Financial insecurity and low earnings stop musicians from pursing a music career, according to charity Help Musicians.
Fewer than half of musicians earn all of their income from music, and 80% of musicians face financial career-restricting barriers.
KickBoy is a five-piece south London milk punk band who played a sold out show at The George Tavern, Hackney, on Friday night.
Jamie, 27, one of KickBoy’s vocalists, said: “We’ve never made a dime.
“We’ve never broken even on a single gig.”
KickBoy has enjoyed sustained success in the independent music scene, touring the UK extensively and headlining shows in France and Belgium.
Three of the band have full-time jobs, and two are students.
They have found it is impossible to sustain yourself through music unless you’re the biggest band on the scene, and having a nine-five job is essential.
Jamie said: “If we were doing this every single month and playing a sell a sellout show at The George charging in £10 a head.
“That’s £1.5k split between five people: the promoter, the other people who are playing that night.
“It works out if you really wrangle it in favour of the band, that’s headlining and doing all the work, and you’re splitting it evenly.
“That’s maybe like £200 each, and that’s happening once a month. It’s really not feasible in the slightest.”
Help Musicians is a charity which supports musicians in the UK.
In their musicians census they found that only 40% of working musicians polled earn all their income from music.
Four out of five musicians reported financial career restricting barriers, such as affording the cost of equipment, transport, and training.
Help Musicians’ service delivery manager Clara Cullen said: “There’s a disconnect.
“We all recognise music is incredibly important as a connection point between us as people, but then we don’t value it on a day-to-day and an economic level.”
She believes that music is undervalued.
Chris, 27, KickBoy’s guitarist, argued that the last 14 years of Conversative governments has had a grave effect on the music scene.
He said that arts defunding in music, theatre and literature has caused grants and bursary schemes to fade away.
This results in music becoming harder to access for young people.
Chris said: “It makes music the preserve of the elites.”
Connie, 27, KickBoy’s saxophonist, believes that living in London makes it easier for the band.
She said: “We live in London, so there’s already a barrier band that lives outside of London.
“You’ve got to add the cost of getting to the venue and somehow finding somewhere to stay the night, which is going to be really expensive.
“It’s probably unaffordable for a lot of bands to even get access to exposure to an audience.”
Musicians are all over the country, but there is a worry trend that you must move to London to make it, according to Clara.
Jamie reminded us that they pursue music because, above all else, it’s fun.
Picture credit: Matthew Bond
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