Brexit and musicians/performers and the touring industry: news, updates and experiences

[editor]

'Every barrier in the world went up overnight': Some bands are skipping the UK because of Brexit — Sky News

It has been three years since the UK last enjoyed a full fixture of festivals - from local line-ups to the likes of Glastonbury and Download.

apple.news

And who can blame these bands not stopping in the U.K. for a few shows when it can cost hundreds of $$$ just to get a carnet sorted and it’s easier to just skip the U.K. entirely and do all their business in the EU/EEA.

It's fucking shit.

Justine Jones, lead singer of British band Employed to Serve, says the new paperwork ramps up how much they have to spend to travel to festivals on the continent, and she knows European counterparts facing the same to come here for our calendar defining events.

"Bands have to get carnets to literally list every single instrument, pack of strings, battery packs and more, with the make and with the serial numbers," she said.

"We had to pay a professional company to do that and that cost us just under £1,000.

"And the carnets only last a year, as well as only covering a certain amount of crossings, so if we go over that, we have to buy a whole new one.

 

[editor]

And another working musician documents how Brexit has fucked her career. And before people start whining that I'm being needlessly negative, feel free to show me some positives that have come out of Brexit for musicians:

For musicians, actors and the multitudes of people whose work puts them on stage, Brexit amounts to a particularly mind-boggling tangle of rules, demands and fees that simply didn’t exist when practitioners of the arts could work and travel freely around mainland Europe. Obviously, this cuts both ways: fewer European performers fancy coming here, and talented people in the UK have to find ways of surmounting endless obstacles, if they can. The results of the latter problem are obvious: figures recently published by the campaign group Best for Britain show that the number of British musicians playing at EU festivals this summer has fallen by 45% compared with the period immediately before Brexit and the pandemic.

Sarah McQuaid is a folk musician based in Cornwall. She tours on the most stripped-down basis imaginable: in a single car, with her manager-cum-roadie. She tends to play very intimate venues – in Berlin, she tells me, her favourite place has a capacity of 60 – but between tickets and on-the-road sales of vinyl LPs, CDs, T-shirts and other “merch”, that model has always allowed her to just about make a living.

Brexit has upturned everything. “Continental Europe was the one place I could get good audiences, and really good merch sales,” she says. “Even with the cost of ferries getting over there, I could still earn more in four weeks than I’d make in twice that amount of time in the UK. You could earn as little as €400 on a fee, but make the same amount on merch sales. So, for a solo artist like me, it worked.”

She says she knows musicians who have now simply decided to stop playing in Europe. One problem is the different VAT regimes in each European country: “I’m supposed to register for VAT in every single one of them, declare the value of all the merch I’m bringing in to sell, and pay VAT on it. And then when I leave the country, I can reclaim the VAT, as long as I can show that I’m bringing all the stuff out again.” Another issue is import duty. And then there are Carnets: the documents that now have to detail the equipment being moved from country to country, and that entail sizeable fees (McQuaid’s latest one cost £379.25 – for the kind of operation surrounding a band or theatre company, the costs are inevitably even more punishing).

When she recently toured Ireland, what struck her the most was the spectacle of customs officials having to check her load as she arrived by ferry: “They’re not there to make sure that musicians who take a PA system out of the country take it back in again. They’re there to catch people-smuggling.”

She sighs, and then echoes something I have heard from just about everyone I have spoken to: a sense of rules, arrangements that make no sense, and are upturning people’s lives. “It’s such a waste of everyone’s time,” she says. “Why do it?”

Spiralling inflation, crops left in the field and travel chaos: 10 reasons Brexit has been disastrous for Britain

As small businesses crumble, shelves get emptier and the care-worker shortage intensifies, life outside the EU is having a dire effect on many of us. Why aren’t politicians talking about it?

www.theguardian.com

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

It’s all so utterly depressing. An act of economic and cultural self harm on a quite staggering scale. And still twats who should know better cling to ever more desperate excuses and justifications for what they did.

 

[editor]

Fucking shitty Brexit, still screwing over small bands...

At £570, the ATA carnet for the instruments eats into the marginal income small bands look forward to in a world that is already proving more expensive because of the price of petrol.

Live performances can account for 90%-95% of a band’s income, according to Help Musicians, but Brexit has cut into one of their most important revenue streams, restricting them to £1,000 worth of merchandise before they get into a higher taxable bracket.

Brexit stage left: British band tells of farcical barriers encountered on EU tour

Groups such as Walt Disco are struggling to make ends meet – or giving up – because of new obstacles, a musicians’ charity says

www.theguardian.com

 

[Supine]

Brexit is “strangling the next generation of UK talent in the cradle” in returning summer of touring

With acts now testing what it’s like to play Europe with Brexit’s new requirements, the UK music industry is demanding swift government action to prevent further “damage” to smaller and rising artists

www.nme.com

 

[editor]

And so it goes on. Fucking Brexit.

 

[Pickman's model]

not to mention Music insiders warns of ‘en masse unemployment’ unless Brexit-related travel restrictions are urgently addressed

 

[TopCat]

Music is about to wither. Apparently.

‘Music could wither’: new report finds 98% of musicians concerned about rising costs in the UK

A study by charity Help Musicians has found a combination of the cost of living crisis, Brexit and energy and food prize increases has left many struggling

www.theguardian.com

 

[editor]

Music is about to wither. Apparently.

‘Music could wither’: new report finds 98% of musicians concerned about rising costs in the UK

A study by charity Help Musicians has found a combination of the cost of living crisis, Brexit and energy and food prize increases has left many struggling

www.theguardian.com

You really don't give much of a shit, do you?

About 98% of musicians are worried about how the cost of living crisis will affect their career, new research shows. The study, by charity Help Musicians, reveals that half of the 525 UK artists surveyed are “extremely” or “very” concerned they’ll be forced to leave the industry.

 

[TopCat]

You really don't give much of a shit, do you?

I care on a wider basis. You are only interested in your own income.

 

[editor]

I care on a wider basis. You are only interested in your own income.

Actually, I'm expecting no income at all from touring abroad, but that doesn't stop me being concerned for other musicians and those in the arts who have been totally fucked by Brexit.

But please elaborate how your 'care' for musicians on a 'wider basis' converts into some sort of meaningful reality for those struggling to pay their bills.

 

[DaphneM]

To look on the bright side it may save peoples hearing!

One billion young people risk hearing loss from loud music

Study suggests 24% of 12- to 34-year-olds globally listen at ‘unsafe level’ on devices and visit noisy venues

www.theguardian.com

 

[editor]

And so it goes on, with Brexit screwing over small bands

Britain’s exit from the European Union has complicated life for the touring musician. Bands encounter more red tape and other logistical hurdles that make tours more difficult to organise, and ultimately more expensive.

How much extra preparation work in terms of paperwork and application time did you experience touring with both your bands in Europe post-Brexit compared to before?

"The major difference is that you can no longer move goods freely over the border, which affects musical equipment and also merchandise. This has a big impact in terms of costs and also paperwork time.

"For musical equipment you need a carnet, which is effectively a passport for the gear. It’s a manifest of all your gear, and when checked at customs everything on the list needs to be present, with the correct serial numbers listed. For Tesseract this isn’t a big deal, as an international touring at we have a carnet already, which we annually renew. However for Cage Fight – which is effectively a new start up band – this has much more of an impact.

First off there’s the time you have to set aside to create the manifest and apply for a carnet, but main impact is cost. Thankfully there are some very helpful agents out there who will help with the carnet creation very cheaply, but you’re still looking at least a £500 outlay.

What do you think the longterm effects of Brexit will be on live music?

"Unless we see some big changes soon, I feel Brexit will stunt the growth of new UK artists, and the costs and admin have made getting to Europe quite prohibitive. I also feel that our live scene will suffer as fewer international acts will tour here as a result. This will have an effect on venues, local scenes and more."

James Monteith of Tesseract/Cage Fight on what touring is like post-Brexit: “For all bands things have become more difficult, but the smaller bands are the ones who have been impacted the most”

The Tesseract and Cage Fight guitarist on how touring Europe after Brexit means more paperwork, more time spent planning, and more expense – and what this means for the UK music scene

www.musicradar.com

 

[editor]

I care on a wider basis. You are only interested in your own income.

I'm still waiting for you to back up this nasty piece of libellous drivel.

 

[pinkmonkey]

A friend of mine used to make most of his dosh doing house concerts in Germany and Italy, all gone overnight, he'd just got a record deal in Germany, just before the pandemic and he now can't tour to promote his album. It sucks so much and I reckon has contributed to his breakdown,.

 

[editor]

And the US has decided to do their bit to fuck up small bands too

Touring can be a struggle these days amid last-minute cancellations, equipment shortages and soaring freight prices. Now, one more obstacle might be added to that list: higher artist visa fees for the US.

Applying for an O or P visa, needed for artists to tour in the country, could be more than 200 percent higher if a new proposal comes into effect. A P visa, for artists coming to perform temporarily, would jump from the current rate of $460 to $1,615, while the O visa, a longer-term visa, would go from $460 to $1,655 if the government gets its way. Expedited processing, priced at $2,500, currently takes 15 calendar days but that could change to 15 business days.

If implemented, this poses severe consequences for US promoters, particularly DIY events. It means more promoters will likely look to book local artists, since only well-established event organisers, or those with access to external funding, will be able to afford international artists. In those cases, costs are likely to be passed down to consumers in the form of higher ticket prices.

Bye-bye American pie: high price of visas keeps British musicians off US tours

Ever since Beatlemania, UK acts have set their sights across the pond. Now spiralling costs are pulling the plug

www.theguardian.com

 

[rutabowa]

just to update from the diy punk, under the radar type touring, I do keep following updates from uk bands doing transit van touring round europe and it appears to be continuing much as before, same shoestring budgets that can easily end up in a loss with any mishap... but the mishaps always seem to be in Switzerland (That's the border where they will gouge money off you for any number of reasons) rather than the UK/EU border. obvs they're doing a lot unofficially, but then they were before brexit too. this isnt to minimize issues with other more on the radar types of touring tho.

 

[BigTom]

This is going the other way to what most of the discussion has been on this thread but felt relevant to me: German band may have been refused UK entry ‘because they have day jobs’

The UK-based music agent Ian Smith, who has been helping the band understand why they were turned away, said that although their paperwork was in order, they were refused entry after telling the border officer that they had other jobs back in Germany.

 

[editor]

This is going the other way to what most of the discussion has been on this thread but felt relevant to me: German band may have been refused UK entry ‘because they have day jobs’

That's fucking ridiculous. The vast majority of touring musicians in small bands have day jobs.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

That's fucking ridiculous. The vast majority of touring musicians in small bands have day jobs.

Yeah, but, you know, sovereignty. Enjoy it…

 

[rutabowa]

good news here (really just clarification on the portable instrument exemption that I mentioned at the start of thread) -- amplifiers etc are now confirmed to also be exempt for sure. so no need for carnets for the purposes of small transit van type bands.

 

[skyscraper101]

I keep seeing so many examples of medium-size international bands just skipping the UK for European tours entirely these days. Here's the latest. A 32-date European tour for Soulfly including festival dates and shows in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Nordics, East Europe, and not one single UK date. Fuck Brexit.

Soulfly Tour Dates & Tickets — Soulfly - Totem | The Official Soulfly Website

www.soulfly.com

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Holidays in the EU, not if you're a freelancer

As the schools break up, many will head off to European countries. Freelancers like me may not be able to. Why?

northeastbylines.co.uk

Oh look, the really shitty thing that was quite obviously always going to be really shitty is still really shitty.

 

[editor]

Holidays in the EU, not if you're a freelancer

As the schools break up, many will head off to European countries. Freelancers like me may not be able to. Why?

northeastbylines.co.uk

Oh look, the really shitty thing that was quite obviously always going to be really shitty is still really shitty.

And it's still crippling smaller bands.

If only Colin Schaverien had it so easy. He manages less well-known rock and pop acts such as Two Door Cinema Club and Courting. Going on tour is the best way for young bands to make a name for themselves and it used to be easy. “You rented a van, put in your kit, added some T-shirts to sell, and headed off to France, Germany, Spain,” he says. Today it has never been so hard. The reason? Brexit.

Before he can take a band on tour, Schaverien has to apply for and pay for customs passes, or “carnets”, to account for every item of the band’s equipment, down to the last cymbal. The serial number on each item must be listed. The carnet costs £1,500 for each van or lorry. Even with the carnet, bands face hold-ups at borders as EU officials grapple with post-Brexit customs regulations.

In some countries Schaverien has to apply for employment passes for band members. He also has to make sure none of the musicians, technical crew or drivers has spent more than 90 days in the EU in the past 180 days, the new post-Brexit time limit for Brits.

Taking tour “merch” makes little sense any more because import duties have to be paid to take it into the EU and more when any leftovers are brought back into Britain. T-shirts can be made in Europe to avoid EU import duties, but duty still has to be paid on clothing brought back into Britain. “Both the time it takes to arrange a tour and the costs have soared,” Schaverien says.

It is for these reasons — plus the impact of inflation — that Courting are playing more UK gigs than European dates this summer. Two Door Cinema Club will only play at single foreign festivals, then come home, much to the frustration of the band’s bass player, Kevin Baird. “We used to do three or four weeks on tour across Europe every year — 20 to 30 dates hitting multiple cities and festivals. It’s now unaffordable unless you are Beyoncé.”

It’s not just musicians and fans who are losing out. Acts are supported by a small army of truckers and roadies. Thanks to the strength of the British music scene, coupled with US artists’ desire to use English-speaking crews, UK firms used to dominate the European music haulage business. “Britain had about 85 per cent of the market,” says Stuart McPherson, who runs KB Event Ltd, which operates a fleet of lorries worth £20 million. His business was hit hard when the post-Brexit EU rules came into force.

https://archive.ph/jSICU#selection-1083.0-1083.508

Fuck Brexit.

 

[skyscraper101]

Another slow handclap for Brexit.

Quarter of music industry workers have had no work in EU since Brexit

Survey shows devastating impact of Brexit on music sector, says Independent Society of Musicians

www.theguardian.com

 

[Pickman's model]

this thread seems to have gone suspiciously quiet.

 

[danski]

That must be due to people being too busy to post from all the touring they're doing, not to mention all the champagne parties they're attending.

 

[spitfire]

As if by magic...it's a factor in this article. Breaking up a tour by dipping in and out of the UK is no longer as easy as it was. Also I imagine the crew will now be mostly made up of EU nationals/passport holders so visa nonsense as well.

Festival organisers sound alarm as big-name artists shun their events

Industry says with global headliners doing their own tours there are not enough stars to fill festival line-ups in UK and Ireland

www.theguardian.com

Brexit has also made matters worse. In the past, playing in the UK would be part of a European tour. “You might do Brussels one night, Paris the next and then Manchester two nights later,” says Lord. But now no one can risk equipment being held at the border. “If that happens you’re going to lose your headliners. It’s caused major issues in the industry.” On top of this, being paid in sterling is “not great”, he says.

 

[klang]

You might do Brussels one night, Paris the next and then Manchester two nights later

Lazy layabouts.

 

[rutabowa]

That must be due to people being too busy to post from all the touring they're doing, not to mention all the champagne parties they're attending.

I have played in the EU since I last posted... not really worth mentioning tho as I didn't take any equipment at all just made some maracas out if a pringles tub and some beans when I got there. everyone else took instruments tho