Meet & Greets are kind of douchey, but donating the money is cool
“Meet & Greets” have always rubbed me the wrong way. How does a self-respecting artist charge money to let a fan get close to them? One of the most depressing moments of my music-related life was seeing childhood hero Oderus Urungus (may he rest in peace) collecting $10 cash from every fan who wanted to come up and take a picture with him in front of the GWAR booth at a Fangoria horror convention. Then again, that was a bargain compared to what Def Leppard is probably charging for a photograph on their current tour. And the business model must work, especially for cartoony bands with giant followings like KISS. Supply and demand I guess (and I do wish my cheap ass had that picture with Oderus right about now)…
Anyway, who knew Refused were the kind of band who could pull off a “meet and greet”, but apparently on their recent tour, not only did they do it, it netted them more than three million I mean hundred thousand I mean thousand… three thousand dollars, which they, well… here’s the press release:
Refused has donated 100% of proceeds from their VIP / Meet & Greet tour packages to MOAS (Migrant Offshore Aid Station). The packages were sold on the band’s recent North American tour with Plague Vendor and The Coathangers; over $3k was raised and donated to the charity.
David Sandström (drums) states:
“To be blunt, MOAS is doing what the EU would be doing if it was a functioning political entity. They’re getting shit done, picking drowning children, women and men out of the ocean and putting them on European shores. It’s crucial work and a no-brainer for us to get behind.”
The Swedish hardcore titans released Freedom, their first album in 17 years last summer. Freedom is the band’s first new album since their iconic 1998 album The Shape of Punk to Come. If Shape blasted apart the constraints of the punk and hardcore world, Freedom goes a step further by incorporating the wide-ranging influences that have shaped band members’ personal taste. Refused will return to North America as support for Deftones in August and will perform at Riot Fest Chicago this Fall.
Deftones & Refused Tour Dates:
Aug 2 Bethlehem, PA – Sands Bethlehem Event Center
Aug 3 Baltimore, MD – Pier Six Concert Pavilion
Aug 5 Brooklyn, NY – Coney Island Amphitheater
Aug 6 Philadelphia, PA – Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing
Aug 7 Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena
Aug 9 Boston, MA – Blue Hills Pavilion
Aug 10 Asbury Park, NJ – Stone Pony Amphitheatre
Aug 13 Toronto, Canada – Arrow Hall
Sept 16-18 Chicago, IL – Riot Fest
