The Creem Movie

1

I needed to own Alice Cooper's Alcohol Cookbook.

I grew up in the marijuana era. But when I went to college in 1970, Vermont changed its drinking law to coincide with other rights in the state, which meant you could imbibe when you were 18.

I spent winter term smoking dope. Watching the zilch drip. Listening to "Idlewild South" and "Layla."

But in April I turned 18.

But really, my freshman year all I consumed was Boone's Farm. You know, the apple wine. The Grateful Dead, most notably Pigpen, were famous for consuming Thunderbird, which tasted even worse, but it was fortified...so alkies could get their hit just that much faster.

Kind of like malt liquor. It does it quicker. And by sophomore year, Miller Malt Liquor was a staple, as well as Jack Daniel's and Michelob on the weekends.

We drank in our dorm rooms. But more famously we drank at the Alibi, a bar overhanging the river that cut through town, where beer was fifteen cents before six, and a quarter thereafter. It was a clubhouse, a malt shop, and at first we only went on Friday and Saturday, but then Thursday became part of the routine...and you knew the hard core because they'd be there Sunday or Monday, like you, eventually.

Drinking was fun. Marijuana relaxed people and put them to sleep. Alcohol enlivened them.

And when I went to Jackson Hole to ski after finishing my senior thesis, I went to the famous Cowboy Bar, which still exists. I'd met a guy living in his van. I allowed him to shower in my hotel room, a hostel, but this late in the season I was the only person in this room that accommodated four. He said he'd been a sommelier at some hotel restaurant in Maryland. We went to dinner, and he said Chateauneuf-du-Pape would go well with our meal. And it did. Then we got in his tan Ford Econoline and ventured into Jackson, from Teton Village, to the bar where the seats were made out of saddles, and this newfound friend insisted I drink a Golden Cadillac.

Once I got properly tanked up, the right record came over the speakers and I strode to the dance floor. There were only two people on it. Girls. We were grooving, having a good time, and then all of a sudden a cowboy came over and threw me to the floor and my buddy came to rescue me and we ran out to his van and...

It wouldn't start.

But then it did, and we drove under a million stars back to Teton Village. He told me to pick a cassette, I opened the case and found Bonnie Raitt's "Takin My Time." I fast-forwarded to "I Feel The Same."

2

You didn't immediately subscribe to a magazine, you bought a few issues, determined whether you liked it. And so many were fly by night operations, too often appealing to the reader as opposed to having a singular voice.

But "Creem" passed the test. But I subscribed after the issue with Alice Cooper's Alcohol Cookbook.

I ended up buying it at a record store next to the Bitter End, I needed to own it, because one of the drinks Alice Cooper cooked...was a Golden Cadillac.

3

Irreverence. That was the essence of "Creem." Something lost to the sands of time, not only "Creem," but this attitude, this way of looking at the world. Today everything is so serious. It's all about money. No one is satiated by a prank, too many people are worried about pissing others off, assuming they have any status, because if you don't, it's open season. The world has completely changed.

Now if I wanted to embrace the "Creem" spirit I'd trash this movie.

And the truth is at the beginning it's pure hagiography. You'd think Detroit ruled the music scene and "Creem" was known by all and was always great, all of which was untrue. Sure, there were a number of acts from Detroit, but "Creem" never made it to the top tier, it was always fighting for recognition, at the same time self-satisfied in its efforts. Which appears to be the outlook of its publisher, Barry Kramer, according to this film. Then again, someone who stays up for days and is manic...like the movie says, they might be bipolar. Today everybody's got a diagnosis, but in the seventies there was no spectrum, a psychiatrist was for loonies, you let your freak flag fly, and people accepted you, when they didn't abhor and avoid you.

So the best thing about this movie is the people. They're lost in the era. They may be forty-odd years older, but they're still wearing the same clothes, they're still worried about their image, their rock cred. They sacrificed their entire lives to rock and roll.

And rock and roll doesn't pay unless you're on stage, or attached to those who are, but in the seventies, you'd do anything to become a member of the circus.

Today it's all about income inequality. Elites. When a new venture is formed, you expect it to be Ivy League graduates or dropouts. State schools are perceived as diploma mills. You just can't compete with the coddled with opportunities. But somehow, this ragtag band of writers in Michigan established a national reputation, with the stars driving to their office, to meet them, and what more can you want?

For a long time, you're wondering why Chad Smith is even in this movie, he's too young. But it turns out he lived five miles away, and he rode his bike down to Birmingham, and Alice Cooper was stepping out the door. You have no idea unless you were there, not only teens, but twentysomethings, were enthralled by rock stars. As for Cooper, he ruled the charts, everyone with ears knew "School's Out."

So Barry Kramer got his cash from owning head shops. Through the eighties, a lot of startup capital in the music industry came from dealing dope. Can you say Doc McGhee? And if you can make it in dope, believe me you can be a rock manager. Everybody was self-styled, self-educated, flying by the seat of their pants, making it up as they went, there were no rules, no course of education, they were building it, and it was fun.

Dave Marsh came from WAYNE STATE! Not even the U of M, never mind Michigan State. And when you see him at nineteen, skinny, with hair...you're not so scared, but this was a guy with a legendary attitude, he built his rep.

Dave was the editor. As far as everybody else? They were nobodies from nowhere. Who just needed to get closer to the sound. Mostly from the environs, although Lester Bangs journeyed from SoCal. They thought they could do it, and they did. Her school newspaper did not allow Jann Uhelszki to write, but "Creem" did, and her first article...was genius.

Give a person a chance, someone with desire, and you don't know what they'll come up with. When people need it that bad, they deliver. You can't even get a chance today.

So Lester Bangs writes his truth and causes trouble, as he drinks too much and pisses people off. He had to die to get a rep out of rock, but the truth is he too wanted to be a star. And ultimately, Cameron Crowe made him one.

As for everybody else?

That's the movie I want to see. What have they been doing for the past thirty-odd years, how have they been staying alive? These are people who did it with no insurance, sans graduate degrees, their only professionalism was in rock and roll.

And life is hard and getting harder every day. You can't get by on minimum wage, and the older you get, the more you need health insurance. The road is littered with deceased rock writers, they're listed at the end of this film, even Robert Palmer, the writer, not the singer, ended up broke and dying, and he'd been the critic for the "New York Times"!

4

Once again, it's cool to see the stars. But it's even cooler to see the people you just know the names of. They're real, they can talk. Some with heavy accents. Some evidence smarts, but few evidence education.

But the building blocks were different back then. "Creem" was on a mission. To get its voice heard. To have an impact on the world. To not sell out. To be known for its identity more than its monetary worth.

No one would do this today, no one would trek to Detroit and work for nothing as a rock writer. Today everybody is on a journey. Oftentimes planned long before they enter the working world. And if you're not going somewhere, you're going nowhere, which is why everybody gets a college degree, to prove they deserve a look, even if it's for a gig as an assistant.

Our society has changed. It has lost its soul. For the past twenty years it's been all about technology, the breakthroughs of the nerds. Tools built for creators. Now it's about how those tools are being used, and to what degree they should be controlled. We're living in a Tower of Babel society where there are no facts, never mind agreement.

But there were plenty of facts back in the seventies. And either you believed in them or you didn't. And if you didn't... There were categories of that. How far out there were you willing to go? As a writer, as a musician, as a person.

And everybody was locked into their own little world. You couldn't go online and find like-minded people. You stuck out like a sore thumb in your neighborhood, but there were these people in Detroit, putting out a magazine, who were on the same wavelength. That's one of the things that stunned me when I moved to L.A. At Middlebury College, I stuck out, I was the guy with the record collection, who challenged precepts, who just didn't put my nose to the grindstone unthinkingly. But in L.A., I found a zillion people just like me!

5

Now when you're an outsider, you need badges of identity.

For me, it was not only that issue with the Alcohol Cookbook, but...

The t-shirts. I had two. Wore them everywhere. Back when you never saw a single other person wearing one. Sure, the people in this movie were part of the club, but its acolytes were loners out in the hinterlands. And I wore them until literally they were nothing more than shreds. But I kept them, until very recently, when I moved.

That ethos is gone.

I don't want to be one of those people buying a leather jacket at a Stones show, buying a vintage t-shirt at the retail store. Not everybody could dedicate their life to rock, you had to be in the know, you had to go to the show to get that merch, which was never sold anywhere else ever again.

6

Now the challenge of life is living. Anybody can O.D. What would the perception of Lester Bangs be if he were still alive today?

Bangs was a contrarian. He wrote a review of Alice Cooper's "Killer" that was so over the top, I had to buy the album to see if it was true, I was willing to waste the $3.50.

And when I dropped the needle in the groove, Alice Cooper talked about a girl being under his wheels. What? And the dead babies were priceless, believe me, the straight world could not handle that, when they ultimately became aware of it. Mind-blowingly, today the controls, the consternation, comes from the left, not the right, from the young, not the old, you must be woke, you must adhere to a code of conduct, you must warn people if you trigger them, and irrelevant of whether that's right, it's certainly no fun.

Rock and roll was serious, but it was also fun. Going to the show, getting high, meeting new people, getting closer and resonating with the music. However big it was, rock and roll was the other. Well, at least until corporate rock, which killed the business, allowing disco to slip in, before the whole industry cratered.

As did "Creem." There was too much KISS. KISS was never credible, they did not deserve the ink. Was "Creem" now for little brothers? Maybe even sisters?

Oh, being 2020, this movie goes on about the sexism of the era. But what is curious is the women say they were fine with it. And I don't want to excuse it, but rock stars were gods. Everybody wanted to get closer. And most of the performers being men, women had a distinct advantage. And the scene didn't work without women. You could not sell arenas unless women were fans. And many of the musicians were only in bands to meet women. And this does not excuse the sexism, but...

This is a dicey subject. They're tearing down statues, can one even write about groupies without acknowledging their abuse at the hands of the rock stars themselves? Must one decry the era's dearth of female stars, female executives? They even find a token black person to be in this movie. And I've got no problem with that, but "Creem" was as white as they come. Today its readers would be white nationalist Trump fans.

Then again, "Creem" couldn't exist today.

7

If you're young, unless you're a student of the era, I doubt you have a desire to see this movie.

And if you're old, and were not living for rock, you're probably not interested either.

But if you were there, if you ever read the magazine...

The film is imperfect. Ultimately the arc becomes discernible, whereas at first you're not sure where it's going. And on one hand it's the story of Barry Kramer, and on the other it's the story of Lester Bangs, but what it truly is...

Is the story of us.

Sure, the records still exist. The stars who haven't died have gotten plastic surgery to tour. But we, the audience, on the other side of the lights, we don't look so good. And if you worked for "Creem," you can't afford plastic surgery. And how you looked was secondary to your clothes, your personal style, anyway. It was about what was inside, what you were into, what you believed in.

And if you were there, you'll see yourself in this movie.

And you'll marvel what a long strange trip it's been.

And you'll wonder...was it worth it to sacrifice your life for rock and roll?

HELL YES!


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Mailbag-Agents (and more!)

Re: More Agents

Hey Bob

Love from New Zealand, where my global tour dropped me up during a pandemic! Thanks, tour! I'm gonna stay here for a while. The touring/music/venues situation is really fascinating down here in not-america-land. A few weeks ago, Jacinda Ardern announced a $175m package to pump support into the arts. $175 MILLION. This is a country with a population way smaller than NYC - the total population of New Zealand is 5 million (NYC has nearly 9 million). If Trump made a similar stimulus package for the arts, adjusting for America's population....I'll let you do the math.

The borders here are closed - tightly closed - and probably for a long time. NZ (and if you're on the right side of history, you'll call it Aotearoa) effectively eliminated the virus by going early and hard. There were two weeks recently with no new cases, and there's been a small uptick of 20 or so new cases in the last week - mostly repatriations from outside.
So - the military has taken over the borders and quarantine, and they mean business.

That means no more international touring acts, for a LONG TIME.

What's fascinating about this is that the local acts and festivals are actually interested and excited in what they can now do with what's growing in their own backyard. I was talking to Pitsch, the booker for the Hawke's Bay Arts Festival, and he's convinced it'll be a treasury of local - and hopefully for indigenous - talent now that the big fish from overseas aren't there to take the spotlight.

A great Auckland songwriter, Reb Fountain, was about to do her first massive USA tour and first SXSW when this all went down. But business is changing for her: she represents something different now as she's touring around locally. It's amazing...it's like the Farmers Market model as applied to music. Think Local. Support Local.

Maybe it's time for that. More local musicians talking to their actual communities, using song. Why not? It's how we used to do it many moons ago.

Meanwhile, regarding agents....if i tried to count, and I don't wanna, I have had at least 40-50 people walk through the revolving door of my team. Multiple european and australian booking agents, many managers, publicists, assistants, labels, label "services", lawyers, business managers, internet strategy teams, the works. I'm a demanding and strange artist who never wants to do things by the book and rarely puts the profit first...and I drive everybody absolutely nuts.

And? The longest-standing member of my team by a factor of many is Matt Hickey, my US booking agent at High Road. He's been with me since 2004, far longer than anyone.

I cannot tell you how valuable it has been to have someone who has watched the entire arc of my career through the lens of the stage and the venue. Matt booked The Dresden Doll's in tiny clubs and bars. He's booked my solo symphony shows and every festival. He's watched my frustration with the music business and label racket up close. He's watched me embrace twitter and flash-gigs and talked many local promoters off the ledge when they call in a fit because I'm doing a free show outside for the kids. He's watched me go through my paces on kickstarter and patreon and he understands that I always need a second pre-order window (begins the venue's subscribers) and my own control over a massive guestlist so my office team can sort its own VIP ticketing for my patrons.

He's dealt with my desire to tour as a theatrical conjoined-twin outfit, effectively bringing weird plays into music venues. He's seen and done it all, and his advice is now some of the most valuable to me, because he knows and groks the long tail of my career.

When I need an ear about a new team member, Matt's one of my first phone calls. It may be an unusual relationship for an artist to have with an agent, but I'm an unusual artist.

Also, the longer I tour, and realize that this is really a life-long job I'll be doing....i mean, they'll pry me off stage in my 90s, and even then my COLD ALMOST DEAD HANDS will be gripping the boards, as my stage-ego gets entangled in my own feather boa....

It all makes me realize that an agent really can be the stable, secret weapon of a career. They hold long-term knowledge - how the artist has been interacting with the world stage and The People since the early days - and if they are good, they have a deep instinct about the long-term direction of a band or artist that's just irreplaceable. That's why the percentage is worth it, if the agent is good.

Hang In There Everybody,

Amanda Fucking Palmer

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Re: More Agents

Hi Bob.

Interesting missive you sent out. And so was Rod McSween's response.

Seems to me that the response most folks gave betray the fact that very few have any idea of what a Concert Tour Promoter actually does.

However, first as to the supposed "inherently dishonest" promoter. I don't think so. However, the deal structure imposed by the various agents and managers on promoters certainly encourages such dishonesty. Used to be that a deal had a 20% promoter's profit baked in before the entertainer (which is a more accurate description than "artist") and the promoter split the net revenue accruing from a show. That 20% is ancient history. Now we got 95/5 deals against a sell-out guarantee and such further insanity. Thus, to the extent a promoter "cheats" she or he will inflate the costs leading to the net to be split - which all agents know and mostly tolerate. They got to. Bankrupt promoters make very bad buyers. But that "cheating" yields comparatively very little money. So it's usually not worth the effort.

The nitty gritty stuff Rod McSween says he does (for what it's worth I've never worked with him or any British agent except Barrie Marshall and Rob Hallett and two or three others on occasion) is nice, and is usually done by Road Managers (not tour managers - tour managers do not represent the entertainer). What Rod McSween DOES NOT do is guarantee the performance fee for each and every show whether it flops or not - which a Concert Tour Promoter does.

Now. A Tour Manager is the representative of the Concert Tour Promoter. She or he manages the tour for the Concert Tour Promoter with respect to the Concert Tour Promoter's local promoter partners and simultaneously is the Concert Tour Promoter's counterpart to the entertainer's Road Manager.

In any case. We're beating a dead horse here. COVID 19 is to the live entertainment industry what the Yucatan asteroid was to the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. Our industry is dead, dead, dead. At least for now. Maybe in three years time we'll see a glimmering of large-scale live events. Not anytime soon, though.

As to Michael Rapino's memo to the agents. I think it's pretty reasonable. Though logically it would require that all promoters adhere to the standards set forth therein. Which, assuming we as an industry do a Lazarus of Bethany, for competitive reasons likely ain't gonna happen.

Regards,

Michael Fisher

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Re: More Agents

?Ok. Enough.....
Agents are key players, but it's the manager who set the agenda. It's the manager who speaks to the artist everyday.
Everyone has their role to play. The agent books the shows. The road manager
does logistics. The record company promotes the music and the brand. The press agent does press. There is someone who takes care of the social media. There are all the music producers and musicians that help the artist create the content. Accountants and lawyers are valuable but annoying.
But only the artist and the manager know the whole picture and where it's going.
The manager is the CEO and the artist is the chairman of the board.
We hire everyone else.
We decide the division of labor. We set the agenda.
Think of it this way:
The manager conducts the orchestra. The artist is the creator and feature performer. Everyone else is the orchestra.
The magic is getting everyone playing together, turning the pages together.
No agent or anyone else from the orchestra can take the artist from being unknown to being successful.
Everyone is important and everyone has to do their part, but the artist sets the goals. A good manager tries to give the artist success on their terms.

Ron Stone
Gold Mountain Entertainment

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Re: More Agents

Meat Puppets. 1980-2020 and onward.
5 labels and counting
4 managers
3 lawyers
2 publishers
1 agent - and agency - that is, wherever Frank Riley lands.

Dennis Pelowski

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Re: Rod MacSween On Agents

Sounds like this dinosaur is making a case trying to keep his job!

Brad Blanco
http://overeasybooking.com

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Re: More Agents

After reading these responses, one thing a lot of people are pointing out is that some Agents of today don't have the same knowledge or experience that Agents like Rod have.
Somewhere over the last 10 years a lot of things changed, this might become a problem in the future.

Danielle Douglas

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Re: More Agents

Bob - agents are glorified car salesmen. They sell the hottest model on the lot.

Robert Dubac

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Re: More Agents

This is a great thread. Many of the things listed that I have read are usually covered by a Tour Manager and on the show advances with a Tour Manager, the Road Manager, and Production Company.

A great agent builds relationships and builds trust on both ends with the artist and the purchaser, but it takes a great team to put together the performance. Even though a lot of our business is referral, we still need to turn over rocks out there to find work for our artists. On the flip side, you get paid what the market will allow, so agents need to do their homework when it comes to the buyers and events.

Personally, I want to know everything I can about an artist when we decide to bring them into our company. It's an investment for both of us in time, resources, and work. The same with purchasers. A lot of us agents know each other and we communicate together when it comes to routing dates, pick up shows and buyer history, plus we learn from each other.

The current pandemic has changed the landscape for all of us. Great agents should constantly evolve and learn to adapt to any situation.

Leni DiMancari

Ten 13 Entertainment LLC

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Re: More Agents

Rob Lights analogy of a football team is false. In traditional models the artist is more like the QB, signed to contracts by the ownership, with no power to fire anyone besides maybe throw in an influential word on teammates. The QB can be traded, catalogue sold, benched (shelved), etc. The QB is only valuable if producing wins. A couple bad seasons due to bad GMing or mismanagement of the team, the QB gets cut. The QB is the fall guy, not the owner.

People who use analogies like this are self-inflating their value, and it's a grift. The artist SHOULD have autonomy, with solid business influence floating up from below, but we both know that's rarely the case.

Matt MacDonald

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Re: More Agents

This series of emails has been a really solid discussion on roles played and actual experience in the live realm. I work as both an artist manager and a tour manager. I also have a long-standing relationship with Will Bracey, who I'm very proud of for bring his perspective to the conversation. I am also very fortunate to have worked with some incredible agents who have made a solid difference in how I have operated as a tour manager for all levels of artists (van tours to arena tours) and who have had very educated and valued input for the developing artists that I manage.

I feel strongly that Rod sort of shot an airball with his breakdown of agents' value. I also feel that Will Bracey and Rob Light absolutely hit the nail on the head in their own deliveries in response. As the tour manager/production manager, we take care of all aspects of the artist's movements from health & safety, performance quality, finances, crew efficiency and most of all: fan experience. This DOES NOT HAPPEN without the higher-ups (artists & managers mainly) being very actively involved in what anything live is going to exist as.

Quality agents - and I have to give credit to Rob Light, whom I do not know personally, but am aware of, and his response here regarding the football team analogy and his broad, hands-on experience on the road - play a crucial role in planning and strategy. After that, the most valuable moves an agent can make, in my humble opinion, are being extremely communicative with the tour manager and always being prepared to go to bat for the artist, albeit with a realistic perspective based on their extensive knowledge and experience, at any time of day or night.

That being said, I cannot say that every agent I've worked with has had this level of experience or determination to truly fight for the artist, even when it could hurt their relationship with a promoter. I also must lean into the point that a lot of what Rod claims an agent does just isn't in-line with how tours and the key members steering the ship operate these days.

Most of the tour managers I know are hands-on with every aspect of tours, including the wide spectrum of movements and appearances an in-demand artist will have on their insane schedules. We are also, as Rob alluded to from his seat, in a thankless position, which from my perspective takes the brunt of day-to-day shit from all departments.

I feel strongly about a solid team from top to bottom and it's really hard to define some roles, and their value, in detail. But this dialogue is definitely clarifying some important perspectives and actual (current) insights into the live operation and team.

Cheers to you for creating a forum for this and to everyone out there truckin' through this tough time for our industry in particular.

All the best,
Stephen Schloss
Concrete Artist Management

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Re: More Agents

I started reading this below and decided I didn't want to know who wrote it until I got to the end, because
everything I read was right on the money, literally and figuratively.

I met Rob and the late, great and dear Bobby Brooks when they started the CAA music division back in the mid-80's.
I love Rob, and I love what Rob wrote. It is perfect.

If only one person thinks they're the smartest guy/gal in the room, failure isn't an option. It's guaranteed.

When someone asks us what we do, or what we've done, it's sometimes near impossible to answer,
because what they're really asking is, what do you know and what have you learned?

The politics, the egos, the reason why you want to pull the photographers out of the pit after
three songs - but if they're good, escort and give them access to the magic that happens as
the show continues.

Know how to work with or ignore that journalist who's had a problem in the past with your lead singer.
Do you put them on the side of the stage for a stretch to get a taste of that indescribable
force of energy that comes from the band's POV? Or do you decide the juice ain't worth the squeeze
and agree they can sit that show out anywhere but where your band is playing.

Or that it only takes one time leaving the guitar player behind - in his sweats - with no wallet -
when the bus makes a fuel stop, to devise a system to avoid the 3am call.

The man who would be my husband if it wasn't for his bride (who refers to me as her sister wife),
is an agent who I tormented on a twice-daily basis when I was a manager. Despite that, Andy Somers
still loves me because all we ever wanted was the very best for our bands.

Years back after an artist went from virtual unknown to sold-out-stadium-international-megastar, they took a
a double page ad out in Billboard. They thanked every promoter, their agents, management team, costumes,
bus and trucking, crew to caterers. The last person listed was their publicist.

I taped the ad to my office door with a note - "First to blame, last to thank."

And that was OK by me.

Janie Hoffman

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From: Jay Ruston
Subject: Re: The Bolton Book

These days because of vinyl backlog, I have to deliver a record six months in advance. Some labels can do it a bit quicker, but I'm seeing this more and more.

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Subject: Re: The Bolton Book

Hi Bob,
As someone with music and a novel published online, I agree with your analysis of both industries.
In Dublin the pandemic seems to be accelerating the evolution of a localised musical and literary culture involving small-scale performances in pubs and web publications promoted personally on Facebook and YouTube. It's set to explode when the pubs and other venues re-open in a coupe of weeks.
Best regards,
Paul Nash

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Subject: Re: Sober

As one who has worked closely with many addicts in my career, and was partners with Dr Drew's manager, your description of the grip of addiction seems pretty spot on. Jim Morrison was an addict, but to alcohol and we weren't sophisticated and experienced enough to 'send him to rehab'-I don't think there even was such a thing then. And it cost him his life. Now we know addiction kills 10's of thousands a year and we are trying to respond effectively as a people. This song powerfully reminds us that we all need to work to fight it, whether in ourselves or someone we care about.

Thanks for bringing the lyrics

Bill Siddons

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Re: The Daily

On Monday, my VP heard the Facebook episode and we decided to pull all of our Facebook spend.
My employer is very corporate and takes a long time to do anything, but that decision was made within an hour.
We are not going to make a big deal out of it, send out a release, etc. We knew that it was wrong for us to continue to advertise when the platform is supporting hate, total propaganda and housing extremists in their Facebook groups.

Two things about Tuesday's episode:
I live in Louisville. 4 days after George Floyd was murdered, a 911 call was released from a no-knock warrant murder in west Louisville. This murder happened in March, so it had been a while. The 911 call CLEARLY disputed statements from the police report. The police shot Briana Taylor, a 23 year old EMT, at least 8 times. Just now, one of the cops has been fired.
https://www.nytimes.com/article/breonna-taylor-police.html

3 days later, David McTee, a BBQ owner in west Louisville is shot and killed. The Times did a really terrific job analyzing the video of the shooting that raises more questions than answers, https://www.nytimes.com/video/us/100000007175316/the-david-mcatee-shooting-did-aggressive-policing-lead-to-a-fatal-outcome.html

McGrath was completely absent. Booker got tear gassed and then later went to a debate.

Unrelated to the Daily, but I was so upset seeing #AllEyesonKentucky beginning over the weekend. Here were celebs, politicians; all these people on the left (who I side with politically) claiming that Louisville was suppressing votes by having one polling location for 600,000 people. https://www.rawstory.com/2020/06/all-eyes-on-kentucky-trends-nationwide-one-day-before-key-primary-to-see-who-takes-on-mitch-mcconnell/

Just saying it, sounds shocking right? But everyone in the state could request a mail-in ballot a month before the election and there were 2 locations in Louisville where people could vote in person 10 days prior to the actual primary day. It went off without a hitch. People did start banging on the doors at 6pm when they were shut and locked. Booker asked for an injunction from a judge who was ON SITE, he got the doors opened until 6:30 and everyone got to cast their vote.

Mark Murdock

_____________________________________________

Re: The Daily

Kentuckian here. We saw McGrath go viral with an ad for her lost congressional campaign. She then got tons of money from everywhere except Kentucky with the help of (dinosaur) Schumer. She called herself a 'pro trump democrat' on her wet fart of an announcement on Morning Joe (google it) and left everyone's head scratching. After that you're correct: George Floyd was murdered, but also our hometown essential worker/EMT Breonna Taylor was gunned down and murdered in her bed. I went to Charles' campaign announcement in front of 85 people. I saw him speak in my friend's home to 15 white people. Then I saw him march with *US* in the streets vehemently supporting BLM and justice for Breonna and George. He's the real deal and we love him. Think about it: there is simply no way Mitch McConnell can run against Charles effectively. He called McGrath (a self proclaimed pro trump democrat, remember) too far left for chrissakes. We have a unique chance for real change in Kentucky after decades of dogshit with Mitch. Maybe one day we can finally sit at the cool kid's table. We want change and we want it soon.

Mark Palgy

_____________________________________________

From: Ron Zeelens
Subject: Re: Immigration-H-1B Visas

Thankfully l'orange de menace as a Montreal client calls him has not stopped USCIS from processing petitions for O and P visas for musicians and entertainers.

_____________________________________________

Subject: Re: Immigration-H-1B Visas

Bob, From my daughter:

For those of you who know Ramiro, you know he would hate that I'm writing this post. But I need to get something off of my chest.

My husband is a PhD -a trained immunologist supporting #COVID19 research. He directs the UNC School of Medicine Flow Cytometry core and their essential role in COVID-19 research means that he is literally in the lab with this virus during the day instead of safe at home. The machine they use to study the virus can aerosolize the particles, spraying it across the room in a way that allows the virus to hang in the air for some time. This is a risk he knowingly takes every day because it is important that we learn how to stop this thing.

Ramiro came here on an H1-B visa.

If the US finds a treatment or vaccine, it will be in large part due to immigrant scientists like him. Science and technology in this country does not advance without skilled workers on H1-B visas. Full stop.

This Executive Order is cowardly & dangerous. And perhaps more at this moment in time than at any other. We cannot stay silent.

John Williams

_____________________________________________

From: Marit Sathrum
Subject: Re: Immigration-H-1B Visas

Dear Bob,
To be fair, women should be paid $1.25 per men's $1.00 since we do WAY more, even on the job (and the home, etc) than men. Wait. In fact, to really be fair, include reparations: $2.00 per men's $1.00 for at least two generations.
Sincerely,
A single mother with a BSE (1980) and small business owner who's probably losing everything because of Covid. Blame the right folks: the christian patriarchy.

_____________________________________________

Re: Leadership

Compare US to Australia, they have had 7000 ish cases total here, and 100 dead. Cali had that yesterday ALONE. And here they started this week to freak out bc 125 cases in a week or so poped up in Melbourne. No foreigners allowed in and no Aussie allowed out, for rest of year.

They quarantine everybody returning to the country for 14 days in a hotel, at govt expense. 4 states have no active cases, 5 of the 8 states have border control, they closed them for a long time and now allow people from other states w no active cases to come but Vic and NSW people still forbidden from travel to the other states. 100 new cases here and they postponed plan to allow resto to go up from 20 customers to 50. gyms did open but strict limits on how many. and movies could open but most did not bc of limitations on how many allowed in.

nobody complains, they are of mind set we are all in this together

Brian Barry

_____________________________________________

Re: Leadership

This is how Tony Blair got elected. He just started acting like he was the Prime Minister.

His best move was to announce in Parliament that he had seen BT that day and got a guarantee to have broadband delivered to every home. (This was pre 1993)

The Tories went ballistic! They were the party in power — They got to have those meetings. He just ignored them and kept showing us by example what he would be like as a leader. He went on to win 3 elections.

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Leadership

It's time for Biden to take control of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Oh, I hear what you say, he's not yet been elected President, we've got a system, and we must be in stasis until the election, allow Trump to bury himself in faux pas. BUT PEOPLE ARE DYING!

I don't know about you, but I'm positively horrified at the numbers, going the wrong way. I'd delineate them, but you're either paying attention or not, either you're staying home or not, either you think you're immune or you don't. But for those of us aware, it's astounding how the U.S. is a bastion of incompetency with a raging coronavirus, our response akin to that of third world nations, to the point where even the EU is questioning whether we should be able to cross its borders.

It's not that difficult folks. You've just got to test and track.

But so far there's no organized effort.

So, Biden rounds up all the blue state governors, all the red state ones who want to join, and he institutes a plan. Call it a shadow government, call it whatever you want, but in an era where Trump's justice department keeps challenging norms, why are the Democrats sitting on their hands?

Masks... Every state signing up to the Biden plan must require them. Oh, people don't want to be told what to do...that's not America, that's REPUBLICAN! Where is the Democratic leadership?

And contact tracing and daily tests and fourteen days of quarantine for anybody who is exposed.

Trump dumped Covid-19 treatment on the states, why are all the states acting as if it's impossible to take coherent action, impossible to band together for an adequate response.

Once again, this is not about government, this is about lives.

Biden is the man. He organizes the governors. They enact a coherent plan. Covid-19 is contained. Do you think Trump is going to take any action? He thinks the virus is dying out, that people should come together and celebrate, despite Secret Service people getting infected at his rally in Tulsa. For Trump it's all about the economy, but there will be no economy if everyone is too afraid to leave their house.

So, it's very simple. A graph.

You've seen it. The one comparing the U.S. to other countries. Sure, we flattened the curve, it's just that it didn't go DOWN, and now it is going back UP! Whereas in Europe and elsewhere, the lines on the graph are pointing way down.

We publicize this each and every day. America comes together to achieve a goal. You're either on the bus or off. Either you're a patriot or you're not. It's time for Democrats to reclaim that word. A patriot is not someone who does whatever he wants and lionizes the military, a patriot is someone who stands up for the health of the country!

We need an organized plan.

Yes, it's going to be hard to get everybody back into their houses. But maybe we do that for a week or two, while we get testing in place. Those who interact with others need to be tested EVERY DAY! Have Biden oversee the manufacture and distribution of said tests. And then there is contact tracing, if someone is infected, all those who came in contact with them must isolate for fourteen days. People are willing to sacrifice if you've got an organized plan, if it's for the common good.

The purpose of the government is to serve the people, not enrich those in power.

If Biden is such a good leader, it's time for him to do so now. And what's even better is he can do it from his bunker, he doesn't have to go on the road, the tech allows him to interact with everybody.

Have a Zoom meeting of all the governors. Get organized. Do it together. None of this my state is different, we're all fighting the common enemy!

So, everybody stays home.

Meanwhile, we distribute the tests.

Then we let required workers and more slowly go back into the workplace, testing them EACH AND EVERY DAY!

And if someone is infected, we send them home, as well as everybody they came in contact with.

Forget Elon Musk, technologists and manufacturers do not run the country. And since the states will be organized, his threat to move to another domain will be empty.

The government and the people are in power, not the corporations.

So, we slowly roll out the economy, give freedom to the populace after the line on the graph goes way down.

We keep it down.

It just takes organization. Which they've got seemingly everywhere in the world but the United States.

Trump is not tying our hands, we're tying our own!

Employ celebrities to tweet and post pictures of themselves staying at home, getting tested, paying fealty to the government workers in charge. Any money raised is for tests and contact tracing. Hire the unemployed to do said contact tracing. Fill the vacuum Trump has created.

And as there is success, and there will be, because it's not rocket science, as I said previously it's been done elsewhere, the naysayers will come along.

Meanwhile, ignore Fox News. Even ignore Trump. Just lead us out of the wilderness!

It's your time Joe. And the somnambulant DNC too.

We've had revolution in the streets for a month. They're tearing down statues and changing names. But when it comes to the true enemy, the coronavirus...crickets.

It may sound revolutionary to you, but it's time for a revolution. It's time for the Democrats to lead, because the Republicans are not. It's not like the Republicans are saying the states can't act, can't organize, can't mass purchase, they're just saying they're not gonna tell them what to do.

An end run that will save lives and embellish the image of those who take action.

Too big a risk?

Then you're not part of the challenged demo. And last time I looked, Biden and Pelosi and so many other powerful Democrats are over sixty.

Meanwhile, the youngsters may not die, but they spread it to everybody else.

I'm willing to give up some privacy to save my life. Are you?

Can't we come together to lick this problem?

Can't we have some leadership?

The graph: https://cnn.it/2A7W4tg


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Michael Connelly-This Week's Podcast

Creator of "Bosch," Michael Connelly's new book "Fair Warning" currently sits at number seven on the "New York Times" best-seller list. Listen as we cover Connelly's transition from newspaper reporter to full time novelist, and the intricacies of the production of the hit Amazon television show starring Titus Welliver.

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7w923tULjZnBOoCa1Rrz4Q

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/michael-connelly/id1316200737?i=1000479560356


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The Daily

Facebook skews Republican.

It's about the money. For insight, I point you to Ben Smith's article:

"What's Facebook's Deal With Donald Trump?-Mark Zuckerberg has forged an uneasy alliance with the Trump administration. He may have gotten too close.": https://nyti.ms/3evEcHL

The "Daily" is the "New York Times" podcast, that is released per its moniker, daily. It's supposed to bring you up to speed on what is happening in America that day.

Which is why I rarely listen to it. I read the "Times" cover to cover every day, and check the app incessantly, so what could I possibly learn?

Plenty.

Hiking last night I pulled up Tuesday's episode, "The Battle Over the Democratic Party's Future - How a once low-profile Senate primary in Kentucky reveals a broader ideological challenge for the Democratic Party": https://nyti.ms/2YxLrJI

I was stunned this was sponsored by the "Times," which along with the DNC put a stake in the heart of Bernie Sanders, before events blew a hole in the establishment Democratic perspective.

That's what this podcast is all about. How Chuck Schumer is putting all his eggs behind Amy McGrath to go up against Mitch McConnell for Senate in Kentucky. You see McGrath is a former Marine, she's a fund-raising machine, and it's all about the money, right?

Well, maybe not.

But what is truly important here is how Schumer is pulling the strings, how he's controlling the makeup of the elected Democratic officials, and how he might be losing that power.

So, McGrath is skating to victory in the primary and then...

George Floyd gets murdered. Protests pop up all over the country, the world. And suddenly, the nobody from nowhere, the African-American from the wrong side of Louisville, Charles Booker, has traction.

McGrath blows it in the debate, because she's just a figurehead, a place holder, part of the team, what she believes really isn't that important. Meanwhile, Booker starts eating her alive. Will Booker triumph?

By time I listened to yesterday's "Daily," election results were coming in. And, since last night, they've only gotten tighter. On the surface, it looks like McGrath will escape, although today her lead is declining, she's still ahead of Booker 43.9% to 37.6%. But not even half of the vote has been counted, and, there's the mail-in ballots.

The question is, did people vote early and choose McGrath, the safe candidate, or did they vote late, and switch to Booker?

Although no one will call the race, Jamaal Bowman is killing the well-funded and establishment endorsed Eliot Engel in New York, 61.8% to 34.9%. In other words, are Schumer and the DNC losing control?

It appears so.

You can read the transcript of this podcast by clicking on the page, but you've got to listen to it, to hear Jonathan Martin's voice, it's a wakeup call, he's just not reporting, he's more akin to Paul Revere riding through the countryside.

Conventional wisdom amongst big media, the DNC and insiders, is that the Democrats need to run to the center, but AOC won big last night, against a candidate well-funded by the financial sector. Could it be that the populace, even the voting populace, is farther to the left of not only Biden, but Schumer and Pelosi and...

After all, they haven't achieved much.

Of course, to a degree their hands are tied, controlling neither the Senate nor the White House, but it turns out they're not as outraged as the populace, which appears to want blood.

So, after listening to Tuesday's podcast, I listened to Monday's:

"How Facebook Is Undermining 'Black Lives Matter' - The company publicly supports the racial justice movement. But content on the platform my be compromising the cause.": https://nyti.ms/2Yva75v

Taken in concert with Ben Smith's article above, you gain new insight into Zuckerberg and his flagship service.

Yes, Ben Smith...the same person who took on the inviolate Ronan Farrow, whose publisher immediately caved when he learned they were going to publish a book by his father, Woody Allen, and demanded it be canceled. The entire New York media intelligentsia was pro-Ronan, and then Ben Smith questioned his reporting and...

Is the "New Yorker" any match for the "Times"? The "New Yorker" gets undeserved respect by those who believe themselves to be intellectuals, it's often late and out of touch on the issues, and its reach is not that big.

But the "New York Times" abhors bomb-throwers, right?

And then we've got this Zuckerberg/Trump article, which is light on facts and heavy on speculation and...it reads more like BuzzFeed, where Smith came from, than the Grey Lady. Could it be that the "Times" is starting to throw off some of its shackles and wake up and live in the present, like in these "Daily" podcasts."

Now Kevin Roose is not as grave as Jonathan Martin, but he reveals some fascinating bits, like:

Kevin Roose:

"Yeah, I mean, their outreach to Republicans is, in some ways, an attempt to sort of correct this impression that conservatives have, that they are biased against the right, which is not reflected in any of the data. And I've actually been looking at this pretty regularly for the past few weeks. There's this tool called CrowdTangle that you can basically use to pull up the most popular and talked about Facebook posts from across all of Facebook. So yeah, just looking at the most engaged posts from the last 24 hours on Facebook, the first one is from Trump. It's the video of his rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Number two, also by Trump, another picture from his rally. And then you've got Franklin Graham, this right-wing evangelist and activist taking issue with Dr. Fauci. You've got Hugh Jackman wishing his dad a happy father's day. That one's not political. And you've got Terrence Williams, who's a pro-Trump activist. Breitbart has a video of Trump's rally. The vast majority of these top 10 stories are usually from right-wing media outlets and right-wing politicians."

Michael Barbaro:

"Is there anything that might be characterized as Democratic, liberal or progressive in that list of the top 10 or so?"

Kevin Roose:

"Almost every day there are one or two posts in the top 10 from more liberal outlets or politicians. But it is predominated by Fox News, by Breitbart, by right-wing news outlets and by President Trump himself."

So, that's why Zuckerberg/Facebook is not caving, not editing the president, IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMINS! Zuckerberg doesn't want to alienate his core audience!

For years, we heard about the tech of these platforms. Facebook moving from desktop to mobile, its algorithms...but those days are passé, now it's about the content.

This is a huge difference. The platform is secondary to how it is used. And, the platform is very influential, possibly more influential than any other platform extant! So, what is the role of a social media company today, what boundaries should it enact re speech?

This is an especially thorny question in a world where everybody is in their own silo, getting their news from their preferred source, in some cases not even being aware of the other side(s). But despite Cambridge Analytica, despite Roger McNamee waving his hands, there truly has been no discussion in the government about this, it just lets Facebook go its own course, willy-nilly. And now Zuckerberg is cozying up to those in power, the Republicans, to his benefit, but if the Democrats take charge...

So what you've got to know is every day the "Daily" is either the number two or three podcast on the Apple chart. Joe Rogan is almost always number one, but there's little crossover between the two. Rogan built his base on martial arts fans, the "Daily" on news junkies.

But now, unlike in its infancy, the "Daily" is breaking news. And one thing you've got to know is the movers and shakers pay attention, and they know the ground is shifting under their feet, but will they question their preconceptions, or double-down, trying to maintain power, maybe squandering control of the government and leaving it in the hands of the Republicans for fear of going too far left?

Don't underestimate podcasts. For those just interested in numbers, Spotify is on a tear since it doubled-down on the format.

And despite being around for over a decade, we're still not sure what works. News, mystery, whodunnits, advice, interviews...that's still shaking out. But one thing for sure is podcasts are in-depth in an era where the bloviators keep telling us everybody's got a short attention span. That is patently untrue. People love their podcasts, and spend time with them.

Since the "Daily" is daily, it is short. Usually less than half an hour. It is not a burden.

You MUST listen to ""The Battle Over the Democratic Party's Future." Because this is not theoretical, this is what is happening now. We're fighting over the heart and soul of the Democratic Party, and those presently in power are inured to antique structures and believe that money always beats hearts and minds, but yesterday that didn't prove true.

This is the inside game. If you want to truly talk politics, listen.

But in any event, VOTE!

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More Agents

Dear Bob,

I feel compelled to weigh in on this discussion.

I have always believed that an artists' career takes a team of smart, passionate, aggressive, forward-thinking individuals who work with a common purpose. I have often compared that team to a football organization. The artist is the owner of the team. They hire a manager who becomes the head coach. That coach has to field a team - smart QB, great running back, strong linebackers, great blockers. You have a strong owner, a smart and strong head coach, and a team that works together - and you win! When you don't, you may win the odd game, but in the long run, success is distant.

In that analogy, people play different roles. Sometimes, the QB is the agent, sometimes the lawyer. A great tour manager may be left tackle (the key to a great offense) or maybe the linebacker takes down everything in their way. The label head, the A&R person, the publisher, and publicist all play a position, with all taking their cues from a great head coach. In order to be successful, they have to work together.

But in this discussion, when you try to separate what each position does, when you try to make them competitive, when you devalue smart and creative executives with one pass of the brush, you fail to see what makes each of those jobs important, crucial, and valuable.

There are tour managers who are without question, the super glue that holds a tour together and makes it run. There are lawyers whose instincts and analytical skills drive the deal forward. There are business managers whose street smarts keep everything moving forward. And then there are agents whose ability to identify talent, package tours, sense the moment to move up in venue size, and position the right festival slot have changed the arcs of careers.

I have been an agent for 40 years. In that span, I have loaded and unloaded trucks, I have tour managed, I have settled countless shows, I have slept on tour buses. I have acted as a promotion man and broken singles, I have fought for artists to get on the right tour, the right festival, the right TV show. I have been strategic, I have been forceful, I have been kind. I understand local tax issues. I know that buses and trucks are smaller in Europe, I know that 500 miles is a tough drive, and even tougher through the mountains. I know that the the first load out on the first night of a tour is longer and harder than the tenth show. I know how hot and humid it is in the South in the summer. I know the day after a NY or LA show is a letdown. I know Fridays nights in Texas in the fall is high school football night. I know the labels want to bundle, I know promoters have inside deals, I know everyone wants to pay less and make more.

I have taken my love for music, especially live music, and put all my energy into helping artists connect to their fans, while at the same time maximizing their earnings. I have made it a point to never stop learning and to never take the job for granted. I can point to so many deals, careers, tours and problems where I have made a real difference, most times done in the shadows with others taking the bow.

And here is the point - almost all of my peers who are agents (those who have done the job for years, and those whose careers are just starting) do the same thing every day. We don't wave a flag and say "Look what I did!" We don't get thanked on award shows. Many times, our artist doesn't even know the deal started with an agent making the right decision or that some problem was solved because an agent took a call at 1 in the morning.

I could lay out a list of brilliant agents, many of whom were mentors to me, and many peers doing amazing things today, and the subtle moves they made that changed the course of so many careers. And at the same time, I could create a list of road magicians who kept tours on the road, promoters who went above and beyond, festival owners who took a chance - lawyers, business managers, labels executives who went the extra mile - and so many managers whose brilliance at managing not just the artist but the team around them created superstars.

You could, at any moment in time, diminish the importance of any one player, but like a football team, everyone serves a role, people play different positions, the best do a great job, the best of the best do it at a level that makes huge differences. All things that most people never see.

It's only human that every member of the team wants credit and recognition for their contributions. But it has never been about any one player or even the smartest head coach, it is always about the artist.

I applaud and honor all the people on each team that I get to play on. I know and appreciate each of their roles. I also know without a doubt, that the role of an agent was, is and always will be an important, necessary, critical and game-changing position.

With great respect for all who work on behalf of talent;
Rob Light

___________________________________

Much respect to Rod and the agency he built. But he misses a key point. If I had enough bananas I could train a monkey to book flights and check drive times. The reason why the artist/manager wants the agent in the conversation is the strategy of "why?" and "what's next?" That comes with experience, relationships, and understanding the marketplace. The manager might not necessarily have that experience because he/she is dealing in every vertical of the artist's business. The agent should have a full expertise of the touring market and know how to best use it to the artist's advantage, to build audience and make a living.

Do we play 2 nights at Radio City or step into MSG? If we play MSG are we closing the balcony? What does this do for our perception in the market? Are we at the end of the cycle or the beginning and should we leave it all out on the field or leave demand on the street for a next lap?

We're routing from Chicago to Mnpls, do we play Milwaukee or Madison? The agent, because of his/her intimate knowledge of the act and constant dialogue with the manager, should know where the fans are and what the demo looks like. Do we have a college aged crowd? Let's play Madison then, in the spring or fall and not up against a big football game.

Can the manager have these conversations with the promoter direct? Of course. But the issue is that the promoter will always have his/her own agenda. Maybe he/she owns the building in Milwaukee and so steers you there over Madison when it's the wrong play for your crowd. Maybe he/she gets insides at MSG instead of Radio City and pushes you to go too big too soon. The agent should only have one agenda and it's to fight for the artist every day. Without that check and balance you end up with the LiveNation memo that was widely distributed last week.

Do I blame Rapino or those who authored it? No, they are smart people and fighting for their dollar. The issue is they didn't give us (the agents) a seat at the table during the conversations, and the memo was sort of weirdly sent out carte blanche. They are now offering a mea culpa after so many of us spoke up and have revised the deal points. Well, it's because here we are, fighting for our artists. Even with no revenue in sight.

Keith Levy

___________________________________

Interesting responses. It's possible that the naysayers have never worked with a good and thorough agent. Not all of them are. Or they've worked with more DIY kind of artists (nothing wrong with that as long as they know what they're doing). The agent SHOULD be addressing things like the driving distance between shows and being aware of the heinous EU driver regulations for trucks and buses BEFORE confirming the shows; the same with ferry schedules. And both are especially important to study if they involve Sundays. And that's just one part of it. A good agent will also know what other possibly competitive traffic is in the area that might adversely affect ticket sales. A good agent adds value in many ways, including knowing what other artists are being offered and knowing how to extract the maximum guarantee or fee as a result. Yes, this will also involve communication with management, tour manager, and production manager, but it all starts with the initial offers and routing.

I've also seen US-based managers, tour managers and production managers who have so little experience overseas that they NEED help. It's different over there, not just the EU driving regs, but currency, visas, time zones (yes, really, some people don't even think of that), tax withholding, and more.

Another thought. Managers who cut out agents for a big act won't get much help from agents on their next act.

Toby Mamis

___________________________________

I read your email about Rod MacSween's response to your supposition that bands might not need agents in today's day and age. I have been managing bands for over 25 years and include some of the best agents in the world as among those I work with (Rod does represent one of our bands).

The thing that I think you are missing is that an agent... a really great agent is a vital part of the team that makes the band's gears turn. A great agent is one that understands the big picture of where we (the management) are taking the band. It is all well and good to have a strong arm agent go in and force the promoter to pay dearly for an act. But if things don't work out to the good, the promoter loses and will be hesitant to re-book the band in the future - and especially not at that price.

The great agents understand the needs of the artist and the promoter and they know where the happy medium is. He/she knows when to be tough and when to give in.

The really great agents know that with the right ideals and planning, the band will be working with a given promoter for years instead of just one show. At their best, a great agent is a true part of the management team. Being an artist manager, people like Rod MacSween and Keith Naisbitt are the kinds of agents I want working with my acts!

Ace Trump
Siren Artist Management

___________________________________

Managers / Promoters that act as an agent are doing more harm than good most of the time, so sad that the generational consensus is all about instant money rather than long term career development.

Large companies that sign everything and see what sticks have created a toxic image of what an agent's role is in an artist's career, unfortunately most managers / tour managers / artists have the shortcoming of being near sighted in the importance of developing healthy, strong & positive relationships that will bear fruit for year after year.

As an agent, almost all of the time a manager steps into these roles (in my experience) relationships are terminated or soured due to lack of bedside manner, and it is even more sad that we have a generation of idiots who cannot think outside of what is directly in front of them.

Russell Brantley
Agent
The Empire Agency, Inc

___________________________________

It takes everyone working together to route a tour properly. Especially as it scales larger. The booking agent should work with the tour and production managers on logistics of travel and freight while also going back and forth with the local promoters. And the tm, pm, and agent should all work with the artist's manager to make sure the routing works for the artist's comfort. Also throw in the label and publishing for promo opportunities (tv shows, radio, Spotify). Sure, lapping the US or Europe has become a bit standard, but global artists are now continent-hopping like never before.

It's a complex dynamic industry that changes in real time, but everyone should be working their asses off inside the tornado. Those who don't become obsolete regardless of their position. Over-prepare, then go with the flow.

TM / PM

Gabe McNatt

___________________________________

Here's the one thing missing from your discussion, managers are forbidden by most state laws to book jobs, only agents can do that. This guarantees their middle man status. The agency structure forces agents in an agency to bill a base amount and when covid hit, the music agents were the first to go. That will tell you something about the totem pole. No power agent really cares about talent development, no more than major labels do, they care about the monthly financial targets. That leaves managers to hold it all and beg for agency support when they finally get enough momentum.

Managers worth anything, deliver the talent and often the deals so the agent can bless it. Its a screwed system but so far it is the law in most states. With all that said a brilliant agent can be instrumental in a deal, those are worth the money, too bad there are so few.

Jean Renard

___________________________________

Must have missed the original post you made, but as a TM/PM for 25+ years my two cents: as much as there are some outstanding individuals out there on the Agency side (I'll name check Scott Thomas as a shining example) and I don't envy the job itself, William Bracey is sadly more right than wrong. Do agents play a role? Yes. Do they play as big a role as suggested? Not usually. Are they there when the chips are down and the TM/band is being ripped off by some coked up gun toting promoter the agent knows well enough to avoid? Rarely. Are they all worth 15%? More no than yes. Way more.

Thx

S. Richards

___________________________________

I want my act to be with the agent that is trying to bring more than just live gigs to the table especially during this time. This is when the agents as well as the promoters prove themselves. Bring opportunity to the artist or at least try, there are so many places an agent could be looking right now to help make their artists some money and earning commission while doing it. If your agent is at least trying to do it that is the agent you want on your team.

Jon Topper

___________________________________

Back in the day, '75 t0 '85, I was an agent and concert promoter, depending; blues, jazz, folk shows. As an agent with a couple of bands exclusively, I worked to grow/get them press/radio etc. in each town. I hustled and earned my 10% for sure (mostly-I ultimately had a drug problem, began to fall apart and Grace of God got recovery) But I have to agree with Bracey and others. Rod's letter, while lovely sounding, was more wishful thinking and pr spin than necessary reality. But great letter. )

Jimmy Cioe

___________________________________

Yes! We love our agent but what that guy listed is almost all stuff our tour manager takes care of. It honestly made me laugh. I'm glad William Bracey responded.

Kristian Dunn

___________________________________

I do agree with Rod on certain points, however the idea that an agent knows how to plan a tour, is really why you employ a good Tour Manager who actually spends his or her life on a tour unlike an agent, and his last few lines are all about kissing as, as Live Nation have the money so the agent is in pocket and I am sure Michael will get his wages back when the shares go up, unlike the agents and promoters. Just saying.

Kindest,

Sir Harry Cowell

___________________________________

After carefully scrutinizing Rod MacSween's email and reading the responses, I'd like to point out one thing that he WASN'T lying about... He IS an agent.

Wade Mosher

___________________________________

Firstly let me say that as an older production manager, I only like to deal in facts.

I have worked with Rod Macsween over the past 30 years on both sides of the fence. Firstly as he represented many artists that came to play on the festival for which I was the Production Director for 21 years. Then over the last decade as a touring PM. Last year I spent the summer in Europe working for one of my clients who was headlining most of the big festivals…Werchter, Download, Hellfest…you get the picture. Rod is their agent.

Facts 1:00am Hellfest site mainstage….issue with unauthorized filming by the festival….I had to act fast and need to know if we had been paid all the fee before I got all up the festival PM's grill!. Rod answered his phone and gave me the information I needed immediately.

Throughout that run he worked with the TM and myself to ensure that the promoters were doing what they had promised to do. From simple things like whipping up a letter for one of my crew to get a second passport to the big issue at Hellfest, he looked after us.

From the present going back I have been doing a bit of squirming re reading some of the email threads from my festival days. We could not step left or right an inch and he would be onto us.

So I can only say good things about Mr Macsween as an agent.

Next I have not seen any artists complain about their agents and it is their money….just saying most artists I have worked for are pretty savvy money wise.

Over long time I have worked with pretty much all the major agents and have to say there is a level of professionalism common amongst them….be it Emma Banks, Marlene Tschuii, or Rod Macsween (to mention a few). So I like knowing they are there as a PM who is oftentimes working without a lot of sleep in the pouring rain (when most TMs are asleep…he he), because their support of me in my job is what I see as a very important part of their representation of the artist.

There seems to be a tendency in times of stress and worry to overreact and 'throw the baby out with the bathwater'. If our business needs an overhaul and COVID- 19 is providing the reason for that, then a sensible and adult discussion should be the best course of action, not what basically amounts to shouting via email.

Matt Doherty

___________________________________

Having been both a mgr and an agent it's pretty simple.
A good agent is worth the money and a bad one isn't.
If you're a developing act with little experience and leverage a good agent will put you up to bat at festivals, showcase dates or support slots.
He can advise which are worth losing money on and leverage payment for the others.
He can apply the leverage of his company to insure payment and fair treatment.
As careers grow he should be finding additional revenue sources be they corporates,secondary markets etc that should more than cover his commission.
Being in the marketplace should make him
Capable of adding good info market by market with respect to tik prices , building deals etc.
Once he has helped guide a career to a successful place he isn't as necessary and is in a position to be punished for his assistance by his commission being drastically reduced or removed. Nice work if you can get it.:)
Bottom line generalities suck and each situation should be judged on its own merit and circumstances.

Sam Feldman

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Immigration-H-1B Visas

Yesterday marked the beginning of Apple's World Wide Developer Conference, aka "WWDC." The keynote was the best since the passing of Steve Jobs, because Tim Cook is much better in front of the camera and he let Craig Federighi, a natural, quarterback most of the presentation.

These used to be a big deal. We always waited for Jobs to tease us with...one more thing.

There was a thing in yesterday's presentation, and you might have even read about it in the newspaper, but you're probably unaware of the importance of said thing.

Just when I was ready to give up watching these keynotes, I was riveted by yesterday's presentation. Well, not exactly riveted, but I did not find myself surfing the web simultaneously. In the era of Covid-19, there was no audience, it was all prerecorded and benefited as a result, it was smooth. And also populated by women and people of color, even someone physically-challenged. By seeing all these women you realized...women can do this job, be engineers. Too many boomers come from the era where women could only be secretaries, now called "assistants," and if you had a baby you were off the career path.

There are miles to go, women still don't get paid what men do for the same work, having children can impede your career, but Cook let the women do the talking, and when you see them, it changes your perception.

And you also saw Apple Park.

In an era where too much work is boring, you viewed the facility and got excited. This is where it all happens, furthermore wouldn't it be thrilling to be inside? This is the way we used to think about working at a record company. Before they trimmed the budgets to the point you've got a CEO, always a man, making seven figures, and then a bunch of underpaid worker bees with little future. Used to be people felt record companies and the music they released were changing the world, now we look to tech, science, to change the world.

But not so much these days. Now it's about software, people and how they employ the technical tools to achieve their goals.

Many are not aware of this change, they believe the Silicon Valley era is still our focus, still rules, but it does not. Ergo the protests around the world. Never mind the TikTokkers and K-Pop fans who requested tickets for Trump's appearance in Tulsa. If you're still arguing about tech and distribution platforms in the music business, you've been left behind, the ship sailed, it's all been worked out, of course there are tweaks, but now it's all about the music, even though so much of what is purveyed is empty, money-grabbing product.

Now one thing was clear, you could not get a gig at Apple unless you were one of the best and the brightest. There were no slackers on screen yesterday. You had to do the work, and you were glad to, because you felt you were making a difference.

So what did you miss in yesterday's presentation?

Basically software tweaks to your iPhone, iPad and Watch, as well as a new operating system for the Mac, "Big Sur."

The changes to the iPhone were pretty interesting. Not revolutionary, but they definitely add to functionality.

There is no manual in tech. And many are tech-challenged. So these powerful devices go underutilized by owners. Mostly they learn from friends. It's fascinating, you want to know how they did it, they teach you the tricks.

And I'm sure Android/PC users will say some of these functionalities already appear on those platforms, but certainly not the efforts made in privacy. Since Apple does not make bank on advertising, it can afford to right the wrongs of surfing and the employment of apps. And one thing is for sure, the apps in Apple's App Store rule the world, those are the ones people pay for. That's why there's all this hoopla about percentages paid for in-app purchases, that's where the money is.

So, at the end of the keynote, the one last thing talked about in the press was revealed.

Apple custom silicon.

This is a big deal. Probably in ways you don't understand. But not being beholden to Intel allows Apple to customize chips to their requirements, and not worry about being held up by third party production. Furthermore, now all Apple's devices will run on similar custom chips, allowing further interoperability.

Watch the keynote if you're interested. There are even detents for each topic: https://www.apple.com/apple-events/june-2020/ And if you scroll to the last detent, at 1:25:57, you'll get the custom silicon story.

And, at 1:28:12, you'll see Johny Srouji, SVP of Hardware, telling you about the breakthrough. Mr. Srouji is an Israeli, from an Arab Christian family, he was educated at the Technion.

Not anybody can do this stuff. Not anybody can be Bob Dylan or Kanye, or Kurt Cobain or Joni Mitchell.. The scuttlebutt was the web would surface someone, but that turned out to be untrue, there's just a limited amount of genius talent out there. And the key is to have the geniuses on your team.

And at 1:40:28 Federighi throws it to Andreas Wendker, VP of Tools & Frameworks Engineering. Just click here to see all the patents Wendker has filed in his years at Apple: https://patents.justia.com/inventor/andreas-wendker

You may have a tough time understand Srouji and Wendker's accents, but they're selling their brains, not their voices, and the dirty little secret is you're using what they make.

This is not pie in the sky mumbo jumbo, this relates directly to what's in your pocket, your smartphone. And those on the left and right, rich and even poor, possess this technology.

But now Trump wants to stop innovation, by limiting immigration and H-1B visas.

Today's story is how the EU may ban Americans from traveling to its countries. You see the U.S. has not handled Covid-19 very well. It's the worst statistically, unless China is fudging its numbers. And there is a cost to this, even beyond the people dying in the States.

Immigration bad.

Really?

As America isolates itself, convinced of its greatness, it is actually falling behind. Hell, someone overseas said Hollywood should stop making movies wherein America saves the world, it's no longer true.

And this is about you, not Trump. It comes down to what you think. Oftentimes, your knee-jerk reaction is incorrect.

Kind of like Tesla. You're laughing at its high stock price and flawed Model Y's? The joke is on you. Turns out Tesla's battery technology is so far ahead, others cannot catch up. Even Volkswagen...it had to delay the launch of its electric platform because it can't get the software right, and when cars are finally released, they'll be hobbled, sans so many features.

You've got to challenge your preconceptions on a regular basis. Change happens. Slowly, then overnight. You've got to be prepared.

We live in a global universe. You cannot cut yourself off from foreign countries without hurting your own economy and your own citizens, with higher prices for inferior products. Sure, you're hurting, you're complaining about manufacturing in China...but if we keep on tightening our borders, the truth is China and India will end up ruling the world, that's where so much of the tech talent is, oftentimes wanting to enter the U.S., but banned, because...they're taking away Americans' jobs. BUT AMERICANS CAN'T DO THESE JOBS! There's no Lionel Messi in the United States, are you telling me you wouldn't want him on your team?

But chances are you don't know who Lionel Messi is.

And that's just the point.


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Re-Rod MacSween/Agents

Hey bob. Gen z tour manager here. My thoughts

Is this guy joking ?

"Often, with tour routes that we have helped to create (many times with those 'big' promoters), we include additional and useful 'sell off' shows. We also act as a buffer between the Manager/Artist and the Promoter. There are often difficult decisions to be made on logistics, local compliance rules, movement of equipment, local tax issues, currency fluctuations, insurance for pandemics and much more to make a tour run smoothly."

-No, this is what the Tour manager does. You ask an agent for this, good luck getting a response

"We also check the books (although vanishingly few promoters are dishonest, as you suggest)."

-on the most rarest occasion have I had an agent settle a show with me

"We have geographical understanding gained from years of experience. Local 'on the ground' issues are informed and resolved by a wealth of knowledge about locality, culture, company, client, that we have accumulated over time."

- Give me a break
The roadies and tour managers are more well traveled then these guys. Seriously?

"We store fundamental information such as how long it takes to overnight from A-B (drive times), the network of ferry links, transport restrictions, crew swaps, air-freight of equipment, charter flights and the many behind-the-scenes activities that collectively make a tour work (we do all this in association with artist production managers and transport companies)"

-YES ITS CALLED GOOGLE! And the 20 years plus experience we have all over the world. Are you kidding? You want 10-15% for that?


"Sure you can leave much to promoters but an AGENT fighting for the artist in their corner provides a crucial and significant service. We're a vital cog in the overall process. As well as handling regular fee negotiations, much else of what is done by the agent maximises earnings for the artist. At a basic level, your premise that the manager just calls Michael Rapino and makes the global deal (thereby cutting out the agent) could be perceived as short term saving. But believe me, in the longer term, this 'by-passing' of our role and function would be more costly because of the reservoir of accumulated knowledge and pivotal insight an agent is able to bring to the party."

-As an artist manager and tour manager. I will fight 10 times harder for the artist then the agent. Please......

"The holistic nature of the agent's relationship with an artist/manager means we're always there for them, supporting, protecting, nurturing through thick and thin. Our agency representation list and enduring artist bonds speaks for itself."

-Thanks mom, if we need that support will call home. Next time it's pouring down rain during the cross load at Red rocks, will you be available for a call?

"You can't blame Rapino for trying to close the gaps. He is a caring and intuitive man who has given up his own salary for the cause."

-and the classic agents meaningless kiss ass sign off to the promoter rapino

Stay safe bob,

William Bracey
-gen z tour manager

______________________________________

And that ladies and gentlemen is why Rod MacSween and Barry Dickins and ITB have been a key agency since they began!

Bill Siddons

______________________________________

Very well said and well-written. He probably could have circulated it among a whole bunch of major agents and gotten them all to sign it.

Toby Mamis

______________________________________

Virtually all of what Rod is saying sounds to me like the functions of a tour manager, not a booking agent. While I'm sure a good agent can and does perform those functions too, logistics (which essentially encompasses almost everything he detailed) I would generally want a tour manager to take care of, preferably the same person who stays with the tour to ensure that the plans run smoothly. Who better to execute the plan than the person who drafted it?

Also, LOL at "insurance for pandemics". I hope that was a self-aware joke since we've seen this year just how many events carried no such insurance.

-Brandon Zemel

______________________________________

As an artist manager, this is the kind of person I would want on my team!!!! Carol ross

______________________________________

Ha! Peter Grosslight God rest his legendary innovating - pioneering soul could say this statement 15-20+ years ago. But no agent in 2020 who is educated on the real world (and studies trades outside the concert business) on futurism, automation, technology, AI, and the 21st century global economy can say this statement with a straight face. Who are you lying to? Artist will have very streamlined admin for 1% not 10% and tour managers will always be employed because they are the real empathetic ones. Doctors will be obsolete, Nurses will not! Get the comparison y'all?

Jeremiah Younossi

______________________________________

Rod is 100% correct- agents are needed.
The fact that a lot of the industry don't know the full job of an agent is what has led to this misguided confidence but I promise that most promoters and artists realise an agent's importance when they no longer have it.

Danielle Douglas

______________________________________

Rod makes some good points but he does not address a key and very real point in your original piece - agents will go to bat (or advocate for or protect) promoters/buyers before artists. They're incented to do so.

I see this happen all the time with the talent I manage. Agents don't want to disrupt their relationship with the promoter/buyer because they have the money. I have no problem with that except they should get paid from the promoter/buyer and not take a percentage of the fee from talent they're not going to bat for.

Tony D'Amelio

______________________________________

Thanks Bob. As a manager of several acts that tour globally, I do agree with many of Rod's points here. A good, hands-on agent is an essential part of the Artist / manager team. The best Agents are indeed those that really are deeply vested in the Artists' long term growth and success and , to me, are often a trusted team player that weights in on strategy and the overall gameplay for any given market.

Best,
Edo van Duijn

______________________________________

God bless the middle man. If you look at every value provided they will be replaced by an algorithm in a smart phone in the next 2-3 years.

Michael A. Becker

______________________________________

BS.

Love, a highly successful 4 wall company

BOBBY EKIZIAN GENERAL MANAGER. J&R ADVENTURES, LLC
JBONAMASSA.COM

______________________________________

Bob: What Rob is saying is quite true. Touring acts in foreign territories is fraught with negative possibilities.I have never taken an act to Europe without engaging ITB. Back then Barry Dickens saved my ass on a Crosby-Nash tour. Their L.A. agent had given the tour to John Reed who laid off the continental dates to the right promoters. Reed booked the U.K. venues but did zero promotion. I was only the manager for two days before we arrived in London. I called Barry to inform him that we had arrived. He said, Great, but why are you here?" I said for the Crosby-Nash tour." He said, There's a Crosby-Nash tour? "Yes" I replied, "we are two weeks on the continent and have the U.K. dates to follow." I ripped Reed a new one and gave the dates to Dickens. When we got back they were all sold out. We fired the L.A. agent and gave the act to Tom Ross at ICM. John Hartmann

______________________________________

Some fair points, but need to call out that this line is the biggest load of shit:

"We help break talent by assisting younger acts to get a leg up."

Ask any agent how many artists they've booked a run, gotten a support slot etc prior to said artist being signed or some other catalyst that has already occurred in their career. Agents are typically the last to come on board.

______________________________________

Hey Bob

Quick background for context because I've no doubt you have no idea who I am, nor should you....

I started as an artist and then managed a creative collaborating friend (Nano Stern, Chile) growing his audience from busking to 5000 tickets a night without the involvement of the top line music industry. And let's be clear that this was possible because of his insane talent and commitment, and his ability to get a standing ovation at almost every concert. Note here that my co-manager Juan Carlos Olivares & I booked everything direct, globally. We were also wise enough to get out of the way of the music and not to steal his money. For me those two are probably the most important things a manager can do.

Then from 2016 to 2019, I ran management for Imogen Heap and had the joy of dealing with the very lovely and hugely capable and effective Jenna Adler from CAA in LA. You probably know her or know of her. She is living proof of how valuable an agent can really be.

To this day, I mentor many young acts, which I really love doing. They want management but I know only too well the total commitment required and offer rather to teach them to manage themselves, to start off with, at least. So they can not only build their value as long as they can but also learn everything that's involved at a grass roots level so when they do start doing deals, they come to that from a point of empowerment, knowledge and experience.

What's become clear over the years is that a great agent that is really and truly invested in a young act is arguably the most important member in their business team, adding often-times the most value to growing their audience strategically. Rod is on the money with his explanations in his email to you.

But ... and it's a very big but....the other side of this coin is that the ideal scenario he articulates is extremely rare. What we see so much more at the grassroots level are agents that sign way too many acts and as a result cannot give the attention and energy that's needed to any more than a select handful. For the acts not getting that attention, the effect is significantly negative. The relationship with the agent is almost always exclusive so the act is stuck with relying totally on the agent for shows. The agents do not push them strategically and mostly just bundle them into mass mail outs to festivals and promoters... little more than spam. A waste of time. LIke buying a lottery ticket.

Bottom line I see is that the wrong agent will slow an act down and send them backwards... even with the best intention. We all know the road to hell can be paved with good intention.

I encourage acts to be clear on deliverables with any new potential agent ... some examples include:

- if the agent wants to take over and commission shows that the act has sourced themselves to date and developed relationships for, then the agent should take a reduced %, ie 5%
- on the flip side, new shows that the agent brings in can attract a higher %, ie 15%.
- that the agent should demonstrate that they can handle the load of the acts they already have and be clear about how they will increase their work capacity if they sign more acts.
- that the agent should present a clear strategic plan to the act including how they intend to build the act; including hard numbers like shows sought, shows booked, the trajectory of average fees, etc.

We are at the end of the era of the opaque music business. "Best efforts" is no longer acceptable in any deal. Transparency and accountability is everything.

Sending all love and respect to the great agents and promoters out there. After the artists and their music, these people are the engine room of the industry.

Yours in music
Brian Dubb

P.S. Does the reality of the grassroots artists even interest you? I guess I'll find out if you reply. Feel free not to of course. I'm sure you get a ton of mail.

______________________________________

Hahahah agents know how long it takes to get from City A to City B on a bus tour. What a joke.

Dave Weisz


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