This Summer, Goatwhore will be touring North America as part of this year’s Summer Slaughter Tour. However, it would appear that the New Orleans death metal group is looking to upgrade their touring conditions. That’s why Goatwhore has launched a donation page via ChipIn to help pay for a new touring van.
The band released the following statement via their ChipIn page:
“We are embarking on a 7 week long national tour later this summer that will take us all over the United States and parts of Canada. While some people may think that being active in the music business and going on tour may be financially prosperous, that is not always the case. Our goal is to be able to rent a new and different touring vehicle for this upcoming tour. Our usual mode of transportation is a 15-passenger van which gets roughly 9 mpg pulling our loaded trailer. This new vehicle will be much more comfortable and take some of the stress of the road off of us. More importantly, it gets upwards of 20 mpg pulling a loaded trailer. This will account for considerable fuel savings as well as a reduction in emissions due to the vehicles clean burning ultra low sulphur diesel engine. We are inviting fans to ChipIn to our cause to be able to feasibly rent this vehicle from mid-July to late August.”
It’s understandable that Goatwhore would want a better van for touring (hell, any band would). However, it does beg many to ask whether fans donating are entitled to something in return (as most Kickstarter campaigns offer) or should be viewed as a one-time gift. While many could make the argument for either side, we do agree with Metal Sucks in that while launching donation campaigns can be cool, it also shouldn’t be overused. Also, while the band does mention they want a better van, they don’t mention a) exactly what kind of van they’re looking to get or b) how much money they need to get said van. Kickstarter campaigns have a set fundraising goal, which to a degree, holds those running somewhat accountable. Also, when a Kickstarter-like campaign is done correctly, it’ll incentivize people to get involved and spread it virally. Check out the Pebble for an example.
If you do want to help out Goatwhore rent a new van, you can donate to ChipIn until June 30. As of now, Goatwhore have raised $192 since launching on May 4 (with no particular target amount revealed).
