Since the nation-wide shutdown of live events in March earlier this year, Fubar’s doors have remained closed. As one of the resident DJs at the well-known hub, Oliver Eaton has felt the devastating effects of the closing. Instead of dwelling on it he has made the move to stream online.
“Lockdown made me realise how routine my life was before. It’s really challenged me to come out of my shell and adapt to the situation”, says Oliver, also known as ’Janverse’.
Prior to COVID’s disruption of his daily living, Oliver was working as a self-employed DJ. He had residencies at clubs in both Stirling and Edinburgh. Having been within the field for the past five years, the sudden halt of this extremely social sphere came as a huge shock to him.
“If you would’ve told me, pre-lockdown, we’d be where we are today I would’ve laughed at you. Nobody could’ve expected, or in their right mind planned for it – we thought when we closed it’d be a matter of weeks. Yet here we are today, still living in uncertainty.”
At first, the unexpected blow caused Oliver’s creative mind to clog up. He felt no inspiration to go hunting for new tunes and even less motivation to invent new sets. Staying on top of the latest music is a vital part of the DJ profession and Oliver was struggling.
Luckily, he soon found his way onto the live-streaming site Twitch – where he’s gathered a following, that has started sponsoring his live-sets – making his way out of the funk. The website allows him to live-perform for an audience, who tune in specifically to see him play.
Oliver explains that he really cherishes the dedication and support of the online community.
“These new fields of battle are giving me so much fresh energy. I feel creatively inspired again by streaming online, which is amazing.”
This surge in creative energy has caused Oliver to step outside of his comfort zone and into new areas of work. The past month alone, he collaborated with Stirling University’s Union to set up a Fresher’s Week-event and made his way onto a Glaswegian radio-show.
“I’m an open basket right now. I’m self-employed, so DJ-ing is my only income. This is all I have – which is also why I’m throwing all I have at it.”
Along with the rest of the world, Oliver and his fellow deck-directors have no clue what the future holds – when, if and how they will be able to return to the dancefloors. To combat anxiety and keep grounded Oliver chooses to focus on the now.
With the short-term goal of pursuing live-streams and the long-term goal of producing music, he has found a strong purpose in life. To spread good energy through his love for music in many of its various forms.
Looking forward, Oliver will continue filling his days with live-streams, music and the mundane house-tasks that inevitably come with working from home. His best advice for anyone in a similar limbo-state of living, is to keep on keeping on.
“We’re all in the same boat here, so we’ll get through it together – and the more creative we get with finding a solution, the better!”
You must log in to post a comment.