"It was very traumatic just thinking about what I was going to do for money and for work."
Kirk Whyte fulfilled his lifelong goal last year when he turned his love for music into his full-time career.
But he could have never imagined that a year on a global crisis would shutdown pubs, clubs and venues putting his solo career on indefinite pause.
It was pretty devastating because my career was just taking off and it was going really well.
- Mandurah musician Kirk Whyte
Booking gigs almost every weekend was Whyte's reality as his career began to take off earlier this year but the many months of grueling hard work all came crashing down as COVID-19 hit.
"It was a big shock not only in the music industry but in the whole entertainment industry with pubs, restaurants and cafes all having to shut down almost immediately," he said.
"It was pretty devastating because my career was just taking off and it was going really well.
"I had gigs booked at Sandy Cove, Cobblers, Bar Therapy, and more private shows so I easily lost six or seven shows."
Also losing several gigs, Mandurah musician James Walker turned to live streaming during COVID-19 restrictions.
Usually being a part of the atmosphere at pubs Walker said it was difficult to get people interested in his music online.
"When you are playing at a venue the people genuinely are there because they happen to be at the venue not just to see you - You're part of the atmosphere of the place," he said.
"But when doing the online thing it was difficult to attract people who specifically had to take time out of their day to just watch you."
But with restrictions easing to allow 100 people in the same venue recently he promised it wasn't all bad.
"People are starting to plan private functions again so I've already picked up a wedding gig for November," he said.
Whyte also said he had picked up a couple of gigs since WA moved to phase three.
"I'm getting a lot of people calling me at the moment in regards to gigs so it is a good sign already," he said.
"I've got a couple of gigs coming up but they haven't set a date on them yet but another two or three weeks and it will start to pick up."
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In our last interview in April, Bleeding Ear Music and Special Events manager Dave Feenstra said he feared the Peel music industry would have a "slow uptake" once restrictions were lifted.
But in a welcome turn of events, tickets for local concerts sold out in less than 24 hours and pubs with live music were booked out over the first weekend of phase three.
"We announced our first ticketed event, Ring of Fire at the Ravenswood Hotel at 6pm and by 11am the next morning the show was completely sold out," he said.
"This gives us some indication that the punters are thirsty for some live music again."
