Throughout an look on “One Life One Probability”, the podcast hosted by H2O lead singer Toby Morse, SACRED REICH frontman Phil Rind supplied his views on artists monetizing — immediately and on their very own phrases — enhanced fan experiences within the type of VIP meet-and-greets. He mentioned (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “We began doing meet-and-greets. We have by no means carried out it earlier than, and I’m actually against the entire thought [of] charging for entry. I hate the concept, however once I did the finances for this tour, I am, like, ‘What the fuck are we gonna do? My spouse’s not working and I have to to pay my payments. That is my job.’ And whenever you begin at a very large deficit, whenever you exit and you are like, okay, ‘We’re at this a lot of a deficit. And we’re hoping we are able to make it up after which make some revenue on the finish.’ Nicely, this was one of many issues. And Dave [McClain, SACRED REICH drummer] was in MACHINE HEAD, they usually used to do meet-and-greets. He goes, ‘Look, man. These are strictly voluntary. No one is making anyone do something.’ He goes, ‘And folks wanna do it. Individuals wanna meet the band.’ I mentioned, ‘All proper. I am gonna relent. We’ll attempt it.'”
Rind continued: “One of many sudden issues was assembly individuals who the band means quite a bit to and listening to their tales one-on-one. As a result of typically it might be one individual — only one individual on the meet-and-greet. On the most it was, like, eight or 9. It was not large. So it was extra intimate. We obtained to hang around. And a few individuals fucking made me cry. In order that was type of a very cool, sudden a part of it. And for this reason we’re doing it finally. So whenever you actually get to make these connections with individuals… I am looking within the crowd each night time on the individuals wanting of their faces, as a result of that is what I am on the lookout for — these connections with individuals. That is why we do that.”
“V.I.P Packages” appear to be the one means for followers to satisfy the bands they admire today. A few of these come at a very inflated value on high of the usual ticket prices and embody something from a signed merchandise, a photograph to watching soundchecks or a collectable lanyard.
Paid meet-and-greets have gotten staples of the touring circuit and are seen by some artists as a needed evil to outlive these days. Different musicians object to meet-and-greets on ethical grounds, believing they favor richer followers over poorer ones. Equally, many individuals view the truth that teams cost followers to satisfy them as utterly exploitative, since artists are normally conscious that younger admirers are ready to pay any amount of cash to see their favourite band, typically at their mother and father’ expense.
A number of years in the past, Canadian musician/producer Devin Townsend defended the tradition of “V.I.P Packages,” telling Noisey: “Lots of the occasions, followers might imagine bands are taking the piss by merely doing a meet-and-greet, but when we do not do them, we merely cannot do what we’re doing. It is not like we do them then get a bonus on the finish of the tour. On the opposite facet of it, should you’re within the band and also you’re hypersensitive to individuals’s vitality, like I imagine I’m, meet-and-greets fucking beat the shit out of you. Not since you do not need to meet individuals, however as a result of with a purpose to do it appropriately, you actually have to speculate your self and be current and able to discuss to individuals and typically settle for hyperbolic reward or criticism, and it’s a must to be emotionally resilient sufficient to not let both… I imply, it is about them. They’re paying for a second and your job is to be current and that is actually difficult on tour.”
Y&T frontman Dave Meniketti made headlines in 2016 when he mentioned he was utterly against followers paying for meet-and-greets, explaining that “we ought to be paying [them].” “Some bands will cost for meet-and-greets or they will cost for some particular sorts of meet-and-greets,” Meniketti mentioned. “I do not like to do this. I feel that is gouging the followers. I feel that is somewhat an excessive amount of of making an attempt to get each final greenback out of all people, dollaring individuals to loss of life. I do not like that in any way. To me, your fanbase is golden. They’re the individuals which are retaining us going. They’re the people who love the music.”
He continued: “Why can we need to cost them to satisfy us? That, to me, looks as if essentially the most weird factor you are able to do and too opportunist. That is not my factor. They pay for a ticket. Come see us reside, that is what is going on to maintain us alive. Purchase a t-shirt, one thing like that. However do not pay to see me. My God. I ought to be paying you guys. I am joyful to shake a hand, take an image or hearken to a narrative or one thing like that. In truth, very happy. It makes us all really feel good. It makes us really feel related to our followers.”
Former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted referred to as the paid-meet-and-greet observe “bullshit” in a 2012 interview. He defined: “My guys had been speaking to me about doing these issues, they usually speak about KISS earning money for this meet-and-greet. Individuals can pay it, however that is not the purpose. I do not need to take cash like that. In the event that they need to purchase a t-shirt and have one thing to indicate for it, that is what we do. You may’t obtain a t-shirt.
“There are particular issues that make sense to me. I’ve by no means charged for my autograph up till [I launched my own] site. That’s my first time in my thirty-year profession that I’ve charged for my autograph, and I’ve signed for a whole bunch of 1000’s of individuals.
“I do not really feel comfy with charging individuals to satisfy me; I do not really feel comfy with charging individuals to get me to signal one thing when they’re standing with me. In the event that they purchase it off the Web and wish an 8×10 or an autograph CD, they’ve that momentum. That is tremendous, however I am not going to cost individuals to satisfy me. I simply do not feel that is proper. I will pay to satisfy one among my previous sports activities heroes, or one thing like one of many cats from the Nineteen Seventies Orioles. I will pay a few bucks for one thing, however I am not going to pay for Gene Simmons. It is ridiculous; that is not what it is about.”
