Have you ever gone to a rock show and really considered everything that goes into it? Have you pondered what it's really like to be a "rock star"? Have you ever found yourself asking what happens behind the scenes?
I have ranted and raved about how the mainstream artists in today's society have become a greedy, egomaniacal, group of prima donnas who have forgotten that without fans they have nothing. What I haven't ranted and raved about are all the "fans" who seem to have forgotten about the amount of work and dedication it takes for your favorite bands to put on those precious shows you love so much.
I recently saw a screen shot of a conversation that someone was brazen enough to have with the lead singer of the band they were looking to pirate music from. This genius actually told the singer that he/she intended to pirate their tracks but couldn't find them, and then had the nerve to actually ask where to find the tracks available for free download.
Come on guys. If you expect your favorite artists to have not only respect for you but also their craft, then you have got to have a little respect for everything they have to go through to bring you the music you love so much. That's what this post is all about. Educating you guys on the in's and out's of being an independent band....AKA a small fish in a gigantic pond.
I have been privileged enough to be a part of this behind the scenes stuff for a while now, and I think most of you will be shocked (to say the least) at what all goes into being an independent band. The numbers, statistics, and stories I will be presenting to you are courtesy of my guys in Shallow Side. They are an accurate representation of the indie music scene, and when this is over I'm confident that you will all have a new found respect for these artists.
For my first point, I want you to think about the odometer on your vehicle. At the end of the year, how many miles have you logged? Current statistics show that the average American driver puts approximately 10,000 miles on their vehicle annually. That's a lot of driving folks! Think about your annual maintenance costs. Now think about how much fuel you use every year. Now....let's look at Shallow Side's annual vehicle costs. If you perform regular maintenance on your vehicle, it's typically done every 3,000 miles. Shallow Side logged right around 45,000 miles on their small RV style tour bus this year. That equals 15 maintenance cycles. So, let's look at the cost. An oil change is roughly $75, so that means they paid roughly $1125 for oil changes this year. Brakes cost an average of $500, and at 45,000 miles they were changed at least twice so that's another $1000. Add in a coolant system flush twice a year at $200 a pop and about $1000 on two sets of tires, and we're up to $3325. But wait! We forgot about everyone's arch nemesis, fuel prices. On average last year, diesel fuel was $3.85 (according to ConsumerReports.com). Shallow Side's vehicle, when pulling their equipment trailer, averages 5-10 miles per gallon depending on terrain. This means that last year they shelled out $23,100 for gas. So what's our total up to now? $24,265 just to drive to the shows, and that's not accounting for unusual circumstances like a blown radiator that requires a tow, a U-Haul rental, and a repair.
Secondly, let's think about how much you ate last year. Did you eat a lot of McDonald's or did you cook most of your meals? If you answered in the latter, then you are a lot more fortunate than your average touring band. While it is true that most of these bands have developed enough relationships with fans that they get a home-cooked meal every once in a while, it's not very often. Most of these bands go from a venue in Maine to a venue in Ohio overnight. That doesn't leave very much time for sitting down around the table with anyone. So let's say that my Shallow Side guys are lucky enough to have three meals cooked for them each week during a 12 month tour. That means that four days a week they are left to their own devices as to what to eat. Now, most bands are smart enough to stock their bus with road food, so I won't account for three meals a day. I'll just account for one meal per day from McDonald's for each band member. An average McDonald's value meal is $6. Multiply that by four and you get $24 per day to eat. Multiply that by four and it costs Shallow Side $96 per week to eat. Multiply that times 52 and it costs them $4992 per year to eat one meal per day four days per week. Of course, this number isn't accounting for their tour manager who also has to eat.
Now we're going to look at my third point. Costs of production. Shallow Side currently has two 5-Track EP's for sale for $10 each. Last year, they sold approximately 4,000 copies (both digital and hard copies), so that gives them $40,000. That sounds like a lot doesn't it?! Hold on before you get too excited. Let's break this down. According to the guys, each EP costs roughly $8,000 to record. Then they have to pay for cover art, printing, and distribution of each copy. So.....$16,000 to record plus another (estimated) $5000 for art and distribution. In order to protect each of these tracks by copyright, they have to pay a $45 fee per EP to register them with the copyright office, equaling $90. So what's the number here? $18,910. This means that even with album sales, they are still $5355 in the hole.
So what's next on the list? Let's take a look at ticket sales. This should be fun, because there is a lot more to this than one would think. First, you should know that most venues don't sell tickets, they just charge a cover. On average, in my own personal experience, you can expect a cover charge to be about $10. The average venue for an independent band can hold roughly 300 patrons, so they average about $3000 per show in cover charges. Shallow Side did approximately 250 shows last year, so their average income should have been $750,000. However, not all venues charge a cover or sell tickets. About 50% of them just pay per show, so lets cut that number in half and leave ourselves with $375,000 annually. Now keep in mind, this is a rough estimate. The actual number could be more OR less. Still, that sounds like a nice chunk of change. Did you consider the other fees though? Out of that $375,000, there are venue fees of about 15%, promoter fees of about 15%, management fees of about 15%, and on average 5 bands playing at one show with four members each. That's 20 band members. Okay. So do the math. $375,000 minus 45% for various fees equals $206,250 divided between 20 people. That's a grand total of $10,312.50 per person ($41,250 per band).
Okay.....so we've finally hit the green!! $41,250 - $5,355 = $35,895 in annual income before merchandise sales. That's a pretty good number!! Until you divide it by four, and then you see that each band member has to live on $8,973.75 each year. Do you have a cell phone? So do they. Do you have to go to the doctor? So do they, only guess what? They don't have an option for company insurance, and they don't have enough of a paper trail to get any kind of financial help. Heath, the drummer for Shallow Side, severely injured his hand this year and it required surgery. He was unable to play shows, which impacted not only his income, but also his band mate's income. The surgery cost was a little over $10,000 which he had to pay out of pocket. Fortunately, his fans rallied around him and were able to fundraise about 45% of the cost, but that still cost him more than he made this year.
To top it off, all of this is assuming that the show actually goes on, and that the venues and promoters hold up their end of the deal, which isn't always the case. Two out of every ten shows has something go wrong....either the bus breaks down, the show gets cancelled, the set gets pulled, or a bar owner stiffs you on your pay. If you think this doesn't happen, you need to get a clue. It happens all the time.
Of course, money isn't the only factor here. Could you imagine spending 90% of an entire year away from home? Away from family, significant others, friends, pets? These bands do this every year, and sacrifice more than you realize to bring you music that means something. They pour their blood, sweat, and tears into their music, then turn around and sacrifice having any kind of normal life so that you can spend 45 minutes listening to them at your favorite venue. All on the chance that they may not get paid.
Independent music is more than just garage bands hoping to make it big. It's fraught with bands who are incredibly selfless. They do these things day in and day out, just hoping to bring you a message. Being a true fan of independent bands is more than just loving their music. It's about more than just filling a venue. It's about respect and appreciation for an art form that is slowly becoming disingenuous. These bands aren't bringing you mass-produced, assembly line garbage. They are bringing you authentic, self-written, self-experienced music. They give you a rare glimpse into their souls. Sharing one's innermost thoughts is an incredibly intimate experience, and just like in a relationship, if you don't respect and appreciate the intimacy then these bands will begin disappearing.
Keep independent music alive and thriving, because if you don't.......all you have to look forward to is hearing nothing but Taylor Swifts and Kanye Wests on your radio. Independence comes at an incredible cost, and I want this to serve as a reminder to each of you to not only love your indies, but to do whatever you can to support them. Buy a shirt, buy three copies of their EP, buy a bracelet, offer them gift cards for food.......HELP THEM!! Just showing up at a show isn't helping them......re-post their statuses, tweet about them, share their videos......DO SOMETHING!!! They rely on their fans for a lot more than just admiration, and without you they literally have nothing. If you love an indie band, you should accept the fact that you are not just a fan, you are a family member!
No comments:
Post a Comment