Featuring among the many high-profile bands on UK’s iconic Glastonbury Festival isn’t just an honour and a huge opportunity for international exposure, but it’s also pretty expensive – especially for a multi-instrumental Aussie band that’s nine members strong.
Having been announced as a late addition the enormous Glastonbury 2014 lineup, South Australian based band The Shaolin Afronauts are facing the predicament of turning down a no-brainer opportunity due to the high costs of jetting to Britain for the event.
The solution? The Afrobeat ensemble have turned to their fans for help, launching a crowdfunding campaign on Pozible to get the self-managed band to the legendary Worthy Farm site this June.
“The costs of touring a 10-person tour party are ridiculous, even though we will be doing it as cheaply as possible, and unfortunately the gig fees we are able to command on our first visit overseas are quite modest,” write Shaolin Afronauts on their campaign page.
Since learning of their last-minute booking -playing the Silver Hayes stage with the likes of Fatboy Slim, Toddla T, Tokimonsta, and more – the band have been “gigging relentlessly” to reach their projected budget of $44,000, turing to fans to pledge the last $15,000. “It really is a unique chance for us to showcase South Australian music to the world.”
“It’s pretty simple, if we can’t raise these funds, we can’t go! So we will be forever indebted to anyone that helps out,” declares band leader Ross McHenry. The Glastonbury gig is the band’s first invitation to a major international festival as well as being their first overseas performance in their six years playing a mix of avant-garde jazz, future soul, and Fela Kuti-inspired rhythms together.
The band will also be using the crowdfunded $15,000 towards a six-date European tour of the UK, Amsterdam, Paris, and Madrid, “[in] order for us to capitalise fully on this opportunity (and not waste the $20K + that flights will cost alone).”
It also handily ties in as promotion for the release of Shaolin Afronauts’ third studio album, Follow The Path, getting a UK release in July via Freestyle Records.
“It really is a unique chance for us to showcase South Australian music to the world and one we are incredibly humbled to have been offered!” the nine-piece band write while outlining exactly how they plan to spend their fans’ hard-earned pledges.
There’s also a range of unique rewards for pledgers on offer, ranging from gifting fans an exclusive live album (for just $25) the composition of a personalised song ($800) while two well-imbursed backers will be treated to a private performance (for a $2,000 pledge).
At the time of publication, Shaolin Afronauts have raised $2,755 of their target (from 38 backers) with 28 days left for the band to fulfil their Glastonbury dream.
Should their campaign prove successful, the Adelaide band will find themselves in the good company of a few other native Aussies at Glastonbury 2014. Melbourne’s Courtney Barnett will be playing the Park Stage after slaying audiences in America (on both TV and at festivals), as well as Sydney’s psych-dance-rock group Jagwar Ma, already darlings of the UK music press after being hailed ‘the next Tame Impala’ at last year’s Glasto.
View Shaolin Afronauts’ pledge video below and head to their Pozible page to plege.
Glastonbury 2014 Lineup
