As any self-respecting Australian metalhead will tell you, Ne Obliviscaris are one of the country’s most lauded and promising up-and-coming heavy metal bands. But promise and accolades aren’t always a milkshake that brings the boys to the yard.
Times are tough for bands all over, but especially for a crew that don’t exactly trade in the kind of music beloved by mainstream radio. Hence the band recently embarked on a crowdfunding effort to finance a full world tour.
The campaign was a total success. The boys managed to raise an incredible $86,000 and recently put the cash to use with a tour of Asia and Europe and the’ve just embarked on a month-long run opening for Cradle of Filth in Europe.
But before the band could hit the road again, drummer Dan Presland had a loose end to tie up. See, as Metal Sucks reports, Presland’s day job wouldn’t let him take the required time off work to do all of that globe-trotting.
Presland’s gig is pretty sweet. He works as a train driver, a vocation that brings in a very respectable $150,000 a year, or at least it did. Presland recently quit his well-paying job in order to concentrate on Ne Obliviscaris full time.
It’s not an easy decision to leave a six-figure job, especially when you’re leaving it for the uncertainty of life in a band and especially when your band aren’t really making a profit. As Metal Sucks notes, Ne Obliviscaris put every penny they earn back into the band.
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“Many people think that NeO are already doing really well financially, and everyone is making an income from touring/merch sales, when in fact none of us have been paid a cent,” Presland said in a statement to Metal Sucks.
“However we know the only way to make this band our ‘career’ is to go all in and take the risk head on. Money comes and goes, but opportunities don’t.” Presland reiterated as much on Instagram, writing, “I just resigned from a six figure career to persue music 100% – goodbye safety net, hello freedom!”
According to Presland, only one member of Ne Obliviscaris still has a full time job, as vocalist Xen and violinist and vocalist Tim Charles lost their primary jobs in order to tour, with only guitarist Matt managing to score some long service leave.
