A UK band have said they are “broke” after opening on an arena tour around the UK and Europe.
Witch Fever, a Manchester-formed four-piece who describe their sound as “doom-punk”, supported Danish rock band Volbeat on their headline tour for two months last year.
However, despite receiving performance fees that should have covered their costs, they found that their profits ended up stuck in withholding taxes across Europe.
The band spoke about their predicament in the latest episode of the 101 Part Time Jobs podcast, released today (Tuesday 20 January).
“We just got off tour with Volbeat. We did two months in arenas and stadiums. You know, we played Wembley [Arena]. We got to the end of it… and our profit is all stuck in withholding taxes across Europe,” bassist and backing vocalist Alex Thompson told host Giles Bidder.
Singer Amy Hope Walpole added: “So we’re broke as f*** – and we just did two months in arenas. We also can't get a job because we're back on tour in March, so nowhere will hire us.”
Walpole noted that the band are signed to Music for Nations, a subsidiary of major label Sony Music: “This is just crazy that this is what the music industry is like at the moment.”
She continued: “I'm currently living off four grand of my late mother's pension that I got at the end of last year. That is obviously rapidly running out. So it's quite a depressing landscape at the moment.”
The first Musicians’ Census, launched in 2023, found that the average annual income for UK musicians was just £20,700, with 43 per cent earning less than £14,000 a year from music.
Post-Brexit, bands and artists also face costly permits and fees for themselves and their teams, along with time-consuming carnets that document all of the equipment they are taking out of the UK.
In its annual This is Music report, industry body UK Music found that the impact of Brexit on EU touring was getting steadily worse for UK artists.
It said that while the UK music industry generated a record £8bn for the economy in 2024, the rate of growth was down by more than half from the previous year. In a survey of music creators on their experiences of touring, 32 per cent said they were affected by the UK leaving the EU, with 95 per cent of those experiencing a decrease in earnings.
Many of these were lower earners and artists starting out in their careers, who found the impact of Brexit often makes touring the EU untenable.
In 2024, creative industries minister Chris Bryant admitted that Brexit had made touring in Europe “simply not economically viable” for many artists.
Sarah Woods, Chief Executive at Help Musicians, told The Independent: “A career in music can be rewarding, but for many musicians it is also financially precarious. In recent years the complexity and costs associated with working and touring, from rising travel and crew expenses to additional paperwork and compliance requirements, have grown significantly, and we are hearing from increasing numbers of musicians seeking support to reduce the risk of financial loss.”
She continued: “Insights from industry bodies within music highlight the negative impact Brexit has had for musicians with UK Music and many of its members campaigning for a reduction in red tape and additional sector support. Changes are needed to create conditions where musicians can build sustainable careers at home and internationally to ensure musicians can continue to tour and fans can continue to enjoy the music, we all love.”
Musicians seeking support, from financial assistance to business advice and mentoring, can find out more at www.helpmusicians.org.uk.
Witch Fever embark on their headline tour of the UK and Europe from 12 March. The full episode of 101 Part Time Jobs is out now.
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