New federal regulations in Canada have doubled or in some cases even quadrupled the cost of bringing in international arts to perform in bars and restaurants. The new regulations require that any space that has a primary business other than music but also brings talent in must pay an application fee of $275 per musician and party. The additional party members could include the manager and tech for dance music, but the fees would be colossal for other genres like rock bands or hip hop artists.
Previously the fee was maxed out at $450 and could be shared across multiple venues. What makes matters worse now is that in the event an application is rejected, the venue would have to resubmit another application and pay the fee all over again.
The regulations don’t so much as effect the larger tours where venues with seating capacities in the thousands are not subject to the laws. However an artist would not be permitted to play anywhere else while on tour. DJs will often spin another set at an afterparty, these new laws prevent it from happening unless permits were previously secured.
Spencer Brown, the longtime booker for downtown Calgary venue The Palomino, says the new regulations make it almost impossible to bring in outside acts. “Concert promotion at this level is, in itself, a high-risk occupation. So this has just put it through the roof. There’s no way to start already $1,700 in the hole and break even. It’s impossible.”
Upcoming artists typically will tour locally as well as internationally in smaller venues for years before they break through to the mainstream. It just became a lot more difficult to do that in Canada, but it doesn’t have to be. A petition has been launched on Change.org to let Jason Kenney, Minister of Employment, Social Development & Multiculturalism know that the act should be repealed.
The movement has gone completely viral going from just under 5,000 signatures to over 40,000 in only a few hours. Support is rampant from Canadians, but also others from around the world.
Here’s what people are saying:
“Canada’s reputation as a place international artists want to play is at stake. We don’t want to be known as a music-fearing, protectionist cultural wasteland.” – Joe Hartfeil EDMONTON, CANADA
“Canadians and foreigners against the suicide of musical appreciation” – Douglas Sinnaeve ANTWERPEN, BELGIUM
“As a Canadian and lifelong supporter of live music, now working in the global concert / touring business in NY, it’s immediately clear how destructive this policy would be to Canada’s proud industry and community. For countless bookers, promoters and artists working up through the ranks, this is an obvious dealbreaker. Anyone with any remote knowledge of the precarious touring life will attest that rather than raise revenues, Canada will simply be skipped on tours and shut out, at a massive cost to jobs & culture. Remove this wrongheaded idea.” – Josh Levitt BROOKLYN, NY
“This new fee penalizes Canadian institutions and promoters who rely on international workers (i.e. bands, artists) to function. These new inflated fees will cripple smaller–especially arts-related–Canadian businesses. The surge of arts related activities in Canada is exactly what has made this country to so desirable to foreign artists – to perform for, create and collaborate with Canadian artists – and this fee seems to directly target that creative explosion here.. which makes NO sense at all! Please reconsider this exorbitant fee, as it will only once again turn Canada into a cultural no-man’s land of the lowest common denominator variety! We do not need any more dumbing down!!” – Lorrie Edmonds MONTREAL, CANADA
To view more comments or sign the petition, click here.
via MontrealGazzette
Share On
