Garbage's Shirley Manson: "The Live Music Industry Is Broken"

Shirley Manson, the lead vocalist of Garbage, has posted a warning with the graphic entitled, The Live Music Industry Is Broken on social media.

"Live music is under enormous strain. The average musician can no longer survive, let alone thrive, under the current conditions. We are seeing so many precious talents buckle under the economic injustice of a system that does not pay the creative for their artistic output," she wrote. Manson then revealed a harsh reality: "A large percentage of musicians that you know and love are likely living hand to mouth."

Manson criticised corporations making billions from musicians' hard work without sharing any of the profits. "This can not stand. We will lose a whole generation of young artists if it does," she continued. Think of it this way; she said, "So many of the artists that we revere and hold dear throughout history would have been utterly destroyed by this system entirely. Musicians cannot survive without being paid fairly for their music."

"And if the live scene fails, the whole ship goes down entirely. All you will be left with is the mainstream. No alternative perspectives. Nothing loud. Nothing dangerous. Nothing weird. Little that lasts more than one album cycle. That strikes me as a great sorrow for our culture as a whole." Manson concluded her post with a link to support the US-based Union Of Musicians And Allied Workers (UMAW), which calls for legislation to create a streaming royalty.

The current touring model is unsustainable for musicians. Manson follows artists who have transparently cited the expenses of live music right now, such as The Avalanches and Santigold. Apart from monetary concerns, musicians' mental health is also hanging by a thread. Sam Fender, Gang Of Youths and Arlo Parks have cancelled tours due to burnout. 

Melbourne artist Wolfjay was apprehensive about discussing income at first. "I don't want to set the expectation that losing so much money is how it has to be done," they told The Music. They also believe that touring needs an upheaval, as playing interstate incurs a 100% loss. "The most I would make in Sydney would be $500-$600 once everyone else is paid. That's if it's sold out and it's priced well. And that might cover my flights, maybe, and bringing my gear. But then everything else is out of pocket."