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How The Cost Of Live Crisis Is Affecting Music.

Justin Hawkins Rides Again | November 12, 2025



This has to be joke. As we are all aware, the cost of living crisis is affecting us all, some more than others. A new survey has revealed that 90% of professional musicians are worried about affording food. How can this be? Will professional music be wiped out completely and left to only the mega pop stars like Taylor Swift and Harry styles? What kind of world would that be. Tell me what you think the solution is in the comments below.

Here is a link to Help Musicians if you need help or want to help: https://www.helpmusicians.org.uk/

Here is a link to the article I received my research from: https://www.loudersound.com/news/cost-of-living-crisis-90-of-working-musicians-worried-they-wont-be-able-to-afford-food

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We are also doing a co-headline UK Arena Tour with Black Stone Cherry in 2023 you can tickets here: https://www.thedarknesslive.com/tour-dates/

#musicnews #costofliving #musicindustry

Written by Justin Hawkins Rides Again

Comments

This post currently has 49 comments.

  1. @Flukey_1970

    November 12, 2025 at 2:41 pm

    I totally agree that its hard at the moment but look at the 70s we got thought that. We are getting back to the levels of poverty and resentment/unrest that birthed the likes of the sex pistols and punk. Maybe we will see some revolutionary bands music come out of this hard time.

  2. @nudestoteles

    November 12, 2025 at 2:41 pm

    I've always enjoyed playing rock'n'roll. Money is not the issue, ever.

    For example. I was playing with my band "Mielisairaala" loonie bin in english. Before The Rasmus. 23 yrs ago at "Taikarock" at Urjala, Finland. Taikarock or Magic Rock in english music happening, which my mom put up.

    Anyways we got 250 Marks (our old currency, It translates to about 50 Euros) – for the whole band, and a case of beer per player. After us came to the stage The Rasmus, and they got 60 000 marks ( ~10 000€)

    But I think thatwas fair, because they had alredyb made it as an awesome band.

    Justin, pls, analyze The Rasmus, Smack, and other great finnish bands. I woukd appreciate that soooooo much.

  3. @riffworx

    November 12, 2025 at 2:41 pm

    Venues & "Promoters" have a lot to answer for here, the musicians do come last. Protecting margin is king, tickets go up and a lot, not all venues …. but a lot of venues, are taking advantage passing costs directly on to performing/touring acts who have to eat the general increase in costs across the board.

  4. @hayleyannelynch

    November 12, 2025 at 2:41 pm

    I work part-time in the nonprofit sector in the U.S. to be able to also pursue music part-time, and one possible solution I've considered is: any artist earning less than the national average wage* is eligible to apply for status as a non-taxed entity/"charitable org" and is then eligible to apply for grants/zero interest loans/federal subsidies to fund production and touring costs.

    *not sure what the cap should be, or if there should even be one.

    I definitely think our national, state, local governments and community should take a higher stake in their local music or art scene. No one likes to be in a place where creativity cannot thrive.

  5. @masonbeard7209

    November 12, 2025 at 2:41 pm

    if 500 people bought a local bands CD for $10, that would make them $5000. if 500 people stream a bands album top to bottom on Spotify, the band would make approximately $30. 🤷‍♂️

  6. @jacksonvega7751

    November 12, 2025 at 2:41 pm

    Tom Waits is the only act I’d happily pay daft ticket prices for. Only the middle class can realistically start n put the work in to start a posssibly successful band nowadays to one degree or another.. It’s monstrous how knackered our cultures are.

  7. @stuartsaint4581

    November 12, 2025 at 2:41 pm

    The British government has spent over a decade making sure everybody knows their price, and that this price is as low as possible. Anything which doesn't have a direct economic impact is considered a frill worth cutting. Same reason they've cut all funding for arts in universities, same reason so many DIY venues are going to the wall and being sold off for apartments (currently happening to the legendary Ferret pub in Preston). For 20 grand from the student loan company they can get either an accountant who will help somebody make an extra 1% on their investment, and a guaranteed payback after ten years, or they can fund somebody on an art or humanities degree who will question everything the government ever does, and likely end up working in a bar or coffee shop and never meet the repayment threshold. That's how they view every single person in the country and that won't change; it's the same reason so many musicians come from private education now, only people who can afford to do something with zero investment from anybody else is considered a sound bet.

  8. @jessfarr5667

    November 12, 2025 at 2:41 pm

    streaming, SM and the digital revolution has devalued music so much, it’s no wonder this is happening.
    no one values music or any art anymore.
    having said that…I’ve always been a starving artist.
    the best of all starvation professions…

  9. @christopherk111

    November 12, 2025 at 2:41 pm

    OBITUARY slowly we rot shirt–a fine choice ,,,but if you have to ask if ANTHRAX are a death metal band,,i'm not sure if you know who OBITUARY are,,,,but once again i must say,,a fine choice in shirts indeed

  10. @mickeypower1110

    November 12, 2025 at 2:41 pm

    Halfway through I started pondering The Darkness' last tour and was glad you mentioned it Justin. Just out of curiosity when you mentioned how good a job your management done, what does that involve? It is really cool seeing you guys out touring and releasing again after being a big fan as a young teen!

  11. @liamjenkins82

    November 12, 2025 at 2:41 pm

    To be fair, everyone can't afford anything at the moment. Music is art, and unfortunately as sad as it is something we can live without. Luxuries go while trying to scrape money together for food and heating. Shutting the world down for two years was never going to work out well in the long run. This was all inevitable.

  12. @teflongoon

    November 12, 2025 at 2:41 pm

    I'm not saying this is THE solution, because "the solution" is multifaceted. (So it's really about the solutionS — plural.)
    BUT, bands could consider is online concerts. Continue performing locally and every once in a while (or even for every gig), stream a performance online and charge a (reasonable) fee. This would (hopefully) cut out shitty middlemen like Ticketmaster and only require the streaming platform to be between the band and its fans.

  13. @thegeniusofthecrowd354

    November 12, 2025 at 2:41 pm

    Music is, always has been and always will be the highest art form. If you've been hit by that cosmic lightening – fucking play – fuck the economy. Keep your overheads low, get on Youtube and when you've got enough followers – rent out a field. Lots of places will let you play for free if you can draw a crowd and they'll be happy with the bar take. It's the punk ethic! The world can never get enough great music. Imagine a world without it? Fuckthatshit! Artists live in a bubble anyway – fuck what the poison mainstream says!

  14. @eweng903

    November 12, 2025 at 2:41 pm

    Trouble with the cost-of-living crisis musical World is most of the streams and 'net merchandising sales are achieved by quite a small number of solo-pop influencer musicians. Beyond that, most musicians will likely be struggling simply because the number of streams required to generate significant money and garner enough fame to become an influencer brand is very, very high (billions of streams). Double-digit inflation costs inevitably mean most musicians will struggle to make enough money to continue their careers.

  15. @supernothing77

    November 12, 2025 at 2:41 pm

    Damn I'm pretty sure cover band musicians in the 80s could make a living. Music was huge though…. No cell phones internet or video games (especially early to mid 80s)

  16. @badtortoise3338

    November 12, 2025 at 2:41 pm

    Rents are through the roof. Food is through the roof. Energy is through the roof. Fuel is through the roof. But no one can say why!..But we can send billions of dollars to the crime cabal in Ukraine. ..Illegal immigration is out of control AND that means even more crime and less housing for actual locals who need it. But dont complain! Especially if ur white, ur not being replaced or discriminated against in your own nations.

  17. @kattycat3502

    November 12, 2025 at 2:41 pm

    Industry? They powers that be killed the music industry back in the 90s… No longer do bands have a good manager to help them grow. Big problem… You can thank Greed for high ticket sales. Ticket master sets the price, not the artist… It's all fucked….

  18. @ai_serf

    November 12, 2025 at 2:41 pm

    how is this possible? capitalism is decreed by god to distribute resources most fairly. see adam smith and the invisible hand. I guess in capitalism if musicians can't eat, it's the musicians fault… Have you tried unrestrained greed? That will make god bend space and time to help you. Musicians aren't greedy and self interested enough. That's their problem. Trying buying property and then renting it out at exorbitant rates to single mothers. Have you tried that?

  19. @ScottRen14

    November 12, 2025 at 2:41 pm

    Justin there are bands out there that have to tour as a tribute act just to finance their own projects, its all a mess for smaller bands trying to break through

  20. @michaelantonyaustin

    November 12, 2025 at 2:41 pm

    It’s true that it’s become almost impossible to live purely from LIVE music since the start of the covid lockdowns. The current costs etc don’t help but that’s why one has to swallow ones pride and do whatever it takes to get by. There are plenty of delivery jobs etc. It’s not pretty and it’s not ideal, but it helps to pay the bills. I’ve been a working musician for almost 30 years but I’m not too proud to drive a van. It’s all about having a realistic perspective of the way the industry works and how things have changed… 🤷‍♂

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