The Economist’s sister publication, (the somewhat condescendingly named) moreintelligentlife which I have only come into recent knowledge of, published a few weeks ago a very insightful look into what is likely, from my perspective, to be the plight of the professinal musician. Gigonomics.
Story: HERE
Short story? It’s what you, and many others likely have, in a cursory way, thought about: bands aren’t going to make the same amount of money the old way. Record labels are on the way out, and uh, people are going to pay upwards of 300 pounds (535.14 CAD) to see big acts in the front row?
Personally I see the large ticket prices staying relegated to those fringe groups that manage to make a huge splash in multiple countries and demographics. One example? Canada’s own Feist. She is already commanding rather high prices compared to many other acts here in Southern Ontario. She will be able to one day pull those weird monied types with 600 to blow on tickets. That is, of course, if she wants to maintain an expensive lifestyle.
Speaking from my experience with my roommates’ band, (a band that has so far released one album across Canada, and toured from here to Vancouver) I have seen how their albums do more to advertise for the live show rather than vice-versa, which was how the old system was predicated. Their lifestyle is already pretty low-cost and one wonders if their talent (which is very high) will ever allow them to make much more than a basic living wage. Musicians need day jobs. Many of those that I have interviewed seem to do something on the side to keep the bills paid.
Will they have to always tour if they hate “real jobs”?
Are there ever going to real rock stars again?
Are people like Busy-P still going to spend tons of money on pseudo rock-docs for their very confused and goofy artists to run around and live like that?
One Comment
1 Gruene Man wrote:
Congratulations, I like the site. I look forward to reading more!
One Trackback