KHEMMIS Calls Upon Greater Artists To Protest Towards “Company Venues Stealing From Artists”

Igorrr lately refused to promote merch throughout a present at London’s O2 Discussion board Kentish City due to a 25% merch minimize, which Stray From The Path drummer Craig Reynolds defined intimately why that is an issue. Khemmis has since responded to Reynolds, saying the state of affairs with company venues is not that a lot completely different in america and that one thing clearly should be carried out.

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 in regards to the state of affairs.

“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 identical nonsense & it SUCKS. Promoting 1/2 (or much less) of your ordinary amt b/c the necessary in-house vendor has no cause to hustle + large minimize = shit state of affairs

“And earlier than the refrain of ‘effectively your agent/crew agreed to this,’ please know that assist 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 moderen 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 state of affairs for openers and it takes the crew of the massive identify bands to facilitate substantial change.

“Except 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 grow to be a scorching matter these days, with Monuments lately refusing to promote merch in Greece attributable to insane cuts, whereas our personal Frank Godla penned an editorial about why Gojira is a good instance of a band attempting to remain afloat in a troublesome touring world.

Architects drummer Dan Searle lately posited that bands ought to get a minimize 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 dwell music business. So yeah, a whole lot of artists aren’t thrilled proper now… and rightfully so.