Damn! What the fuck, music business?

if he doesn't have time for you and doesn't respond to your emails then, duh, he's either jerking you around or has completely lost interest in you. i don't think it requires any inside knowledge of the music biz to figure that out. he's either too much of chickenshit to just come right out and say "this isn't working," or he's completely lacking in communication skills, which makes him a fairly lousy candidate for a manager in the first place.

but on the other hand...you went looking for a professional manager in the first place. you actually signed up to be on somebody's "farm team." you looked for someone to "shop around" your disc. what exactly were you expecting? i don't mean to sound like a dick, but the best way to accomplish your goals for your band, whatever they are, is to go out and accomplish them yourselves. book your own gigs and mini-tours. make your own contacts. write. rehearse. book more gigs. make more contacts. record. rehearse. more gigs. more contacts. don't go asking some music biz shark to do it for you. and if you do, don't expect to get anything BUT a music biz shark in return. create something worth managing, THEN get a manager. ask him to manage the thing you've already created, not to come up with something out of thin air to manage.

end of lecture/rant. and i repeat: i'm not trying to be a dick. i'm actually trying to be encouraging!

Well, you say that the staff in the office are still nice to you. It might be to your advantage to casually bring it up in conversation, and see if they can elucidate you as to your status. Maybe he really *is* busy, and is being standoffish because you are starting to hassle him too much. Ask around.

I dunno. It's astonishing that after how many years, I still like to think the best of people.

"Until you start earning more money than him, you work for the manager"

My intent of the first statement is ultimately the second statement. I think I know a lot about the music biz, or at least enough to not be in it anymore.

I mean, hurting hasn't mentioned what the monetary arrangements are.

15% of nothing is still nothing, so my instincts are that he is going to concentrate on the moneyspinners.

The two scariest words in the music industry have got to be "development deal". Has anything good ever come out of them? Development Deal = shorthand for "we don't really want to sign you but we want to keep you out of our competitors' hands and yes, we are petty enough to f*ck you royally in the process."

They have no reason to lie to you - they're really just fence-sitting, I think, and may continue to do so until they consider the time to be right. What may help is if you get pro-active - organise your own tour, and then inform them of the details and see if they can help in any way.

Apparently, "The man with the child in his eyes" was recorded in 1975 or something...

(Radio 210 were playing "Wuthering Heights" about 8 months before it got released...)

I mean, back in the 70s, apparently bands actually got signed on the strength of demo tapes, as well!

Except time. And it's probably the most valuable thing. (/old coot)

Thanks for the advice.

As for the industry problem, I say try working with a marketing/promotion company that specializes in the NYC area. Girlie Action is one of the bigger ones. Keep pushing on while he's sitting on his hands.

Contrast with the two nicest words in the music industry, "bidding war".

"the best way to accomplish your goals for your band, whatever they are, is to go out and accomplish them yourselves. book your own gigs and mini-tours. make your own contacts. write. rehearse. book more gigs. make more contacts. record. rehearse. more gigs. more contacts. don't go asking some music biz shark to do it for you"

The trick I believe is this. Apply above principles, then once you've made a bunch of contacts, and the band is moving along, you'll find that a contact you've made (on the promo side) who has become somewhat of a friend will probably score a job at some company (this could be a label, booking agency, management agency etc), and before you know it, you'll organically have the kind of representation that feels right. This person will be less of a "big shark type" and someone more on your level - like, maybe your age and at your relative level in terms of entering the industry, proper.

That rant comes from similar dud experiences with sharks which led to exactly the above happening. Goodluck!

-- Jason J"

This turned out to be the best advice, for anyone else out there in a similar position. We started making moves of our own and now they at least seem interested again.

having worked with your band, i can say that you guys seem like you have your shit together -- why the need to find a "manager", have your record "shopped" around, etc?

it seems like AA isnt looking to get signed in the traditional sense [ie, development deals and whatnot] but looking for an indie label with the ability to get your record out there.

in my experience, the only route for that plan of success is to tour like crazy. weekend routes are only going to help you if you are going out every weekend. when you tour, you meet people and make contacts. it is better for you, as the band, to network rather than let someone else do the networking for you.

networking is a lot like high school analogies; you need a small vision to make the connections. some of them may be right under your nose. not that i am one to dredge up personal/business matters on the internet, but despite the fact that you found low skies uninteresting, i think they would be a useful connection for your band [especially because they really enjoyed playing with you!].

anyway... i think it is important for bands to really embrace the DIY ethic at first, especially to understand how the business works. as ive said, you guys are pretty capable. members in a band should play not only musical roles but administrative ones. [ie, one should handle press, another for radio, one or two for booking]

there is a time and place for a management role within a band, but not in the early stages. when the time comes that you need a manager [especially when you start earning more cash beyond the khyber payout], you will be able to more clearly dictate your wishes to this person and have them work for you [as opposed to feeling as if you're working for them].

anyway, thats it from me. if AA needs someone to talk to about this stuff, im always available for discussion, especially when it involves burritos from mexicali.