If you still think touring arenas equals financial security, this story might ruin your day.
UK doom-punk outfit Witch Fever have revealed they’re effectively broke after spending two months opening on a major arena tour across the UK and Europe – including a show at the iconic Wembley Arena – supporting Danish rock heavyweights Volbeat.
“We’re broke as f***”
Speaking on the latest episode of the 101 Part Time Jobs podcast, bassist Alex Thompson explained that while the band were paid fees that should have covered their costs, their actual profits are now stuck in withholding taxes across multiple European countries.
“We got to the end of it… and our profit is all stuck in withholding taxes across Europe,” Thompson said.
Singer Amy Hope Walpole didn’t sugarcoat it, adding: “So we’re broke as f*** – and we just did two months in arenas,” she said, adding that the band can’t even pick up casual work because they’re due back on tour again in March. “Nowhere will hire us.”
Despite being signed to Music For Nations, a subsidiary of Sony Music, Walpole said the situation highlights just how cooked the current touring landscape has become.
“This is just crazy that this is what the music industry is like at the moment.”
Walpole also shared that she’s currently surviving on £4,000 (about AUD $7900) from her late mother’s pension, which she received late last year – money she says is “rapidly running out”.
Zooming out, Witch Fever’s situation isn’t an outlier. According to the UK Musicians’ Census, 43% of UK musicians earn less than £14,000 (about AUD $27,650) a year from music. Post-Brexit touring has only made things worse, with artists now facing expensive permits, carnets, additional crew paperwork and lengthy admin just to cross borders.
Industry body UK Music has reported that while the UK music industry generated a record £8 billion (AUD $15.8 billion) in 2024, growth has slowed dramatically – and touring earnings have dropped for many artists.
In 2024, even the UK’s creative industries minister admitted EU touring has become “simply not economically viable” for many artists.
Sound familiar?
While this is a UK story, the themes hit especially close to home for Australian bands, who already deal with massive geographic distances, eye-watering travel costs, freight, visas, and the brutal reality that even domestic touring can involve thousands of kilometres between shows. Overseas runs – often essential for growth – can be financially catastrophic if anything goes wrong.
As Help Musicians CEO Sarah Woods put it, the modern music career is increasingly “financially precarious”, with rising costs and red tape pushing more artists to the brink.
Arena stages. Major label backing. International tours. And still… broke.
Witch Fever’s story is a sobering reminder that in 2026, visibility does not equal sustainability – and for many bands, touring isn’t a path to stability, but a gamble that can leave them worse off than when they started.
Further Reading
Aussie Festival Prices Are Rising Twice As Fast As Inflation, New Study Finds
NEWS FLASHBACK: Volbeat Withdraw From Soundwave 2014
Most Music Fans Prefer Live Concerts Over Sex, Study Finds
The post UK Band Witch Fever Reveal They’re “Broke AF” After Touring Arenas appeared first on Music Feeds.
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