I was reading some guy from Testaments article on blabbermouth today about how broke he is, and got to thinking about how these guys make their money.
Truth is, most of them don't.
A very close friend of mine is a drummer in a Post-Zep-ish band that tours the world and is very well known. They don't make any money. It's literally less then minimum wage. This same person played with a progressive death band, also very popular, that toured the world over, played Waken and other festivals, and didn't make any money. My friend gets his cash from day jobs during his off time from touring cycles, and also as a hired gun for other bands in need of a very talented musician.
Granted, even though both bands are great, neither were of a Slayer status. But wait, Dave Lombardo came out and said they he was barely grinding out a living playing with Slayer. Fucking Slayer is poor! Wow.
That lifestyle is fine if you're young and have no responsibility, but eventually, no matter who you are, that stage of life ends and money becomes important.
We know that no one makes money off of record sales anymore. The early record deals still only benefit the labels even if the band was huge at one time, and half of them are broke too. I don't care how popular you are, your band probably struggles.
Looking back, it seems to me that many people assumed that if a band was somewhat popular, the guys in the band had money. I don't think this was ever the case.
In Circus, RIP or one of those mags from the 80's, I remember reading an article about how Faster Pussycat was not making money. That band was never Guns and Roses by any stretch, but they had legitimate hits at the time. Top 40 stuff like "House of Pain".
They never reached headliner status (that I am aware of), and at their height they opened for the larger bands of the day (probably Winger and Poison, I'm not sure, but that's a safe bet).
Anyway, this article said that they were paid $2500.00 a night (I think). They then had to pay the crew, the management and whatever else comes along with touring. At the end of it all, those guys, at the height of their popularity, didn't make any bank.
I don't know anyone from that band, and I didn't really care for them back then, but stuff like that struck a nerve and stuck with me. I guess I have always been a nerd, even as a pre-teen.
Fast forward to today. There is a huge talent pool out there. It's natural progression. It's safe to say that once new ground is broken, the gates open and the market is flooded with people more talented then previous generations. There are countless Ywgwie, EVH, Vai and Satriani caliper guitar players out there, and they just keep getting better. Take Animals as Leaders for example. I need a nap after listening to that band (and guy) shred. But I'll bet he's just as poor as anyone in the underground metal genre. Today, you play music because you love it and your life allows you to. It's a blessing and a curse.
When I was young, I dreamed of rock stardom and all the excess that came with it, but secretly I wanted to be rich like Bon Jovi and write songs that resonated the pants off of beautiful women. Endless touring cycles with prestige being the only payoff was never for me. I'm just not that good of a musician to have ever gotten prestige, and I'm happy to not be a part of that touring life. I would have drank myself into an early grave had I been blessed with the opportunity to tour. I'm sure whatever band I was in would have Mustaine'd me home.
All of that makes me wonder what current musicians do for health coverage, and who has their back at home to help them make ends meet. This is why I still buy albums, even if it's downloads from I-Tunes. I'm trying to support the bands I love (you're welcome Cancer Bats).
There is something great about following an underground genre. It's better for me that the world is not in tune with my tastes. The average sheep music listener can keep Maroon 5, I'll stick it out with Baroness, and everybody's happy in the end.
To the guys and girls still touring and grinding out a merger existence in the name of bringing me music, thank you. I am still a fan and still love you. Love is a great reward in itself. I am jealous that you have the brains, talent and support to do what you do. Some of us do understand. You guys rock (pun intended).
To the readers of this blog: Support bands. Support music. Buy the merch and keep the music scene alive. Let's give these guys a raise if possible. They are killing themselves to be able to do what they do.
Nago
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