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A former Wodonga businessman, now singer, who worried he "wasn't going to get through the night" when he had COVID-19 says he's glad to be alive, let alone taking to the stage tomorrow in Jingellic. Cold Chisel tribute band Gold Chisel is performing at the Jingellic pub from 8pm Saturday. Band frontman Andy Lutze, who used to own a record shop in Wodonga, said he was looking forward to the event after taking weeks to recover from severe illness and "attacks" from COVID. "Now I get on stage and I'm just grateful to even be on a stage and get through a two hour gig," he said. "I'm just grateful to be alive, to be honest. "Life is short, you know, you just need to embrace the beauty of life itself." IN OTHER NEWS: Mr Lutze said he'd known six people who'd died from COVID, including two close friends who caught the virus at a family dinner and died. Mr Lutze believes he caught COVID-19 performing to a large crowd in Mulwala last year. "I expected that if I was going to get COVID, I would get it on that weekend," he said. "I thought like everyone says it'll just be like the flu and I'll cop it for a week or so and then I'll be fine." But Mr Lutze said he was quite sick for about five days. "I had trouble breathing," he said. "Then I thought I was sort of over it, but then on day eight I had an attack where I couldn't breathe and I was gasping for air and I collapsed and it was really bad. "I didn't think I was going to make it through the night; it was quite frightening." Mr Lutze thought he'd recovered, but five weeks later at his first gig after the illness, he struggled to breathe again. "I ended up in an ambulance and in hospital and I was again gasping for air," he said. "I seem to be over the worst of it now ... but then whenever I over exerted myself as in going for a long walk or doing a two hour gig, I'd struggle, I'd really struggle." Mr Lutze said it annoyed him when people joked about getting COVID as if it were nothing. "If your immune system is in anyway compromised then COVID is something you really need to take seriously, and I'm saying that from first hand experience," he said. "I don't take it lightly at all, I was very concerned after the first time. "The second time I had an attack of COVID, I almost had a panic attack because of how bad the first attack was." The Jingellic Hotel manager Michael Moffatt said the Gold Chisel show was designed to get the pub back on track after COVID-19. "We've been doing some smaller bands on weekends and they've been going really well and I said righto let's get a bigger act in and sort of make a statement," he said. "Live music is back at the pub, everyone loves Cold Chisel in country towns, myself included, so Gold Chisel's the next best thing." Tickets are available via the Jingellic Hotel Facebook page. Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
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A former Wodonga businessman, now singer, who worried he "wasn't going to get through the night" when he had COVID-19 says he's glad to be alive, let alone taking to the stage tomorrow in Jingellic.
Cold Chisel tribute band Gold Chisel is performing at the Jingellic pub from 8pm Saturday.
Band frontman Andy Lutze, who used to own a record shop in Wodonga, said he was looking forward to the event after taking weeks to recover from severe illness and "attacks" from COVID.
"Now I get on stage and I'm just grateful to even be on a stage and get through a two hour gig," he said.
"I'm just grateful to be alive, to be honest.
"Life is short, you know, you just need to embrace the beauty of life itself."
Mr Lutze said he'd known six people who'd died from COVID, including two close friends who caught the virus at a family dinner and died.
Mr Lutze believes he caught COVID-19 performing to a large crowd in Mulwala last year.
"I expected that if I was going to get COVID, I would get it on that weekend," he said.
"I thought like everyone says it'll just be like the flu and I'll cop it for a week or so and then I'll be fine."
But Mr Lutze said he was quite sick for about five days.
"I had trouble breathing," he said.
"Then I thought I was sort of over it, but then on day eight I had an attack where I couldn't breathe and I was gasping for air and I collapsed and it was really bad.
"I didn't think I was going to make it through the night; it was quite frightening."
Mr Lutze thought he'd recovered, but five weeks later at his first gig after the illness, he struggled to breathe again.
"I ended up in an ambulance and in hospital and I was again gasping for air," he said.
"I seem to be over the worst of it now ... but then whenever I over exerted myself as in going for a long walk or doing a two hour gig, I'd struggle, I'd really struggle."

AWAITING THE GIG: Jingellic Hotel employee Adam Teese, with pub manager Michael and Brooke Moffatt. Picture: ASH SMITH
Mr Lutze said it annoyed him when people joked about getting COVID as if it were nothing.
"If your immune system is in anyway compromised then COVID is something you really need to take seriously, and I'm saying that from first hand experience," he said.
"I don't take it lightly at all, I was very concerned after the first time.
"The second time I had an attack of COVID, I almost had a panic attack because of how bad the first attack was."
The Jingellic Hotel manager Michael Moffatt said the Gold Chisel show was designed to get the pub back on track after COVID-19.
"We've been doing some smaller bands on weekends and they've been going really well and I said righto let's get a bigger act in and sort of make a statement," he said.
"Live music is back at the pub, everyone loves Cold Chisel in country towns, myself included, so Gold Chisel's the next best thing."
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: