Guess what? Enough is enough. To all those asking for free tix, free this, free that, kindly permit me inform you that the amount of $$$ I have lost on touring during the past five years is nothing short of astronomical, is far more than an upper class American's yearly salary, and could in fact purchase a small city. I do not make money from my concerts. I am a truly independent artist (through with theiving managers, run everything myself) who gives a much greater fuck about art than about whether I have a radio hit or not (which, by the way, I am most likely never to have), and, thus, I get paid shyte fees (especially in the States where my audience is far, far, FAR smaller than it is in the rest of the world), which are nowhere near enough to cover the incredibly high cost of taking a band and crew and bus on tour. Incidentally, yes, the band gets paid. The crew gets paid. The driver gets paid. My agent gets paid. Guess who is the single person who does not get paid? Come on, you can do it...

I tour exclusively because I love making music more than anything in the world, and because I love to sing and see and connect with all of you on the truly magical level that you allow me to. All of this I do willingly, unbegrudgingly, and with infinite amounts of love in my heart.

So, in conclusion, when you repeatedly hound me via Twitter/E-mail for free ticketsfree VIP admission/free anything in exchange for traveling to a city, for dying your hair, for a fucking hug, or for doing nothing at all (all of which some terribly misguided people seem to think will benefit me in any way whatsoever), you are ignorantly, nay, cruelly, doing one or all of the following things:

A. Asking for something that is not even in my power to grant, as I have no say in who gets free tickets.
B. Making me feel like an absolutely terrible human being for being unable to grant your every fucking whim and therefor "disappointing" you.
C. Devaluing what I do for a meager living by telling me quite clearly that the 2 to 3 hour show/music/experience I offer in the dead of fucking Winter is not worth your measly $15, but should instead be given to you freely for the price of your dying your hair "for me" or some other such "gift" (let's talk again when your hair color can buy my groceries, k?).
D. Reminding me once again that nothing I do will ever be enough, not my music, my writing, my art, my time, my health, my shredded vocal chords, my honesty, my sanity when trying to deal with (just a few of) your silly in-fights, my love for you, nothing.

Finally, to those whose rudeness, greed, and obscene sense of entitlement surpass their ability to comprehend all of my more than 140 characters, I humbly invite you to keep your $15 pittance, your natural hair color, etc. But know that whatever your station in life, your age, gender, or profession, you make far more money than I do.

The Bloody End,
EA

P.S.
On the lovely side, fuck the major (and minor) labels of the world who claim that nobody is paying for music anymore, because there is ONE thing and one thing only from which I derive any income at all, and that is digital downloads bought via my own website and iTunes by honest, fair, and incredibly kind Plague Rats around the world who know very well that they could easily download pirated copies for free, but choose not to. For this I thank you endlessly and wholeheartedly, as do Basil, Sir Edward, and the other hundreds of Asylum ratties who get to eat because of you:).

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