High fuel prices put brakes on indie band tours

A number of you wrote in with the recent Associated Press story covering the effects of high fuel prices on touring bands.

The story looks at independent touring bands in particular, noting that few bands expected to make a profit on a tour even under good gas prices, but the $4.00 per gallon price is making touring prohibitively expensive for many musicians.

The problem is particularly acute on the West Coast where most cities can involve seven hour drives between them, meaning that a single show can cost substantial amounts just to play, and many bands face the prospect of not recouping on those kinds of shows.

The article talks to Dirtnap Records' Ken Cheppaikode who notes that smaller bands can't ask for guarantees and must depend heavily on merch sales to cover costs.

You can check out the article here.