TesseracT drummer says merch sellers make more money in tips than band members earn on tour

nme.com:

TesseracT has claimed that merch sellers make more money in tips than band members earn on tour.Jay Postones wrote in an Instagram post that he’s learned about the discrepancies after talking to other bands about merch sales at shows.His comments come amid heightened sensitivity about merch at concerts, after venue operators have been criticised for taking a cut from sales – in some instances as much as 41 per cent.Postones explained that many fans are unaware that the tip jars and/or contactless tip options at merch stands send money to merch sellers rather than the bands or other crew.He then went on to say that, having spoken to peers, some merch sellers are making $30,000 (£24,647) in tips over the course of a 5-6-week tour, which is “insane” compared to what bands earn overall.A post shared by Jay Postones (@jaytesseract)Postone’s Instagram post read, in part: “From speaking to peers, we have discovered that some merch sellers are generating in excess of $30k in tips over the course of a 5-6-week tour – which is insane.

No one else on a tour at our level makes anything close to this. The band members certainly do not. The other crew members are on agreed fees, nowhere close to this.“We understand that in the US service industry, tipping culture is normal.

It brings low-paid jobs up to a, hopefully, liveable level. The job we’re hiring though is not a low-paid job.“While it goes against the grain, our suggestion is that all tips taken at the merch desk should be shared across the entourage – band, and crew.

We’re all here, working hard all day to bring the show to you. It seems unfair for one person to own the monopoly on tips for the entire package.”To combat the issue, TesseracT and their touring party have since.