the other acts you have worked within the past, if they can�*t their superduper tours around europe or anybody in the world, because of covid, does that really matter? we don�*t doubt that we will still be around to come back when covid is over, so why are you getting so exercised about this? music is embedded _ exercised about this? music is embedded in _ exercised about this? music is embedded in our _ exercised about this? music is embedded in our lives - exercised about this? music is embedded in our lives today, | embedded in our lives today, and it is very important cultural aspect, as has been for ever. it isn�*tjust popular music talking about. it�*s all forms of music, from classical music to opera to including the arts as well. that includes theatre and ballet and so on. so we are all in the same boat. and if you extend that outcome but also deals with the hospitality industry, or all sorts of events, conferences,

and lord knows what else. our section of the industry alone is £5.8 billion to the country. we are world leaders in entertainment, we are world leading producers of and there is a first in the country for people who want to see it, and it shows, interestingly enough, because all of those ticketholders are offered refunds for shows that were cancelled last year or this year, some of them being moved to 2022 are still hanging onto their tickets because they want to see their heroes, they want to see their heroes, they want to be entertained stop it is part of, and it is embedded in our culture. let part of, and it is embedded in our culture.— our culture. let me ask you this. our culture. let me ask you this- as _ our culture. let me ask you this- as i — our culture. let me ask you this. as i said, _ our culture. let me ask you this. as i said, i— our culture. let me ask you this. as i said, i don't - our culture. let me ask you this. as i said, i don't know this. as i said, i don�*t know if there is much doubt the big superstars who you work with will survive this, and they will survive this, and they will be around when covid is finally not affect in your business as it is now, the real issueis business as it is now, the real issue is for the up and comers,

the musicians and young actors who are trying to make it in the arts and have found that they have had little or no income over the past 12 months. you are wired into the cultural sector. what are you hearing about what young creatives are doing? are they giving up and leaving or are they hanging on? of course people are giving up and leaving because they don�*t have a choice. there are a lot of singers delivering for amazon today. they�*re all of people desperately grabbing whatever work they can get their hands on. that there are all sorts of people. there are journeying musicians, members of orchestras, great musicians from lots of bounds and up—and—coming people who cannot just sit around stop they are not getting enough subsidising income, let alone any real income, let alone any real income, to stay afloat. how many of those we have lost, only time will tell. the top

end of the business will always survive because they can. but it is the middle of the bottom end of the business, the up—and—coming, who have really found it so difficult to get through this period, and more particularly, all associated people around them, such as the crew, the production managers, that all managers, et cetera, who all work with artists, they have no work whatsoever. you very passionately _ have no work whatsoever. you very passionately said to me a short while ago, in this conversation, that your business is not about subsidy, it is not about state support. but the industry right now is in such dire straits, some people are saying it is time for the government to give direct financial handouts, to artists, creatives, so that they can continue to do what they can continue to do what they love to do even in this time of hardship in crisis. philosophically speaking, do you think that works? just

giving government subsidy support to the arts and artists? is that a route to maintain creativity or is that really antithetical to what the arts are all about?— arts are all about? well, that is uninteresting _ arts are all about? well, that is uninteresting that - arts are all about? well, that is uninteresting that it - arts are all about? well, that is uninteresting that it is - arts are all about? well, that is uninteresting that it is an l is uninteresting that it is an interesting point. most of the people that i have referred to are in terrible straits, and if they can have help they will gladly take it. however, if you cast your mind back and look at the culture and arts, traditionally, it has always been the survival of the sufferers, they are the ones to get through, they are the ones with the mission, they are the ones who have something to say and they will get through by hook or by crook. so parts of it will work without subsidy. i am only saying that as far as the contemporary music is concerned, and the way that the business is structured from the

venues to promoters and producers, they have never been subsidised and they are not looking for subsidy now. they are just looking for survival. the subsidised artist is another animal. what i objected to, but my angst against the government was, and continues to be, and i go back —— go way back with arguments with government, they consistently bring on people to regulate and operate in our sphere who have no knowledge of the business. we can build a town in a week. you are referring there to events like glastonbury, things like that? ~ , , events like glastonbury, things like that? , , ., like that? well, yes. large concerts- _ like that? well, yes. large concerts. large _ like that? well, yes. large concerts. large outdoor. like that? well, yes. large - concerts. large outdoor shows. we do that for a living. we move hundreds of people and dozens of trucks on a daily basis across the world. we work all over the world. we know what we are doing and yet the government have not reached out

to any of the experts in our business, once. they put a committee together to dispense this mythical 1.75 billion pounds of the usual good, great and useless. and i go back to the millennium exhibition, when i was asked in the last six months to take it over and be used as the fall guy, which i said i wouldn�*t do, they did exactly the same. they do it every single time. mil exactly the same. they do it every single time.— every single time. all right, so far we — every single time. all right, so far we have _ every single time. all right, so far we have focused - every single time. all right, so far we have focused very| so far we have focused very much on the performers, creatives, the promoters, the agents, people like you, all that of people who depend on the creative sector. what we haven�*t talked about is the mindset of the public, customers, concert—goers. you know them, you have known them forfive decades. do know them, you have known them for five decades. do you think those people, when they are allowed to, as you say it is about getting the rapid testing going on rolling out the vaccinations, but when the government tells you and indeed the concert—goers that it is safe to go back to these mass

audience events, do you think people will really want to? i think once people feel confident that every effort has been made to create a safe environment, they will come backin environment, they will come back in their droves. of course, the very large events, 50,000 capacity upwards, are you and far between. the average events range between the $2000 mark, and they need to 20,000 people. and people will feel comfortable, we know they feel comfortable, because there is a lot of research which has been done with people, particularly by the ticketing companies, and the results have actually been quite remarkable, 95% of people polled said that yes, they would go to a concert tomorrow morning if they could. so there is no question about it. it is factored into people�*s dna today that that is the counterbalance to their daily work that they can go and be

entertained, and get emotionally driven into an event. even with a mask on? because we are led to believe that some of these rules might still involve mask wearing. can you seriously imagine a rock �*n�* roll concert with thousands of people, all gathered together and they�*re all wearing their masks? gathered together and they're all wearing their masks? yeah, i think it all wearing their masks? yeah, i think it will — all wearing their masks? yeah, i think it will be _ all wearing their masks? yeah, i think it will be pretty - all wearing their masks? yeah, i think it will be pretty good - i think it will be pretty good actually. look, as you know, in the far east, a lot of the countries in the far east, people have been wearing masks for probably way back since sars and before that. people are quite used to wearing masks, they don�*t object to it, they just do masks, they don�*t object to it, theyjust do it. for some reason or other in england and other, and parts of europe, people object to the principle of wearing masks. i�*m looking forward to having masks with ruth springsteen —— with bruce print springsteen written on

it, why not? there is nothing wrong with it whatsoever. you are a man _ wrong with it whatsoever. you are a man who _ wrong with it whatsoever. you are a man who never- wrong with it whatsoever. you are a man who never misses an opportunity so we got that on the record. why are you and some of the artists you�*ve worked within the past, including, some of the biggest names in the business, like eltonjohn, all up in arms saying the government has disgracefully let musicians down in the way that they�*ve handled the rules on musicians travelling through europe post—brexit? the people voted for brexit so what exactly are you complaining about? it�*s you complaining about? it's very simple- _ you complaining about? it's very simple. in _ you complaining about? it�*s very simple. in the same way that they have never used the expertise that exist within our community to ask the question, when the brexit deal was done at which many of us are in favour of, and i, for whatever reason, amber brexiteer, having spent a year going to brussels

on behalf of our industry —— amber a brexiteer —— —— am a brexiteer. what they didn�*t ask is what we need and one thing that we need is passage between countries. it means when you are driving from one country to the next country, we�*re only allowed to pickup and drop—off twice, and then we have to take our trucks with our equipment in it and return them to england. we don�*t have a problem with the paperwork because in the wrecks of the world, we already use —— rest of the world, we are to use them but the issue which was something to prevent russians overusing their truck deliveries in europe, hasn�*t been sorted out by our

government, and the second thing is the visa issue which is the paperwork of a mountain of extra work which needs to be done because at the moment we have no visa to work in europe, there is no reciprocal arrangement. there is no reciprocal arranuement. ,, ,, �* there is no reciprocal arrangement. i there is no reciprocal arranuement. ,,,, �* [m arrangement. crosstalk. i am sure that that _ arrangement. crosstalk. i am sure that that will _ arrangement. crosstalk. i am sure that that will be _ arrangement. crosstalk. i am sure that that will be sorted - sure that that will be sorted out but unfortunately it hasn�*t been, it should have been. 0ur industries were three times as much as the fishing industry and they spent three years dealing with that was with that. ., , , �* that. for us, they didn't even look at it- — that. for us, they didn't even look at it. is _ that. for us, they didn't even look at it. is it _ that. for us, they didn't even look at it. is it true _ that. for us, they didn't even look at it. is it true that - look at it. is it true that resistance won�*t be able to perform in europe —— uk artists away to be able to perform in europe and vice—versa? is that what it is looking like right now? , fi, , what it is looking like right now? , ., , now? yes, that is absolutely correct was _ now? yes, that is absolutely correct was a _ now? yes, that is absolutely correct was a bit _ correct was a bit is a very simple issue, we should be

excluded from it because it�*s got nothing to do with the main reason they created it and it is an anomaly that has to be sorted out and somebody from the government needs to get to the government needs to get to the ec and just get it done. last question for you which is really about the way in which your business is changing and maybe covid has just hasten to some changes. you were saying long before covid that actually the era of the festival may be coming to an end. it may have peaked. and you are suggesting that the music business wasn�*t generating the huge charismatic stars who could command a vast stadium or a big festival audience in the way that they used to. so maybe, maybe something profound is happening. maybe online streaming is going to replace some of the live experience? maybe people like you who in the past made all of your living out of the live event

are going to have to accept that in the 21st—century, cultural demands, cultural experience is changing, and maybe changing long after covid has left us behind.— has left us behind. that's a very good _ has left us behind. that's a very good point. _ has left us behind. that's a very good point. there - has left us behind. that's a very good point. there is l has left us behind. that's a | very good point. there is no question that streaming is now live and on board and works. there is an issue with sound because listening to a streamed concert on a phone, i don�*t care what phone you�*ve got, it still clap. it is awful. so quality of sound is not more importantly, the experience. we are a tribal people, humans are tribal. they like being together, they like sharing experiences. you cannot eat that ever. but there is no doubt that going forward, streaming will become an integral part of an artist touring programme where they will stream their shows as they go along. some artists have already been doing it for some time, but it will become more

prevalent. there will be a change was up we do have a difference, that�*s good, because our business is constantly evolving and changing and so it should, that maybe the very big concerts, the gargantuan festivals and events, if you like, like glastonbury, which is an anomaly, will start to rain because there aren�*t those lowball huge stars that they —— that they used to be. it is of a different nature, and so it should be, and it will change. but underneath that, if you look at the expansion of literary festivals, there are now hundreds of them. ten years ago i think there were two and so the same with music. in a smaller area, 5— 15,000 so the same with music. in a smaller area, 5—15,000 events of mixed music, of other activities that go together to make a cultural experience, they are developing much faster than they were before and things are changing. we�*re in a

constantly evolving world. given treat me with that answer, harvey. i have one more to squeeze out of you. why do you think it is, in your opinion, that the music business isn�*t throwing up those hugely charismatic megastars, like you�*ve referred to in the past, the unbelievable rins that freddie mercury had, or one could say mickjagger as well. —— mick jagger as well. —— charisma. mickjagger as well. —— charisma. why do you think in your opinion that these sorts of megastars aren�*t being produced today? of megastars aren't being produced today?- of megastars aren't being produced today? partly g. i think partly _ produced today? partly g. i think partly because - produced today? partly g. i think partly because the - produced today? partly g. i i think partly because the youth of today —— partly lethargy. there is a bit of laziness, i think. i am surprised that more artists haven�*t come up to fight really hard during the pandemic. i�*m really surprised that there aren�*t better songs being written and that�*s the way it is. i think it is a bit of lethargy, but we are

changed. there are lots and lots of different forms of music that are coming out today, we�*re very spread very wide. and the final reason, actually, is to do with technology. today, you can hear or listen to anything. there is a thousand different types of music you could pick up, literally at the stroke of a button. and what used to be, when we had these, when we built the huge gigantic acts and the dinosaur act of today, if you like, is because it was narrowcast, because everybody focused on listening to that album, to buying the album on listening to it and then listening to it and then listening to it and then listening to the cd et cetera, and they focused it because they were given information by a very few areas of the medium. today it�*s so wide, it so out there that there is no need for those huge acts, that when you look at the streaming figures,

there are artists that are streaming in the billions so therefore something new is happening and something different is happening, and i�*m thrilled about it, personally, because that�*s the way it all evolves. because that's the way it all evolves. . , because that's the way it all evolves. ., , , evolves. harvey goldsmith, it has been a pleasure having you on hardtalk. you very much indeed. . ~ on hardtalk. you very much indeed. ., ~ , ., hello there. wednesday is set to be an exceptionally mild day, particularly where you get to see a little bit of brightness, but even if you keep cloud and outbreaks of rain. that was the picture in the scottish borders during tuesday. there�*s more rain to come on wednesday courtesy of this pipeline of cloud ploughing

in from the southwest. first part of the day still brings met office amber warnings in force for parts of central and southern scotland. rain also affecting north—west england and wales. some patchy rain elsewhere. a few clear breaks, too, but a very mild start to the day. quite a windy start as well, although the winds will be easing just a little as we go through the day. we�*ll see those outbreaks of rain continuing across parts of northwest england, parts of northwest wales, heading into southern and central scotland. a little bit brighter for parts of northern ireland and certainly the north of scotland, some sunny spells here, and where it stays dry and fairly bright with hazy sunshine for central and eastern parts of england, temperatures will get all the way up to 15, 16 or 17 degrees. as we head through wednesday night into thursday, this band of cloud and increasingly light and patchy rain will sink southeastward across england and wales. clearer skies behind with some showers. 0vernight lows between five and ten degrees.

as this weather front lingers in the southeast corner during thursday, it will continue to bring cloud and some outbreaks of rain. but for the most part, thursday, actually, not a bad looking day — some good spells of sunshine. the winds will be a little lighter, particularly down towards the south. still quite breezy further north where there will be some showers, which mayjoin together into slightly longer spells of rain across northern scotland at times. temperatures down a little bit on wednesday�*s values, but still above where they should be at this time of year. into friday, there could be fog patches around first thing, particularly for central and southern parts of the uk. the odd spot of rain just skipping across the far north of scotland, but otherwise, a dry day. that early fog lifting to leave some spells of sunshine, and top temperatures between 10 and 12 degrees. then, as we head into the weekend, high pressure will be firmly in charge of the weather. frontal systems maybe just grazing close to northern scotland, perhaps northern ireland, giving a little bit of rain here, but generally, the weekend will be drier with lighter winds. the nights, though, will be quite chilly, and that could lead to some patches of fog.

emotionally driven into an event.

this is bbc news. i�*m sally bundock, with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. golfing legend tiger woods crashes his car in los angeles. he undergoes emergency surgery for a shattered ankle and compound leg fractures. the interior was more or less intact, which kind of gave him the cushion to survive what otherwise would have been a fatal crash. us security officials in charge of defending the us capitol during last month�*s riot blame intelligence failures. anger outside georgia�*s government buildings after the arrest of the opposition leader, nika melia. and let the games commence: tokyo says the delayed 0lympics will open this summer.