It was aaaaaalmost two years ago when we last saw Shriekback having one of their regular bouts of album recording, of which they are both successful and abundant. The last 16 years have seen what I’ll call six canonical Shriekback albums in addition to more “side projects” and and archival reissues than I can begin to name here. Back then, Shriekback were using the Indiegogo platform for album 15. The band wanted to get together in a room the old fashioned way to see what would result and their fans pledged $45K to overtake their $35K budget. And it was a corker. So what could go wrong now? We might instead ask what has gone right.
For starters, the last year has seen a pandemic sweep the world in the last year, so the bitter irony is that Shriekback now have to record in their separate locations and minimize any physical collusion. And exactly none of the former big money levels of buy-in sponsorship [visit in the studio, intimate gigs] that go a long way for meeting the goal are now possible. They are off the table. Bummer.
So what’s a plucky band, still in their creative prime and raring to go going to do? Well, the Shrieks have now cannily enabled crowdfunding on their own website, so no longer will 5-to-whatever percent of the take go to overhead. Sure, sure. The 800 lb. gorillas of crowdfunding have a big presence, but you can get lost there trying to find that special band worthy of your love. And Shriekback by now have cultivated a reliable fan base who knows the score and keeps them off the streets, working productively. I’ve tossed a few shekels in their direction in spite of my Monastic vows of poverty. Happily! So they are going it alone this time to raise £30K [$42,309.60] in the next 28 days.
So what are the perks to net the desired moolah? A wide variety of buy-ins for any budget, of course.
- £20 – Your basic pre-release CD/DL of album
- £40 – CD/DL + handmade postcard to you [I opted for this level the last time]
- £50 – CD/DL + BONUS 3xCD level – Live in 80s NYC with early-mid 80s’ concerts from fine clubs like Danceteria, Peppermint Lounge, and The Ritz on ye olde silver discs, autographed by the band! Exclusively available with this level.
- £80 – CD/DL + BOOK: Shriekback – Selected Lyrics. Annotated by Andrews/Marsh and autographed by the gents
- £85 – CD/DL/Postcard + 1 HOUR ZOOM CHAT with band for [<12 people]
- £90 – CD/DL/Postcard + HOLY RELIC. An object of resonance from the band. Sweaty stageware. A studio tracklist from “Big Night Music.” Lyric sketches.
- £100 – CD/DL + HANDWRITTEN LYRIC [of your choice]
- £300 – CD/DL + COMMISSIONED 2 MIN SONG to your title
- £300 – CD/DL + VINYL LP of album #16, signed and numbered [only 100 avail.] with YOUR NAME on the sleeve.
None of the super big ticket [£1K + up] items like special shows or studio visits this time. So they’ve got to make up with quantity. The last time they had about 450 fans kicking in an average of $100. But that included multi thousand dollar “executive level” packages that go a long way to covering financial goals. They will need more fans buying in to make up for it. So tell one and all.
I’m excited the most by the package with the three bonus discs from the NYC concerts they had in the 80s. But I’ve got 28 days to pledge, and that’s $70 on my end. That’s probably not in the budget this time. In the end I will probably opt for the basic CD. I can do that much. What about you? If you’re in, then hit that banner below and put your money where your mouth is.
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Post-Punk Monk 
Ugh – I collect their vinyl, but £300 is a BIG ask right now…
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Christopher Merritt – I hear you! Too rich for my blood! I pledged as much as $50 for the US tour crowdsource campaign, but we all know how that turned out. Sigh. The one crowdsource flop in the band’s admirable journey. My concern is that with the multi-thousand pound, top-dollar pledge levels not possible due to social distancing, the stakes only get as high as £300 this time, so they will need more warm bodies than the 400 or so they got the last time. And £300 is very costly for an LP, as you rightly say. Maybe less so in today’s vinyl bubble market, but still… And this is not strictly for an LP, even though it might come down to that at the fan level. It’s for the album itself, and those with the money to spare must be generous this time out. We shall cross our digits and hope for the best.
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Totally…totally. Tricky innit. We keep getting people writing to us lusting after vinyl so we thought…. err maybe.
And, as you note, not having Shriekback’s Holiday Camp to offer we thought the vinyls might attract the munificence of the blessed Ultra Punters. If we can get to at least £20k I think we’ll be able to fulfill everything. With some cut corners though… Ah well, we shall see… Thanks for the support Monk, as ever.. BA
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Barry – At least you can go it alone on the crowdsourcing thanks to what was probably a plug-in. Not losing the percentage that other platforms skimmed in the past can only be helpful. At least your base know where to find you and are engaged. But can we drum up more open wallets this round? It’s all about the wide/shallow instead of the narrow/deep this time. Since the commissioned songs turned out so well last time, and are at the top of the price range, one hopes there will be more of that going on. My friend Mr. Gaulke sure kept you busy.
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While I’m not a fanatical SB collector I have kept up with most of the albums and a few of the solo and side projects (on occasion thanks to the proprietor of this fine establishment), and do genuinely enjoy the band and have done through the decades. I’ve contributed to other such efforts from other bands, so I’m likely to be one of those “new wallets” to get opened by this offer, so as usual I thank the Monk for alerting the non-hardcore to this opportunity to reward good creative behaviour! Curse the poor exchange rate between Canada and the UK!
I certainly look forward to a time when the band can tour again, and possibly even get in some shows in other countries! Hearing some of the later material live would be such a treat!
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chasinvictoria – Well I was fairly early to the Shriekback party courtesy of you spinning the arresting “Lined Up” 12″ on a tape letter lo, those many decades a-go-go. Otherwise I might have waiting until exposure to the magnificent “Nemesis” before becoming a Shriek-head.
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As always I had to support this with my limited range of cash leftover. I really adore the Shrieks and their 2nd phase and their ongoing will to continue all on their own and managing this artistically successful too.
You can tell when the new releases cue up on your inbox they are having no easy time to survive too. I wish I could afford the 3 live CD package but at least I’ve been seeing them on their last tour in Amsterdam and got myself a (now washed out t-shirt – hint). Bring on more Shirts Shrieks, there are many good designs in your history!
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