Tour Transportation Aid
Donation protected
I'm Ruby Dee from Ruby Dee and the Snakehandlers. We're a high octane Americana rockin' rootsabilly 4 piece from Austin Texas that plays twang the way it was meant to be heard- with attitude!
Last year, we agreed to come back to Australia to play a few festivals and do a short tour around them. The agency who we signed up with to handle the tour started acting strangely a few months into the deal, and 6 months ago, disappeared off the radar entirely. So we had to scramble to find a new agency to book the tour. Someone offered to help, so we signed on with them. But then 2 weeks ago- 5 months after we signed the agreement with them- they told us their guy on the job had dropped the ball and done nothing! They put someone new on the job, but suddenly they tell us they will not be providing transportation nor housing while we are there on tour. That adds about $5000 to the cost of doing the tour- on top of flights, visas, paying the guys who play for us, meals and all that.
We know this is a 'vanity fundraiser'. No-one has medical bills to pay or is about to lose their home. But we find ourselves in a very bad fiscal situation. We agreed to play the festivals knowing that we would make enough on other shows to cover our costs, and that housing and transpo would be covered. But with all the disappearing and dropped balls from agencies there, and this new news about the extra costs, we now can't afford to do the tour, yet can't drop out because we have signed agreements to perform. Plus we don't want to be 'that band'.
I was in a bad accident that left me with a moderately severe TBI some years ago. The language side of my brain was affected and I couldn't write- or speak very well- for some years. I worked hard to come back from that, and this tour is in support of the first record I've been able to write since my accident. We really want folks to hear the songs I've written, and to hear them live. Plus I am spreading a message to folks everywhere- that if you have a brain injury- or know someone with one- that it does get better. There's no telling how quickly, or how far along the recovery will go, but the brain is an amazing thing, and there is always real hope for a great deal of recovery. I'm not 100%, but if you didn't know my story, you wouldn't know that I couldn't finish sentences 8 years ago.
If you could help us out by donating to our transportation fund- that will allow us to do this tour without going into debt- and allow me to relax and continue to write songs and entertain folks rather than stress out about the funding. Every little bit helps in this world- and I believe there is enough to go around :-)
The tour starts July 26, so we'll need funds in hand by mid-July so we can confirm all our transportation needs. If you are able to help- or know someone who can- you will have my undying gratitude, and have replenished my belief in the humanity of strangers (and friends). Thank you!
Last year, we agreed to come back to Australia to play a few festivals and do a short tour around them. The agency who we signed up with to handle the tour started acting strangely a few months into the deal, and 6 months ago, disappeared off the radar entirely. So we had to scramble to find a new agency to book the tour. Someone offered to help, so we signed on with them. But then 2 weeks ago- 5 months after we signed the agreement with them- they told us their guy on the job had dropped the ball and done nothing! They put someone new on the job, but suddenly they tell us they will not be providing transportation nor housing while we are there on tour. That adds about $5000 to the cost of doing the tour- on top of flights, visas, paying the guys who play for us, meals and all that.
We know this is a 'vanity fundraiser'. No-one has medical bills to pay or is about to lose their home. But we find ourselves in a very bad fiscal situation. We agreed to play the festivals knowing that we would make enough on other shows to cover our costs, and that housing and transpo would be covered. But with all the disappearing and dropped balls from agencies there, and this new news about the extra costs, we now can't afford to do the tour, yet can't drop out because we have signed agreements to perform. Plus we don't want to be 'that band'.
I was in a bad accident that left me with a moderately severe TBI some years ago. The language side of my brain was affected and I couldn't write- or speak very well- for some years. I worked hard to come back from that, and this tour is in support of the first record I've been able to write since my accident. We really want folks to hear the songs I've written, and to hear them live. Plus I am spreading a message to folks everywhere- that if you have a brain injury- or know someone with one- that it does get better. There's no telling how quickly, or how far along the recovery will go, but the brain is an amazing thing, and there is always real hope for a great deal of recovery. I'm not 100%, but if you didn't know my story, you wouldn't know that I couldn't finish sentences 8 years ago.
If you could help us out by donating to our transportation fund- that will allow us to do this tour without going into debt- and allow me to relax and continue to write songs and entertain folks rather than stress out about the funding. Every little bit helps in this world- and I believe there is enough to go around :-)
The tour starts July 26, so we'll need funds in hand by mid-July so we can confirm all our transportation needs. If you are able to help- or know someone who can- you will have my undying gratitude, and have replenished my belief in the humanity of strangers (and friends). Thank you!
Organizer
Ruby Dee
Organizer
Austin, TX
