Bdrmm have launched a crowdfunder after a non-payment from a festival has left them at risk of being unable to tour later this year.
The Hull shoegaze band have said that they’re owed £6,500, an outstanding sum that’s left them struggling to fund their upcoming autumn tour.
Detailing their situation in the fundraiser’s description – dubbed the “bdrmm got effed over” fund – the group said that they “don’t take this decision lightly”.
Posting a link to the crowdfunder on social media this weekend (September 1), they wrote that “due to astronomical rises in touring prices and the unfortunate recent event of us not being paid for a festival, which we poured all our cash into to get to, we have found ourselves at a very unfortunate and desperate situation, in the form of a crowdfunder”.
They went on: “We don’t take this decision lightly but due to the referent festival circumstances (of withholding to pay us a promised €6.5k – and cost us upwards of £3k to travel too) this seems like the only way forwards to help us in covering our upcoming tour costs. we would appreciate anything you can give to help us in these upsetting times. to be on the receiving end of essentially being stolen from is crushing.
Bdrmm shared that, in addition to the crowdfunder, they have also dropped prices on all merchandise on Bandcamp and plan to put funds towards ferries, flights, petrol and “essentially us being able to bring our upcoming EU/UK tour to you all”.
“Thank you all for your constant support and we hope to see you in October,” they concluded.
https://t.co/vLn696MpXX
— bdrmm (@smellybdrmm) September 2, 2023
In a follow-up video, frontman Ryan Smith thanked everyone who has contributed so far, and said that “feeling all that love” was “fucking unbelievable”.
As of today (September 3), the band are at 59 per cent of the fundraiser target – £3,871 of their £6,500 goal. You can contribute to it here.
Speaking to NME back in June about their second album ‘I Don’t Know’, the band shared their excitement for this year’s live campaign. “I just can’t wait,” said Smith. “I’m just going mad thinking about it. We haven’t really had an album campaign because the first one was in lockdown so we don’t know anything about it. We’ve put a lot into it so I’m excited to just enjoy it and soak it up.”
In a four-star review of the record, NME said that the Hull four-piece were on “red-hot form, adding: “The band’s 2020 debut chimed with mid-pandemic gloom. This brighter set of songs finds a new way forward.”
