Bionic Rats lead singer Derek Clabby laments the current state of the music industry.
This is a very real thing, the industry is busted. The Bionic Rats are lucky in that we can record on a minuscule budget & have musicians who give their time and talent without financial reward (I won’t even go there how much we made on digital sales in 2015, to be split 5 ways).
We’re lucky to have Graham Birney who has recorded & mixed the last 3 albums from his home studio, without him there wouldn’t be as many albums, that’s the truth of it.
On the live side of it again we’re lucky to have two regular gigs a week and whatever we can pick up on a Saturday to keep us ticking over, and we play a smattering of covers as that’s what is required if you want to gig in Ireland. You won’t see too many original acts earning a crust in Ireland doing the circuit.
I don’t even bother trying to get much gigs abroad as the cost is astronomical to fly members & instruments over, before you factor in food & accommodation.
We’re off to The London International Ska Festival this Easter and it’s gonna swallow up most if not all of the spare cash we have, I’m sure The Hacklers and Aggressors B.C who are off to London this week can testify to how costly it is.
If it keeps going like this only established acts like Madness etc who have a loyal following that still buy Vinyl & Cds will be able to record & release material and make a living from it.
