Garbage’s Shirley Manson hits out at music industry economics: “There’s no fucking effective union for musicians that fights for young musicians”

Garbage’s Shirley Manson has hit out at the music industry yet again during their North American tour.

• READ MORE: Garbage’s Shirley Manson: “I don’t have to be young, I don’t have to be sexy – if you cancel me, you cancel me”

The band kicked off their ‘Happy Endings’ tour in Orlando last month and have previously indicated that they are “unlikely to play many of the cities” in the US “ever again”.

During a show at The Anthem in Washington DC, Manson recently took a moment to explain their decision not to continue with major headline tours in the future.

“We have as a band decided that, due to basically the economics of the music industry, that we have to curtail our headline touring business,” she said at the time. “It has, thanks to the thievery of the record industry, made touring very, very difficult.”

Now, during a show at Denver’s Mission Ballroom earlier this week, she hit out at the music industry again.

@fishboneband

Big ups to Shirley Manson and @Garbage for taking the time at their show in Denver (who we all love and have been great to Us as well) to discuss the reality of being a working musician and band. What she says hits us too… a band for 40+ years that still struggle with the high cost of tickets, high cost of touring from transportation, gas, hotels… but we all keep in keeping on… so when we have “unforeseen circumstances” it just comes down to we can’t afford it all the time and these promoters rely on data… that means “pre sales”… so when bands like us are out there pushing shows months before the date, it’s because the numbers are being watched… when the pre sales don’t show strength… unforeseen circumstances begin to brew from promoters. Bands get a guarantee to get paid and cover touring costs. Band members in the end (if you add up the time) can make below minimum wage, so if sales don’t look great, promoters ask for “reductions” which means taking less for the show that was guaranteed… which means the people that take the hit are the band and the musicians. Why take a “reduction”? Because it’s a business built on relationships. It’s like, do me a solid and i’ll do you one later (questionable), but it’s the game… why do you tour if you are making below minimum wage? Because this is what we were out on earth to do… so when you see merch and it’s $5 more than the last time, or an LP or CD is higher than you wanted, it’s all to make up the difference to make a little extra to stay out in the road… plus, there is a cost for manufacturing, but that’s a whole other post.. thank you Shirley and thank you Garbage for bringing this to people’s attention… keep showing the love , supporting the band and we will have a lot for you in 2026. Gracias.

♬ original sound – Fishbone

“It has become entirely unsustainable for a band like us to come and tour anywhere except the coasts,” Manson said.

“And it’s upsetting, but we’ve had a glorious 30-year career, and we really have no complaints. But I bring this up every night because I think it’s imperative that that we all start to understand what exactly is going on in the music industry.

“And it’s difficult to get your head around, right? Because you see all these big pop stars, and they’re making billions and billions and billions of dollars and they’re rich and they’re glamorous and they’re amazing. But the problem is that most of the music industry is not made of these big pop-stars. They’re made of working musicians.”

She went on: “This is not a pity party for us. This is an alarm call for all the young generations of musicians who are in our wake, and who we feel duty-bound to speak up for because there’s nobody speaking up for them. There is no governmental body. There’s no fucking real effective union for musicians that fights for young musicians to get paid.”

Manson also took aim at streaming platforms including Spotify and Ticketmaster.

She added: “The average musician makes $12 (£9) a month on Spotify. They’re sleeping in their vans, they’re holding down numerous jobs, and they’re playing their guts out every night.

“The fact that they are not even able to sell a record and it’s taken from them by rich motherfuckers on streaming platforms who get paid royally by record labels, who get paid royally by Ticketmaster, who get paid royally by merch companies, who get paid royally – the list goes on and on and on. There’s accountants. There’s lawyers. They’re all fucking getting paid, except for the musician.”

She went on to say “you are the ones who will lose out on generations of esoteric, risk-taking, creative, adventurous weirdos, rebels, agitators, and provocateurs. You’re gonna get fucking white bread. That’s it.”

Speaking to NME last year, Manson opened up about the crushing and “abusive” financial strains of the music industry.

Visit here to find a list of Garbage’s remaining tour dates and purchase any remaining tickets here.

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