It is no secret that the prices related to concert events and the enterprise surrounding them proceed to rise. And one of many extra debated matters since acts returned to touring after the pandemic is the infringement of venues in taking a reduce of merch gross sales from bands. Musician Jeff Rosenstock stirred the dialogue as soon as once more, aptly on Labor Day, providing private perception on how merch cuts are mirrored in his upcoming touring.
In his submit (shared beneath), Rosenstock supplies a breakdown by market on the merch cuts being taken by venues on his forthcoming run, noting, “That is going to trigger us to promote our merch for greater costs than we would wish to at sure venues. We expect that sucks.”
Anticipating the response from the opposite aspect, Rosenstock says, “The argument for the reduce is ‘nicely, fucko, we provide you with a spot to promote your merchandise.’ By that logic, we also needs to be getting a reduce of the bar for bringing a whole bunch to hundreds of individuals and their money to the venue that evening. **For the document, we’re 100% down to provide a merch reduce any evening we get a reduce of the bar.** However the factor that makes essentially the most sense is that we do not take one another’s cash!”
He continues, “We like one another and we’re working collectively and serving to one another! It is senseless that on the finish of those killer reveals the place we’re all having a pleasant time, somebody who was our pal all evening low key robs us and goes ‘have a protected journey to the subsequent gig buddies!!’ That is fucking bizarre!!!”
The musician provides, “A lot of the time all that cash goes to massive companies like AEG & LiveNation. Looks like the fuckin’ rule now, if you happen to work in a artistic discipline you are presupposed to really feel fortunate and joyful sufficient to be there to get raked over the coals by millionaires and billionaires who gives you as small as slice of the pie as they will to perpetually present progress in income. It is by no means these individuals left holding the bag. It is both a musician — a discipline by which if you happen to make a poverty wage that is thought-about *making it* — or followers who tackle the burden. Even if you’re older now I believe many people know what it feels wish to assume “nicely, that present prices $30, so I can not afford to go.’ It is fucked up that somebody to whomst $1,000 is nothin’ is taking that cash from you for actual.”
READ MORE: Why Do Venues Take Merch Cuts From Bands?
Rosenstock concluded, “I might like to say ‘and on account of all that, we’ll not be enjoying venues that take merch cuts.’ However sadly, throughout the pandemic AEG & LiveNation purchased so most of the forms of venues that we play, that dodging these tremendous excessive cuts is almost unattainable. However we’ll by no means cease attempting to maintain the costs low for everybody on the market, and we’re gonna do no matter we are able to do to keep away from it sooner or later. We as a band and crew simply needed to let you understand what’s up. Lub ya see ya quickly.”
The submit garnered fairly a bit of debate. Producer Steve Albini chimed in, “Not typically admitted, however merch cuts are 100% negotiable, to the extent that my bands over 40+ years have by no means, not as soon as, ever paid them. When brokers make offers, they do not care about ticket surcharges, merch reduce or different leaks; they do not have an effect on their reduce. The band has to insist.” However his argument was countered by Eve 6, who said, “Perhaps that is true at just like the cool indie golf equipment or no matter however submit COVID most venues over 200 cap had been purchased by livenation or AEG. No merch reduce no play they usually have a monopoly.”
Automotive Seat Headrest additionally addressed merch specifically, commenting, “This! + if you happen to’re utilizing top quality blanks (USA made / moral) your revenue margins are even smaller! You are able to do gildan blanks for like $8, however a decently made garment is normally $16+.”
Helado Negro added, “I am supportive of this. been wanting this to alter for a very long time. this shit is absurd. this apply is senseless, would like to see it gone now.”
Caracara added, “Extra individuals must know that venues / promoters do that. it’s as insane because it sounds and it’s prevalent at nearly all ranges. essential thread tune in joyful labor day.” Ohio rockers Gear commented, “i promise that any time you assume an artist is overcharging for merch, quite a lot of the time we do not make as a lot as you would possibly assume! many on-line marketplaces and music venues chunk an enormous chunk out of each buy. nonetheless sadly one of the best/solely actual method to help us.”
In the meantime, Crimson Scare Industries’ Tobias Jeg shared on X (previously Twitter) a latest incident between himself and reps from AEG over how merch was dealt with for a latest present. Within the shared e-mail, the AEG consultant known as out Jeg over a merch reduce situation.
“Ah sure, it is time for the month-to-month debate of ‘Properly golly, I can not imagine my slick company reserving agent (that we employed) works hand-in-glove with company promoters.’ My fellow merch individuals: inform them to GET FUCKED. See beneath (sharing the e-mail). They will name safety, however it’s us versus them.”
He added, “They’re mendacity on this e-mail. (They do this.) Their man was being a complete pecker, however I used to be hardly aggressive. However we are able to go there if want be. On this evening they even known as the cops, however sadly I used to be already gone. Settle the present earlier than you compromise merch, then ghost these fools. And I did not refuse to allow them to depend merch. The rep insisted *I* depend it whereas watching over me as if I used to be his servant. I am like, ‘Naw dawg, Imma hit the bar…’ These bozos need us to HELP them with their shakedown, haha. Once more, inform them to GET FUCKED. Us versus them.”
Different Acts Beforehand Have Weighed In on the Merch Lower Dialogue
Rosenstock’s posting is simply the most recent in artists shining a light-weight on the rising points with venue merch cuts. A lot of different acts have addressed this prior as nicely.
Final December, Unhealthy Omens went about addressing venue merch cuts in a roundabout means, A fan posted a photograph of a venue’s cocktail menu with drinks named after Unhealthy Omens songs. It famous that the drinks value $18 with alcohol, or $8 with out it.
The band responded to the submit, noting, “That’s dope, artists nonetheless don’t get a reduce from bar gross sales tho even when the venue offers cocktails cute little names after your songs, however nonetheless take 15-20% of touring artists’ gross merch gross sales each evening,” Unhealthy Omens replied in a submit quoting the fan’s tweet. “‘Nowhere To Go’ punch does sound scrumptious although, tip your bartenders.”
“Simply to be clear — we don’t desire a reduce of your bar gross sales. We simply don’t need to provide you with 20% of the merchandise we design, pay for, handle, arrange, carry and promote ourselves since you gave us 24 sq. toes of ground area in your venue we offered out,” the band wrote in a subsequent tweet.
Again in February, Architects raised concern over venue merch cuts. Drummer Dan Searle posed the idea on Twitter, suggesting, “Hey @bands when are we gonna go on strike and eliminate these insane venue merch cuts? Or possibly we don’t play till we get a reduce of the bar? Can we simply get this finished asap please?”
When one other fan requested, “How a lot does a band really see from merch? I used to be at a gig the opposite week and spent £60 on two vinyl, how a lot of that might the band get?,” the drummer responded, “I imagine CDs and Vinyl are sometimes a smaller reduce however we are likely to promote these objects as cheaply as attainable. On garments arenas typically cost 25% of gross + VAT + card payment + ‘enterprise charges’. They stroll with £10,000-£100,000 and we pay for printing, delivery, designs and many others. small margins.”
In March, Monuments refused to promote merch at one present in protest of the venue taking an enormous reduce of their merch gross sales.
On Instagram, Monuments launched an announcement explaining their resolution to not promote any merch in Athens, citing the precise percentages the venue would take from them — 18 p.c gross concession plus a further 24 p.c value-added tax (VAT).
Disheartened that the followers would in flip must pay the next quantity for merchandise to ensure that the band to not lose cash altogether, Monuments inspired anybody who needs to select one thing up to go surfing as an alternative and pursue items “for a a lot fairer value.”
We won’t be promoting merch at our present at Gagarin in Athens, Greece right this moment on account of a 18% Gross Concession and 24% VAT.
We keep a top quality normal for our merch and need to give that merch to you at honest costs – which we merely can not do with venue merch cuts. It shouldn’t be on our followers to select up the invoice for venue cuts but additionally makes zero sense for us to lose cash.
If you want to proceed supporting what we do then please head over to our web site and seize some merch or tabs for a a lot fairer value.
We thanks to your understanding
M
In Could of this 12 months, In Flames frontman Anders Friden additionally issued a name for solidarity amongst bands in a combat in opposition to venue merch cuts. “I believe to start with it was a means for golf equipment to say, ‘Okay, if we’ve got reveals and never sufficient individuals are coming, we’ve got to take some cash out of the merch as a result of individuals are not consuming sufficient so we’re not getting cash from the bar.’ However we all know that’s not true, as a result of individuals are nonetheless consuming loads once they come to the reveals,” the vocalist explains in a latest interview with The Metallic Circus (transcription through Blabbermouth), “So it is only a factor that simply caught there. And for bands which can be counting on the merch gross sales, it is actually, actually powerful.”
Fridén says years in the past he tried to begin this dialog concerning the perceived unfairness of venues taking a good portion of merch gross sales (20 p.c or extra in quite a lot of circumstances), “however not sufficient bands had been saying ‘we agree’ or had been acknowledging the truth that it was an enormous drawback. After which it type of disappeared.”
“Everybody has to react; it could actually’t be only a few bands that say one thing,” he urges. “I do not know what to do in opposition to it,” he admits, persevering with,” It is an enormous value. I imply, we promote a good quantity of merch, and the cash that goes to another person, although we promote it ourselves generally, it is loopy. It is insane. But it surely’s means more durable for smaller bands that reside from solely the merch; they must get the merch cash to pay fuel to get to the subsequent venue or to pay to allow them to possibly sleep in a motel or get some meals or no matter. After which somebody comes and simply takes 20 p.c out of their pocket for nothing. It is horrendous.”
These are only a few examples, with others acts sharing their ideas on venue merch cuts as nicely. As for Rosenstock, he’ll kick off his new tour on Sept. 6 in Washington, D.C. Dates and ticketing information will be discovered through his Bandcamp web page.
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