When it comes to writing about a perspective about any music scene, I could only write about what I know. If you’re reading this, then you’re probably aware that it pertains solely to what some refer to as “extreme music,” and I’ll roll with that since it’s sort of all-encompassing for black, death, and metal as a whole. One thing that has remained a constant within the scene has always been a sort of “call to arms” stance when it comes to support.
Support, in this day and age, entails more than just buying merch and attending shows. It also includes engagement on social networks in the forms of likes, comments, reposts, etc. The more boxes individual fans check-off, the more push the artist receives into getting their music exposed to a larger audience.
But what purpose does this serve?
When a band is asking - oftentimes even demanding - support, are they encouraging you to listen to their artistic expression because you might relate and enjoy, or are they asking you to support their means of living?
Probably neither, because they’re too busy recirculating the same tired-ass message, over and over, through some generic meme template like this…
Seriously, though: music as a whole is a business. Musical output is a commodity- unless of course, you’re genuinely treating it as an artistic or emotional outlet, in which case, payment is not really at the top of your priority list.
But even then, without the intent of commodifying it, an artist wants to see or feel a sense of reciprocation. Perhaps recordings are easier to let be what they are (depending on the independent resources expended to achieve said recordings) but when it comes to live performances, it’s fair to believe that one should be compensated for their efforts.
That begs to question: should artists be paid for live performances?
The answer is yes and no.
I pose this question because we’ve reached an era where more and more artists are taking to platforms to push the idea that they deserve to be paid. And based on my perspective (and mine only) this attitude is approximately seen most widely in the younger (18-25) and the older (50+ year) old demographic of artists. It’s approached with a sort of entitlement for compensation.
I get it.
Some of us take time off from work, some of us have to travel, and so forth. But are these artists drawing a crowd?
Oftentimes: no.
There has to be a factor of relevancy. Obviously you can’t always determine that via the question of “who did you come to see” but the proof is in the fact of seeing how large the audience is during a set, how loud an ovation is received between songs, and how much talk pertaining to said-artist is there throughout the remainder of the event.
And only by coincidence have I assessed that the bands demanding compensation aren’t exactly ticking any of those boxes.
But regardless of relevancy, it is not a single person’s duty to support an artist’s means of living. Because if they chose to undertake that attitude, it must come from a place of genuine desire.
It is impossible not to stress the era we live in - especially in the United States. The economy is anything but as strong as certain powers-that-be claim that it is. The age-old idea of a “starving artist” feels more prevalent, but also more self-imposed than ever; because any artist that wants to believe that they can sustain their lives on recording and live performances is making a gamble that only they can be held responsible for.
The go-away message is not that artists shouldn’t be paid, nor is it that it’s impossible to make a living from music - but in an age where Music as a whole is more saturated than ever, it takes an aggressive business model that includes marketing, intense negotiating, and a firm understanding what what your value and (most importantly) what your demand within the target audience is an artist.
Artists of various calibers get screwed over by circumstance - but it comes with the territory. And it isn't fair to believe that this falls solely on the shoulders of promoters and organizers - because that is a far greater task than most of us as fans or even bands can fully comprehend. It also doesn’t fall on the shoulders of fans, because each individual fan has their own lives and obligations to fulfill; but when you understand there are numerous uncontrollable variables, you realize that expecting and achieving financial sustenance from music is hard to imagine for a band of 2-5 members, or even one.
Long-term, meaningful support should come as organically as possible - not by demanding it or the means of quick, viral sensations.