In a brand new interview with The Razor’s Edge, FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares as soon as once more opened up concerning the realities of post-pandemic touring, together with elevated journey bills — fuel, tour buses, lodges and flight prices. He stated (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “It is form of like simply life basically. Anyone who has a traditional job — you are still getting paid 10 bucks an hour, however your hire went up, your insurance coverage went up, meals costs went up, fuel costs went up, however your pay is similar. It is form of like the way it’s been for bands as effectively. Promoters are solely prepared to pay you a lot, however the whole lot else went up. Now the membership homeowners and the promoters are taking a minimize of your merchandise, so it is making more durable and more durable for artists to outlive on the market.”

Requested if the merchandise cuts that the promoters are taking from artists are getting bigger than they had been previously, Dino stated: “Sure. That is been the entire debate, that it has been getting bigger and bigger. In fact there’s at all times been a share that it’s a must to give to venues. That is simply how it’s. Merch share — we’re speaking about merch share. However, after all, it is getting increased and better. So, sadly, the followers are those who must pay for that, as a result of as soon as the merch percentages get increased that the venue takes, you then’re gonna have to lift your costs on a t-shirt. That is simply inevitable and that is unlucky, [but] that is what occurs.”

When the interviewer identified to Dino that artists don’t get a minimize of any of the alcohol that’s offered within the venues the place they’re performing, Cazares stated: “It is not simply the promoters and the membership venues; it is also the ticket businesses. It is all an enormous factor. It is not one factor — it is all of it. And also you’re proper — we don’t get a share of the alcohol in any respect by any means. However I did hear that there was one artist that did that, and that was Axl Rose. Axl Rose was placing GUNS N’ ROSES in stadiums — in soccer stadiums and baseball stadiums — promoting out 40, 50 thousand folks, however he was, like, ‘If you need GUNS N’ ROSES in your stadium, you are gonna have to offer me a bit of the alcohol,’ And I heard a rumor that he received a bit of that alcohol share, which is de facto good. Which in all probability evened out to what [the promoters] had been getting from the merch share. However not a variety of artists in my style have that form of energy, if in any respect.”

Many venues require bands to pay them a share of their merchandise gross sales. Generally that break up is 20/80, that means for each greenback a band makes promoting a t-shirt, the venue will get 20 cents. It is an accepted business normal that understandably riles touring bands, particularly these acts for whom merch revenue remains to be essential for guaranteeing {that a} tour is worthwhile.

“That is a typical factor that venues will do,” DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci just lately advised “THAT Rocks!”, the weekly YouTube collection hosted by Eddie Trunk, Jim Florentine and Don Jamieson. “I feel that if you happen to’re within the place, you must attempt to negotiate that as a lot as you possibly can. I imply, 30 p.c, that is approach too excessive. I feel it is extra typical [for it to be in] the 15-to-20 [range]. And I feel additionally it could be totally different for smooth items and bodily issues, like information and stuff like that. So there could be a distinction there as effectively. However it’s all causes to be on prime of your shit and your enterprise and have folks representing you that know what they’re doing, as a result of a younger band may not know that they will negotiate that. They only form of [go], ‘Oh, I suppose it’s what it’s.’ And I suppose in some circumstances, when you’ve got no leverage, then it is what it’s. However you can have a look at that and take heed to that. As a result of it sucks. ‘Trigger you then’re in that place — effectively, what are you gonna [do]? [Are you] gonna jack up the worth of your shirt? Then someone is paying 50, 60 {dollars} for a t-shirt? That is ridiculous. And you are feeling such as you’re gouging your followers, and that is not cool.”

DREAM THEATER keyboardist Jordan Rudess added: “And it is also unhappy, as a result of a variety of these youthful bands, they’re working so onerous to get on the market and play, they lastly present up at a venue they usually stand an opportunity of constructing somewhat cash possibly on the merch sales space, and you then’ve received these venues — golf equipment, theaters, no matter — that wanna take cash out of their pockets, mainly. You see it on a regular basis. It sucks.”

In bigger venues, it’s usually necessary for a merchandise workers to be employed instantly by the venue, that means a share minimize may be normal.

In latest months, some venues have stated that they may put off merch charges. Ineffable Dwell, which runs 10 venues, together with the Golden State Theater in Monterey, California; the Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo, California; and the Rooster Field in Nantucket, Massachusetts, removed their 20% merch charge in response to the testimony of Clyde Lawrence of the unbiased soul-pop band LAWRENCE, who spoke in entrance of the Senate Judiciary Committee this previous January concerning the “lopsided deal mechanics in sure elements of the dwell music business.” Throughout his look on the listening to, Lawrence defined why venues taking a minimize of merch gross sales is unfair, saying: One other ache level for artists is the numerous lack of revenues on account of promoter merchandise cuts. Sometimes, the promoter takes a large share (roughly 20%) of an artist’s merch gross sales, and as soon as we think about our prices of making and transporting the merch, it may be a fair bigger share (40%) of an artist’s backside line. The argument is that the venue is offering us the retail area for us to promote our merch. Certain. However we’re offering all the clients, and but obtain no minimize from their many ancillary income streams. Dwell Nation getting round 20% of our gross merch gross sales whereas we get nothing on ticketing charges, bar tabs, coat checks and parking passes doesn’t make a variety of sense to me.”

In line with Billboard, Ineffable Music Group CEO Thomas Cussins stated that on night time, an unbiased touring band with a loyal fanbase can promote $5,000 to $10,000 in merchandise at a 500-capacity present. Eliminating the venue charge can avoid wasting teams $1,000 to $2,000 per night time, he added.

“We’re on the bottom and listening to from artists every single day,” Cussins stated. “We’re seeing how a lot the prices of the whole lot have gone up — from buses to lodges to flights. So although the membership enterprise is a marginal enterprise, any motion we are able to take to assist to insure a wholesome, vibrant live performance ecosystem is vital. This business solely works if artists of all ranges are in a position to afford to tour. When artists are in a position to tour sustainably and followers can afford to purchase a t-shirt as a result of the all-in ticket value is affordable, everybody wins.”

Ineffable head expertise purchaser Casey Smith added: “We have been in a position to make our dwell enterprise work even with elevated bills by having numerous venues and having the ability to create routes for artists, providing them numerous reveals in secondary and faculty markets between their huge metropolis performs. Since we have made it work for ourselves, we would like it to work for the artists as effectively. This transfer is absolutely aligned with Ineffable‘s unbiased spirit, and in listening to the wants of unbiased artists, we imagine it’s vital to place them first.”