Live Nation has announced a new program to assist “developing artists” playing its club-sized venues. They’ve teamed up with Willie Nelson for “On the Road Again,” which will provide $1500 in gas and travel money per show, in addition to their nightly compensation, to headliners and support acts at club shows, and not take a cut of their merch sales. They’ll also provide financial bonuses to local promoters, tour reps, and venue crew members.
“Touring is a crucial part of an artist’s livelihood, and we understand travel costs take one of the biggest bites out of artists’ nightly profits,” a press release from Live Nation reads. “By helping with these core expenses, we aim to make it easier for artists on the road so they can keep performing to their fans in more cities across the country.”
Artists like Jeff Rosenstock and Tomberlin have recently discussed how steeply the cuts take away from the amount of money they are able to bring home from selling merch on tour, with Jeff saying that the cuts “cause us to sell our merch for higher prices than we’d like to at certain venues” and Tomberlin opting not to sell merch at one show because she wouldn’t be making any profit after all the fees.
Qualifying club venues include Warsaw, Gramercy Theatre, and Irving Plaza in NYC, and Brooklyn Bowl Philly, Roxian Theatre, Theatre of Living Arts, The Fillmore, and The Foundary and The Fillmore in Philadelphia. Find the full list here.
