One of the last legitimate lines of defense we see for record labels these days is the notion that they can help your band go on tour. If you can’t scrounge together the connections to book your own shows or the finances for a van and some gas money, a label supposedly helps you with that.

Turns out, that’s not the case.

Case in point: L.A. retro-metallers Gypsyhawk signed with Metal Blade Records last year, presumably for perks like added publicity and the aforementioned tour support. But now, they’re turning to DIY fundraising site Kickstarter for gas money to play at their own label’s SXSW showcase.

Yes, really.

This is not entirely out of the ordinary, as we personally know several bands who have to front every dollar of their touring expenses by themselves despite being signed to “respected” record labels. If you’re in a band with a similar debacle, Kickstarter can lead you to the Promised Land by crowdsourcing funds from your fanbase for anything — touring, recording an album, or even buying gear.

In other words: Kickstarter might be financing bands today more than their own record labels do.

Check out Gypsyhawk’s Kickstarter pitch video below, and throw ’em a few bucks here.

And yes, there’s a meme for that: