1) Record labels? What record labels? Notwithstanding my internship at a radio station in 2006, I’ve met dozens, maybe hundreds of musicians in my day, and to my knowledge, I’ve only met one that was signed to a label. ONE. AND YET, the term “signed” comes up so often and in so many different situations that you’d assume anyone with a guitar in their hands has a development deal.
Saying you want to get “signed” is like saying you want a magical blue elephant to spray endless streams of money at you with its adorable magical snout. It COULD happen, yes. But it’s much more likely that it won’t. Now, you have lots of bands who create their own “labels” and release albums on these “labels,” but printing money from your deskjet doesn’t make it currency. These people can’t market to large audiences. They can’t book tours with headliners. They can’t use their influence to get national or even regional airplay.
The problem is, every musician obsesses over this fantasy of being “signed” and having money and supermodels handed to them on a daily basis. That fantasy ultimately leads to...
2) Carpet-baggers. In any industry, there are the charlatans, schemers, and hucksters that go around selling people magic potions and then skipping town once you inquire about the ingredients. Adams Wilson has dealt with MANY of these people, and truth be told, we’ve been burned. A few times, actually.
One guy agreed to book some shows for us. He took some money, then he stopped answering our calls. Another guy promised us film & TV placements. We were wary. We had a couple meetings, we asked around about him, he seemed pretty legit. We gave him a good deal of money. (Far too much.) He essentially gave us a studio’s phone number for some recording, and then he stopped answering our calls. He’s still on facebook. He’s still going around working with “clients” and probably stealing their money like he did ours. I’d love to give his name and warn people not to work with him. Heck, I’d love to ninja-kick him in the nuts if I’m being honest. However, I doubt I can say anything specific about him without risking libel and the potential lawsuits that go along with it.
Several “labels” have contacted me over the years saying they loved (insert song title here) and wanted to work with us. Talk to them for five minutes and you find out that they want money up front, (for what exactly, I don’t know) and “hey, we’ll see where it goes, and we’ll see what we can do for you, but no guarantees.” Or, they’ll say something like “we’ll get you into a studio in Nashville and see how you work with our ‘producer.’” It’s always nebulous, and it’s ALWAYS cash up front. One of them even said they hadn’t heard the song yet, but they read the lyrics on the website and they’re sure the song had to be good. Wow! Where do I sign?!
There are THOUSANDS of these people and businesses that exist solely to steal (yes I said STEAL) money from musicians who will hand over their hard-earned money without thinking twice when someone mentions buzzwords like “label,” “producer,” “signed,” and “deal.”
3) Live music is on life support. I/We have played countless gigs in New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New York. That’s my frame of reference. It may be different in other parts of the country and world, but here in our area, it goes like this: The vast majority of these shows are some version of what I like to call “pay to play,” meaning you and 3-5 other bands get booked to play in some dive bar in _____ city on a Thursday night at 11:30pm. Cool! We got a show!
Catch: you have to bring what’s called a “draw.” A “draw” is 10-50 people (depending on the venue) who buy tickets, drinks, and food. The band’s musical ability, their talent, their live show is MEANINGLESS. You could walk up on stage and belch the alphabet backwards for a half-hour AS LONG AS YOU BRING YOUR DRAW. I am not kidding. Now, can you imagine trying to sell that ticket to a friend? I can, because I’ve done it for years. (operative word: “tried.”)
Adams: “Hey, man, we’re playing this show at [insert venue here] in [insert city here] on Thursday night.”
Friend: “Cool, what time?”
Adams: “11pm.”
Friend. “Ooh. That’s rough. I’ve got work in the morning.”
Adams: “I know, but the venue only plays local bands on weeknights.”
Friend. “All right. Maybe I can make it, because you’re a great friend and a talented musician, and you single-handedly built me a house when my old one burned down. How much is the ticket?”
Adams: “15 bucks.”
Friend: “Ooh. That’s steep. I’m not made of money, you know.”
Adams: “But I built you a house. Plus I revived your grandmother when she had that heart attack.”
Friend: “All right. Who else is playing with you guys?”
Adams: “Four other bands I’ve never heard of and I have no idea if they have any talent whatsoever. I don’t even know what genre they are.”
Friend: “Coooool. Well, maybe I can just show up when you guys play. When is that?”
Adams: “The venue doesn’t want people doing that, so they won’t give us a time.”
Friend. “Okay then, well how long are you playing? Will I at least get my money’s worth?”
Adams: “
Friend: “But I could just see you guys next week at ____ venue for free, right?”
Adams: “Maybe....”
Friend: “We’re not friends anymore. And I poisoned your dog.”
Even if I sell that ticket, I’ve still got 14-49 more to go. And let me tell you, this example is not the exception, it is the RULE. This is how shows are run. Successful bands are not groups of musicians... they are audience-bringers. I’m the first to admit that I don’t know how to hustle people. I can’t sell you on that type of show. I doubt most people could. So, as a result, we don’t gig as often as we should. And, by extension, when you as a fan get suckered into paying for one of these shows, you’re going to see some pretty “interesting” acts.
4) The good stuff is where you least expect it. So far, this all probably sounds like bad news, or cynicism. I’d say it’s just experience. But the great part about the music industry that I’ve experienced is the NON-industry venues and people. Our best shows (in my opinion) have been at a winery in Pilesgrove, NJ, and at festivals in small towns. They don’t expect massive draws. They don’t make you sell tickets. They support original music because, strangely enough, they care about original music. They pay you. They PAY you. Actual money. They start on time. They answer your calls. They don’t book you with a metal band, a rapcore band, and a kid who just picked up a guitar for the first time last week.
If you had asked me 7 years ago that this would be my reality as a musician, I would have laughed at you, and poisoned your dog. But honestly, the non-industry places are where it’s at. You want to hear good, original music? Go check out the street fairs in the Summer and Fall. Stick around. Don’t just keep walking. Come out to our show at the Auburn Road Winery on Groundhog Day. (Shameless plug.) Buy CDs and merch from bands you like. If you don’t want to hear any more mindless sugar pop, put your feet and your money where your taste is.
There’s a great deal more to say, but all the how-to guides on writing music blogs tell me not to exceed 1 page, and I’m already at 3. Does any of this surprise you? Does it intrigue you? Does it make you want to grab a torch and a pitchfork and tear down the art-industrial complex with your bare hands? If you have thoughts on your experience in or with the industry, I would be interested to hear them.
No comments:
Post a Comment