Psyclon Nine Merchandise Outrage

Alright, now, before I even begin this article, let me just state my position in this whole fiasco: I was not a kickstarter backer for this band, never was. However, in light of situations that have been going on, I felt the need to write an article about all that's been said and is still being said. So, let me start off by explaining what's going on with the somewhat popular band.

Back last year, Psyclon Nine started up a Kickstarter campaign to fund their album, their latest video, and their tour. Now, if you don't know what Kickstarter is, it's a website where you can go to start a crowdsourcing fundraiser. Meaning, anyone from anywhere in the world can donate to your fundraiser online, and you'll get the profits. And, for those who donate to your campaign, you can create perks for the fundraiser; physical or digital merchandise that will go out to the fans.

So, Psyclon Nine did so. With 168 backers, they crashed their initial goal of 6000 dollars and made double that; an outstanding 12000 dollars. They were happy, the fans were happy, and it seemed as if everyone was happy. That is until, as months went on, no one really received their items.

It's understandable, at first, that fans wouldn't receive their stuff. However, after such a while, fans started to get pissed off and took to the internet to start going after Psyclon Nine for not send out their stuff. Their rage was right, as anyone would be extremely angered if they felt as if they were being scammed. After all, Psyclon Nine does not have the best reputation when it comes to sending out merch; a while ago, Nero was selling stuff that fans paid for, and they never received their merch due to a drug addiction.

However, on a side note, even after the campaign, they had some merch for sale on their Bandcamp site. Some still haven't received their stuff from ordering off the BandCamp site; shirts, CDs, and other such things. I can say that I have bought four of their CDs off their Bandcamp site and received all of them. However, for those who have ordered their items and haven't received, they still want answers.

On Facebook, there's a page called, "I paid for Psyclon Nine merch I never recieved" which is a group of angered and hurt fans. Some have never received their stuff. Some have in light of the group. However, finally, after raising enough attention on the internet, we have received word from the likes of Rotny Ford (guitar/synth for the band) and Carissa White (Nero's spouse).

What Rotny had to say was quite interesting. He pretty much said that not a single band member has a thing to do with the Kickstarter campaign or the Bandcamp sales apart from Nero. So, reaching out to any of the other band members aside from Nero will do nothing. While he admits that the whole situation is fucked, and the reason being was a lack of organization, he's attempting to right the wrong by compiling a list of what people are owed, and handing it over.

So, you can contact him via Facebook (a simple, non-angry message will suffice) to tell him what you're owed. Perhaps that will help. As well as stating the above, he provided a little insight which I'm going to quote here directly:

"We've never had management, we've never had financial backing, we've never been terribly professional. We're a traveling circus of weirdos, perverts and druggies.This band has been DIY from the get go. Barely making it from tour to tour. The band has unofficially broken up several times already. Hell, I already quit once back in '07 and didn't return for a year or so. Other bands in the scene hate us because despite our complete lack of professionalism in many ways we're still more popular and sell more albums then them.

Unfortunately album sales translates to dick in profit for us.

It's only through fan support via live shows and merch sales that we've kept it going this far. If it sounds bleak let me tell you... it's worse than it sounds. The music industry is fucking garbage. Especially for underground bands. In the grand scheme of things we're nothing compared to mainstream music acts.

None of this is supposed to excuse shady business practices and it most assuredly does not.

The fact that we're as popular as we are and have sold as many CDs as we have is really a testament to the loyalty of the fans. Regardless of the outcome of all this or where this band is headed, you are very appreciated."

Now, when I got in touch with Carissa, who's definitely more personal with Nero, and asked if she could help explain any. While she did say it's odd she's being questioned, and that it's not really her place, she did have a lot comment on. She said that he doesn't really have any commentary on the situation, and that he's aware of what's going on, and has said that everything will be handled by the end of the month.

She also made sure to say that he's not on drugs, shooting up or what not, and that he's also currently out of town. To quote what she had to say about Nero, she said:

"He is going through some rough things right now and intends to set everything straight. He had someone handling merch up until a few months ago, and it all got unorganized when they weren't able to assist any longer. Nero isn't very business oriented. He is an artist. If you listen to his lyrics you can hear he's a very complex individual with many battles. When I say he is dealing with personal business, that isn't a lie or a cover up. He has no facade, he lives and breathes his image and his art, he is just who he projects himself to be. He never stops creating, he never can elude the demons that haunt him. He needs to solely focus on art and his passions, his wars and not be left high and dry to deal with unorganized merch all by himself. True fans who have followed him for years are kind enough to be patient through all this mess. He hasn't responded YET, but intends to leak all very soon. I personally am anticipating his speech."

And, both statements do give out hope from the band. To hear that Rotny is doing something about the situation, and that Carissa is also making statements is welcoming.

However, my opinion is this: It's a huge fucking mess. No doubt about it. As kind as Rotny and Carissa are being, fans will still be angry that Nero isn't responding. The only way to fix this is if the fans get their stuff in their hands that they ordered so long ago. Hopefully, by the end of the month, all will be taken care of. If not, then even more outrage will occur; and that's something that I don't think Nero or fans of Psyclon Nine want.