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 subjects since acts returned to touring after the pandemic is the infringement of venues in taking a minimize 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 under), Rosenstock offers 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 increased costs than we might prefer to at sure venues. We expect that sucks.”
Anticipating the response from the opposite facet, Rosenstock says, “The argument for the minimize is ‘properly, fucko, we offer you a spot to promote your merchandise.’ By that logic, we must also be getting a minimize of the bar for bringing a whole bunch to hundreds of individuals and their money to the venue that evening. **For the file, we’re 100% down to present a merch minimize any evening we get a minimize 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 exhibits the place we’re all having a pleasant time, somebody who was our pal all evening low key robs us and goes ‘have a secure journey to the subsequent gig buddies!!’ That is fucking bizarre!!!”
The musician provides, “A lot of the time all that cash goes to massive firms like AEG & LiveNation. Looks as if the fuckin’ rule now, in the event you work in a artistic area you are purported to really feel fortunate and comfortable 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 earnings. It is by no means these folks left holding the bag. It is both a musician — a area by which in the event you make a poverty wage that is thought of *making it* — or followers who tackle the burden. Even if you’re older now I believe many people know what it feels prefer to suppose “properly, that present prices $30, so I am unable to 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 would like to say ‘and because of all that, we’ll not be taking part in venues that take merch cuts.’ However sadly, through the pandemic AEG & LiveNation purchased so lots of the varieties of venues that we play, that dodging these tremendous excessive cuts is sort of inconceivable. However we’ll by no means cease making an attempt 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 wished to let you realize what’s up. Lub ya see ya quickly.”
The submit garnered fairly a bit of debate. Producer Steve Albini chimed in, “Not usually 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 minimize or different leaks; they do not have an effect on their minimize. The band has to insist.” However his argument was countered by Eve 6, who acknowledged, “Possibly 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 minimize no play and so they have a monopoly.”
Automobile Seat Headrest additionally addressed merch specifically, commenting, “This! + in the event you’re utilizing prime 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 vary for a very long time. this shit is absurd. this follow is senseless, would like to see it gone now.”
Caracara added, “Extra folks have to 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 comfortable labor day.” Ohio rockers Gear commented, “i promise that any time you suppose an artist is overcharging for merch, a whole lot of the time we don’t make as a lot as you would possibly suppose! many on-line marketplaces and music venues chew an enormous chunk out of each buy. nonetheless sadly the most effective/solely actual technique to assist us.”
In the meantime, Purple Scare Industries’ Tobias Jeg shared on X (previously Twitter) a current incident between himself and reps from AEG over how merch was dealt with for a current present. Within the shared e-mail, the AEG consultant referred to as out Jeg over a merch minimize challenge.
“Ah sure, it is time for the month-to-month debate of ‘Properly golly, I am unable to consider my slick company reserving agent (that we employed) works hand-in-glove with company promoters.’ My fellow merch folks: inform them to GET FUCKED. See under (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 referred to as the cops, however sadly I used to be already gone. Settle the present earlier than you agree merch, then ghost these fools. And I did not refuse to allow them to rely merch. The rep insisted *I* rely 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 lightweight on the rising points with venue merch cuts. Quite a lot of different acts have addressed this prior as properly.
Final December, Dangerous Omens went about addressing venue merch cuts in a roundabout method, A fan posted a photograph of a venue’s cocktail menu with drinks named after Dangerous Omens songs. It famous that the drinks price $18 with alcohol, or $8 with out it.
The band responded to the submit, noting, “That’s dope, artists nonetheless don’t get a minimize from bar gross sales tho even when the venue provides cocktails cute little names after your songs, however nonetheless take 15-20% of touring artists’ gross merch gross sales each evening,” Dangerous 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 need a minimize of your bar gross sales. We simply don’t wish to offer you 20% of the merchandise we design, pay for, handle, arrange, carry and promote ourselves since you gave us 24 sq. toes of flooring house 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 do away with these insane venue merch cuts? Or possibly we don’t play till we get a minimize of the bar? Can we simply get this carried out 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 will the band get?,” the drummer responded, “I consider CDs and Vinyl are sometimes a smaller minimize however we are inclined to promote these objects as cheaply as doable. On garments arenas usually cost 25% of gross + VAT + card price + ‘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 minimize of their merch gross sales.
On Instagram, Monuments launched a press release explaining their choice 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 a better quantity for merchandise to ensure that the band to not lose cash altogether, Monuments inspired anybody who desires to select one thing up to go surfing as an alternative and pursue items “for a a lot fairer value.”
We is not going to be promoting merch at our present at Gagarin in Athens, Greece at present on account of a 18% Gross Concession and 24% VAT.
We preserve a top quality commonplace for our merch and wish to give that merch to you at truthful 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 in addition 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 in your understanding
M
In Could of this yr, In Flames frontman Anders Friden additionally issued a name for solidarity amongst bands in a struggle in opposition to venue merch cuts. “I believe at first it was a method for golf equipment to say, ‘Okay, if now we have exhibits and never sufficient persons are coming, now we have to take some cash out of the merch as a result of persons are not ingesting sufficient so we’re not getting cash from the bar.’ However we all know that’s not true, as a result of persons are nonetheless ingesting rather a lot after they come to the exhibits,” the vocalist explains in a current interview with The Metallic Circus (transcription by way of Blabbermouth), “So it is only a factor that simply caught there. And for bands which are counting on the merch gross sales, it is actually, actually powerful.”
Fridén says years in the past he tried to start out this dialog concerning the perceived unfairness of venues taking a good portion of merch gross sales (20 p.c or extra in a whole 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 might’t be just some 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 price. I imply, we promote a good quantity of merch, and the cash that goes to another person, though we promote it ourselves generally, it is loopy. It is insane. Nevertheless it’s method more durable for smaller bands that stay from solely the merch; they must get the merch cash to pay gasoline 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 just some examples, with others acts sharing their ideas on venue merch cuts as properly. As for Rosenstock, he’ll kick off his new tour on Sept. 6 in Washington, D.C. Dates and ticketing information will be discovered by way of his Bandcamp web page.
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