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

[Pickman's model]

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.

Strange to say I saw a musician dipping in and out of the UK just the other day, Jordi Savall and his ensemble at the Wigmore Hall. On Weds they played Toulouse, Friday London and Saturday Abbeville.

 

[editor]

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

It's fine if you take over stuff you can carry as hand luggage, but you're fucked if you want to take over more gear or merch. It's still a clusterfuck for small-medium sized bands, but little problem if you're a well-funded international superstar act/band who can afford legal teams to sort out all the stuff for you,

 

[editor]

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.

More likely it's because nothing has changed and bands are still being fucked over by Brexit.

In April, Best for Britain published research that suggested the number of British acts booked for European festivals in 2023 was down by a third (32%) compared to the average of 2017-19, before Brexit took effect. This was a bleak stat, although an improvement from the 45% decrease recorded in 2022 – the first year Brexit took hold and where Covid restrictions were eased.

UK Music’s Chief Executive, Tom Kiehl, has told whynow the issue is particularly pronounced for emerging acts. “You’ve got to recognise the fact that when it comes to post-Brexit EU touring, larger players will have the resource to find workarounds, and the smaller bands will find it far more difficult to navigate or just decide not to do that international touring,” he explained.

“It’s probably quite premature to really assess the impact yet, but if you’re a band and artist at the early stage of your career, you’ll be wanting to tour all the time, and the European market is one you would have previously exploited positively, and built fanbases and learnt your craft.

“Because we’ve only left for two or so years, the legacy issues still need to be worked out, but we’re particularly concerned from the smaller-scale artist’s point of view, and just how potentially difficult it is.”

As Kiehl has explained: “Even for more established gigging musicians, you’ve got this 90-in-180-day rule around Brexit, which is a big issue. So if you work with a particular artist, or have a particular relationship with a country, within three months, you’re already hitting the deadline for how long you should be in that country.

‘Our successes can’t be taken for granted’ | Examining the post-Brexit landscape for British musicians whynow

We examine the data and speak to UK Music Chief Executive Tom Kiehl to find out about the strength of the post-Brexit market for British acts.

whynow.co.uk

 

[editor]

Here's the reality:

The situation bodes much worse when reported from those dealing with the issues firsthand. In August, the Independent Society of Musicians (ISM) reported their survey findings, with the headline statistic that almost half of music industry workers had lost work in the EU since January 2021.

The survey asked 408 respondents with a variety of roles from the sector. Other notable figures included the fact that more than a quarter (27.8%) said they had no work at all in the EU since January 2021; 40% had work cancelled within that period; and 2% even had EU grants revoked, with one person losing £10,000 as a result.

And: Brexit sees UK musicians’s work dry up in EU: ‘It’s killing us’

 

[editor]

This article details just how fucking shit Brexit is for bands, techs and other workers trying to make a living in Europe. Well worth a read for any ignorant observer labouring under the illusion that it's really not so bad for touring bands/performers/road crews:

Face the music: it’s time to admit the damage done to our touring industry by Brexit

Since Brexit, the red tape needed for UK freelancers to work in the EU is causing significant damage to the creative touring industry

centralbylines.co.uk

 

[danski]

In case it wasn’t clear, I was being sarcastic.
I can empathise with having your livelihood taken away or made really difficult.

 

[skyscraper101]

This is a fascinating insight into the costs for UK musicians to tour the US

‘We paid £24,000 to tour the US but Taylor comes here for free!’: how America is crippling UK acts

British musicians are powerful cultural exports, but exorbitant costs prevent them from touring the US. Why isn’t the government helping?

www.telegraph.co.uk

via Sil Willcox (Stranglers manager)

“It now costs twice as much to take a band to the States as it did in 2019. The USA is becoming more protectionist. Something needs to be done.”

“Whether you’re a roadie or the lead singer, you have to petition for a work permit/visa in person at the US embassy. And, whereas visas used to last a whole year, artists now have to reapply with every visit. They tell you there’s a four-month backlog, so you pay for the premium accelerated service to be on the safe side. Hence [why it cost] £24,000 for a party of eight – the four band members plus three crew and tour manager. And then our own government slaps 20 per cent VAT on top of that. What’s more, UK artists have to pay US federal and state taxes (as well as tax back in the UK), so a further £8000 is needed to hire a US tax advisor who can ensure they don’t get taxed instantly on gross fees in the US.”

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

This is a fascinating insight into the costs for UK musicians to tour the US

‘We paid £24,000 to tour the US but Taylor comes here for free!’: how America is crippling UK acts

British musicians are powerful cultural exports, but exorbitant costs prevent them from touring the US. Why isn’t the government helping?

www.telegraph.co.uk

Got a non-paywalled link?

 

[skyscraper101]

Got a non-paywalled link?

Try archive.ph - I can't do it because I'm at work and it's blocked.

 

[spitfire]

https://archive.ph/vphYz