Canada pass law to charge overseas bands who wish to perform in their country

As the Polaris Prize consistently shows every single year, Canada has a flourishing music scene. So much so, it seems, that new legislation was recently passed that increases fees for foreign musicians to be able to play in the country.

Obviously content with what they already have to offer (think Grimes, Japandroids and Drake, just to name a few), the Ministry of Employment, Social Development & Multiculturalism have pushed through new laws that affect grassroots musicians. As the Calgary Herald report, the legislation “impacts any venue with a primary business other than music”, aka bars, clubs and coffee shops.

Venues will have to pay $275 for each band member up front (non-refundable) for them to play their joint, with the same fee counting for managers, roadies and others travelling with the group. Then comes an additional fee of $150 if the application is accepted.

“If I have a one four-member American band, I’m looking at $1,700 Canadian just to get them on the bill — and that’s on top of paying out a sound tech, paying for posters, gear rental, paying the other bands, staffing,” local booker Spencer Brown told the Herald.

A petition has been set up against the new laws, which can be signed here.

[via CoS, Photo by Sebastien Dehesdin]