Why your favorite euro band never gets huge tours

[AeonicSlumber]

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/huntress-virtual-yard-sale-for-mayhem-festival-tour-support

I've said this a few times before, but here's a pretty apt illustration of exactly why you don't see Primal Fear or Hammerfall or Edguy doing this kind of a tour. Here's an American band playing Mayhem Fest this summer doing an indiegogo campaign to get a bus. Clearly the label isn't willing to pay tour support, and the tour pays little to no money.

So a European band like the ones I mentioned that does big theaters in Europe and only does a few hundred or so here headlining - this is why. When they headline these tours, they usually get paid enough that after everything is said and done, they can pack up and go home and break even. It's a vacation, maybe they each took home a couple hundred bucks from that vacation. They are in their 40's or even 50's, and they can't afford to be 30 grand in debt or whatever just for "long term exposure".

And while it's cool to see these bands doing crowd funding campaigns to get the fans to really help the bands on a 1 to 1 level, I don't expect this to be a regular thing - or more to the point - a thing that Euro bands will participate in. Agents aren't going to want to risk that, especially bigtime ones like the guy that puts together Mayhem Fest or whatever and have additional sponsors and brands to manage.

What u think bros?

 

[Imajica]

There is just so that goes on behind the curtain that we average fans have no idea. That was a great video and I hope it opens everyones eyes. I pray they reach their goal level.

 

[Metal_Camden]

And also think, the amount they are asking for, is merely a small fraction of what they have spent or even the full cost of this tour alone!

 

[orcslayr23]

I'd definitely contribute to a campaign if it would help some of my favorite euro bands tour over here.

 

[edgeofthorns]

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/huntress-virtual-yard-sale-for-mayhem-festival-tour-support

I've said this a few times before, but here's a pretty apt illustration of exactly why you don't see Primal Fear or Hammerfall or Edguy doing this kind of a tour. Here's an American band playing Mayhem Fest this summer doing an indiegogo campaign to get a bus. Clearly the label isn't willing to pay tour support, and the tour pays little to no money.

So a European band like the ones I mentioned that does big theaters in Europe and only does a few hundred or so here headlining - this is why. When they headline these tours, they usually get paid enough that after everything is said and done, they can pack up and go home and break even. It's a vacation, maybe they each took home a couple hundred bucks from that vacation. They are in their 40's or even 50's, and they can't afford to be 30 grand in debt or whatever just for "long term exposure".

And while it's cool to see these bands doing crowd funding campaigns to get the fans to really help the bands on a 1 to 1 level, I don't expect this to be a regular thing - or more to the point - a thing that Euro bands will participate in. Agents aren't going to want to risk that, especially bigtime ones like the guy that puts together Mayhem Fest or whatever and have additional sponsors and brands to manage.

What u think bros?

That video is hilarious, but sad at the same time. I don't even know who this band is, but I hope they reach their goal.

I saw on FB yesterday that Johnny Lee Middleton received a record plaque celebrating 2 M copies of The Lost Christmas Eve that has sold. With that said, I couldn't help but wonder how much money he actually has made from it.

Any guesses?

~Brian~

 

[Harvester]

With that said, I couldn't help but wonder how much money he actually has made from it.

Any guesses?

~Brian~

Somewhere between diddly and squat.

 

[DuchessOfDork]

I'd definitely contribute to a campaign if it would help some of my favorite euro bands tour over here.

POWERWOLF, am I right? I love them, but I can't say for sure if a tour in the US would be beneficial to them (ie; will enough people show?). For Euro bands, touring the US is the only way they'd be able to come over because no one festival can afford to pay for the entire band (plus helpers)'s plain tickets, visas, and travel expenses. It's tough to go overseas unless you already have a huge fanbase.

 

[Wayniac]

Somewhere between diddly and squat.

Bullseye.
He likley made tour pay, and only tour pay.

 

[orcslayr23]

POWERWOLF, am I right?

Nah, I don't listen to them.

 

[Justin G]

POWERWOLF, am I right? I love them, but I can't say for sure if a tour in the US would be beneficial to them (ie; will enough people show?). For Euro bands, touring the US is the only way they'd be able to come over because no one festival can afford to pay for the entire band (plus helpers)'s plain tickets, visas, and travel expenses. It's tough to go overseas unless you already have a huge fanbase.

I'm sure a Powerwolf headlining US tour would do every bit as well as a Firewind or Edguy tour - not very well.

 

[Justin G]

Nah, I don't listen to them.

Your loss.

 

[AeonicSlumber]

I saw on FB yesterday that Johnny Lee Middleton received a record plaque celebrating 2 M copies of The Lost Christmas Eve that has sold. With that said, I couldn't help but wonder how much money he actually has made from it.

Any guesses?

~Brian~

Industry standard for record royalties is 15%. So if the profit margin per CD sold is around $3 that means the band made around 45 cents per CD sold. That means the band took in a total of $900,000 in record royalties not counting what could be millions more in publishing royalties.

 

[Harvester]

Industry standard for record royalties is 15%. So if the profit margin per CD sold is around $3 that means the band made around 45 cents per CD sold. That means the band took in a total of $900,000 in record royalties not counting what could be millions more in publishing royalties.

You left out the P.O. factor in the equation. I maintain "diddly squat" other than live performances in this specific case.

 

[Mr. Zane of HW]

A lot of times, and I can't say this is the case for every record label out there, but a "veteran" musician, who had recorded and toured quite a bit, explained how it had worked for him. That he would do an album, the label would rake in dough on sales to chain stores, and whatever percentage the band did get, the label would spend, without band consent due to contractual crap, on promotion. so your band made $15,000 in royalties? well the label just spent $30,000 on an ad blast and promotion campaign. And the label then takes that money from the band, and then issues an "advance" to pay for stuff, that the band owes the label out of future royalties. This is only a very rough explanation, and it's not true for all labels and bands, and also explains why so many musicians would just assume stay DIY. I don't believe there is such a thing as "making it", as much as there is finding ones own personal success and being content with what you have earned on your own. Having said all that, I hope this band gets the funding they need, and gets to at least live out a portion of the dream.

 

[DuchessOfDork]

This is only a very rough explanation, and it's not true for all labels and bands, and also explains why so many musicians would just assume stay DIY. I don't believe there is such a thing as "making it", as much as there is finding ones own personal success and being content with what you have earned on your own.

Thank goodness for things like IndieGogo and KickStarter. My band was able to fund half our album, plus a bunch of cool products through KickStarter campaign and I think our fans appreciated the fact that they got to be in the album credits and stuff. Personal success to me is being able to continue making albums as we continue writing music, so thank goodness musicians can do just that without having to depend on a label. Just go out there and play, play well, make fans, and anyone can do it.

 

[AngraRULES]

POWERWOLF, am I right? I love them, but I can't say for sure if a tour in the US would be beneficial to them (ie;will enough people show?).

Will anyone show to a Powerwolf gig in the USA other than the few folks who know them around here?

 

[AngraRULES]

I'm sure a Powerwolf headlining US tour would do every bit as well as a Firewind or Edguy tour - not very well.

I'm sure Edguy and Firewind will outdraw them every day of the tour compared to PW. These bands have been out there for years, released plenty of albums, headlined their own tours in the States. Powerwolf....who?

Even at the shows Firewind draws 18 people there will be more attendees than Powerwolf.