The Pop Corporation

It really is a sorry state of affairs in the music industry outside of the few who can fill huge outdoor arenas and stadiums – and even some of those are struggling. Companies and venues are taking a cut of bands selling merch, there’s no money in streaming, you have to pivot to being a minor internet celebrity instead of just focusing on the music while maintaining a regular social media presence, and thanks to Brexit you can’t tour in Europe, and if you’re lucky enough to be invited to play in the States, you’re going to get charged through the nose for that too.

Add to this, the increased expectation to ‘put on a show’ with screens, dancers, whistles and bells from audiences, and you’re left with a dizzying prospect of insurmountable costs and wages to pay, and you honestly wonder why anyone ends up doing anything at all. Sell some records? Those records are not cheap to press either.

You might think it is only small-to-mid level acts falling foul of this, but with regards to touring in the US, The Chemical Brothers said they won’t be playing shows over there any time soon because of high costs, especially those regarding work visas. The US Department of Homeland Security have raised their price on touring visas by 260%. There’s already a grassroots campaign in North America to try and fix this from the Music Managers Forum and Featured Artists Coalition.

The campaign has received support from Hot Chips, IDLES and more, which leads us to the current plight featuring English artist Rachel Chinouriri.

After a great performance at Glastonbury and some dynamite songs seeing the light of day, Chinouriri was invited by Remi Wolf to be the support on her North American tour. Both acts make hyperactive, inventive psychedelic pop and is a perfect fit, if it wasn’t for all the bureaucracy and tariffs. Rachel has announced to her fans that she’s had to pull out of the tour because the financial strain of going through with it is just “too much.”

Chinouriri says: “I’m deeply saddened to announce that I have to withdraw from the Remi Wolf tour and several festivals. This year I’ve invested all my savings and earnings into my shows, styling, and band to be able to tour. While my debut album has opened many amazing opportunities, the financial strain on touring has become too much.”

“Despite my best efforts to secure funding for this incredible opportunity, it hasn’t been possible. This is the tough reality of the music industry, whether you’re signed or independent. I’ve explored every possible option to make this work because I adore Remi and her fanbase, and I was so excited to come to the States. However, I cannot justify the financial risk it would entail.”

“Thank you for your understanding and the support, it means everything to me. I will continue to work hard, and I can’t wait to see you all on the November tour! To my US darlings, I will be back as soon as I can!”

We already wrote about Nadine Shah backing out of a Glastonbury slot because of the costs involved with current touring artists. If gigs are costing money, rehearsals, Spotify’s boss saying that bands can record for ‘free’ to justify the low payouts, venues stealing a cut of merch from bands, physical releases being expensive and everything else besides, we’re in dangerous territory for what it means to try and make it as a musician.

While good music won’t ever die while there’s a need for people to express themselves, there’s a worrying precedent being set that the only people are the top are either those that come from money, or those that are corporate and bland enough to convince companies to invest in them. If you care about the art and spontaneity in music, then all of the above is cause for concern.