LACUNA COIL's CRISTINA SCABBIA: 'It's A Very Dark Time For Music And Arts'

LACUNA COIL singer Cristina Scabbia says that we are in the middle of "very dark time" as many musicians are contending with unexpected hardship due to most tours being postponed or canceled in the wake of the global spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.

The closure of live venues, as well as other social distancing measures, has caused hundreds of millions of dollars in ticket-sales losses and has dried up the primary source of income for the vast majority of working musicians.

Speaking to Kerrang! magazine, Scabbia said: "Yes, it's a very dark time for music and arts. It is frustrating and it's sad, but we're all in the same boat. It is madness because you have to consider that the livelihood of a band now is mostly on the road. That's where you get the majority of your income, which you need to survive and keep on working.

"We were able to think ahead and cancel flights and tours, because we projected the situation," she continued, referring to the cancelation of LACUNA COIL's shows in Australia and Southeast Asia. "We thought ahead and thought about our health and the health of our friends.

"I know other bands that have lost a huge amount of money and it will be hard to get back on track because it will not get back to normal all at once. Fans might not have a lot of money because they didn't work. It will be really hard but I'm staying positive because once you touch the bottom, you can only go up."

There have been more than 350,000 confirmed cases and more than 15,000 deaths so far, putting public health systems and emergency services under immense pressure.

Italy, where LACUNA COIL is based, reported its largest one-day coronavirus death toll Friday, with 627 people dying in a 24-hour span.

More than 50,000 people have been infected with the coronavirus in Italy, and more than 5,000 have died.

86 percent of fatalities in Italy were among those aged over 70. People aged 60 to 69 made up a further 10 percent of the deaths.

Lombardia, where LACUNA COIL's hometown of Milan is located, is the worst-affected region in the country with more than 3,000 deaths.

Lombardia has been under a lockdown since March 8.

"It is a very, very strange time," Cristina told Kerrang! "We are in quarantine because that is the best and proven way to avoid more spreading of the virus.

"I'm reading a lot of news, looking at web sites and I'm getting a lot of fake news — a lot of people are spreading panic and not information. But to be honest, the situation is really quiet. There's a lot of silence. Everything's stopped, basically. Of course, there are people who keep ignoring the rules and they keep on going out, therefore I believe some even stricter rules will be introduced.

"I posted the picture with the middle finger yesterday. I tried to be nice and kind, but I think that sometimes you have to be a little bit more aggressive with the people that don't get it. And having a voice to use I thought, 'You know what? They deserve to be shouted at.'"