In an interesting move indie favorite Asobi Seksu has come clean as to one of the aspects of the music industry that no one likes to talk about - the fact that opening bands on European tours rarely make any cash. The band has found a way around that by using Kickstarter to try to fund the tour and give back to their fans by offering some exclusive merch. Click the above widget to find out more or read below!
In a couple of weeks we fly to England to tour with a band called White Lies, who are a very big deal over there. We're thrilled that they've asked us to play because it means we'll be performing in the largest venues we've ever played - and for a lot of new people who probably haven't heard much about Asobi Seksu. Such great exposure is priceless, and a wonderful opportunity for us.
But with the exposure comes a huge financial loss for the band!
Confused as to why we won't strike it rich on tour?
Let's play a little game called Myth & Reality.
Myth: Asobi Seksu will make loads and loads of cash touring England with White Lies.
Reality: Support bands on large tours like this make next to nothing. The headliners rely on the fact that the exposure is incentive enough - so they don't offer much in the way of actual money. It's nothing against White Lies - we most definitely appreciate the chance to tour with them. It's simply the nature of this business we're in. And since we're traveling all the way to England from New York, we have to spend a lot of money on necessities: plane tickets, gear rental, van rental, tour manager, sound engineer, hotels (even the cheap ones without heat are expensive!), gas, food, etc. These costs add up quickly, and each day we'll spend more money than we earn. So we actually stand to lose over $10,000 on the tour. That's the trade-off to play for 4,000 people a night, instead of, say, 300. Worth it? We think so!
We understand times are tough for everyone so this might not be the best time to tackle both of these tours, but we have a feeling the shows are going to be some of our best ever. It'll be rewarding for us in so many ways...just not financially.
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