We’re angry. For many of us, Bandcamp has been the main source of musical discovery, collecting, and sharing over the past decade. We’ve created projects, both serious and unserious, started labels and collectives, and raised money for some very good causes. We are facing a reality where that no longer exists, and it’s upsetting. Even more upsetting is the callousness with which the hardworking employees that make Bandcamp’s community so vibrant and current have been swept aside in favor of “profit.” We don’t know what’s going to happen, but we do know that we will stand behind Bandcamp United, support workers, including those who have been laid off, and will act accordingly once the union has a plan in place. While our music collections, and for many of us our secondary source of income, are Bandcamp-based, we have to put those who just lost their main source of income first. So we can be righteously angry, but we also can stay alert and listen so we know what to do when the time comes. I also recommend continuing to send polite yet firm emails to Songtradr leadership, letters to the editor, and any form of public protest possible. Labor is at a breaking point right now and Bandcamp United was positioned to set a precedent for other media holdings. Let us not waver in our support. Let us also continue to direct our resources to the artists so Bandcamp sees what a valuable asset they have in the users whose voices ring out loudly and clearly for the employees.
Whether or not Songtradr recognizes the union will also dictate our next steps, but there’s another aspect to consider. This club has POWER. There is POWER in a union, there is POWER in the people, and there is POWER in their purchases, many of which are influenced by these emails. So maybe we need to remind leadership that if they fuck this up, Metal Bandcamp Giftclub has no problem taking their hard-earned money elsewhere. That this is a group of individuals who enjoy heavy music and equal rights. Workers’ rights. We will not compromise or sacrifice our values.
In the meantime, yes, we’re all sad, but it’s still someone’s birthday, and they deserve to celebrate just like everyone else and we can be grumpy again later.
If you can, please gift them with one of their 88 wishlist items, or browse their collection for yourself.
If you have any ideas on how we can help laid-off workers, drop by Metal Bandcamp Gift Club Discord and let us know.
METAL BANDCAMP GIFT CLUB STANDS WITH BANDCAMP UNITED