Lorde on economic realities of touring: “a demented struggle to break even or face debt”
In a new fan newsletter, Lorde has discussed the economic realities of touring. The pop singer, who is currently on the road in support of her latest studio effort, Solar Power, recently completed a string of North American and European dates and has since moved on to South America.
In the newsletter, Lorde explained that touring artists have never had it so tough. “Basically, for artists, promoters and crews, things are at an almost unprecedented level of difficulty,” she wrote, blaming the difficulties on artists being forced to pack in “three years’ worth of shows” following Covid-19, a global economic downturn and concertgoers “totally understandable wariness” of health risks.
Lorde also addressed logistical factors like crew shortages, as well as “extremely overbooked trucks and tour buses and venues, inflated flight and accommodation costs, ongoing general COVID costs, and truly mindboggling freight costs”
On the issue of transport costs, Lorde said: “To freight a stage set across the world can cost up to three times the pre-pandemic price right now. I don’t know shit about money, but I know enough to understand that no industry has a profit margin that high.”
She then explained that these costs have forced music artists to increase their ticket prices in the hope of making a profit. “Ticket prices would have to increase to start accommodating even a little of this, but absolutely no one wants to charge their harried and extremely-compassionate-and-flexible audience any more fucking money,” she said.
Lorde added: “Nearly every tour has been besieged with cancellations and postponements and promises and letdowns, and audiences have shown such understanding and such faith, that between that and the post-COVID wariness about getting out there at all, scaring people away by charging the true cost ain’t an option. All we want to do is play for you.”
The singer concluded the letter by explaining that she’s been protected from the brunt of the impact because of her stature in the pop world. She observed that the same cannot be said of smaller and less well-established artists, for whom touring has become ” a demented struggle to break even or face debt”.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.