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It seems that mental health issues are at an all-time high across the board. People are pushing themselves beyond not only their physical limits, but also their mental limits. In some cases, a “lucky” outcome of this is that they only burn out. In some more tragic cases, it is far worse.
Today I am going to have a look at the rising amount of EDM acts that are cancelling shows due to mental health.
Before I delve into this, I want to start by saying the reason I have chosen to write about this topic is due to my own mental health issues; it seems to be a topic most people steer away from and I am a strong advocate in wanting to remove this stigma and get people talking.
The demand on Djs has never been higher; with the world domination of online streaming platforms, which has basically bought their music earnings to zero, they are forced to tour constantly. In theory, this is really the only way to make “good money”.
Now, this is not true for all acts, look at names such as The Chainsmokers and Marshmello, they make a great living off their tracks being played on radios around the world and getting hundreds of millions of streams online. However, what if you are not one of those large-scale international acts. What if you are our home-grown wonder woman, Alison Wonderland (Alex)
If you aren’t across all music-related news, Alex (Wonderland) has just cancelled the rest of her tour due to mental health issues.
I would love to say that she is the only one to have to do this, but this is not the case. Over the years we have seen larger names such as Hardwell, Getter and of course Avicii, take breaks due to mental health. All 4 of these artists were/are at the top of their game when they were forced to take this break, ultimately choosing to take this break so they could live to play another day.
This industry we are so ingrained in is so tilted to poor mental health, it surprises me that more acts are not burning out. They are working all sorts of crazy hours across the clock, surrounded by alcohol and drugs. And while I’m not saying that all DJs drink and/or take drugs, there is an extremely higher exposure to both than our 9-5 office jobs.
I think it was best put by Keith Richards when asked why he did drugs.
“Well it's kind of hard to come off stage in front of 50,000 people and go out back and enjoy a game of ping pong”
The man has a point, the feeling they get when they play in front of a crowd must be amazing. They get hooked on this euphoric sensation and just push harder and harder. I have seen the likes of Martin Garrix, who, keep in mind, at the time was only a teenager, was playing 4 shows in 1 day, 3 festivals and he closed Ushuaia in Ibiza.
They are pushed to their limits daily; they go from playing a show straight into the studio. It seems that all the success in the world does not keep their demons at bay. In most cases, we see the artist return after a short break bigger and better than ever.
There are exceptions to every rule:
Hardwell - After one very public breakdown, was forced to take a break and a few years later was on the brink of yet another breakdown when he made the huge decision to step away from touring altogether.
Getter - Was so publicly abused on social media and in real life for his choices on music and what he wanted to do creatively that he stopped mid-tour for a break.
Avicii - I don't think I need to say much here, as we all know the result.
If you take only one thing away from this article, I ask you to please remember that these artists are only human. They live on the road, away from family and loved ones, all so we can enjoy their music/performances. If they have to cancel a show, don't jump on their socials and spit hate, show your support and wish them a speedy recovery so you can see them play again.
Please don’t forget, if you’re having a difficult time finding light and rationality, there are steps you can take to assist your mental health, reach out to family, friends, us at BTD and of course, beyond blue
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