You say that you'd rather be really poor than scratching, saving, scrimping all the pennies

[venta]

There's a very sad article this morning: the recession is really hitting the music industry badly. Bands are having to drastically scale back their names in order to keep down touring costs.

Obviously the worst hit are the smaller bands of today, or bands whose career peak is long past. The article I read mentioned Vampire Saturday Afternoon, Primal Whimper, The Stone Carnations, Belligerent Femmes and Avenge Twice. But even the big boys like U1½ and Coolplay are having to make savings.

Some bands are really struggling, of course. British Sea Power's last tour flopped totally, because the posters advertising concerts by A Couple of Dinghies Off Dover didn't appeal to anyone. Black Box Recorder's promised new album failed to materialise because they just couldn't face recording as The Pilot's Old Notebooks.

Has anyone else heard about this, or know any bands which have been affected?

Comments

[mr-tom.livejournal.com]

The Utah Samaritans aren't as good as they were, and the Rolling Pebbles are getting mossy.

The Fairly-attractive-in-the-right-light Things don't look so good nowadays.

Ozric Calamari are smaller but more crunchy and Nine Centimetre Nails have gone metric.

The Regional will be touring only parts of the nation. KC and the Overcast band will be providing the weather. Apparently Jefferson Hang-glider will be dropping in.

Warm Chip have cooled-off, and Groove Dinghy have no mates.

[missfairchild.livejournal.com]

I understand that The Regional will be supported by Black Rebel Tricycle Club on those dates.

And apparently Sputnik 220 are so poor that they've been forced to produce the new record by Andrew Turkey Twizzlers.