"So expensive to tour!"

Blog 3—May 26, 2010

“So expensive to tour! Just had a rather depressing meeting with tour manager. Record sales low (across the industry) really impacting me.”

-Imogene Heap, RCA recording artist and Grammy Winner (from her Twitter account)

I keep reading that many artists are ok with file-sharing and illegal downloading because the money is in touring and selling merch. In fact some artists have improved their careers and increased their fan-base by giving away music. Lady Gaga says she is ok with “free” music because the money is in touring. Maybe for the “small” percentage of “big” artists this is true. But if Imogene Heap is making a statement like this one, is there any chance of smaller indie artists getting a tour that doesn’t put them in the hole? How will indie artists sustain their music careers? Would it be cheaper to put three artists on the road in a van with minimal equipment, sharing publicity costs, driving, and tour manager duties; and perform their gigs “in-the-round”? Would venues and talent buyers be more open to “in-the-round” performances? After all, Indies have a hard time getting their foot in the door of many venues. My thought is that each artist would bring in his/her own small fan-base, and with three artists performing, they would hopefully fill the room. So, in my mind, the positives would be: sharing costs, sharing the work, and getting more bodies in the room. And, fans of one artist might become fans of one or both of the other artists. The negative, however, might be--Did they make adequate money for themselves after sharing the door? Would love to hear your thoughts.