KHEMMIS Calls Upon Bigger Artists To Protest Against “Corporate Venues Stealing From Artists”

Igorrr just lately refused to sell merch throughout a present at London’s O2 Discussion board Kentish City due to a 25% merch reduce, which Stray From The Path drummer Craig Reynolds explained in detail why that’s a problem. Khemmis has since responded to Reynolds, saying the scenario with company venues is not that a lot totally different in the US and that one thing clearly should be completed.

Of their sequence 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 exhibits is not the answer, and calls upon larger 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 traditional amt b/c the necessary in-house vendor has no cause to hustle + large reduce = shit scenario

“And earlier than the refrain of ‘effectively your agent/group agreed to this,’ please know that assist bands on these excursions haven’t any leverage. None. Don’t love these offers? Kiss larger 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 larger cities your automobile could also be removed from the venue 2) contracts typically explicitly prohibit this. sure, fuck ‘em, however once more if a more moderen band will get blacklisted by company entities that maintain the entire energy.

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

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

Merch cuts have change into a scorching subject recently, with Monuments just lately refusing to sell merch in Greece due to insane cuts, whereas our personal Frank Godla penned an editorial about why Gojira is a good example of a band trying to stay afloat in a tough touring world.

Architects drummer Dan Searle just lately posited that bands should get a cut of a venue’s nightly alcohol sales to stability issues out, whereas Dark Funeral guitarist Lord Ahriman has outright said venues are killing the live music industry. So yeah, numerous artists aren’t thrilled proper now… and rightfully so.