Dan Searle, drummer for UK metalcore outfit Architects, is the latest artist to publicly take a stance against the increasingly pricey merch cuts venues have been levying against bands. In certain territories it is standard practice for a venue hosting a show to take a percentage of all merchandise sold amid the performance.
However, with inflation and the loss of income the live industry faced amid the pandemic, the percentage of those merch cuts have been seen to often exceed the once standard 20% fee. This of course puts even more strain on the artists themselves, who in this day and age, generally rely on merch sales as their chief source of income while out on the road.
Gojira‘s recently launched European/UK tour drew some backlash for the seemingly high prices being commanded for merch, but Gojira‘s eco-conscious approach could also play a factor in that. Other artists to decry merch cuts lately include members of Fear Factory and Dark Funeral, as well as Devin Townsend, Bad Omens and Stray From The Path.
Searle recently took to Twitter to weigh in on the situation, offering:
Hey @bands when are we gonna go on strike and get rid of these insane venue merch cuts? Or maybe we don’t play until we get a cut of the bar? Can we just get this done asap please?
— Dan Searle (@danarchitects) February 19, 2023
That post led to the following conversations:
I believe CDs and Vinyl are often a smaller cut but we tend to sell those items as cheaply as possible. On clothes arenas often charge 25% of gross + VAT + card fee + ‘business rates’. They walk with £10,000-£100,000 and we pay for printing, shipping, designs etc. small margins. https://t.co/4v3rdXDO6r
— Dan Searle (@danarchitects) February 20, 2023
We make very little from touring. And if bands just agreed to not play any shows for 1 month, say in 18 months time, the big venues would lose hundreds of thousands, if not millions, and I’m pretty sure they’d change their tune pretty quick.
— Dan Searle (@danarchitects) February 20, 2023
Firstly I don’t think there’s a single 30k cap arena on the planet but if there was then they’re probably going to be taking £100,000 from the artist for one night of work. Should just about cover the workload of counting in and out I imagine? https://t.co/FIeUJCIEBg
— Dan Searle (@danarchitects) February 20, 2023
Not allowed. Venue grounds – if it were that simple it’d have been done for many years by now
— Dan Searle (@danarchitects) February 20, 2023
the promoter is already paying to use the venue….which is ultimately paid for in ticket sales…ticket sales that only exist because of…..oh yeah, the band.
— Dan Searle (@danarchitects) February 20, 2023
There’s not a single band that wouldn’t have their finances completely transformed if things were to change. Theres no fathomable reason not to act other than apathy. And all it takes is everyone to say ‘no, we’re not doing this anymore, you need us to exist.’
— Dan Searle (@danarchitects) February 20, 2023
Fans would see bigger, better shows and pay less for merchandise. Or we can keep making billionaire dollar corporations richer.
— Dan Searle (@danarchitects) February 20, 2023
I genuinely believe so https://t.co/a9LGaSYsml
— Dan Searle (@danarchitects) February 20, 2023
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