The Economy's Drag on Indie Touring

I read several bits recently in two different publications about the dire economy hitting rock bands on the tour circuit. Wonder how many more it's hitting who aren't talking?

From a College Times interview with Austin, TX band Asylum Street Spankers:

"College Times: Why are the Spankers calling it quits after all these years?

Marrs: You know, it's mostly the economy. It's really hit us the last couple years out there. People were attending the shows. We were playing to the same numbers, but the gas and the hotels and the employee costs were gradually increasing, because employees were getting raises like most long-term employees will. Eventually we just couldn't afford them, you know?

Also, there's kind of just an industry-wide shift away from CDs that's affecting a lot of bands. People are listening to music different ways and purchasing music in different ways. CDs used to be the bread and butter for touring fans, but with the way things are going, CD sales are dropping off. That income that used to supplement our tour pay is just kind of not there. Like I said, it's just an industry-wide shift and there's really nothing we can do about it, but we're definitely seeing its impact."

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And from a fine feature on Phoenix band Kinch comes this quote about the band's tour last fall:

"This fall, we had a very rough tour, out on our own in cities we probably shouldn't have been playing on our own — the kind of cities where we've only been once before, too long ago — and had some bad luck with locals, people dropping off the bill . . . If anything, club owners were incredibly sympathetic. We had club owners saying, 'This is the worst fall I've ever had, in 20 years of owning this bar,' Junker says. "We were all pissed and depressed, and there was so much soul-searching in the van."

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How many other stories are out there in the hinterlands about the economy having an adverse impact on young (and older) bands who are struggling to get music heard, play live shows around and earn a few bucks along the way?

On the flip side of this, is the struggle that recording artists have to jump through to get their songs heard by people. NPR explores some of the online services that musicians and bands can utilize to get music out and about.