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The Metal industry is a sad, sad place...
Okay so here’s a story which is kinda crazy pretty much from start to finish.
Over the weekend, reader Hetal Bhatt sent us a link to a posting on Chris Clancy’s Facebook page, entitled “I am no longer the vocalist for Mutiny Within.” I e-mailed MW bassist Andrew Jacobs for a confirmation because Clancy is still listed as a member on the band’s official Facebook page, and in the wee hours of this morning, Jacobs e-mailed me back to say that the band is “putting together a statement” and that “there is a lot going on right now.”
And now Clancy’s Facebook post has been removed, which, y’know, I don’t think is a coincidence.
So while you can’t see Clancy’s statement on FB, you can read it below — the full text of that post follows, and whether or not you consider yourself a Mutiny Within fan, it’s worth reading, because it’s a fucking harsh look at the state of the modern metal business:
“This may come as a shock to some people I guess but here we go:
“Well, where do I start?..
“Isn’t it such a shame that the music industry is no longer about music? I started playing instruments when I was 10. 16 years later, I find myself leaving a career that I strived over half of my life to accomplish. I gave up almost everything to live in a basement in another country and make music with my bandmates in search of a record deal. We did the impossible and got signed to Roadrunner Records. It was my childhood dream and I had everything I ever wanted. Or so I thought.
“My love for singing and performing soon started to diminish as time and time again we got screwed over by the industry in some way or another. I love being in a band because I love singing and i’ve just found that everything i’m doing is for the wrong reasons. There’s no passion or drive to wake up in the morning and make music with the guys, so i’m not going to do that anymore. Maybe a new venture will come my way and it will restart the fire that I once had.
“We live in an age where labels don’t just take money from music sales, but from almost every form of a bands income. This isn’t the labels fault. They front money to let the bands make their music and put it out. They’re businesses and want to make a profit. But what happens when a band is given money to record an album, puts it out, and then doesn’t sell enough records…? They are evaluated and either dropped or given a second chance with a strict budget… We were dropped. We didn’t even hit 10,000 legal album sales in the USA. Yet looking at torrent sites around the internet, you can easily find 60,000+ illegal downloads. Our music was stolen, the label didn’t make enough money, and now there will be no more music. Why am I saying this? Because this happens to so many other bands and they stay quiet about it.
“After 4 years of working almost every day with the band, the reality is i’ve earned $100 in all that time. I simply cannot afford to continue on. Visa costs, living costs…people seem to think i’m rich because i’m a musician but many of you will know the reality of the industry. I don’t know the future of Mutiny Within, I wish them the best if they decide to continue without me, but i’m moving on and I hope that I find that drive and love for music that I once had.
“I’d like to thank our fans for being awesome and so loyal to us. You’ve been there for us on the road more times than I can remember and it’s you guys that have kept me going through all the bad times because standing on that stage and hearing you sing along is the best feeling I could ever have. We’ve had plenty of haters and i’d like to thank them too for entertaining me over the past few years. I play metal because I love metal. Some people seem to rip anything apart which isn’t their favourite band, yet if I sounded like your favourite band you’d hate me for copying them.
“I’m still on good terms with the band and there’s no bad feelings, so thanks again to the fans, the band, and everybody who has supported me along the way.
“All the best,
Chris”
So that obviously blows. And it’s not like Mutiny Within are some unknown band on some little indie label. They were signed to fucking Roadrunner (and I know for a fact that are other big labels that wanted them). They were heavily promoted both via advertising and the media. They were on some big, big tours. They were basically given every opportunity a young band could hope for.
(And I know some MW haters are gonna say “Mutiny Within didn’t undersell because of illegal downloading, they undersold because they suck.” I don’t have data to compare against the stats Clancy quotes, but if we give him the benefit of the doubt, then, yeah, the band should have been doing much better.)
But wait, here’s where the story gets a little weirder. Scanning the comments below the post, I found this little exchange between Clancy and keyboardist Drew Stavola, who is apparently also out of the band:
Three words: Oy yoy yoy.
So now I guess we just sit tight and wait for the band’s statement on the issue. Stay tuned for more info…
-AR
Over the weekend, reader Hetal Bhatt sent us a link to a posting on Chris Clancy’s Facebook page, entitled “I am no longer the vocalist for Mutiny Within.” I e-mailed MW bassist Andrew Jacobs for a confirmation because Clancy is still listed as a member on the band’s official Facebook page, and in the wee hours of this morning, Jacobs e-mailed me back to say that the band is “putting together a statement” and that “there is a lot going on right now.”
And now Clancy’s Facebook post has been removed, which, y’know, I don’t think is a coincidence.
So while you can’t see Clancy’s statement on FB, you can read it below — the full text of that post follows, and whether or not you consider yourself a Mutiny Within fan, it’s worth reading, because it’s a fucking harsh look at the state of the modern metal business:
“This may come as a shock to some people I guess but here we go:
“Well, where do I start?..
“Isn’t it such a shame that the music industry is no longer about music? I started playing instruments when I was 10. 16 years later, I find myself leaving a career that I strived over half of my life to accomplish. I gave up almost everything to live in a basement in another country and make music with my bandmates in search of a record deal. We did the impossible and got signed to Roadrunner Records. It was my childhood dream and I had everything I ever wanted. Or so I thought.
“My love for singing and performing soon started to diminish as time and time again we got screwed over by the industry in some way or another. I love being in a band because I love singing and i’ve just found that everything i’m doing is for the wrong reasons. There’s no passion or drive to wake up in the morning and make music with the guys, so i’m not going to do that anymore. Maybe a new venture will come my way and it will restart the fire that I once had.
“We live in an age where labels don’t just take money from music sales, but from almost every form of a bands income. This isn’t the labels fault. They front money to let the bands make their music and put it out. They’re businesses and want to make a profit. But what happens when a band is given money to record an album, puts it out, and then doesn’t sell enough records…? They are evaluated and either dropped or given a second chance with a strict budget… We were dropped. We didn’t even hit 10,000 legal album sales in the USA. Yet looking at torrent sites around the internet, you can easily find 60,000+ illegal downloads. Our music was stolen, the label didn’t make enough money, and now there will be no more music. Why am I saying this? Because this happens to so many other bands and they stay quiet about it.
“After 4 years of working almost every day with the band, the reality is i’ve earned $100 in all that time. I simply cannot afford to continue on. Visa costs, living costs…people seem to think i’m rich because i’m a musician but many of you will know the reality of the industry. I don’t know the future of Mutiny Within, I wish them the best if they decide to continue without me, but i’m moving on and I hope that I find that drive and love for music that I once had.
“I’d like to thank our fans for being awesome and so loyal to us. You’ve been there for us on the road more times than I can remember and it’s you guys that have kept me going through all the bad times because standing on that stage and hearing you sing along is the best feeling I could ever have. We’ve had plenty of haters and i’d like to thank them too for entertaining me over the past few years. I play metal because I love metal. Some people seem to rip anything apart which isn’t their favourite band, yet if I sounded like your favourite band you’d hate me for copying them.
“I’m still on good terms with the band and there’s no bad feelings, so thanks again to the fans, the band, and everybody who has supported me along the way.
“All the best,
Chris”
So that obviously blows. And it’s not like Mutiny Within are some unknown band on some little indie label. They were signed to fucking Roadrunner (and I know for a fact that are other big labels that wanted them). They were heavily promoted both via advertising and the media. They were on some big, big tours. They were basically given every opportunity a young band could hope for.
(And I know some MW haters are gonna say “Mutiny Within didn’t undersell because of illegal downloading, they undersold because they suck.” I don’t have data to compare against the stats Clancy quotes, but if we give him the benefit of the doubt, then, yeah, the band should have been doing much better.)
But wait, here’s where the story gets a little weirder. Scanning the comments below the post, I found this little exchange between Clancy and keyboardist Drew Stavola, who is apparently also out of the band:
Three words: Oy yoy yoy.
So now I guess we just sit tight and wait for the band’s statement on the issue. Stay tuned for more info…
-AR
Comments
i agree with this
Road Runner signed these guys cause they thought they would be the next big thing. People didn't dig them and they were mediocre at best live. They tanked and RR dropped them. It wasn't because of illegal downloading or the record company at all.