As David Frost would have said, “hello, good day, and welcome!”
So, according to reports here and there, the cost of a visa for foreign artists touring the United States is going up by 51%.
Initially I got it around my neck, believing that the US government were asking for 51% of takings from touring foreign performers. In saying that though, even a hike of 51% for the visas would still be enough to make some lesser touring artists decide not to do so! This is after all a 51% rise for each individual musician, singer, stage hand, technician, tour manager, sound engineer, lighting operator, and any other staff they take with them!
I’m not sure what the charge is for foreign artists performing here in the UK, but I sure hope that it’s not that much! If it is, then I’m guessing that some acts I’m looking forward to returning to gig would be thinking twice?
I loved seeing Jonah Matranga performing at a pub in Nottingham three years ago now, and I was unable to see the band Thank You Scientist the following year there, and am hoping that I will get the chance in the future, as I love those guys’ music!
At present, with the Covid-19 virus abound, the entertainment industry across the board is having problems! Cinemas, theatres, venues... They are all having trouble staying afloat, and some will undoubtedly sink from the sheer lack of money!
I can sort of see where the US government are going, and can see that it’s a way to raise revenue. However, to do it at such a large degree brings about some artists questioning whether they should just cut their losses and not tour the US at all. Bigger acts such as McCartney, The Rolling Stones, and similar performers can afford to either have longer stretches in the US, but lesser acts have to think about the financial side of things!
Now, to put this into context, we’ll look at how money is made in the music industry!
A band or performer is signed to label, whereby that label offers a sum of money for the artists to make records that sell and make money. Whatever sales the records make, the label might take around 90% on average, leaving most acts with around 5 to 10% of the sales.
Now, when a label organises any promotion, be it music videos, concert tours, or such, that too is on a loan basis... The same goes for any studio time to record that the label pay for. That’s if the label pay for that! Whichever way you look at it, the band either pays for the studio time out of the money the label gives for the signing, or it’s on a loan basis like the rest.
All of this loaned money, which includes the signing money, the promotional costs, and recording costs, has to come back out of the band’s percentage from the record sales! The record label keep the whole of their 90 to 95% take, and then get what they paid out back from the artists!
Now, what often happens nowadays is that the managers of these artists will organise concerts directly, without the label’s involvement, bar them saying “okay!” This way, the whole of the takings from concerts goes to the artists to pay themselves and the staff involved for the concert. That is a sink or swim situation in some ways, as all promotion is then organised directly by the artists’ management, with no record label backing. To get label backing would incur a cost from the label!
Lesser artists then, who organise these with their own money, are left with a quandary! To hope that the audience will be large enough to pay the costs, or to not take the chance of risking potential bankruptcy!
Things were already difficult, and now that’s more difficult!
Your opinion is your own, these are the basic facts.
Thank you for reading, please take care and stay safe.
September 10th 2020 (49 years, 10 months, and 15 days old)
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