> so you buy their merch and go to their shows > sold themselves off as a commodity A bit unfair because bands are often not making any money on their merch or

> so you buy their merch and go to their shows > sold themselves off as a commodity A bit unfair because bands are often not making any money on their merch or their shows. My experience is that they are pleased if they cover their incidental costs. They seem to get zero financial payoff for their time invested. They may get good non-financial benefits.