[thechat] 21st century rock star

[Martin Burns]

On Tue, 13 Aug 2002, Kevin Stevens wrote:

> > >From what I've read, I have a feeling that the music industry will
> > probably take him for a ride for all he's worth.
> >
> > (I'm thinking of this article specifically:
> > http://dir.salon.com/tech/feature/2000/06/14/love/index.html)
>
>
> 1. Get a good manager, one who believes in your talent as much as you do.

Is it talent which is central, or is it more important that they believe
in your potential for success, and agree with your vision about
fulfilling it?

IOW is there much point in a manager who believes that you're wonderfully
talented when they think that you'll only ever be playing arthouse gigs,
when your vision is that your music could fill stadia?

If U2s manager had seen them as the arty punk band they were in 1980 or
so, would they have had the confidence and capability to record War? Or
make arty *and* massively successful albums like Unforgettable Fire?

If Brian Epstein had believed in the Beatles' talent, but not that major
record labels were *mad* to think that guitar bands were history, would
they have remained a local club band?

> 3. Keep an eye on your money, have your own accountant check your accounts
> so that you know precisley how much money is coming in and going out.

Yeah, and get that accountant's work audited. Music history is littered
with cases when this didn't happen.

> 4. Videos do NOT have to cost $1 million!
Yep. Don't believe the record company's rhetoric about "a band of your
stature *needs* a vastly expensive video/limo/etc"

> 5. Take your mates with you, I know several bands who employ friends as road
> crew.
Hopefully they'll be good bullshit detectors

Cheers
Martin

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