KHEMMIS Calls Upon Greater Artists To Protest In opposition to “Company Venues Stealing From Artists”

Igorrr not too long ago refused to promote merch throughout a present at London’s O2 Discussion board Kentish City because of a 25% merch reduce, which Stray From The Path drummer Craig Reynolds defined intimately why that is an issue. Khemmis has since responded to Reynolds, saying the scenario with company venues is not that a lot completely different in the USA and that one thing clearly have to be completed.

Of their collection of tweets, Khemmis touched on why it isn’t as simple as merely promoting your merchandise down the block from the venue, why refusing to play reveals is not the answer, and calls upon greater artists to make use of their weight to do one thing concerning the scenario.

“This feels all too acquainted right here within the states as effectively,” mentioned Khemmis on their Twitter. “Venues owned/operated by a sure company entity do that similar nonsense & it SUCKS. Promoting 1/2 (or much less) of your regular amt b/c the necessary in-house vendor has no purpose to hustle + large reduce = shit scenario

“And earlier than the refrain of ‘effectively your agent/workforce agreed to this,’ please know that help bands on these excursions don’t have any leverage. None. Do not like these offers? Kiss greater touring alternatives goodbye. Openers need to eat shit and smile the entire time.

“‘Promote your merch out of your van.’ That sounds cool and punk rock however 1) in greater cities your car could also be removed from the venue 2) contracts usually explicitly prohibit this. sure, fuck ‘em, however once more if a more recent band will get blacklisted by company entities that maintain the entire energy.

“Then your singular act of defiance can simply value you and your crew much more in the long term. Once more, it is a shit scenario for openers and it takes the workforce of the massive identify bands to facilitate substantial change.

“Until the massive names with actual business energy give the center finger to company venues stealing from artists, nothing will change and that sucks for artists AND followers.”

Merch cuts have turn out to be a scorching subject currently, with Monuments not too long ago refusing to promote merch in Greece as a result of insane cuts, whereas our personal Frank Godla penned an editorial about why Gojira is an efficient instance of a band attempting to remain afloat in a troublesome touring world.

Architects drummer Dan Searle not too long ago posited that bands ought to get a reduce of a venue’s nightly alcohol gross sales to stability issues out, whereas Darkish Funeral guitarist Lord Ahriman has outright mentioned venues are killing the stay music business. So yeah, numerous artists aren’t thrilled proper now… and rightfully so.