WTF Canada?

     Just in case you're not a regular reader, let me get you up to speed on something: I'm from Canada. Not only that, I'm proud to be Canadian, and I feel really fortunate to be able to live here. But every once in a while Canada does something that makes me a sad, face-palming panda.



     What am I talking about? Well, apparently new legislation came into effect recently that greatly increased the costs incurred by international artists playing small venues in Canada. Whether these costs are covered by venues and booking companies looking to host international artists, or are passed along the artists themselves, the bottom line is that it now costs considerably more (in the order of hundreds of dollars) per band member to bring acts into the country to perform in small venues.

      This is a big deal for all Canadian music fans, but especially for fans of more underground or indie genres like metal. Most metal bands, even moderately successful ones, aren't so financially profitable that they can simply eat these added fees, and by the same token a lot of metal bands tend to play smaller shows rather than the arenas that seem to be exempt from the bill in question.

     All this presumably translates into less metal bands from outside Canada being able to come here and tour, and that's just plain balls. It's hard enough to see any metal shows if you don't live in one of the major urban centres, and now it looks like it'll be even harder.

     But it's not all doom and gloom. There's a glimmer of hope in the form of an online petition aimed at Minister of Employment, Social Development, and Multiculturalism and Calgary Member of Parliament Jason Kenney, asking him to get rid of this bill. Whether or not any good ultimately ends up resulting from it, it's at least gratifying to see that it's gotten over 70,000 signatures in a day or so.

     Want to help your Canadian music-fan friends? Just take a minute and go check out this petition, and maybe sign it for yourself. A stronger music scene anywhere is a stronger music scene everywhere, right?