Financial Burdens for Music Fans

Words by Matthew Spence:

Struggling to come up with the money to see Water From Your Eyes? Couch diving and street searching for pennies to get to Camp Flog Gnaw? Considering asking Shiesty Saul for money and hoping he gives you a year before he breaks your legs? Perhaps you want to lie on your resume and take that security job so you can throw it back to TiaCorrine. If you answered yes to at least 2 of the Fatal-4 questions, then you’re in luck, cause I have the remedy for your fandom withdrawal: Denial & Delusion. Works perfect; you’ll feel like you’re front and VIP, getting artists to sweat on you on every tour date even when, in actuality, you’re at home, making your loved ones concerned for your mental well-being.

Don’t worry, I’m not gonna talk about the political and economic climate of the world. Vox probably already has a video explaining how Gen-Z’s financial future’s fucked. During these times, though, it feels the pitfalls for music fans are getting a bit wider. Before someone pops out of socket and says, “This is probably the best time to be a music fan. It’s free and widely accessible, and you can find everything you want… silly goose.” My response: Yes, that’s true (and fuck you), but for a lot of people, that’s all of their experience is limited to. Where today it feels like you low-key have to be rich (or have a thick ass savings account) to be a fan and support: concerts, festivals, pop-up events (usually in big cities like NYC, LA, Seattle, those kinds of places), even merch and vinyls can be very costly. To where the average person fan needs to be in a certain tax bracket to buy a shirt and have nosebleed seats versus others who go to concerts every other week. Not everyone got it like that.

Now again, this isn’t an “Eat the Rich” convo, nor shame people who got it like that: whether rich or paycheck to paycheck, hard work or parents inheritance, knowing people who know people. It’s very nuanced because everyone’s financial situation is different, and how people view money is different whether rich or poor. However, it does get disheartening sometimes knowing that if you’re lucky, you get to go to a concert once a year, due to the cost-gatekeeping experiences that many are hoping to have one day…someday. Anniversary tours, reunions, once-in-a-lifetime shows, album eras that are destined to live rent-free in your mind, you’re just left with a combo of a shrug and say “It is what it is” and accept you’re not gonna be there for any of it. Even though, in secret, you’re gonna pop a blood vessel if you see anyone post themselves at the American Football album anniversary concert.

Well, hey, artists need to get paid, plus the tech and touring crew, venue staff, and all that shit. Understandable. However, fuck Ticketmaster. If Kurt Cobain was alive today, he wouldn’t have fallen victim to mental health and depression; he would’ve shat blood and had a heart attack if he saw how people had to pay $150 for lawn seats outside of the damn venue. Or maybe Nirvana would charge $300 for tickets today; I don’t know. Who Knows? Now sure, we have alternative ticket apps, but even then depending on the artist (obviously), you still could be paying a shit ton.

Name a concert you’ve been to; I can’t help but think of all of the people who couldn’t go. Even then, for the shittiest seat, many don’t have it like that. There’s a reason why concerts and arena tours for many major figures aren’t sold out in Taylor Swift style: people don’t accept IOUs as payments, and people are held hostage by work. No time, no money for that, but for other shit. Shit is rough. Now, Add in the equation of buying physical copies of music. The math will start mathing.

Vinyls are similar to concerts: priorities come first, so you have to make time and figure out exactly what you want to cause shit is expensive. Let’s say a new vinyl is $26 the lowest; getting 2 new brand releases would be over $50 plus tax. Shit adds up really quick, and it’ll be 50/50 if you walk away with stoked geekiness or financial regret. It’s like what they say, “The Bigger the Fan, The Broker the Wallet.”  Who are they? Me. Many at this point are legally married to FOMO due to common law.

The cost of everything is increasing; we’re fucked here, there, and everywhere, and it’s translating to music culture. Music fans are getting robbed in every form to enjoy the art that formed them. Robbed of experiences and money cause fuck Ticketmaster. But we’re fans; we can’t help it, even if it breaks our wallet. We don’t necessarily need to spend money on things that may be frivolous to some, but they’re special to us. I’ve definitely been in positions where I could’ve used my money for other productive purposes and walked away stressed looking at my account after getting a ticket or vinyl. Hopefully, it’s a cycle that changes for the future generation, but hey, if not, I guess we’re all verse 3 of Drug Ballad (in essence).