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Honda Center | Anaheim, CA

The offspring: 30th anniversary of smash and honda center.

Yucca North | Flagstaff, AZ

The astro amphitheater | la vista, ne, 89.7 the river's summer bash featuring the offspring and more, latest setlist, save ferris on april 11, 2024.

Amala Restaurant & Bar, Palm Springs, California

Note: Monique Powell and AJ Bartholomew only. Opening for Jakobs Castle. Van Morrison cover planned to close but replaced by Come On Eileen.

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Save Ferris tour dates 2024

Save Ferris is currently touring across 1 country and has 6 upcoming concerts.

Their next tour date is at The Pavilion, Central Florida Fairgrounds in Orlando, after that they'll be at Orlando Amphitheater at Central Florida Fairgrounds in Orlando.

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Upcoming concerts (6) See nearest concert

Brightside Music Festival

Bightside music festival

Honda Center

The Rebel Lounge

Yucca North

The Astro Amphitheater

Past concerts

Pappy & Harriet's Pioneertown Palace

Belly Up Tavern

Ventura Music Hall Reserved

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Great show monique is really full of energy and enthusiasm wanted to see these guys for years and definitely was not disappointed. The sound was the only let down and you certainly cant blame the band for that

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What an incredible show! So much energy and stage presence! Monique is sexy and cute and her voice is still as amazing and powerful as it has always been! This was a high school dream come true!

Superb! Had been wanting to see Monique for over a decade and she delivered. Perfect venue for taking in the music or jumping around with the crowd. Hopefully not the last tour!

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Music + Concerts | OC Fair 2023: X, English Beat and Save Ferris…

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Music + concerts, music + concerts | oc fair 2023: x, english beat and save ferris will play pacific amphitheatre, tickets include same-day admission to the oc fair..

Los Angeles punk rock band X is headed back to the OC Fair in 2023 and will be headlining Pacific Amphitheatre along with support from The English Beat and Save Ferris on Sunday, July 30.

Tickets are $55-$65 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 11 at Ticketmaster.com . Ticket includes same-day admission to the OC Fair.

X released “Alphabetland,” its first new studio release in 27 years, on April 22, 2020. The quartet is gearing up for a few show dates in California, including April 7 at The Glass House in Pomona; April 8 at Pappy and Harriet’s in Pioneertown and April 11-12 at Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles, to debut brand new songs in front of the live audiences for the first time ever.

The English Beat,  originally from Birmingham, England, which is known for songs like “Mirror in the Bathroom,” “Save It for Later,” and “Too Nice to Talk To,” will serve as direct support for the Costa Mesa show. Orange County ska band Save Ferris, led by vocalist Monique Powell , is on deck to open the show and play fan-favorite songs including its popular cover of Dexys Midnight Runners’ “Come On Eileen,” as well as songs from its most recent EP, “Checkered Past.”

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Monique Powell of Save Ferris gets candid and personal in exclusive interview

COVID-19 ended live shows, diminished studio sessions and new album releases, put countless crew members on hiatus and it ruthlessly harmed one of the things so many of us love. No band nor venue was spared. But through it all, and many other life challenges over the years, Monique Powell , the radiant, charismatic, strong, and always effervescent leader of Save Ferris continues to bring one love to the world with her style of upbeat ska music.

Walking into House of Blues in Anaheim, I passed a long line of fans buzzing with excitement for the show to come. Many of them wearing their favorite Save Ferris gear, some dressed like Monique, and there were even a few Rude Boys in the mix. The energy outside was palpable. I was equally excited as a longtime fan of Save Ferris, and I was also equally nervous to meet Monique as I adored her as a performer and admired her as an amazing human. As I entered the dressing room backstage before the show and met Monique for the first time, I was struck by her immediate kindness and genuine spirit as she and her team welcomed me. Monique exuded incredible strength and a take no prisoners attitude balanced by an undeniable humble and loving nature. I told her about the huge crowd outside and their collective excitement for the night. She expressed joy and thankfulness. “Oh, that’s great! I’m really happy to hear that and I’m really excited for tonight. That really makes me happy. With COVID we haven’t been able to do much. It’s changed the industry and even still today, it’s been tough bringing live music back. So many venues closed, and it’s been a difficult time for my people. The small venues have struggled a lot.” She was thrilled to be back in Orange County and playing a hometown show again.

Monique’s ska stylings have their roots in the historic Orange County punk scene. She grew up on 80s punk and alternative music, listening to 106.7 KROQ in LA and credits her older sister for introducing her to the artists that would shape her future and eventually become her friends. “When I was a kid, she was hanging out with all her friends and they were punkers and ska kids, and new ro and goth kids. She hung out with the coolest kids and listened to the best music. She listened to KROQ and was always going to punk shows, so I would listen to her records and fell in love with the music. When my sister moved away overseas when I was eight, I got her record collection, and that’s how it all started.” While Monique’s love for punk and alternative music included bands like Devo and the Go-Go’s, she cites hardcore Orange County punk bands like Agent Orange and The Adolescents as the ones she really loved and became passionate about. Monique credits the punk community for much of her life and success. She reminisced about her late friend, the punk icon, Steve Soto. “It’s funny you bring up punk, I was just talking about Steve Soto and the Doll Hut. I used to go to the Doll Hut all the time and that’s where I met Steve. He used to work the door there, and he and I became really good friends for over 20 years. It’s a really great community that I love. I really miss Steve. Rest in peace Steve.”

Ironically, while Monique loved punk and alternative music, even from a very young age, it was not always her musical muse. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Monique’s artistic background and upbringing were very different than the hard driving ska stylings she is so well known for. “When I was very small, I had the dream of becoming a ballerina and I studied dance for a number of years. I was getting sprained ankles all the time and eventually my ballet teacher said to me ‘you can’t be on pointe anymore.’ And you know when you’re a little girl, getting on pointe was everything and when I was told I couldn’t be on pointe anymore because I was growing too fast and I was too tall, I was crushed. I was the tallest girl in my school, and I was heartbroken. Monique credits her dad, whom she was incredibly close to, with encouraging her to sing and perform. “My dad used to sing to my sister, my mom, and I, but he wouldn’t sing for anyone else because he was very shy, but he had a beautiful voice. So, I thought ‘maybe I’ll try singing’ and I auditioned for the talent show at my elementary school, and I got one line to sing! My parents walked up to my teacher at the end and asked, ‘do you think she’s got it?’ I mean I had one line! One line! One line in the entire talent show and my parents are asking ‘is she a star?’ And my teacher was very encouraging. So, then I started taking voice lessons with the only teacher we could afford and became very close with her. She became like a second mother to me. One day she said, ‘do you want to hear what I do?’ and she gave me a little cassette tape with her name on it. I put it in, and it was four arias of her singing opera, and I fell in love with it! I said, ‘I want to do that!’ So, I started singing opera at the age of 10 and 11 and then I ended up doing that for a long time.” Obviously, ska and ska punk are as far of a stretch from opera as you can get, but she credits it with helping her during her singing career, and sadly, she no longer sings opera. “It doesn’t sound the same anymore! All these years of singing and performing, and I’ve had two surgeries on my vocal cords and had my neck rebuilt, so my voice is pretty thrashed, but I like it that way so…”

Before the days of “Instafame”, becoming a successful musician was a major grind (still is). An artist had to hope and pray they would build enough of a fan base that they would get noticed by a label, get a contract, cut an album, and then pray even harder that a radio station manager would put them on air. But Save Ferris side stepped the process by creating their own label. They self-released their debut EP Introducing Save Ferris in 1996. They sold nearly 20,000 copies to their growing local underground fan base! Now, I know for all you kids out there, having 20,000 people listen to the song you wrote and recorded on your MacBook Pro and uploaded to Spotify and YouTube doesn’t sound like a big deal. Before the days of subscription streaming music, it was a massive deal. And it really helped launch the career of Save Ferris. The band eventually got a copy of the EP into the hands of the original alternative music kingmaker, Rodney Bingenheimer, of Rodney on the Roq show fame on KROQ in LA. KROQ was the station that everyone listened to back in the day for great new music. Monique recalled the first time she heard herself being played on KROQ,

“I remember I was driving to rehearsal at the star pool house, which is what we named our label after, and I was driving there in my white 1989 Camaro, and I remember I just pulled over and I cried, and I thought ‘I can’t believe I’m hearing myself and my voice on KROQ!’ It was totally like that moment in the Tom Hanks movie That Thing You Do. It was! It was totally like that for me. I was like oh my God!”

Even after 26 years as musician and performer, Monique says it is an experience that never gets old. And while it no longer makes her pull her car over to celebrate, she appreciates it in a new way. “It never gets old. Just because now, I remember where I was at when I made a specific recording or song, who I was with, and what was happening in my life at the time.” Save Ferris landed their major record deal with Epic Records (Sony) following an award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Grammy Showcase for best unsigned band.

Save Ferris released their first full length album, It Means Everything , in 1997. The timing of the release seemed perfect as it provided an alternative style of upbeat and danceable music to counter where punk and hardcore music had gone. It, along with multiple other ska and ska punk music, brought back a sound that was foundational to so many alternative bands. It brought back a sound that was the antithesis of the rage rock bands of the 90s. It brought back a fun and lighthearted sound that put a smile on your face, and it made you want to dance and sing. The breakout single from that first Save Ferris album, and arguably one of the great cover songs of the era, was their version of the classic 80s new wave hit “Come on Eileen” from Dexy’s Midnight Runners. Monique expressed it was an incredibly important song to the success of the band. The idea for the cover came about from her experiences with her sister when she was younger. “I remember my sister listening to KROQ, and I heard them (Dexy’s) on KROQ, and I saw the video on MTV. I thought it was the coolest thing that I ever I saw in my life, and I just wanted to wear overalls with a bra underneath and be free you know! And walk down the street with all my friends singing songs. And now that’s what I do every day. Ha! I can’t take credit for the arrangement, but I can take credit for saying we are doing this song! And we are not going to do it in the way it was written because it just could not be done the way it was done by Dexy’s. Nobody could do it like Dexy’s! So, we had to do it like Save Ferris would do it. And the rest is history.” This song remains Save Ferris’ most popular song to date.

Save Ferris saw further commercial success with the release of their second album, Modified, in 1999, but it came as the third wave of ska was slowly coming to an end. The album, while still great, moved away from the band’s ska roots and more towards a pop-punk sound. The original line up of Save Ferris broke up in 2002, with several of the founding members forming different bands. Monique self-financed the Save Ferris “For the Fans” tour in 2003. Soon thereafter, Save Ferris went on hiatus until 2013. Monique found herself looking for professional opportunities and made multiple career moves, all while never losing her love for music and performing. “That was a long 10 Years. I sang on a lot of records, and I sent a lot of music over to a lot of producers. I started a lot of different businesses and professions. I went into entertainment business management for a second. I started at the bottom worked my way up and realized that it was so cushy that if I stayed, I’d never sing again. It was too comfortable, and I was never going to leave. Every day I would go to work and my dad would ask me ‘when are you gonna get on stage again Monique? You’re wasting your talent’. And I was like ‘oh I’m not that talented’, and he was like ‘no you need to get back on stage’. Because you know my dad was a frustrated singer, he was so frighteningly and frustratingly shy. But he was a great singer.” Monique never lost her of love of music and knew she had to perform again.

Monique opened up about her struggles with self-confidence, being self-critical, and imposter syndrome. “It happens to me a lot and I feel almost a little too humbled by this incredible life I’ve been able to have because of music. And I feel like if I like it too much, or enjoy it too much, or if I’m too happy about it, that I’m gonna jinx it. All these years later I still think to myself ‘don’t get too comfortable Monique you’re going to jinx it’. And now I know it just takes work. I know that you have to have hope and you’ll be fine.” While having hope is something she strives for, during quarantine Monique posted a video on her social media accounts and openly discussed her experiences with depression. She gave an open, brave, and impassioned monologue about depression and mental illness and encouraged others to not give up. She even commented that she reads every single message sent by fans, (something I have rarely heard from other artists) and while she is not always able to respond, she wanted those who wrote her to know they have her love, respect, and support. She opened up about depression and losses in the music world to mental health issues. “We’ve lost a lot. And we recently lost Winona Judd. That was terrible . ” She had a message for all of those going through hard times and those dealing with depression. She paused with a deep sigh and said, “it’s temporary. As much as it feels like it’s not, it’s temporary. It is. And it just takes some willingness, a little bit of help, and an ounce of work and you will get better. Do you know? You know I’ve suffered most of my life with a low-grade depression and was medication resistant, and that’s why the Wynonna Judd suicide so deeply affected me because I just thought there but for the grace of God go I. I mean she had all the money and all the resources in the world and couldn’t fix it. And so, it’s hard when you are in it. It’s hard to know there is a world out there that loves you. It’s torturous. That’s the only way I can describe it, it’s like torture. The other thing I would say is just know there’s a world out there that loves you that you haven’t even discovered yet. Don’t give up. I love you!” Monique believes that music can be a great source of support, therapy, and even healing. “I remember that was my therapy when I was a child because I didn’t feel like I had anybody I could talk to about my feelings, my problems, my sadness, or any of it. And I would use songs and music to feel my feelings. It saved my life.” While depression and mental health issues can be overwhelming, there are always people who care, even when you feel like there are not. If you or someone you know is struggling with depression and contemplating harming yourself, please call 988. Someone is always available to help.

Typically, my son and musical partner, Ian, conducts the interviews when we go to shows together. He could not join me for this one because he had band practice, something Monique and her manager were very proud of him for. Ian wanted to know about her inspirations for music and life. He asked, “music, like so many forms of art, draws inspiration from things outside of the art itself. What inspires your work and your music?” Monique pondered for a few minutes on this question and then spoke about the power music has and the importance of music to her life. She talked about not only the things that inspire her music, but how important music itself is to inspiring others. “Well, it gave me a career that I’m still able to do at 47 years old. I was like 19 when I joined Save Ferris and started. It’s given me a life. It’s giving me something to live for, that’s for sure. You know a purpose, a meaning. It’s a shame because after the band broke up in 2003, there was a long hiatus and I didn’t know who I was, what my identity was, and who was I if I was not performing. So, I had to find all these things to do when I was not performing. And I found I love making things. I love making art and I love to cook! I cook and I bake, and I love to entertain a lot and throw parties. I think I’m gonna start making art again. Through my dad getting sick and dying, I made a bunch of physical art for my wall. Everyone needs an outlet and there’s no shame in it as long as it’s not hurting anyone, we all need that outlet. I mean there’s so many other things that we could be doing that’s harmful, so having a healthy outlet is important. Those outlets help provide me with so much inspiration.”

As for the future of Monique Powell and Save Ferris, the sky is the limit. Save Ferris fans will rejoice in the knowledge that the band will continue to move forward and look towards new opportunities. “God! I have suffered over the next album, and I mean suffered literally. Because I keep writing and conceptualizing it, changing my mind, and writing songs, and then going ‘no I don’t think that’s gonna work now’. Because you know I just want it to go in a direction that’s meaningful, and I want it to sound fantastic. But then when COVID hit, I told myself I just need to survive at this point. At the time I would ask myself ‘am I gonna play music anymore? Maybe I should just get a job somewhere’, so yes, hopefully will be touring again soon. I can’t predict where the music industry is going to be at in the new year. All I know is that it’s better than it was six months ago, but bands are still canceling tours and shows because people get COVID and they don’t want to give it to everybody. But we will keep moving forward and we will be back!” There is no doubt in my mind the passion Monique has for her craft, her band, and the love she has for the Save Ferris fans. Expect great things to come! We have not seen the end of Save Ferris!

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Save Ferris on tour with The Kaleidoscope Kid

SKA VETERANS SAVE FERRIS HAVE ANNOUNCED A NEW STRING OF HEADLINE SHOWS WITH SUPPORT FROM THE KALEIDOSCOPE KID

Save Ferris is one of the most beloved ska bands. They have had a legendary impact on countless bands throughout the scene. Despite only  releasing 2 full-length albums since its 1995 inception. Lead by the inimitable front-woman Monique Powell, the band enjoyed mainstream success in the late 1990s with radio hits, constant touring and appearances on a variety of television shows and movies. After a 10-year-hiatus from 2002-2012. Front-woman Monique Powell re-started the group and dropped an EP titled, Checkered Past in February 2017 that included 5 brand new songs. In 2021 Save Ferris released their fest ever live album entitled “Live at The Belly Up” via Hardline Entertainment. The live record featured 19-songs from a live-performance at The Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, CA. Including songs from both of their major label releases in 1997’s It Means Everything and 1999’s Modified.

The Magic Of A Kaleidoscope Is Its Constantly Changing Colors, Shapes, And Impressions. Bring The Glass Into The Right Light And The Picture Strikes You In A Whole Different Way Than Before.

Although a true newcomer to the music scene, Kaleidoscope’s discography leaps and bounds between spaces, leaning on his charisma to bring the listener along for the ride. A fan of an extensive catalog of inspirations that span from Beck, Pink Floyd, to Bob Marley and Sublime— his work is a reflection of intentionality and passion for the craft. Taking pieces of his life and translating them into his sound has helped Kaleidoscope create an ethereal world that’s equal parts relatable and entrancing. Save Ferris on tour with The Kaleidoscope Kid Dates below!

Get Tickets HERE! TOUR DATES: Morro Bay, CA – The Siren – April 13 Oakland, CA – The New Parish – April 14 Sacramento, CA – Harlows – April 15 Fresno, CA – Strummers – April 16 Las Vegas, NV – Rock the Block – May 4 Phoenix, AZ – The Rebel Lounge – May 5 Tucson, AZ – 191 Toole – May 6 Fenner, CA – Harrah’s Resort SoCal – June 2 Englewood, CO – Gothic Theatre – June 10 Costa Mesa, CA -The Pacific Amphitheater – July 30

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‘The working class can’t afford it’: the shocking truth about the money bands make on tour

As Taylor Swift tops $1bn in tour revenue, musicians playing smaller venues are facing pitiful fees and frequent losses. Should the state step in to save our live music scene?

W hen you see a band playing to thousands of fans in a sun-drenched festival field, signing a record deal with a major label or playing endlessly from the airwaves, it’s easy to conjure an image of success that comes with some serious cash to boot – particularly when Taylor Swift has broken $1bn in revenue for her current Eras tour. But looks can be deceiving. “I don’t blame the public for seeing a band playing to 2,000 people and thinking they’re minted,” says artist manager Dan Potts. “But the reality is quite different.”

Post-Covid there has been significant focus on grassroots music venues as they struggle to stay open. There’s been less focus on the actual ability of artists to tour these venues. David Martin, chief executive officer of the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC), says we’re in a “cost-of-touring crisis”. Pretty much every cost attached to touring – van hire, crew, travel, accommodation, food and drink – has gone up, while fees and audiences often have not. “[Playing] live is becoming financially unsustainable for many artists,” he says. “Artists are seeing [playing] live as a loss leader now. That’s if they can even afford to make it work in the first place.”

Potts, who works at Red Light Management – home to everyone from Sabrina Carpenter to Kaiser Chiefs and Sofia Kourtesis – feels like there is an industry equivalent of the Spider-Man meme in which they are all pointing to one another. “People who work at labels think bands make loads of money touring, while booking agents think they make loads of money on publishing and so on,” he says. “Everyone thinks artists make money from the other side of the industry they’re not involved in.

“Artists are the biggest employers in the industry. They pay for the tour manager, session musicians, agent, manager, crew, insurance, travel, accommodation, equipment, rehearsal space, production. Everything. I don’t think people know this is all the stuff that the artist pays for and does.”

“Greater transparency is needed,” says Lily Fontaine, lead singer of Leeds band English Teacher. On paper, the four-piece appear to have made it. They are signed with a major label, Island, have played on Later With … Jools Holland, get healthy BBC Radio 6Music airplay, their debut album has received five-star reviews and they are about to embark on their biggest tour to date, which includes an 800-capacity home-town show.

“The reality is that it’s normal for all of these achievements to coexist alongside being on Universal Credit, living at home or sofa surfing,” says Fontaine. During the making of their debut album, she and bandmate Lewis Whiting did the latter while unable to afford rent.

In their four years of existence, English Teacher have yet to turn a profit from touring. “We’ve never directly paid ourselves from a gig,” says Whiting. “A headline tour usually comes out with a deficit. The only thing that we ever make any kind of profit on is festivals, because the fees can be higher, but any money left over just goes towards the next outgoings.” A successful show for the group in the past has been defined by whether they can flog enough merch to afford a supermarket food shop.

So how do they survive? “In the world of artists, we’re in a lucky position,” says Whiting. “We try to pay ourselves £500 a month each from the band pot.” However, they’ve been reliant on their advance for this, which is now gone. “We’re now in that stage where we’re gonna have to figure out where that £500 a month is gonna come from,” says Fontaine. “Because the gig fees won’t be able to cover that.” The band estimate that their 16-date UK tour in May will generate roughly £800 profit. But, says Fontaine, “realistically, I don’t think there will be any profit because things always go over budget”.

For many artists, fees aren’t increasing in line with costs. “There’s been no real incline at all,” says Potts. “For support slots, I don’t think the fees have changed in the last 10 years or so that I’ve been managing, whether that’s £50 at the smaller end or £500 quid for some of the biggest shows.” Fees for headline shows can vary enormously for bands, even on the same tour. Playing a 200-capacity club in Newcastle may land you £600, while a 1,500 cap in London may net you £3,000.

And fewer people are coming to shows at the small-to-mid-sized end of things. “In our audience data, we see there is a gap in new audiences coming through post-pandemic,” says the FAC’s Martin. “As well as a bit of a drop-off in some of the older audiences returning to live shows.” However, despite stagnant fees and shrinking audiences, touring activity in the UK is at a peak. Due to the costs of touring Europe (which can be thousands in taxes and carnet alone) 74% fewer UK bands are now touring Europe post-Brexit. “It’s much more difficult to tour in Europe so there are more artists trying to perform domestically,” says Martin. “That creates a saturation problem.”

For this article, the Guardian has seen 12 tour budget sheets for various bands and artists varying from up-and-comers to firmly established and successful acts, all of whom regularly undertake headline tours across the UK in venues ranging from 150 to 2,500 capacity. Almost all of these result in losses. Understandably, most shared their balance sheets on the condition of anonymity. One four-piece indie band, whose last two albums went Top 10 in the UK charts, reported a loss of £2,885 from a six-day UK tour. The only tour that shows anything resembling healthy profit was a 29-date tour for a solo artist who came away with £6,550. Not bad going for a month’s work but, as Martin points out, “that’s then his touring done for the next six months. So it’s not enough money.”

Nubiyan Twist are a nine-piece Afro-jazz outfit who have a loyal following and tens of millions of streams on Spotify, “We pride ourselves on being able to put on a big show, like your Fela Kutis or James Browns, these epic spectacles,” says bandleader Tom Excell. “But it’s getting more difficult, without a shadow of a doubt.” For an upcoming eight-show tour of Europe, they are predicting a loss of £4,931.28. The only way they can justify doing it is because they got funding from the BPI Music Export Growth Scheme. “I would have just pulled the plug if it wasn’t for that,” says Excell. “I’ve got a two-year-old and I can’t be away from home for that long and come back with a loss.”

Even when the band get more lucrative fees for festivals it’s still tough. They will be paid £5,000 for a festival performance this summer but the total profit after band wages (as Excell pays all his band members in full first) expenses and commissions are paid out will be £277.60. “After four albums and 15 years doing this, to still be having to gamble on whether I’m going to make anything, while everyone else gets paid a guaranteed amount, is a struggle,” admits Excell.

Such thin margins leave little wiggle room, as the space-surf band Japanese Television (who headline 100-300 capacity venues) found out when their booking agent reduced their 13-date UK and EU tour to eight shows with a five-day gap in the middle that will add a further loss of around £1,200 to a tour that is already set to lose them around £700. “Records and T-shirts are basically what keeps us going,” says the band’s Tim Jones. “The only way this tour is working for us is because we just put out our second album and we did about 60 presales on the vinyl and that was basically enough to pay for the van. It’s a hobby that just about pays for itself.”

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The question is: who else will be able to afford to pursue music as a hobby? “It depresses me how many middle and upper class people there are in the music industry,” says manager Potts. “Because the working class just can’t afford to fork out £150 a day for van hire. The only artists doing that are people who have deeper pockets and can afford to take the hit.”

Of course, every act is different in terms of what they justify as reasonable outgoings and not everyone has the same costs, but Potts says from his experience, generally speaking, bands with four or five members now need to be playing 2,000+ capacity venues nationwide to “really start to see things tip”. That tipping point is out of reach for the majority. “Most people don’t actually get to that level,” Potts says. “Just look back at any festival lineup from 10-20 years ago and see which names are still on festival bills and how many you’re like: what happened to them?”

The gap between those who are flying and those who are floundering has become even more stark. “It feels like the top 1% have become the top 0.5%,” says Martin. “The level of artists we’re talking about here that are struggling to make things stack up financially would really surprise people.”

In 2022, the Grammy-winning Pakistani singer Arooj Aftab posted on X: “Touring has been amazing. We headlined a ton, had massive turnouts and have proven ourselves in all the markets. Yet still, running tens of thousands in debt from the tour and I’m being told that it’s ‘normal’. Why is this normal? This should not be normalised.”

I’m told that one US artist – who released one of the most critically acclaimed albums of 2023, which went Top 10 and placed very highly on numerous year-end polls and was nominated for a major award – worked out that the only way she could make her UK tour work was by sub-letting her home.

It’s a far cry from Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras jaunt. “The very high end of the live industry is reporting record profits,” says Martin. “You can’t have a healthy music ecosystem where at one end you’ve got people going ‘we’ve made more money than we’ve ever made’ and at the other end you’ve got relatively successful artists that are sofa-surfing while signed to a major label.”

Is there an answer? “When you’re touring Europe, you realise how much state funding in the arts there is,” says Excell. “It really needs more state funding and support from the top down.”

Martin echoes this. “The government needs to start looking at spending money on the music industry as an investment rather than as a cost,” he says. “But you also need to support a sector in a time of crisis. And this is a time of crisis.”

• Pop and rock
• Music industry
• Taylor Swift

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Moscow Sun Ferris Wheel

📍 Moscow, VDNH

⏰ 11:00 — 22:00

Moscow Sun is a new ferris wheel at VDNH, the largest in Europe. It opened for visitors on September 10, 2022.

Opening hours

Working hours of the Ferris wheel in Moscow:

• Monday — Sunday: from 11:00 to 22:00

Exceptions: days with temperatures below -10°C (about 15 days per year) or wind gusts over 15 m/s.

The ferris wheel “Moscow Sun” is located at: 2 Ostankinskaya Street, 3. From the metro station “VDNH” you can walk on foot in 10 minutes.

The entrances to the Ferris wheel are located near the south entrance and the main alley of VDNH.

A detailed guide: How to get to the Ferris wheel in Moscow →

What to see near

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