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Hmm. Just chatting with a band I used to take on European tours.
We reckon it might cost about the same to tour a few states in the USA as to tour Europe now.
So, where is good for a band to tour Stateside?
We reckon it might cost about the same to tour a few states in the USA as to tour Europe now.
So, where is good for a band to tour Stateside?
Bands must tour, that's how they make the money to record albums (not cheap, albums) and as the Brexiters have removed any opportunity to make money either in the UK or Europe they having to look at options.
Thing is, it is bloody expensive to get to the USA just for starters.
Thing is, it is bloody expensive to get to the USA just for starters.
Then there's visas, equipment and vehicle hire, places to stay etc.
Instead of costing a pre-Brexit £1800 for a five country, 10 gig EU tour it is going to cost double or triple that. Five return flights aren't cheap for a start.
Instead of costing a pre-Brexit £1800 for a five country, 10 gig EU tour it is going to cost double or triple that. Five return flights aren't cheap for a start.
But if we can get £1000 each together, it might just be doable once Covid is sorted.
Shame, as we toured Europe every year, that's how we got costs down. Stayed with friends, decent money from venues and people buying merch.
Venues in the USA don't pay well, that's a problem.
Shame, as we toured Europe every year, that's how we got costs down. Stayed with friends, decent money from venues and people buying merch.
Venues in the USA don't pay well, that's a problem.
A band can't just jump in a van in Liverpool and drive to Köln from the UK anymore. Not to play. Can't take equipment or merchandise. Need visas, carnet, various other bits and bobs.
It has destroyed touring Europe, and that was where the money was made.
It has destroyed touring Europe, and that was where the money was made.
This was on our last European tour back in 2019. This van was loaded to the hilt, and we took a much smaller van than we normally do. We were out there for 10 days and only took one small rucksack each for our own stuff. Everything else was equipment and merch.
Imagine the forms
Imagine the forms
Brexit has killed European touring for UK bands.
Luckily, this band all have other jobs, they're in their 30s, they've been doing this for 15 years. We might just manage to get £1k each together.
A band of 18-20 yr old musicians now has no chance. Brexit has stolen their chance
Luckily, this band all have other jobs, they're in their 30s, they've been doing this for 15 years. We might just manage to get £1k each together.
A band of 18-20 yr old musicians now has no chance. Brexit has stolen their chance
Venues in Europe love UK bands. UK music industry is massively larger than fishing to the UK economy, yet the Tories ideological hatred of Freedom of Movement, combined with Brexit is killing the UK music industry.
Music is one of the few things the UK is actually good at.
Music is one of the few things the UK is actually good at.
It isn't just the bands suffering either. If bands can't tour they can't afford to record. If they can't afford to record then that's going to destroy the recording studios, that'll hit the landlords, and it'll just continue to spiral.
And there'll be no new music from live acts
And there'll be no new music from live acts
Venues in the UK have been suffering badly since 2007 and the smoking ban. Pubs are closing at a rapid rate and they used to rely on bands playing to drag punters in.
Bands who aren't buying vans anymore because there's no money in touring.
Bands who aren't buying vans anymore because there's no money in touring.
So by destroying UK bands Freedom of Movement Brexit is directly impacting heavily on musicians, venues, studios, merchandise manufacturers, landlords, the arts, van sales, sound and lighting businesses, sound engineers, record shops and many others.
And the Tories DGAF.
And the Tories DGAF.
I'm personally affected. I used to take UK bands on European tours a few times a year.
Can't do it now. The bands I took were small independent acts and they simply can't afford the extra costs Brexit has caused.
I've said I'll do a US tour for free, just to make contacts.
Can't do it now. The bands I took were small independent acts and they simply can't afford the extra costs Brexit has caused.
I've said I'll do a US tour for free, just to make contacts.
Over the last couple of years I've mentioned all this to various folk and one of the answers I often got was "Just tour the UK then".
That doesn't really work. UK venues can't afford to pay decent money. It isn't worth driving 80 miles one way to do a gig that's going to pay £60
That doesn't really work. UK venues can't afford to pay decent money. It isn't worth driving 80 miles one way to do a gig that's going to pay £60
The average gig in Germany (for example) will net a small UK band around €150 from the venue + €200 in merchandise sales. Even a bad night will earn €150.
In the UK you can fill a pub, play for three hours and you might get £100, if you're lucky.
In the UK you can fill a pub, play for three hours and you might get £100, if you're lucky.
In Germany and France gigging musicians are treated by the government as artists and they're fairly well looked after.
In the UK, nothing.
Now there's no FoM bands can't make money from their craft, and pubs don't have the money to make the difference up.
In the UK, nothing.
Now there's no FoM bands can't make money from their craft, and pubs don't have the money to make the difference up.
Before Brexiters pop up and say "you can still tour Europe, just fill in a few forms", that simply isn't true. Going on holiday is vastly different from touring with a band. Check out the cost of an ATA carnet before you suggest it is just a few forms.
There'll be individual forms for each guitar, bass, keyboard, mic, drum stool, mic stand, lead, pedal, desk, string, plectrum, amp, cabinet, drumstick, cymbal, hi-hat, and probably every flight case.
There's also visas. For each country.
There's also visas. For each country.
All this is true for EU bands wanting to tour the UK as well.
You might get the odd DJ making the trip as a laptop with a big hard drive full of music will be easy to get across and venues for DJs have all the equipment anyway. They'll just play "on the side"
You might get the odd DJ making the trip as a laptop with a big hard drive full of music will be easy to get across and venues for DJs have all the equipment anyway. They'll just play "on the side"
