Christy Dignam revealed Aslan have used up all of their savings throughout the pandemic - describing the last six months as a nightmare.
The Dubliner went on to debunk the idea that the Crazy World hitmakers are financially ‘comfortable’disclaiming: ‘We’re a working band.. it’s going to be tough.”
Opening up about their struggle since the live music industry shut down, he said: “In our organisation, we have the five band members, then we’ve two more session musicians, let’s call them.
“Then we have a crew of four or five people and a manager. And all of those people have to be paid. So it’s an absolute nightmare now for us.
“Initially, we were planning and we had some money in the bank and we were able to reduce our wages and give ourselves a subsidised wage.
“But now that there’s no light at the end of the tunnel - we can’t even plan ahead. And the Covid payment, which was €350, has been reduced.
“But still we’re not allowed work. So if the Government is stopping us working, they should subsidise us better, I think.”
The 60-year-old added: “Because people think when you do the Late Late Show you get 3 million for it, but that’s not the case.
“I’ve had a family all through my life, so I still have a mortgage and stuff like that. We’re a working band.
“When we’re gigging, all the money we generate when we’re gigging pays for our recording and stuff, but it also obviously pays our wages.
“Most of the band have mortgages and things like that. The road crew have them. So it’s going to be tough.”
Speaking on Claire Byrne Live from his Dublin home, the singer, who was diagnosed with amyloidosis, an incurable form of cancer, in 2013,
feels there is no light at the end of the tunnel.
He said because of his compromised immune system, the band will be the last to return to the stage. admitting he would also be nervous to do live gigs unless there is a vaccine or treatment.
“We’ve been out since the beginning of March,” he said.
“Because of my compromised immune system, I had to stop kind of earlier. So, we’ve had absolutely nothing.
“When people are singing they’d be throwing out more droplets, which is how the virus travels.
“So if somebody is standing at the front row of a gig and they’re singing at me, I’d be terrified that I’d pick it up from there, and people are going to be the same.
“So we’re not going back to work. As I said, we were the first to stop and we’ll be the last back to work. Without a shadow of a doubt.”
Appealing for the Government to do more to help the industry survive, he said: “For some reason they see the music industry and the events industry as some sort of fly-by-night industry or something.
“They don’t treat it the same as any other industry. We generate three-and-a-half billion pound every year, the events industry, and we need to be taken a little bit more seriously.
“Like, we’re still in the same situation.
“So what’s the justification for reducing our Covid payment? And then they can justify giving themselves £8,000 rises? I just don’t understand it,” Dignam concluded.
