The Metal/Punk/Rock Thread

[WyattSheepMask]

47 minutes ago, Panhead said:

 

Either that or I'm a pessimistic cunt, that's talking out of my arse. 

Not at all. I hadn’t factored in them better/more sustainable materials which is something they’ve done for a long time, but even then £40 is a hell of a jump from the £25 standard that you tend to get at arena shows. I didn’t even pay £40 for the ticket to the show.

The venue will also be taking their cut, which with it being in Ireland and therefore the EU might affect things I don’t know, but either way my money will staying firmly in my pocket.

[Kfogg1991]

9 minutes ago, WyattSheepMask said:

Not at all. I hadn’t factored in them better/more sustainable materials which is something they’ve done for a long time, but even then £40 is a hell of a jump from the £25 standard that you tend to get at arena shows. I didn’t even pay £40 for the ticket to the show.

The venue will also be taking their cut, which with it being in Ireland and therefore the EU might affect things I don’t know, but either way my money will staying firmly in my pocket.

Also I've seen this on my Facebook and while the idea of them using better quality materials being the excuse for the ridiculous pricing I have read that that is not the case and actually it's subpar material for merch of a band that size 

[cobra_gordo]

I've been to a few bigish metal shows at Nottingham arena recently and the standard price there is £30 for a t-shirt. I know someone that works on the merch desk there and by all accounts it's a set rate and the arena takes a cut. Hopefully I'll be at the Gojira show there next week and update here what they're charging, unless anyone else gets to one of the dates before then. If it's forty quid though they can get fucked and I'll buy one off the lads outside for a tenner.

[WyattSheepMask]

@cobra_gordo yeah I’m at the Nottingham show next week. I don’t know why I’m complaining about it so much really, it’s not like I’ve any control over it or can influence it in any way, I just can’t believe there’s a possibility that the gig t-shirt may cost more than the gig

[I Bent My Wookie]

On 2/8/2023 at 11:42 PM, Spud said:

This’ll be me at Download this year. Booked a weekend ticket for myself, not camped in years, don’t know anyone else [close] going and only really know the main headliners each day. I’ve been approved for a companion ticket today though so might be able to rope someone into going with me for free/half price.

If you're camping in Disabled I'll be milling about with my PA dressed as Santa Claus for the weekend. If you see me say hello.

[BomberPat]

25 minutes ago, cobra_gordo said:

I know someone that works on the merch desk there and by all accounts it's a set rate and the arena takes a cut. 

That's increasingly common, and one of the reasons live events are becoming unsustainable for a lot of people - if you're playing in pubs you're alright, and if you're playing arenas, you're fine, but anything mid-range is becoming harder and harder to make work. A lot of people I know in that line of work are getting out, and it's because of stuff like that - the venue taking a bigger cut of all merch sold, or insisting on X amount spent behind the bar, and so on. 

[cobra_gordo]

We've never had a venue try and take a cut, even at bigger gigs and all dayers. The only time we had a fee to pay was when we played Bloodstock. For bands on our stage it was a flat, one off fee but for bands playing the main stage and Sophie stage it was 7 or 8% per item if I remember rightly. Eyehategod called them out on it mid-set.

I remember Sheffield City Hall being outed as starting to take a cut of merch sales around15 years ago. Rick Wakeman did a big rant about it at the time about how nowhere else on his tour had tried to take a cut but they wanted 10 or 20% from memory. He said he'd asked if he could have a percentage of the bar takings and they just looked confused. It's definitely becoming more commonplace at arenas and academy type venues.

[BomberPat]

it might be more commonplace in That London, which likely just means it'll seep out into the rest of the country given enough time.

[WyattSheepMask]

Not intending to sound controversial or anything, but I think it’s fair for a venue to request a flat fee. Your hiring the venue to play a gig, not set up a shop.

When you start getting into percentages though its a different argument. From a venue’s standpoint that amount will change with every gig it stages, whereas if they know they’ve got a specific £Xs coming in each time it’s easier for them to budget their costs.

Edited February 14, 2023 by WyattSheepMask

[wordsfromlee]

I’m pretty sure the O2 venues take something ridiculous like a 20% cut of merch sales. I’ve seen many bands moan about it on stage and some even set up outside the venue to get round it. 

[Merzbow]

The last shirt I bought at a gig was £15 and like £7 for a cassette, but then it was in a room that could fit like 20 people.

Do the o2 venues take a cut because stuff is always pricer there regardless of band size?

[WyattSheepMask]

2 minutes ago, Merzbow said:

The last shirt I bought at a gig was £15 and like £7 for a cassette, but then it was in a room that could fit like 20 people.

Last one I bought was a Ba’al shirt for £10 and they gave me a bunch of stickers after pointing out I loved them putting “Fuck NSBM” on their price list. Lovely bunch of lads.

[Dead Mike]

17 minutes ago, wordsfromlee said:

I’m pretty sure the O2 venues take something ridiculous like a 20% cut of merch sales. 

I think it's more than that now. With the majority of mid-sized venues all being O2 they take a flat % across the tour. The big theatre groups do exactly the same thing with comedians.

This is the reason you see more bands doing 'pop up' stores/events the afternoon of the show. Get a pub function room for nothing on the promise of increased footfall for the afternoon. Set up a bunch of merch tables, promote it on socials, send the drummer down to take selfies & all the profit is yours. 

 

Edited February 14, 2023 by Dead Mike

[Keith Houchen]

If venues are taking a cut of merch then bands should get a cut of bar takings because those people wouldn’t be buying drinks if the band weren’t playing. 
 

I once saw Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip in the side room at the academy in Brum. Would’ve been late 2000s. It was the last night of the tour and they gave away the remaining merch they had because what the venue was charging to set up a merch stall was more than what they’d have made from selling what they had left. Great bunch of lads. 

[BomberPat]

12 minutes ago, Keith Houchen said:

If venues are taking a cut of merch then bands should get a cut of bar takings because those people wouldn’t be buying drinks if the band weren’t playing.

I know of at least one venue that used to be pretty sound, but post-pandemic has started taking a cut of merch sales, taking 100% of profits from the first 20-30 tickets sold (so you need to guarantee a certain number of people attending before you start making any money), and will dock the act/promoter's cut if they don't make a certain amount of money over the bar, and I'm reasonably sure it's a certain amount per head, rather than a fixed total, so it's not something resolved by selling more tickets.

I know that venues are struggling, obviously, but stuff like that is taking the piss and will be far more damaging in the long term. It's not like merch is something bands do sneakily and under the counter, it's been a part of gigs for decades, and everyone understands that. Unless the venue are providing you with staff to man the tables, they shouldn't be taking any of your profits - and for a lot of bands, the merch table is the only place they do turn a profit.