What makes a good band manager? And a bad one?

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― the music mole (colin s barrow), Thursday, 6 May 2004 11:13 (twenty-one years ago)

a good one does things the band could not do on their own without screwing said band over in the process

― the 'surface' 'noise' (electricsound), Thursday, 6 May 2004 11:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Gallant manager gets the band work doing things they enjoy (gigs, appearances, tv shows, videogame soundtracks), and of course they take a little extra for themselves from time to time. If they also happen to represent Nirvana, they'll call a deadbeat booking agent in Phoenix threatening to pull all future business, and the booking agent will drive to Las Vegas the next night and hand you an envelope of cash and an apology.

Goofus manager signs every up and coming band in town, does nothing but hang out bragging about him/herself, and then takes a lifelong percentage of the profits. Oops, goofus band forgot to read the fine print!

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Thursday, 6 May 2004 19:59 (twenty-one years ago)

good band managers know locations, and how the band they manage fit into the local scene re. venues and audience expectations.. bad managers form kick-back agreements with a single venue in each town and send all acts towards it..

― chris andrews (fraew), Thursday, 6 May 2004 20:08 (twenty-one years ago)

I think we're confusing band manager, booking agent, and tour manager. They are separate people, usually.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 6 May 2004 20:12 (twenty-one years ago)

not in a small country like NZ..

― chris andrews (fraew), Thursday, 6 May 2004 20:13 (twenty-one years ago)

how long does a NZ tour typically last?

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 6 May 2004 20:13 (twenty-one years ago)

till the sheep come home, ha ha ha.
(sorry)

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Thursday, 6 May 2004 20:14 (twenty-one years ago)

depends on the band, some tour as few as the 4 main centres, others tour towns as small as greymouth (Trans Am did..) so 15 or so..

― chris andrews (fraew), Thursday, 6 May 2004 20:14 (twenty-one years ago)

alan mcgee to thread. ha ha. anybody that can keep the libertines together, recording and on top of the pops deserves a manager medal.

― doomie x, Thursday, 6 May 2004 20:15 (twenty-one years ago)

yes they are shite alright

― Ronan (Ronan), Thursday, 6 May 2004 20:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Good manager also goes out in the rain in Spain in search of a late night bag of pot.

Bad manager is arrested bringing 40,000 TONS of pot over the border from Mexico, and you have to play a naff "rock against drugs" festival in freezing Russia the following year for HIS public service.

Sorry, I agree that it's confusing.

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Thursday, 6 May 2004 20:16 (twenty-one years ago)

again, you're confusing a tour manager with a band manager.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 6 May 2004 20:17 (twenty-one years ago)

a good tour manager doesn't have a blog.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 6 May 2004 20:17 (twenty-one years ago)

i don't know many bands that have more than 1 person assisting them with their activites.. are you only talking about bands with extensive recording contracts with international distribution?

― chris andrews (fraew), Thursday, 6 May 2004 20:20 (twenty-one years ago)

I had a Good Manager who was a good manager because he made his North London accent even more impenetrable to American exec ears, knowing they'd be loathe to admit they had no idea what he was saying, and so sad Yes to lots of his requests.

Failing that, his accent would suddenly clear up when he threatened to break their fukcing heads open if they didnt stop fucking with us and give us our fucking money. Only when he said 'fucking' it sounded like 'fooki' which was also cute.

― Ian G., Thursday, 6 May 2004 20:21 (twenty-one years ago)

The answer to both questions is "drugs".

― Nick Mirov (nick), Thursday, 6 May 2004 20:23 (twenty-one years ago)

i don't know many bands that have more than 1 person assisting them with their activites.. are you only talking about bands with extensive recording contracts with international distribution?

it's not that uncommon in america for bands without major deals to have a booking agent and a manager or tour manager/roadie person. it's not necessarily a big formal thing.

― lauren (laurenp), Thursday, 6 May 2004 20:26 (twenty-one years ago)

again, you're confusing a tour manager with a band manager.

Not on this thread, I'm not -- but I'm glad you're no closer to unraveling the sources for my enlightening true-life management stories.

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Thursday, 6 May 2004 21:20 (twenty-one years ago)

you've been reading the Crue bio or something.

― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 7 May 2004 03:18 (twenty-one years ago)

..by a weird coincidence i was asked to manage a band about an hour ago..

*weird theremin sound*

― chris andrews (fraew), Friday, 7 May 2004 03:41 (twenty-one years ago)

I dunno. We never had one. A manager at all, let alone a good or bad one.

― Super-Kate (kate), Friday, 7 May 2004 10:38 (twenty-one years ago)

two years pass...

A good manager brings a limo full of the best looking women in town.

A bad manager pulls up in a pinto with four trans-gender hookers!

I know it's horrible, but it has to have happend somewhere, right?

― Rain Adams, Thursday, 11 May 2006 18:52 (nineteen years ago)

a good band manager carries around a cricket bat

― 6335, Thursday, 11 May 2006 19:02 (nineteen years ago)

a bad manager kills a hundred of your fans in a fire.

(I couldn't resist)

― bernard snow (sixteen sergeants), Thursday, 11 May 2006 19:45 (nineteen years ago)

I'LL DESTROY ANY MOTHERFUCKER THAT GETS IN MY WAY!!

http://www.musicroom.com/images/catalogue/fullsize/op48807.jpg

― LOL Thomas (Chris Barrus), Thursday, 11 May 2006 22:01 (nineteen years ago)

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