British musician Kate Nash has delivered a stark warning to Parliament about the financial crisis facing touring artists, revealing she now relies on selling intimate photographs online to fund her music career.
Select Committee Testimony Reveals Touring Crisis
The Foundations singer gave evidence to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, detailing how post-Brexit regulations have created substantial barriers for performers working across Europe. Nash provided MPs with a sobering account of the economic realities confronting artists in the current climate.
Substantial Financial Losses Documented
Nash disclosed she suffered a devastating £26,000 loss on her most recent European tour, compounded by an additional £13,000 deficit from her latest UK tour. These substantial financial shortfalls have forced drastic measures, including laying off a crew member just before Christmas – a decision she described as emotionally difficult.
"I was doing everything I could do to cut costs, which I really hate doing as an employer," Nash told the committee, highlighting the personal toll these financial pressures exact on artists trying to maintain professional standards.
Alternative Funding Through OnlyFans
The musician revealed that despite two decades in the industry, a substantial fanbase, and millions of streams, she now depends on an OnlyFans account to make touring financially viable. "Now the only reason it is possible for me to do it is because I sell pictures of my bum on the internet," she stated bluntly to MPs.
Nash explained she initially created the account during her last touring cycle to draw attention to the financial challenges artists face, but it has since become an essential revenue stream for her musical career.
Wider Implications for UK Culture
The singer issued a powerful warning about the broader consequences for British culture, stating: "We are at risk of losing our reputation and pride in our culture, which will have a knock-on effect on the UK economy." She emphasised that restricting artists' ability to tour internationally diminishes the UK's cultural influence globally.
Accessibility and Diversity Concerns
Nash raised significant concerns about how financial barriers could make music increasingly exclusive. "I think music should not be exclusive, it's for all, and it becomes an issue of class, it becomes an issue of race, gender and sexuality and identity, because the doors are closing on who can choose to take that kind of risk," she told the committee.
She painted a bleak picture for emerging artists without substantial financial resources, questioning how they could possibly afford to perform in the UK, let alone undertake European tours given current economic conditions.
Call for Government Action
The musician warned that without intervention, only wealthy artists would be able to sustain touring careers. "Myself and a lot of artists are sick of screaming into the void on how difficult it is," she expressed, highlighting the frustration many performers feel about being unheard.
Nash concluded with a plea for strategic thinking about the future of British music, stating: "I think there is a pipeline we are not thinking through about the future of UK music and how we are seen culturally around the world." Her testimony represents a significant intervention in the ongoing debate about post-Brexit cultural policy and its impact on the creative industries.
