Avenged Sevenfold's frontman M. Shadows recently revealed the significant challenges bands face with modern touring economics, highlighting how even successful acts struggle to remain profitable on the road.

In a conversation with YouTuber Bradley Hall, Shadows explained that mounting travel expenses and decreased ticket sales have created an unsustainable environment for many artists. "It's incredibly hard for us, even," he admitted, noting that many bands have already been forced to cancel tours.

Key challenges facing touring artists include:

• Dramatically increased operational costs
• Declining ticket sales due to inflation
• Lack of traditional record label tour support
• High ticket prices deterring fans

Regarding dynamic ticket pricing, Shadows explained that it was implemented to redirect profits from resellers to artists. "If someone's buying a ticket for a thousand dollars, do you want it going to a reseller or the artist?" he asked, while acknowledging fans' frustration with high prices.

The band has adapted by exploring new markets, with Indonesia becoming their second-largest market. "If you keep going to these places and opening up new markets... if you can get the whole world streaming, it's gonna kind of supplement this sort of gap," Shadows explained.

Despite these challenges, Avenged Sevenfold continues touring, with a 12-date European tour scheduled for June, including appearances at major festivals like Tons Of Rock, Rock For People, and Release.

Photo Credit: Avenged Sevenfold by Stefan Brending (2eight) / CC by 3.0

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