I don’t know about y’all, but I’m over and have been over how much streams have gone up since 2009. The rise from $5 to nearly $25 in around a decade does not conflate when inflation and technological advances are factored into the equation. I didn’t buy any of the last four (though I did pay for the Bayliss and Jake stream as well as the second night of the Boondocks this year) because I am getting close to 100% boycotting any streams done over the Tour Gouge platform.
Does anyone remember that 2015 4K experiment aka debacle from them in their HQ city of Austin? At least that was free, or I think they made it free afterwards - something happened to try to save face. But while I will give them credit for improving the quality of the streams the last few years, the prices haven’t justified the butchered opportunities prior to 2018 when they finally resolved whatever technical glitches the Disco Biscuits never seemed to have once they started streaming so many of their shows for free over YouTube.
I wish the band would follow the lead of one of their inspirations, Radiohead, and adopt a pay what you want model like the “In Rainbows” release once whatever contract they have with Tour Gouge is satisfied. What the fuck is the deal with Tour Gouge anyway? Why do most of the other bands use Nugs.tv while Umphrey’s stands alone in the crowd (or close to alone I try to avoid touching www.tourgigs.com unless I’m compelled to custy up to support the band) using this inferior overpriced platform. Someone is fucking someone, and it’s not just Tour Gouge fucking us. John Oates has an upcoming stream on Nugs for $9.99 for another comparision (I guess Daryl Hall’s worth $5 more if we were to equate the popularity of Umphrey’s and Hall & Oates lol.)
Streams should be free. They should raise money for charity and allow fans to donate what they can afford to or wish to while still generating a paycheck for the band. Make it a 50/50 split and pick a new charity each time to support. Let us fans vote on the charity to make it even more engaging. Does anyone have any information what the current split with Tour Gouge is? I’d have to imagine it is around 20% so Umphrey’s is only taking home $20 of the the $24.99. Fuck! - with 5G and an Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, you could probably stream a gig better than whatever Tour Gouge was using in 2015.
I think it is time the fans take a stand and stop supporting Tour Gouge and DEMAND THE BAND CHANGE PLATFORMS. We as a fan base deserve better. We are in a recession whether you want to believe it or not, and people are struggling. The nerve of Tour Gouge to even propose a $24.99 price tag in the midst of the largest pandemic of our lifetime is preposterous. This aggression will not stand, man!
We need to get to the bottom of this. Is there a contract with Tour Gouge? Yes? If so, what are the stipulations for exiting the contract. If there is a certain number of shows, let’s fucking do two weeks straight of streaming if that is what it takes to rid our community of this jamband scene anomaly platform of Tour Gouge! If it is a year thing, please let us know so if we want to personally boycott 80% of the streams on our own terms because ‘$24.99, that’s too much man mantra’, we actually know when it will be over.
And while I still don’t fully understand when and why (besides when all the custying up overselling from the band started once he left the road) Kevin Browning became Enemy #1, if he has anything to do with this Tour Gouge pricing shenanigans, we must get to the bottom of it ASAP. Personally, I always thought JWelsh was Enemy #1 but that’s probably because he is a Penguins fans (I kid I kid I love you man but 2007-2009 was some fun bickering). Back to Browning though, I really do wish the band was more transparent. The community and them are a family. We care about each other and we wish nothing but success and good fortune for our lives of each other.
So come clean, Umphrey’s McGee. Let’s find a way to make streams free again, accessible to all during this downtime while unemployment is rampant and food is scarce. Let’s give everyone with internet access (and even that, let’s look into charities that work with providing internet access to low income Americans) the ability to stream every Umphrey’s McGee stream once you can break the contract with Tour Gouge.
I think it would be amazing if the band provided free but donations strongly encouraged streams of all their performances going forward where 50% of the proceeds went directly to organizations providing internet access to POIC and other marginalized communities because knowledge is power and distance learning is furthering the gap between the haves and have nots. We as a community could do a lot of good so again I call on you, Umphrey’s McGee, to take lead and usher in a new era of charitable live streaming with a pay what you can donation model to help raise money for access to education as well as keeping the lights on over at Umphrey’s, Inc. We know kids are expensive, that’s why I got an abortion from a one night stand on tour in 2015 to be completely transparent myself. I’ve shared something personal, can you Umphrey’s? Can you tell me how much Tour Gouge is fucking y’all for?
I love y’all and I really think it’s time to move on from Tour Gouge. Umphrey’s, Inc. should become a Certifiied B-Corp (https://bcorporation.net/) and fall back on the support of the community to keep the lights on in Chicago and the kids fed while we help everyone move forward and survive this pandemic together!
TL:DR - Ditch Tour Gouge, make streams donation based, raise money for to give internet access to marginalized communities while providing fans with regular streams until you can tour again!