Earlier this month, we told you about Ne Obliviscaris, the beloved Australian metal outfit who recently launched a groundbreaking Patreon campaign that they’re hoping will allow them to earn the Australian standard minimum wage.
That’s it. That’s all they’re going for. They don’t want riches or enough to buy their own private jet, they just want to make enough to scrape by and not have to rely on other sources of income besides making music and playing shows.
The response was incredible. According to a band statement, in the seven days following their Patreon launch, fans dedicated to giving the band enough to earn more than AUD$100,000 per year. At the time of writing, the band are making USD$7,061 per month from Patreon.
The band are well on their way to reaching a monthly contribution of AUD$17,079.40, which would equate to AUD$17.29 (USD$12.36) an hour or AUD$656.90 per standard 38 hour work week. In other words, the Australian minimum wage.
Currently finishing up a tour with Cradle Of Filth, the band have still managed to find the time to interact with their fans on social media, who’ve welcomed the campaign with an overwhelmingly positive response.
“Our mission at Patreon is to fund the emerging creative class. We see a future where creators can earn a living doing what they’re passionate about because their art and work is properly valued by the people that love it most: their fans,” said Taryn Arnold of Patreon.
“It’s insanely special to see bands like NeO join Patreon and have such an explosive launch — you can tell that their fans share the same passion and vision for the band as its own members do.”
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“The most exciting part is, I’m sure tons of bands are seeing NeO’s launch and thinking, ‘woah.. we could do that too.’ That ripple effect changes things within the industry, and we’re really excited to have NeO onboard.”
The band have received similar kind words from other industry notables, including Cradle of Filth, Devin Townsend manager Andy Farrow, Sleepmakeswaves, Skyharbor, and more, all praising the band’s campaign, which was inspired by similar support programs for sports clubs.
Only time will tell if the band hit their goal, but if they do indeed raise enough to earn minimum wage, Ne Obliviscaris’ campaign could well serve as a model for other up-and-coming independent bands out there.
