A lot can happen on the road. Vans can explode, van (and sometimes with the trailer still attached) can be stolen, gear can be stolen, gear can explode, accidents, blowing a tire and forgetting to pack a spare – having to wait in a parking lot for 5 hours waiting for a store to open on Monday morning to get a new one… There should be a band insurance company out there (pretty awesome idea don’t you think), that comes to the rescue. We’ll we aren’t money hungry assholes to create an insurance company and we sure as hell don’t have hundreds of dollars to purchase all new shit for you, however, we figure why not create a fund that can help a band out when things go totally wrong on tour. How many times have you missed a band’s performance due to vehicle issues or hear about gear being stolen. Just about all bands can’t shrug off losing hundreds of dollars in equipment, nor reach into their pocket to pay for a new transmission for their van. You know that $15 shirt at their merch table that is “waaaay too expensive”, ya well, if someone buys just one, will feed about 3 members awful dollar menu McDonalds. Some bands rough it pretty band just to play in front of you.
With this in mind, we have given birth to Tour-Aid. We would call it “Band-Aid” being very fitting but we probably get a little heat from the bandage company…
We are going to setup a page on here where anyone can donate any amount. We may at times create special t-shirts or items that once bought, funds will go into this account. If we catch wind of something unfortunate happening to a band and there are funds in the account, we will orchestrate how to get the funds to assist the band in need. Has to be just, has to be true. Something happens, we will try to help. If that’s giving a band motel money to crash at until morning to get things squared away, cover the expenses of new brakes, help with getting a new guitar that was lifted…
Keep in mind, if you try to scam us. We will inform every label, management, publicist, booking agent, media contact, etc of your scumbag ways, as well as inform the authorities to press full charges of fraud. We will be very strict with this, DO NOT ABUSE IT and ruin it for other bands that could use a little assistance while hundreds of miles away from home with very limited options.
Our dudes in SCAPHISM linked us to their amusing tour diary, which shows what happens to bands on a constant basis. Cue 3:45 for their troubles… And again at 7:07.
