MusicBizAdvice Blog

Media Crisis Aversion 101: 5 Things Musicians Can Learn From False Rumors of Jon Bon Jovi's Demise

2011-12-20T16:33:00.000-08:00

Twitter and Facebook were aflutter yesterday with the (false) rumor that Jon Bon Jovi was dead. So rampant was this rumor, media types such as Piers Morgan, Showbiz Tonight, and TMZ took to social media to dispel it. Not long after, Jon Facebook posted this photo of himself in front of a Christmas tree, holding a handwritten sign that read,"Heaven looks a lot like New Jersey" with the date and time.

End of rumor, yes. End of media reports? Quite the contrary...with a pronounced twist: now, the angle was about Jon's good-natured response.

By taking charge of the rumor in a way that was organically in line with his image and his band's image, the story now had legs that worked to his advantage and reminded people what they like about Jon Bon Jovi. Nearly 24 hours after the rumor was put to rest, the national media and people who weren't even Bon Jovi fans were still talking about it. (Person who started the rumor: 0. Bon Jovi: 10,000.)

I heard that...Some jaded person in the back of the room just accused Jon Bon Jovi of starting the whole thing as a publicity stunt. I'm jaded myself, and have smelled more than a few rats in my time, and this doesn't stink. Starting rumors of his own death isn't Jon's style. What is Jon's style, is taking control of a situation and turning it into a postive situation.

Here's what you can learn from Jon Bon Jovi when adverting a potential media crisis:

1. Take hold of the situation, in a way that gives you control of the message.

2. Remember what your fans like about you, and make sure your message fits. Setting aside his music for a moment, as a celebrity Jon Bon Jovi is known for his charm, his looks, and being comfortable with who he is and where he came from. In the picture Jon tweeted in response to the rumor, he looks the way his fans and the media expect him to look, and the sign he's holding up affirms his New Jersey roots and sense of humor.

3. If your image and previous campaigns have been consistent, find a subtle way to tie the message in to something you did in the past and make an inside joke of it for fans in the know--without alienating potential new fans. For longtime fans, part of the humor in Jon's picture is that the sign he holds up is slightly reminiscent of something a kidnap victim might hold up, harkening back to the imagery from the band's New Jersey-era "Jersey Syndicate" tour. For anyone not familiar with that tour, subconsciously the message might be, "Jon's day may have been partially kidnapped by social media reports, but he wasn't about to be a victim of his success."

4. To pull of #2, the message and your image have to be organic and believable. The reason people are still taking about the incident today is that people who'd been following Jon Bon Jovi's career long enough to know anything about him smiled and said, "That's so Jon..." Jon's been at this long enough that "Jon the person" and "Jon Bon Jovi the image" have grown organically together into something he's comfortable with, so doing things that fit his image comes naturally. New artists should always ask themselves,when considering anything image or media related, "Is this an image I'm comfortable with? Can I live up to this image ten or fifteen years from now?"

5. Get in, state your message, and get out. After Jon's Facebook post, he went back to preparing for that night's charity show and let everyone else do the talking.

A Birthday Candle for Randy Castillo

2011-12-18T09:35:00.000-08:00

This morning when I got up I did something I've never done before, for anyone: I lit a candle for Randy Castillo. Today would have been his birthday.

Randy Castillo was best known as the long-time drummer for Ozzy Osbourne, but, cool as that credit is, he was so much more than that. Ask anyone who was part of the L.A. music scene in the early 80's and 90's (or who grew up around it, as I did), and they'll tell you: Randy Castillo was a legend in the very best sense of the word. And people who knew him loved him, with a capital L.

Long before he joined Ozzy's band, when it came to drumming Randy Castillo was the L.A. "go-to-guy"...a fantastic drummer and true pro who was always happy to help out a friend on a session, or even a friend of a friend. Randy Castillo played on so many recordings, I'm convinced the majority of his work remains uncredited...most likely sitting in assorted boxes of long-abandoned demos and unfinished projects of various bands that never took off. Time may have altered my memory on this somewhat, but it seems like until he got sick, Randy Castillo was always either in the studio, or out on tour.

Growing up on the perimeter of the L.A. music scene, and later working in the industry, many people I knew, or their bandmates, or their friends, or their brothers, worked with Randy Castillo, but I never met him until around 1992. Ironically, it wasn't in L.A.; while I was on vacation, a friend who was going out to visit her boyfriend on an Ozzy tour called and invited me to go along, and we were on the road for two days. I didn't know the band, so as someone who wasn't a groupie, or working with them, and was ultimately just tagging along, I was extremely conscious of intruding on the band's space. But they were all great, especially Randy Castillo, who treated me like one of the group and made me feel like a welcome little sister.

As there always is on the road, there was much hurry-up-and-wait during those two days, and during that downtime Randy and I usually sat together, sometimes talking, but more than anything, just observing. For the longest time I wondered why a rock star of Randy's stature would be so nice to someone who clearly wasn't a groupie. It wasn't until after he passed away that I found out he had sisters.

As a visitor to the band's home on the road, it's not my place to invade Randy's privacy, especially since he's not here any longer, so I won't. I'll only say that Randy Castillo was true gentleman who had the respect of everyone I met in their touring party. He had amazing, positive energy--a rare combination of humble and dynamic presence rolled into one. Around the time I met him I was reading about shamanism, and as I got farther into it, I realized that's the kind of energy he had. His energy was so warm that sitting next to him literally felt like sitting in the sun, even though we were in those cold, hard folding chairs so often found in backstage areas in those days.

Our paths never crossed again, but because we had mutual friends and later, colleagues, I just somehow thought they would. When I found out Randy passed away from cancer I felt a huge sense of loss, not only for the music community, but knowing how much he was loved by people who knew him far better than I.

The world needs more sunny energy like Randy Castillo's. That's why I lit the candle at 7:00 this morning. I wanted it to shine brightly, so I chose a votive candle that had maybe an hour or so left on it, in a clear glass holder that would reflect light all around the room.

I lit the candle, then I used the flame to light some Nag Champa incense. I don't know if Randy Castillo was into incense, but I always think of Nag Champa as creative incense (even though it's traditionally spiritual), because it's what I often burn when I write. In addition to being a fantastic drummer, Randy was also an amazing mixed media artist, so I lit it in honor of his creative spirit.

Now here's the weird, freaky Twilight Zone part: The Nag Champa went out, unfinished, not long after I lit it.

And that candle that looked like it only had an hour or two left on it? It's just after noon as I write this, and it's still burning brightly.

Here's hoping every musician who reads this lights a candle, too.

Happy birthday, Randy Castillo, and R.I.P. .

Not a Tweet Nor Tumbl

2011-12-18T09:06:00.000-08:00

Are blogs passe? Listening to some of the media might have you believing they are, and that you may as well jettison yours in favor of Tublr, Twitter or Facebook.

I have all of the above, and while my love of Twitter remains firm, I've decided to incorporate more blogging into my time as well. Writers need blogging, or a journal, or both, to stir up the creative juices and get the words moving. As a society, we need blogs, too, as a reminder that communication shouldn't always take place in 140 characters or less...not to mention to remind people how to construct a decent sentence. (Admittedly, my part in this last endeavor is negligible at best, given my love of run-on sentences--and the fact that when I blog, I often write exactly as I speak.)

So, fellow writers...media reports and "influencers" be damned! If bogging is what you need to do to feed your creative soul, blog on!

Concert Review: Adam Lambert / Orianthi/ Allison Iraheta Pacific Amphitheatre, Costa Mesa, CA 7/28/10

2010-08-04T22:42:00.000-07:00

by Randi Reed

Adam Lambert:

Having been a cheerleader of Adam Lambert from his first audition on American Idol, it was easy to say yes when a friend asked me to come along to see his show at the Pacific Amphitheatre...

…but I also didn’t know what to expect. Would it be the pseudo electronica alterna-dance Adam of his current CD, For Your Entertainment? Would it be the guylinered, leather-and-black-nail-polished “Rocker Adam” my girlfriends and I all crushed over during his early American Idol episodes?

What about the music? Would it sound like the album, or would the arrangements be the slightly guitar-heavier sound of his TV talk show performances of late? So many questions! Between you and me, after years of working in the live concert business and seeing “the man behind the curtain,” it was nice not knowing what was going to happen going in.

Adam Lambert is so good at what he does, and has such a commanding stage presence, it’s easy to forget this is his first major tour as a solo artist. He has a beautiful voice, which has become clearer and richer since Idol. His stage persona morphs easily from slightly dark magician-esque court jester, to gay cabaret rave dance host, to concerned friend of teens who are worried about feeling like a freak…all while somehow seeming to remain uniquely himself.

Watching him, I kept forgetting that, musical theater experience aside, he’s still pretty new at this. In fact, in my notes I’d just written “Adam Lambert is the male Cher”--which is a good, cool thing by the way; Cher is a fantastic performer--when I was reminded of his newness by a far-too-long “quick” change, complete with empty stage. That would never happen to Cher. Why weren’t the dancers sent out? Since the long “quick change” seemed planned into the production, here the problem stems from poor planning in production design and stage management, not necessarily Adam Lambert. Unfortunately, Adam’s name is the one on the ticket.

Until this point, I’d almost forgiven him for the fact that the show’s opening intro--a recording of “For Your Entertainment,” his CD’s title track--went on too long and that his entrance needed reworking. The logical thing would have been for Adam to go live and pop out from somewhere unexpected on the line “I’m here for your entertainment.” But that never happened. Instead, we were left staring at an empty stage with a backdrop of Adam’s face (from the CD cover) as the song played on…an unnecessary disappointment, and a waste of precious set time.

Additionally, though his musical theater experience serves him well, it hinders his performance as a pop star when it comes to crowd energy management. He commands the stage, but has not yet mastered the crowd. He had them, then the spell--and its accompanying energy--was broken by the long quick change, and then again later by an awkwardly placed introduction of every dancer (individually, by name) in the middle of a high energy dance number that had the crowd dancing only seconds before.

These issues likely stem from the fact that musical theater requires its performers to ignore crowd distractions and keep going according to script. Conversely, being a great live pop or rock star requires paying attention to everything happening in the crowd and ad libbing it to your advantage. … It’s a tough switch, but with his talent, Adam Lambert can do it. Until then, a few changes to the production design could help him out.

Oh, and as for the guylinered, leather-and-black-nail-polished “Rocker Adam”? I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss seeing this side of him live. But sometimes guylinered, leather clad rock and roll guys are a dime a dozen. Unique artists like Adam Lambert are needed in this world. Adam’s message that it’s OK to be different is especially important for gay teens…or for that matter, for anyone who’s ever felt awkward or out of place. And that’s every bit as cool.

Orianthi:

One has to give guitar phenom Orianthi and her team a lot of credit for pulling together an album and tour after what was undoubtedly a difficult blow, both personally and professionally: Orianthi was the guitarist for Michael Jackson’s ill-fated This is It tour, which was in rehearsals when Michael died suddenly.

Had Michael lived, Orianthi would still be out on that tour as I write this. Knowing what it takes for a relatively unknown to put together an album and tour--let alone having to suddenly switch marketing plans while dealing with the death of your boss--I have a lot of respect for her.

Orianthi has fast fingers, good stage presence, and an interesting look. She clearly has strong rock roots—influences of Eddie Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix, and even a little Slash are evident in her playing. Yet interestingly, she comes off as cheerful, not angry. In fact, Orianthi reminds me in a way of a blonde Suzi Quatro, if Suzi Quatro had a chirpily happy stage persona, sang songs with poppy choruses, and wore white or pastel leather…or perhaps she's like a young Lita Ford, without the F-you attitude.

Much of Oranthi’s music is radio friendly, which her voice fits perfectly. She sings it well, though her voice isn’t unique…not bad at all (if anything, she makes it look too easy), just not unique. Her first single, “According to You,” has a good, poppy chorus with lyrics delivering a surprisingly serious, positive message against emotionally abusive relationships. The juxtaposition works well, making the song stand far above the rest of the songs in the set.

On the negative side, her guitar work was a distraction rather than a plus at times, being a little out of tune and a bit sloppy on a couple of songs that had a more demanding vocal. On “Give Me the Bad News” it was…well, perhaps writing the word “atrocious” in my show notes was too strong, but close. Her vocals were fine, though, so reworking the guitar parts a bit would do the trick here.

Overall, Orianthi delivered decent songs, good stage presence, and a good performance, but her set still needs a little work...perhaps reworking the order of the set list or changing some of the arrangements to vary the tempos. But ultimately, Orianthi seems a good, accessible “starter rock star”…especially for girls who are past Disney but who aren’t quite up to someone more edgy and angry.

Allison Iraheta:

One of the frustrating things about American Idol has been its skill at killing a good artist’s rock cred. Idol’s core audience tends to be frightened by anything edgy or angry, and the audience that would usually like the edgier contestants is kept away by the perception that anyone who’s been on American Idol can’t possibly be cool.

This, I fear, may be the nemesis of Allison Iraheta’s career: the girl is just too cool for American Idol.

With powerful stage presence and a flirty-cool rocker chick stage persona, she comes off wise beyond her years. Her naturally raspy voice sounded a little tour –weary, but somehow works for her, and sounded edgy and cool, rather than tired.

In fact, she reminds me a little of the Divinyls’ Christina Amphlett, but with her own unique vibe, and I can see her potential to develop a similar cult following. But then there’s that damn American Idol thing hanging on her back.

She performed a good set overall, with a decent band, albeit with some “help”: it bothered me that I could hear her voice on the backup vocals and not just on the lead. With her talent, Allison Iraheta doesn’t need to resort to such tricks, which only further lessen her credibility in the rock world…which is a shame, because without the Idol mark on her back, I feel she could be a contender to be huge in the rock world. (A colleague remarked, “Maybe she could change her name and start over to get rid of the Idol thing?”)

All in all, I enjoyed Allison's set and would see her again; frankly, I enjoyed her performance more than Orianthi’s. Aside from the vocal help, the only major flaw I could find with Allison Iraheta’s performance was that it came to an abrupt end; she ran offstage with nary a “thank you”, bow, or goodnight.

But first tours are for learning that sort of thing.

RR

Relief for Haiti: where to help

2010-01-14T17:52:00.000-08:00

Update 6:30PM 1/18/2010: The allegations against Wyclef and his foundation have been proven false by several IRS tax experts who examined the documents for various media outlets. We've added Yele Haiti and its earthquake relief fund back to the list.

Meanwhile, the Larry King special on CNN raised over $1 million dollars for the Red Cross and UNICEF in its first hour.

Update 1/18/2010: Some media reports are accusing Wyclef's foudnation, Yele Haiti, and its Hatian earthquke relief fund of imporoper use of funds. Wyclef strongly and adamently denies this. Until it's all sorted out, we have removed Yele Haiti and the Yele Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund from the list of charities below.

Meanwhile, tonight 1/18/2010 on CNN from 8-10P.M. EST Larry King is hosting a 2-hour special to raise funds for Haitian earthquake relief. Guests include Ryan Seacrest, Mick Jagger, Seal, Tea Leone, John Mayer, Susan Sarandon, Ben Stiller, Nicole Richie, Ashley Judd, Christina Aguillera, and more.

Links and resources for Haiti Earthquake Relief
As always, we encourage you to check out any charities you may be interested in at http://www.charitynavigator.org/

CNN's website is loaded with the latest news and infomation about the quake and relief efforts. Must-see: Dr. Sanjay Gupta's reports. Gupta, a practicing neurosurgeon, is a CNN reporter who has been treating injured people in addition to filing excellent reports for CNN. At one point, fearing security concerns, a medical team in charge of a field hospital where Gupta and his crew reporting packed up and left, leaving Gupta to care for patients. Gupta trained his CNN crew to help, and all remained stable through the night.
http://www.cnn.com/
Twitter @Sanjayguptacnn

An extensive CNN web page list of charities and relief organizations can be found here: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/impact/

President Obama has asked former Presidents Clinton and Bush2 to partner on Haitian earthquake relief as Presidents Clinton and Bush1 did successfully for tsunami relief. The organization's relief fund is here:
http://clintonbushhaitifund.org/

The William Jefferson Clinton Foundation website has information and resources, including phone numbers for family members to call to check on the status of loved ones, plus direct links to organizations accepting donations. Regardless of your political views, I recommend the Clinton Foundation because they have an established history of success working in poor areas to help alleviate diseases such as AIDS and Malaria. Because of this, the Clinton Foundation has resources and partners already in place which can be extended toward Haitian earthquake relief. Also, President Clinton is the UN Special Envoy to Haiti. http://www.clintonfoundation.org/haitiearthquake/

Doctors Without Borders was in Haiti before the earthquake and needs lots of help, as their own medical facilities, plus all the hospitals in Haiti were damaged or demolished by the earthquake:
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/

The earthquake damaged / demolished UN relief facilities which had been in Haiti before the earthquake, and many UN personnel are injured or dead, so much help is needed. As Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, hunger is of particular concern:

UN World Food Programme
http://www.wfp.org/

Unicef
http://www.unicef.org/

American Red Cross has links to Haiti information / donations:The
http://www.redcross.org/

Or, you can donate $10 to the Red Cross via text by texting HAITI to 90999. 100% of funds will go to Haiti earthquake relief.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is a partnership of all the Red Crosses and similar organizations:
http://www.ifrc.org/index.asp

Oxfam America is an affiliate of Oxfam International, which is an international relief and development organization that works with individuals and local groups in over 100 countries:
http://www.oxfamamerica.org/

MercyCorps is an organization dedicated to alleviating poverty and social injustice by helping people around the world build strong communities:
http://www.mercycorps.org/

Partners in Health partners with communities to bring healthcare and health information to impoverished areas:
http://www.pih.org/home.html

Celebrities working on Haiti earthquake relief projects
Check their official websites or follow them on Twitter for information. Publicists / managers of celebrity clients feel free to email me a short blurb describing your client's Haiti earthquake relief involvement, along with publishable public contact information for the project (i.e., public website, verified public twitter or verified public Facebook) to muzbizadvc(at)aol(dot)com with "Client news Haiti" in the subject line. Please note that due to time constraints for this project, the client must be an already-established celebrity or well-established artist or band, and that the Haiti Celebrity List project is not a venue for promoting new talent. Because of the number of scams that are likely to arise from the Haiti tragedy, my policy is firm on this.

Larry King is hosting a 2-hour special on CNN Monday 1/18/2010 for Haitian earthquake relief. Guest include Ryan Seacrest, Mick Jagger, Tea Leone, John Mayer, Susan Sarandon, Ben Stiller, Nicole Richie, Ashley Judd, Christina Aguillera, and more.

Slash (former Guns 'n' Roses guitarist), is organizing a charity concert and is looking for 12 artists [with a draw--RR] who want to help out:
Twitter @SlashHudson

Wyclef Jean's foundationm Yele Haiti, has an earthquake relief fund. To donate $5.00 to earthquake relief, text YELE to 501501.
http://yele.org/
Twitter@Wyclef

Alyssa Milano is challenging a corporation to come forward to match her $50,000 donation to Unicef's Haiti's earthquake relief fund:

Twitter @Alyssa_Milano

Lady Gaga is donating all her ticket sales and merchandise revenue from her January 24 Monster Ball concert to Haitian earthquake relief. Also on the 24th, all merchandise sales from Ladygaga.com will go to Haitian earthquake relief.
http://www.ladygaga.com

House's Olivia Wilde is on the advisory board of Artists For Peace and Justice, which has been active in Haiti for some time and is now raising money for quake relief. Additional advisory board members include Maria Bello, Josh Brolin, James Franco, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Natasha Koifman, Diane Lane, Michael Stahl-David, Oliver Stone, Madeline Stowe, Charlize Theron, and Peter Tunney.
http://artistsforpeaceandjustice.org/
Twitter @oliviawilde

Ben Stiller's foundation, the Stiller Strong Foundation, is an education foundation for Haiti's children. It was active in Haiti before the quake and is accepting donations for quake relief. Additionally, Ben Stiller took to the airwaves to rally donations for the Red Cross's $10 text donation program and is planning to run a 10K at the end of March to raise funds for Stiller Strong Foundation.
http://www.stillerstrong.org/
Twitter @redhourben

George Clooney is organizing and hosting the Hope For Haitian earthquake relief telethon which will air on MTV networks, plus ABC, NBC, HBO, and CNN on January 22 at 8-10P.M. EST.

Oprah's Angel Network has donated $1 million to the Red Cross for Haitian earthquake relief.

http://www.oprah.com/angel_network.html
http://www.oprah.com
Twitter@Oprah

Quincy Jones is reworking and organizing a new recording of the hit single "We Are the World" with proceeds to benefit Haitian earthquake relief.

Tiger Woods has donated 3 million dollars to earthquake relief.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie donated 1 million dollars to Doctors Without Borders. Their Jolie-Pitt Foundation helps with humanitarian causes throughout the world.

Craig Ferguson has publicly challenged Rush Limbaugh to make up for his insensitive remarks by "donating 1 million dollars of his own money to the Red Cross."

Book review: Bon Jovi: When We Were Beautiful

2009-12-12T15:41:00.000-08:00

Book review originally posted by me on Amazon.com earlier today, under my Amazon screen name Randi Reed "MusicBizAdvice Editor":

Bon Jovi: When We Were Beautiful

****" Great photography, something for casual or hardcore fans, and even a bit of practical advice for musicians"

How does a band sum up over 25 years worth of career that's spanned more than half their lead singer's life, thousands of concerts, and sales of well over 120 million albums? Not to mention survived more than 8 different music trends (at last count)and umpteen label management changes (10? 12?), while doing their own thing. By Jovi, this'd better be good.

Bon Jovi: When We Were Beautiful is indeed a very good anthology of a great career. Arranged by subject instead of the more predictable chronological order, it's narrated by the band members themselves and loaded with photos from a perspective rarely seen of the band, who publicly admit to not letting many people into their tight circle. There's much here to surprise the public, and maybe even a few hard core fans.

For one thing, this is not a picture book full of pretty, posed studio photographs of cute guys in the 80's. Although a couple of those are there for scrapbook purposes, the majority of the book's photos are either original, Phil Stern-style behind-the-scenes candids that were snapped for the book and its accompanying documentary (many of these photos are in black and white) or are photos of the band onstage. In both cases, the style and quality of the photographer's work shares equal billing with the subjects, with great results.

As a serious photography hobbyist, the photos on pages 8-9,13,15,43,126-27,and 137 are among my favorites, because I know how deceptively difficult they are to do. Because of this, my copy of Bon Jovi: When We Were Beautiful isn't kept with the other music biographies in my collection. Instead, it resides on a shelf of favorite photography books, between works by Phil Stern and Life Magazine: these are the kind of artist photographs I'd like to achieve.

When We Were Beautiful also contains snapshots from the band members' personal collections, photo session outtakes, and previously unapproved photos. Some of these are hilariously not so great...such as the series of an extremely sleepy/sleeping Jon Bon Jovi on a plane to Moscow in 1989 (page 48-49), complete with large red X's and thick lines drawn on the photos to indicate someone's disapproval (presumably management's or Jon's). Every major artist has marked-up contact sheets of unapproved, goofy photos in their files. Bon Jovi actually lets you see them.

The text shows the expected business savvy, tenacity, and personal growth of the individual band members, as well as their wit (David Bryan, page 59--drinking liquid while reading not recommended). But it can also be surprisingly revealing, such as on page 138. There's even an "Eeeeew"-provoking gross-out moment from, of all people, Jon Bon Jovi (page 142).

From a practical standpoint, for aspiring artists (and their aspiring managers and tour managers), the Backstage section is most helpful, especially Jon's wisdom on page 139. Pages 138-144, 150,152, and 175 are of special note...particularly page 152, which gives the reader something to think about.

Bon Jovi:When We Were Beautiful is certainly not the type of sordid tell-all that publishers and the media like to see from a rock band, so don't expect this book to get much media attention. Nor is it the bare-it-all autobiography a lot of rock fans and celebrity watchers may prefer. But by all accounts, Bon Jovi are guys who deeply respect their families, especially their kids, who don't happen to be in the spotlight. In Jersey parlance, ya gotta respect that. And ya gotta respect the band for doing it their way.

After all, it's worked for 26 years.

Verdict: ****

Want it? Buy it here:

Disclosure of Endorsements/Recommendations/Financial Compensation or Business Relationships per FTC Blog Disclosure Regulations in effect December 1, 2009: In the 90's I worked for a concert promotion company that presented many Bon Jovi shows. Since that time I've received no financial compensation or free product in direct connection with the band. I have, however, interviewed their recording engineer for MusicBizAdvice.com, and the MusicBizAdvice.com website sells Amazon products as an Amazon Associate.

Randi Reed
Founder / Editor in Chief, MusicBizAdvice.com

Springsteen gets his location wrong, media has a field day? WTF???

2009-11-17T08:17:00.000-08:00

You'd think all my years in the music business would make me immune to the stupidity of some of the media, wouldn't you?

Surprise. At times, they're the gift that keeps on giving.

I refer to the media flurry over Bruce Springsteen greeting his audience with the wrong location the other night. The man said, "Hello Ohio!" to a crowd in Michigan. Horror of horrors (!)

For those unfamiliar with unusual punctuation marks, the above exclamation point in parenthesis denotes sarcasm. (Handy little guy, isn't it?)

What the media either doesn't know--or what the media may know full well but may be choosing to ignore in order to create a "story"-- is this:

Shouting out the wrong location happens to nearly every performer. It's an occupational hazard that comes along with faced-paced tour schedules, jet lag, and concert venues that often look a hell of a lot alike and are sometimes even named identically. Shouting out the wrong location doesn't even mildly qualify for my Music Business Blunders column on MusicBizAdvice.com, simply because it happens to pretty much every touring musician at least once. It happens to comedians, too.

A little embarrassing? Yes. But "left shame-faced", as some of the media, including the Mirror, reported? Puh-lease. "Shame-faced" is what the media should feel for reporting such a thing. (Google "Bruce Springsteen wrong state" and see what comes up: over 71,000 results as I write this.)

Anyone who's ever worked backstage at an arena has seen the temporary signage posted by the crew of that night's artist. In the production office, the dressing rooms, on the walls of the hallway leading to the stage, pinned to the fabric of the quick-change tents at the side of the stage, and sometimes even taped to mirrors and telephones are reminders: "You are in Phoenix, Arizona." "This is Buffalo!" "Cleveland!!!"

You can't tell me the media has never seen them.

But for the artist, who's accustomed to being on the road and makes his home on it for weeks or months at a time, it's like anything else that becomes familiar: after a while, you just don't notice it.

There's no offense intended, either to the town in which the mistake occurs, or to the audience. It just happens.

I can't count the number of times backstage when a musician or crew member, in the middle of a conversation, has asked me, "This is [such and such city], right?" Or, accompanied by a nervous laugh, a sheepish, "Where are we?" Most of them were stone-cold sober at the time.

But here's the most important, and in my opinion, the coolest, thing: Many musicians never forget a face, and a lot of them even remember the name that goes with it...

especially a reporter who exaggerates a common occurrence for the sake of creating a story.

(Oh, and psssst! By the way, Reporter, the correct name of the venue, which you bungled in the midst of your railing on Bruce, is The Palace of Auburn Hills. I'm sure the good people of Michigan would like to see that corrected.)

Cheers!

Disclosure of Endorsements/Recommendations/Financial Compensation or Business Relationships per FTC Blog Disclosure Regulations in effect December 1, 2009: In the 90's I worked for a concert promotion company that presented many Bruce Springsteen shows. Additionally, MusicBizAdvice.com website (and by extension, this blog) sells Amazon products as an Amazon Associate.

6 1/2 hour day for an H1N1 shot

2009-11-11T16:08:00.000-08:00

After careful consideration--and a lot of discussion with friends in the healthcare industry--on Sunday morning, with CFIDS* symptoms flaring loudly, I got up at 4:30 A.M. to stand in line to get the H1N1 flu shot.

I don't usually get a flu shot, but this one is different. My reasons for getting the H1N1 vaccine are that I have a double-whammy risk factor (autoimmune disease + asthma), and because I can name four friends of friends who've died from H1N1. Since I'll be be exposed to large crowds at shows I'll be attending this winter and spring, the odds lean heavily toward protecting myself.

(Sidebar: The sickest I've ever been was the day after receiving a handshake from an artist's fan who informed me--after shaking my hand--that she'd dragged herself out of bed with a high fever because she couldn't stand the thought of missing the show. Then she ran off to the ladies' room to throw up. Thank God no one let her anywhere near the artist; it was a fast-acting bug with the power to cancel shows and put people out of work.)

By the time I arrived in line for the vaccine clinic a little before 6:30A.M., there were already a few hundred people in line...enough to pack at least a rock club. By the time the doors opened after 8, there were thousands. I couldn't see the end of the line, as it wound all the way around the block. I couldn't see the beginning of it either, or how far we'd have to walk to get into the building where the vaccination clinic would take place. My best friend, who went beyond the definition by coming with me to stand in line, volunteered for a front of the line reconnaissance mission. One of L.A.P.D.'s finest was standing at the entrance of the building to be sure no one cut the line, with more on hand for crowd control.

The lady in front of me had a cane. There were some elderly people (who came in teams of two, so that one could stand in line while the other sat resting for a while on a low wall across the street), and a lot of pregnant women, and many babies who'd been roused from their warm beds to stand in the California morning air, which, despite its warm reputation, can cut to the bone if there's a damp wind coming off the ocean. I couldn't help wondering what would become of the people who weren't well enough to stand in line for hours that day. There was no handicapped access, though I did see two healthcare workers helping an elderly lady to the vaccination room.

The people in line, for the most part, were not poor; just uninsured, like me, or in some cases they'd come in search of the vaccine because their regular doctor didn't have it yet.

Welcome to the U.S. healthcare system.

Not that I'm not grateful to be able to get the shot at all; I'm currently without a regular doctor and would probably be out of luck if I had to rely on a doctor's office delivery system. But my friends in Europe didn't have to go through this; they simply went to their regular healthcare provider, with no waiting, no fuss, no getting out of bed at O'dark:30 to stand in a long line around a cold football field. And everyone is covered. But I digress. Back to our U.S. vaccine clinic...

After a while, when the vaccine began to run low, pregnant women were pulled from the line and admitted first. The rest of us were asked to fill out questionnaires to determine our medical priority. It began to feel a bit like a poker game: he's 29, she's got such and such, autoimmune plus asthma beats a pair. My survival mode kicked in, and although I answered the questions truthfully, I highlighted the answers that would be most helpful in getting me in by marking them with a very large X instead of the checkmarks I usually use. I also hoped that the low grade fever I'm used to having, but which could bar me from getting the vaccine, would make a hasty exit. It did.

After a check of my paperwork by several of the clinic workers, I was admitted to the vaccination line. Autoimmune people are sometimes advised to get the "thimerosol free" version to give our systems less to try to deal with. But the clinic was running low on it, so I was sent to consult with one of the doctors. He said there was still a small trace amount of thimerosol in the "thimerosol free" version, which what with my flaring CFIDS symptoms, scared me a little. Then he said, in the direct manner I use when a client is headed for legal trouble, "You're autoimmune. You need to have this" which scared me more. Ahh, The Power of the White Coat. Attitude adjusted, and paperwork OK'd for "thimerosol free", I got my shot.

It was 11:00A.M.

*In the U.S., the autoimmune disease I have is called CFIDS or CFS and has a very vague diagnosis and treatment protocol which in the U.S. often focuses more on fatigue than on other, more serious symptoms of the disease. In the UK and Canada, what I have is called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.), which has a more specific diagnosis and treatment protocol that focuses more on the serious symptoms such as the cognitive, brain injury and respiratory aspects of the disease. Since writing this entry I've joined the campaign to change its name in the U.S., because eliminating the word Fatigue from its title would help provide better medical care, research, and funding for patients in the U.S., as well as better understanding of the disease by the general public.

Facebook Follies

2009-11-10T13:30:00.000-08:00

Arrrgh! Over on my personal Facebook account, Facebook's automatic spam catcher has banned me from sending private messages. It's infuriating because I'm adamant about MusicbizAdvice.com staffers adhering to CAN-SPAM Act rules, and neither we, nor I, engage in it.

I also don't use Facebook's Friend Find function, nor do I contact random Friends of Friends that Facebook recommends. (Maybe Facebook is pissed off that I don't?) In my opinion, and according to my understanding of the CAN-SPAM Act, THAT would be spam. And, as those of you on my Facebook Friends lists know, I rarely send Facebook messages or event notices, choosing to keep in touch with Facebook Friends by using the Wall / update function instead.

Here's how it happened, so it doesn't happen to you:

The supreme irony is, the Friend requesters contacted me first, not the other way around...

So, rather than just rudely ignoring people, I responded to the Friend requests from people I didn't know by using the "send message" option to ask them to please join me at my business Facebook instead, "as this one is my personal account" and included a link to my business Facebook (the facebook.com/MusicBizAdvice account). I've been doing it this way over on MySpace for years with no problem, and it's led to a lot of great conversation and a few actual working relationships and friendships...which is how social networking was originally supposed to work, right?

I sent 10-12 of these responses today, with a total of a mere 25 since opening my personal account in June. (Facebookers usually find me via my /MusicBizAdvice account, so there's really not much message traffic from my personal account.)

In sending the responses, I was afraid of accidentally triggering the anti spam filter, so I made a point of changing the wording and personalizing each one. I manually entered the captchas properly. Facebook gave me a popup warning telling me to "slow down". So I did. Then Facebook banned me from messages anyway.

(Sidebar: Facebook was the first entity ever to accuse me of being a fast typist, by the way. I'm a decent writer, occasionally even a good one, but a lousy typist. Our staffers and my former employers will have a good laugh at that.)

Simple solution: If Facebook offered a "Confirm friend to other account instead" option in its Friend acceptance options, and allowed the Friend requester to check a box that opted them in to being transferred over, this wouldn't happen.

That way, people could leave their privacy settings open just enough that their actual friends and relatives can find them, thus ENcouraging use of Facebook, rather than DIScouraging it.

Another irony: Over time, for direct communication, I've been gradually using Twitter more and more. (Why send a "message" when you can talk with someone directly, at a faster pace?) At this rate--first Facebook's privacy issues, then Facebook's content ownership / licensing issues, etc.--my Facebook accounts are rapidly headed toward being used simply to garner search engine results, with very little actual one-on-one conversation (kind of like MySpace has become)...which is the very thing Facebook was trying to avoid when it was created.

That doesn't seem fair to those of my family, friends, colleagues, and readers, who do enjoy using Facebook. Who wants to be used? But even more than that, it's not fair to the whole concept of social networking.

Get it together, Facebook.

A vocal so good it needs its own t-shirt!

2009-10-23T18:16:00.000-07:00

Overheard in MusicBizAdvice.com Editor in Chief's office while listening to tracks from various bands: "That vocal's so good it should have its own T-shirt!"

The band in question was Stars Go Dim, the track in question was "Crazy", and the person who said it was me.

Check it out here.

And they're touring their butts off. I love that!

Disclosure per FTC Blogger Disclosure Regulations in effect December 1, 2009: I have no connection to the band or their project, aside from MusicBizAdvice.com's status as an Amazon Associates music seller. I just liked that particular vocal & wanted to share it with our readers.

Random Thoughts About the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs)

2009-09-14T07:29:00.000-07:00

Some notes I scribbled down during last night's VMA telecast...

1. The VMAs have become pretentious as hell. Over the past 15 years it's become more and more like watching a fashion industry party (actually at this point I think they're probably more fun). It was a lot more fun when the artists treated the VMAs like just another night at the Rainbow: fights over girlfriends, couples bickering in public, artists challenging each other to fights, people being overserved...Good times! :-D

2. Kudos to Madonna for her gutsy speech about Michael Jackson...especially her honest words about the fact that people in the industry turned their backs on him (including, she said, herself) when he was at his lowest.

3. The overall energy of this year's VMA's was very weird. The pacing of the show seemed off too.

4. Lady Gaga in her seat (in uncomfortable looking costume #1) looked like she was suffering for her art.

5. Taylor Swift, you have true class! Shame on the person who tried to ruin Taylor Swift's moment--and especially for his insensitivity in doing so right before she was about to perform.

6. The visuals of Taylor Swift's performance were cool, creatively done, and difficult to coordinate on a live show.

6. On Lady Gaga's performance: Tries. Too. Hard. Fantastic voice, but...

7. Green Day: Loved 'em. No fluff, no muss, and a really good performance. Great energy, tight band.

8. (On Beyonce's performance:) Is anyone else irritated by choreography that makes the artist stop lip syncing for half the song while the backing track continues to sing? Looks awkward. Let's make a decision, people: lip sync and sell it all the way, or nothing.

9. Muse: Good song, but it went on so long I zoned out and started making a mental list of suggestions to send to @james_a_michael 's Record Club . Unfortunately this will not be one of them.

10. On Pink's performance: Either her singing or aerial work could have been cool, but I think they detracted from each other. When you have Pink's fantastic voice and stage presence, that's all you need. But points for doing something really different, live. Pink is one of my favorite current artists.

11. Beyonce: Double class act for giving up her stage time to Taylor Swift. Moment of the night; not a dry eye in my livingroom.

12. Jay-Z: I wasn't into his song (although I've liked some of his other stuff), but I loved what he was wearing. He looked fantastic! Whomever designed that, Kudos!

13. Regarding the trailer for the Michael Jackson film: Blatant promotion done much too soon. Made me a little sick to my stomach.

Overall impressions on the morning after: When the host is the most rock and roll thing about what used to be a fun and irreverent show, something's terribly wrong. Although the MTV VMAs worked for several years, it's become a litany of artist performances trying to match their videos while trying to upstage each other, resulting in one big, blah blur. All that production money for each performance, and the result is that in the end no one shines. I think what the MTV Video Music Awards needs is a different producer, and a fast-paced show runner to move things along while letting the right moments breathe and shine. (What would Pierre Cossette do? RIP, Mr. Cossette.) It also needs artists who don't take themselves so seriously. It's supposed to be FUN!

Disclosure of Endorsements/Recommendations/Financial Compensation or Business Relationships per FTC Blog Disclosure Regulations in effect December 1, 2009: In the 90's I worked for a concert promotion company that presented Green Day shows. Additionally, in the 90's I worked for a major talent agency who represented Madonna and Jay-Z. Since that time I've received no financial compensation or free product in direct connection with the above-mentioned artists. MusicBizadvice.com' (and by extension, this blog) sells products, including music, as an Amazon Associate.

It Might Get Loud (Must See Film!)

2009-08-17T00:38:00.000-07:00

I saw a fantastic documentary over the weekend: It Might Get Loud. It's absolutely the best music documentary I've ever seen (and I've seen tons of 'em).

It Might Get Loud is fly-on-the-wall insight into the inspirations and creative processes of Jimmy Page, U2's The Edge, and White Stripes' / Racanteurs' Jack White...three generations of rock musicians playing the records that influenced them (yes, we're talking honest to goodness vinyl here), playing music (separately and together), and explaining techniques they used to develop their trademark sounds on their most well-known tracks.

It's the stuff that most musicians get together and talk about and do...only, this is on 11. It's the stuff every guitarist, if they had the chance, would want to learn from or talk about with their idol.

If you think you know music, or you think you know these guys' music, or you think you know guitars, or even if you think you don't like these particular musicians, watch this movie and think again! It's absolutely inspiring. (And I'm pretty damn jaded.)

Highlights: Jimmy Page breaking into impromptu air guitar while listening to one of his favorite records. The Edge going through a box of his 4-track demo recordings and letting us hear some of the tracks that later became U2 songs. The opening scene of the film with Jack White. The three of them sitting in a circle on a huge soundstage with their guitars but making it seem like they're in a tiny room, and that we, the audience, are eavesdropping...bringing home the idea that THIS, the musical interaction of the circle, is what it's really all about.

Best moment: the gleam in The Edge's eyes as he moves closer to watch Jimmy Page play "Whole Lotta Love"...and Jack White's reaction. Priceless!

Disclosure of Endorsements/Recommendations/Financial Compensation or Business Relationships per FTC Blog Disclosure Regulations in effect December 1, 2009: In the 90's I worked for the talent agency that represented Jimmy Page and Robert Plant when they toured as Page-Plant, as well as for a concert promoter that presented some of their shows. But cool as that was, for me this documentary upped Jimmy Page's cool factor even more. This is the stuff of why I got into music. MusicBizAdvice.com, and, by extension, my blog, is an Amazon Associates music seller.

Am I too old to buy a Jimmy Page poster??? Just kidding...sort of.

Make your dreams come true!

Randi Reed
Founder / Editor in Chief, MusicBizAdvice.com
Follow me on Twitter @MusicBizAdvice

C 2009 Randi Reed and MusicBizAdvice.com. All rights reserved.

Show notice: Hip-Hop and Rock Fans from Across New England Prepare to Honor the Legacy of Iconic Run-DMC DJ Jam Master Jay

2009-07-24T16:31:00.000-07:00

We don't usually post show notices, but this one is for a great cause--RR

Jam Master Jay Foundation for Youth Tribute/Benefit

Date: Sunday July 26, 2009 Doors/Red Carpet: 8:00PM
Patrons of the event can enjoy the 8:00 Red Carpet to show off their best adidas®, Run-DMC, and Peace Boston attire!

Show time: 8:01 SHARP until 2:00AM
Location: Harpers Ferry 158 Brighton Ave Allston, MA
Age: 18+
Price: $20 General admission, $15 for patrons wearing adidas®, Run-DMC, or the Peace Boston Bean on the Map teeshirt. Tickets are available at the door or via www.harpersferryboston.com (full price only)

The Jam Master Jay Foundation and their special celebrity guests will arrive escorted by a motorcycle motorcade!

Scheduled to appear:

* Hip-Hop Pioneer and Grammy-award winning DJ, GrandMixer DXT (Herbie Hancock’s “Rockit”) and Whodini’s Grandmaster Dee, Candi Lynn, and EnMotion, Dancers for Peace.

* DJs Cruz, Ill Neil, Koo Koo, Vance, Nestle Quik, Lefty, Ant G, Daz-One, Killer DJ, Act One, and Doc Luv will spin in a DJ salute

* Moe Pope, Agari Crew, True 2 Life Music, Perfekt and Chance, and Melodeego .

* Peace in the Streets artists Tru Indeed, Lyrical, Lisa Bello, Lady Enchantress, Tshombe, Emcee Sutter Caine, Louie Bello, and Mr. Harvey, backed by Velvet Stylus.

* Plus a “Walk This Way” tribute featuring Shaymin and special guest to be announced.

* David H., Real Talk, and DJ Cruz will host.

This breakthrough event will raise funds for The Jam Master Jay Foundation for Youth, a non-profit 501[c]3 organization developed by the mother and brother of the late legend, to continue the legacy of supporting educational and economic opportunities, including scholarship endeavors and awards, for young people ages 6-21, as well as recognize Jam Master Jay’s many contributions to Hip-Hop culture and music history.

Peace Boston will be on site and their Peace in the Streets compilation album and merchandise will be for sale to raise funds for youth violence prevention and family support efforts.

Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx Hates the Internet: My Response

2009-07-20T11:11:00.000-07:00

Update 7/20/2009 2:06PM: A link to Nikki Sixx's response to the Wall Street Journal article appears at the end of this blog post.

Gotta love Nikki Sixx...The man knows exactly what to say to get attention!

Wall Street Journal Interview & Commentary: Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx Hates the Internet

( http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2009/07/19/motley-crues-nikki-sixx-hates-the-internet/ )

My response, from the Comments section after the Wall Street Journal article (in blue italics here, so I don't have to rewrite it):

"MusicBizAdviceEditor wrote:
Joe in Poughkeepsie or Sue in Roanoke has always "decided when something is a great show".It’s called Word of Mouth. The only difference is that now, instead of sitting around in their living rooms or hanging at a diner out with friends, Joe and Sue are talking to millions of people at once. You just have to keep what you can under wraps, then let Joe & Sue do your marketing for you once the cat’s out of the bag. As for Twitter, it’s long past the "eating a ham sandwich" stage and has morphed into a viable medium for quickly sharing & finding information…as well as an instant focus group."

I do, however, understand Nikki's feelings about trying to maintain the mystique. For good or bad, when fans find out "too much" about their favorite artist, it alters whatever image they've created in their own minds about that person (kind of like meeting an Internet email pal, or--if you go farther back--kind of like meeting a pen pal).

Based on their feeling about what they find, you stand a 50/50 chance of being rejected by them.

But, it can also work in your favor. There's a certain celebrity, who shall remain nameless, that I wasn't a fan of at all (to put it mildly) until I happened upon them on Twitter. This celebrity's tweets---this celeb writes their own-- have continually shown this person to be a fun, cool person with interesting things to say away from the business, who not only cares about their family, friends and fans, but about the planet as a whole. Had I not seen their tweets on Twitter, I probably would have continued to have a negative image of this person.

So tread lightly, yes, but don't reject the idea out of hand completely...

Especially if you're blessed to be as entertaining as Nikki Sixx, whose old posts from the early infancy of AOL are still legendary!

For those who don't find Twitter "ridiculous" (just kidding, Nikki), or who do but want to give it a second chance, follow me at http://twitter.com/MusicBizAdvice . I'm not as entertaining as Nikki Sixx, but I have a lot of fun talking with our readers and try to give interesting info.

Randi Reed
Founder / Editor in Chief, MusicBizAdvice.com

Update 7/20/2009: You can read Nikki's response to the Wall Street Journal article & comments here.

Disclosure of Endorsements/Recommendations/Financial Compensation or Business Relationships per FTC Blog Disclosure Regulations in effect December 1, 2009: In the early 90's I worked for the talent agency that booked Motley Crue, and before that I worked for a concert promotion company that presented many Motley Crue shows. Since that time I've received no financial compensation or free product in direct connection with the band or its individual members. The MusicBizAdvice.com website, and by extension, this blog, sells Amazon products, including music, as an Amazon Associate.

Deja Vous? I hope not...(Michael Jackson / Anna Nicole)

2009-06-27T00:44:00.000-07:00

While the world awaits the coroner's report on the death of Michael Jackson, and the cause of his death is purely speculation, details that are coming out in the media seem all too reminiscent of the death of Anna Nicole Smith. Whether that turns out to actually be the case, we do know that Michael Jackson struggled with addiction to painkillers...which is enough, IMHO, for a bit of reflecting on the care (notice I did not say "handling") of addicted clients.

On Friday, February 09, 2007 on this very subject. I wish I'd never have to repeat it again, but maybe it might help someone.

Did Hollywood Kill Anna Nicole Smith?

While the definitive cause of Anna Nicole Smith’s death probably won’t be in for weeks, regardless of the autopsy result, anyone who saw her recent interviews on Entertainment Tonight could see she was obviously impaired by substance abuse. (When someone’s eyes are going in two different directions…) So, I’d like to talk about the addicted celebrity client.

Did Hollywood kill Anna Nicole Smith? Speaking as someone who grew up around chemical addiction in a small-town, non-showbiz family, I really don’t think so. I think the addiction gene or addictive personality (whatever your belief happens to be about the root cause) is either there, or it isn’t.

But, also speaking as someone who’s been in the role of agent, artist manager, and prior to that, as personal assistant, do I think Hollywood contributed to the death of Anna Nicole Smith? Absolutely.

When you have people making money from whatever the celebrity’s status quo is at a given moment, someone in the mix will have an interest in keeping the celebrity in that money-making status quo…Even at the risk of a self-destructive celebrity. (The same status-quo dynamic happens in non-showbiz families too, by the way, but because the motivation is usually more about fear of change than about big money, it’s less overt and is more subconscious.)

It comes down to the kind of people the celebrity surrounds him or herself with. If a celebrity with an addictive personality (or the addiction gene) is surrounded by “yes” people who tell them what they want to hear, that celebrity is going to be in trouble.

I’ve heard some managers and agents say, “It’s none of my business.”

I disagree. It is their business, and getting help for a troubled client is part of being a good manager or agent.

If you work in the industry long enough, you see first-hand that creativity is often borne of pain, and that many clients had troubled childhoods or estranged family relationships and seek fame as a way to fill a void. So to make money off that client and then ignore their need for professional help when that pain (or the attempted numbing of it) gets out of hand is not only irresponsible, it’s inexcusable.

If you have signing privileges (i.e., power of attorney) and can sign your clients’ name on contracts, it’s your business. If you travel in the immediate vicinity with your client (reports say at least 6 people were staying at the hotel with Anna Nicole Smith) or are privy to the details of your clients’ day to day life, it’s your business. If you have keys to your clients’ home, it’s not only your business, you have no excuse not to get them off to rehab ASAP. More than once if necessary.

(And I’m talking hard-core, real-deal rehab like-Betty Ford or Hazelden…not Rehab Lite.)

I’ve heard a lot of people comparing Anna Nicole’s death to that of Marilyn Monroe. I disagree with that as well. Marilyn died in 1962, pre-Betty Ford Center, when very little was known about addiction or even about the addictive nature of some of the prescription medications she was taking.

This is 2007, and we all know better.

Meanwhile, the headlines surrounding the death of Anna Nicole Smith are getting stranger by the minute…The latest, courtesy of MSNBC, is that Zsa Zsa Gabor’s 9th and current husband, Prince Frédéric von Anhalt, says he could be the baby’s father. And it gets even more bizarre: In his press conference today, Prince Frederic (who allegedly essentially bought his title) said Anna Nicole told him she’d always wanted to be a princess, so he’d tried to make that happen for her by attempting to adopt Anna Nicole. But, Prince Frederic said, Zsa Zsa wouldn’t sign the adoption papers. (I kid you not, folks. I saw him say this in the press conference with my own eyes.)

That all these people are coming out of the woodwork with press conferences after her death just proves my point: Anna Nicole needed someone to protect her. If not a good family, then at the least, by very good management…

Very good management does exist, by the way. But unfortunately it doesn’t usually make for very interesting headlines.

Copyright 2007 & 2009 Randi Reed and MusicBizAdvice.com. All rights reserved.

New Name for American Idol?

2009-05-20T23:20:00.000-07:00

Wow, must the producers of American Idol be ticked (more specifically, the artist management arm of the show): Just when American Idol had finally achieved a sense of legitimacy within the music industry and we'd almost forgotten the Taylor Hicks debacle...BAM!

No surprises on American Idol's finale tonight, but I am thinking American Idol should be renamed...Here are a few suggestions:

"Rock" Star Lite (with the word "rock" in ironic quotation marks, as shown)

The Guy (or Girl) the American Idol Audience is the Least Afraid Of

The Music Idol of Christian Conservatives

The Guy Next Door Who Can Sing and Had Some Nice Moments but Who Doesn't Have as Much Star Quality as the Guy Who Really Should Have Won

The Guy Who Has Some of the Elements of the Total Package But Still Needs a Little Work on One or Two of Them

The Guy or Girl Most Appealing to Fox

Come on People! Kris Allen is talented, and he has some nice moments. But when Kris himself on the winner's stage seemed genuinely shocked and said, with true sincerity, that it should have been Adam, there's a problem.

As I wrote in our MBADC American Idol Armchair Quarterback column on MusicBizAdvice.com, of the two finalists, Adam Lambert is the total package: vocal ability, stage presence, looks, star quality, and needs the least development to be great.

Kris Allen has some, but not as many, of those elements. I'm not saying he doesn't have the potential. I even chose him as one of my favorites on one of his performance nights in the early part of the competition. But an idol needs more than potential. It should be there already. Adam already has it.

Idols are supposed to be different than the guy next door. Paraphrasing what Simon Cowell said recently in an interview, stars sparkle like diamonds and should be rare. I wholeheartedly agree.

On the upside, at least Adam doesn't have to sing or promote the winner's song ever again!

Advice to next year's wannabe winners on Idol: Pretend to be an evangelical, and talk about it a lot in interviews. Looking at the show's track record of winners, you'll apparently have a better shot.

(I'm kidding, so relax. I have nothing against religion, just a problem with those who try to make their own religion everyone else's. Believe whatever you like, live and let live, and don't exclude others who don't happen to believe what you do. Excluding others on the basis of their beliefs is what led to a whoooooooole lotta trouble in Germany, among other places.)

Someone, please bring back Rock Star (and its music director and house band with it)...It was sooo much better than American Idol. And a hell of a lot more believable!

Meanwhile, if you want to read our week by week rundown of the entire American Idol season, it's here:
http://www.musicbizadvice.com/American%20Idol%20Armchair%20Quarterback.htm

LIve Nation / Ticketmaster Merger and the Future of Live Music? Stuff Everyone's Forgetting

2009-02-28T23:09:00.000-08:00

Lately there's been a lot of back and forth discussion in the industry about the proposed Live Nation / Ticketmaster merger and its possible effects on the music industry (particularly the live concerts end of the business). With the recent judiciary hearing on whether the merger should even be allowed, more of my colleagues, former bosses, mentors, friends, and even foes are piping in.

Do I have a solution? No. Just suggestions. But whether the merger happens or not, there are some points everyone seems to be forgetting:

1. Despite the current economy, Movie ticket sales are up because people are looking for an escape. They could be spending that money on music tickets instead.

Why aren't they? Because just 20 years ago you could buy a ticket to see a top act for only a little more than twice the price of a movie ticket. Now a concert ticket costs more than 10 times the cost of a movie ticket.

Doesn't anyone else in this business think it's insane that in many markets, an airline ticket is cheaper than a concert ticket? (In Los Angeles in recent years, I've seen fares to Europe that were cheaper than the face value on a ticket to see the Stones or Madonna.)

The music business is collectively putting itself out of business by way of greed, and it's gotta stop.

2. Everyone seems to forget the simple concept of perpetual audience growth: new customers across several demographics.

Whether it's Hannah Montana or the Jonas Brothers, or the Eagles or Bruce, when you break it down, the majority of "new" customers at big shows are the kids of parents who happen to be wealthy enough to take them. Since it's the parent buying the ticket, that means in reality, it's actually one demographic for all those artists. (As opposed to what would have been two or three separate demographics a mere 15 years ago.)

With such an ultra-targeted demographic (whose kids are off to college soon, and whose 401ks have imploded) how can there possibly be growth?

Hannah Montana and Jonas Brothers fans grow up. And God knows I love the Eagles, Bon Jovi, and Springsteen, but however much we'd like them to, they can't tour forever (though I'm starting to believe Bruce and Bon are part Energizer Bunny). Who's the next round of arena acts, and who will go to see those next acts? Remember what's happened to symphonies in the US during the past 20 years? The audience is literally dying off without a new audience coming in.

3. More on audience growth: In many areas of the US we now have an entire generation and a half of kids who haven't had music programs in their public schools. (I know a lot of you reading this have kids in private schools with great music programs, but your kids get tickets for free, so we're not talking about them.) How can you generate interest in something that doesn't exist?

Ask the average 17 or 18 year old who goes to a public school what was the last concert they went to. (Or better yet, if they've ever even attended one in their life.) I stopped asking intern applicants "what's the last concert you went to" long ago because most haven't been at all.

And in case anyone hasn't noticed, MySpace and Facebook are actually a passive, as opposed to an active, way to enjoy recorded music. It's thinly disguised as active, but the main attraction on MySpace isn't the music; it's how many Friends kids rack up to become "famous" themselves. (If music were really the main attraction, wouldn't they be called MusicPlace or MusicBook?)

4. Do we really need a new damn arena every 10-15 years???

New arenas = higher venue costs= higher ticket prices. Yes, in many cases fans voted for them to be built. But fans are concerned with economic prosperity for their towns, not show expenses. That's our job.

(And now that some of the banks from those branded arenas have imploded, now what?)

Suggestions for dealing with the challenges

I don't have a solution, but I do have suggestions. At first glance some of them may look like the ship has sailed, but in the right hands, I really don't think so. Everything comes back around, just in a different way.

1. Figure out a way to get back to basics: Music. Not ring tones (Muzak is dead, won't ringtones, which are essentially the same thing on a different device, die too?). Not texts. Not games. Not anything that doesn't put the music at the forefront.

2. Hire people who start in music and work their way up... Not former telecom execs, not computer guys, not your brother-in-law who worked at HBO...not people from other industries. Hire people with a passion for music and for making money at it. I'm not saying don't hire business-minded people. I'm saying, hire business-minded people who want to make money in music, not just make money.

After all, isn't that the secret to Irving's success? Regardless of what you think about him, the man knows music and the people who perform it.

Remember the first piece of business advice successful people always give to someone who's tying to figure out a career goal: "Follow your passion, apply hard work, and the money will follow."

And what about Clive Davis? The man worked with Bob Dylan 1963 and is still a name in the business because he gets the music.

3. Remember the concept of "Sell to the Masses if you want to wear a Rolex". We've gotta find a way to keep ticket prices at bay so more people can afford an escape.

Selling to the masses worked for Ebay. Selling to the masses also got our current president elected.

Some artists are doing their best to try to keep ticket prices at bay. But there's a hell of a lot of pressure to make those Boxscore numbers so people will keep hiring them, and it's become a vicious circle.

4. Work with team owners and city officials to find alternatives for building new arenas. Empty arenas would be everyone's problem, so everyone needs to be in on prevention.

5. Have more respect for the fans. Remember back when you were a music fan? (If not, I'm sorry, but you're in the wrong business.) Fans pay our salaries, so the least you can do is be grateful. If not for the fans, none of us would have ever had a music industry job in the first place.

And I'll let you in on something: more than ever, fans are aware of their importance. Why do you think over the past 15 years fans are more likely than ever to sue if something goes wrong at a show? It's because they resent the flat-out greed they've observed in the industry over the past 15 years.

We've gotta stop holding music fans hostage with ticket prices before we lose them completely.

6. Think like the entertainment moguls did during the Great Depression.

The media is filled with people comparing today's economic crisis to the Great Depression. Yet despite the unemployment rate of 25% in the 1930's, the entertainment business was booming. Expensively made movies were kicking *ss at the box office. It was also the dawning of the Big Band era, which ushered in commercial radio and the recording industry as we'd come to know for nearly 60 years.

In fact it was only a couple of decades ago that the entertainment industry was still thought to be one of the few industries that was "mostly recession proof" because people would always need an escape.

If people in the '30's took advantage of the opportunity to develop business models and multiple new technologies that created demand and made live music affordable for consumers, why can't we?

I haven't said anything in this we didn't already know. It's just time we remembered it.

Randi Reed
Founder / Editor in Chief, MusicBizAdvice.com
c 2009 MusicBizAdvice.com

Rock Magazines Available (Office Cleanup)

2008-10-02T22:50:00.000-07:00

The stack o' rock magazines in the office is getting way out of hand, so they've gotta go...

It seems silly and very uncool to throw them into Recycling when there may be a music fan out there who's looking for a particular cover with their favorite artist on it...

Therefore, Researcher Extraordinaire has put them up on Title Trader for your perusing pleasure.

Most of the magazines are in very good condition, either having never been read, or thumbed through once or twice. A couple of them may have items such as CD titles circled or highlighted, but nothing major...So, no worries about Christina Aguilera having a Sharpie mustache or devil horns...

(Address labels are blacked out, of course.)

Enjoy!!!

Soraia Single and Video for "Not the Woman"

2008-10-01T18:24:00.000-07:00

You may remember the interview we did with Soraia lead singer, Sue Mansour.

When Sue was in L.A. last fall, Webmaster Extraordinaire and I took her to Irv's Burgers and to the original Barney's Beanery, where we sat in Janis Joplin's old booth and tried to soak up the energy.

Well, aparently Sue soaked up just enough, because when I was listening to the new Soraia single I couldn't help noticing a more ballsy quality to Sue's voice. I always liked Sue's voice a lot, but on this single she sings with more of the up-from-the-bottom-of-your-toenails big voice stuff Janis was known for live...but without sounding like Janis.

Makes sense? No? Check it out for yourself.

Soraia's new single "Not the Woman" is in rotation on Sirius Radio's Alt Nation Channel 21, and the video is on MaxMouth. The track was produced by Obie O'Brien, best known for his work with Bon Jovi.

Disclosure per FTC Blogger Disclosure Regulation in effect December 1, 2009: I interviewed Obie O'Brien for the Backstage Spotlight section of MusicBizAdvice.com.

New Articles On The Main MusicBizAdvice.com Website

2008-09-29T21:13:00.000-07:00

New articles on the main MusicBizAdvice.com website:

How to Fill Out the New All-in-One Copyright Form CO

Music Business Survival: How to Find the Truffles in the Music Industry Dirt

Also: When the stock market took a dive today I updated this article with additional information that further explains how the financial crisis affects indie musicians and national-level baby bands and how to keep from getting burned: Mortgage Foreclosures / Credit Crisis Means Local Promoter, Club, and Small Label Crisis? How Musicians Can Avoid Getting Ripped Off.

Don't forget to join me on Twitter...I'm really having a lot of fun with that and love the challenge of being limited to 140 characters (even less if you're posting a public reply to someone).

Have You Registered to Vote? Are You Sure?

2008-09-25T21:49:00.000-07:00

Are you registered to vote? Are you positive about this? (Seems some voters who voted in the Primaries have discovered themselves not registered.) Voter registration deadline is s early as October 4 in some states.

Are you registered at the address where you'll be living on Election Day? (Seems some foreclosed voters are mistakenly being told they won't be allowed to vote, and there's a lawsuit.) And does your photo ID match the address on your voter registration? If not, better head to the DMV. Meanwhile, check out these resources:

Here's another excellent resource of voter information I stumbled upon while reading email this morning (I subscribe to their newsletter and clicked a link).

Whatever your party, whomever your candidate, register and vote. And when you do, be sure you're not wearing anything with a candidate's name, picture, or political party on it: hats,

T-shirts, stickers, anything. We've been informed that anyone doing so can, and most likely will, be legally prohibited from voting, because the ballot is supposed to be secret. The poll workers are supposed to let you leave the line to remove the item and then come back...But some poll workers may not remember this rule, and you don't want to accidentally miss out on your opportunity to vote.

So don't take the chance: Save that "Go Barack" hat or your "I'm in love with John McCain" T-shirt for the celebration AFTER you've cast your vote at the polling place. (Thanks ReverbNation for this info.) Tell your friends!

But do vote. If you don't vote, you lose your right to complain, protest, or even make jokes about the candidates, winners, and losers...

...And what's the fun in that?

Edited 9/287/08 to provide additional voter information, and to correct a punctuation error--RR

Mortgage Foreclosures / Credit Crisis Means Local Promoter, Club, and Small Label Crisis? How Musicians Can Avoid Getting Ripped Off

2008-09-19T18:46:00.000-07:00

How does the mortgage foreclosure / financial crisis /credit crisis affect touring musicians and indie label recording artists?

This article on MusicBizAdvice.com explains how, along with giving you some simple tips to keep from getting burned.

RIP Balinese Room

2008-09-14T13:10:00.000-07:00

RIP Balinese Room nightclub in Galveston, TX.
1929 - September 13, 2008

We at MusicBizAdvice.com send good thoughts and positivity to everyone affected by Hurricane Ike and Hurricane Gustav.

Want to help? Donate to the American Red Cross.

Want the Same Results? Hire the Same Team

2008-09-11T20:54:00.000-07:00

OK...I really do try not to get political in this blog, because that's not what most of you come here for.

But as someone whose job entails coordinating PR and marketing campaigns to highlight (or help to create) an artist's desired image, I cannot sit by silently while the political PR machine is used so ludicrously to take the focus off the issues. (Pig in lipstick outrage? Puhleeze. Looks like somebody'd trying to distract the public from thinking about the war, the economy, healthcare, and education.)

Watch this and decide who you want to vote for.

Are these people really who you want in office?

I'm always advising clients, "If you want success, hire a team of people who have helped successful people do what you want to do." That's exactly what McCain did; he's hired some of the very same people from the Bush team to run or advise his campaign. (Karl Rove anyone?) And I'm sure there are more to come if he gets elected.

They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result...

So again I ask, are these people really the people you want in office after the election? Because that's what you'll get if McCain wins the election.

Are you better off than you were 4 years ago? How 'bout almost 8 years ago? What about the economy? Is that better? Are we really safer? What about our ports?

Personally, I say ENOUGH!!!!

Love Letters from the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) 2008

2008-09-07T23:29:00.000-07:00

To Paramore: That was cool. (Real singing and all! Pay attention, kids...)

To Pink: Performance of the night. (And again, with real singing!)

To anonymous artist: If you can't sing along on pitch to your own voice on your backing track...[Editor shakes head sadly.]

To Russell Brand: It was pathetic that you had to apologize for the running joke about purity promise rings...(Although we can't help noticing the irony of a Brit coming 'cross the pond to get persecuted by the religious...Guess everything comes full circle, even if it takes a few hundred years!)

To Jordin Sparks: Learn to take a joke. Calling people who have sex before marriage "slut"s was uncalled for. ( Wasn't there something in the book about judgment as well? Great Christian attitude there, Jord(!)) But most of all, shouldn't the AMERICAN Idol remember that Americans have many varied beliefs?

To Kid Rock: You sounded great!

Get to the Truffles

2008-08-03T19:46:00.000-07:00

Overheard in conversation between MBADC Contributing Writer Darcie-Nicole Wicknick and MBADC Editor-in-Chief:

"You gotta dig through the dirt to get to the truffles."

Hotter Than Hell: A Motley Copyright (Licensing) Quiz

2008-06-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

MusicBizAdvice.com staffers were singing this over the weekend:

[Sung to the tune of "Louder than Hell" by Motley Crue]

Hotter
L.A. is hotter than hell
Hotter
L.A. is hotter than hell
Oo I don't like it
I Don't like it
It's heeeeeeell!

(Nikki Sixx and his co-horts got the hell out of dodge to their gig in Canada just in time, by the way...Once again, they escape by the skin of their teeth! No, I don't know Mr. Sixx personally; I just thought it was ironic.)

Really, this is worse than Phoenix (and is one of the many reasons why I left)...At least in Phoenix everyone has central air when it's 112 out. I don't know what's going on, but I've lived in So. Cal off and on since 1980, and L.A. is definitely hotter, and hotter more often, than it used to be. What's up with that?

Still, I love, love, love this town. Only in L.A. in the midst of a power outtage in a heat wave can you hang out with good friends and a news crew comes to your door asking to film the inside of your fridge. (I'm not into being on camera and had no perishables in my fridge so I abstained, but my friends had a lot fun being on the Channel 7 news.)

Copyright (licensing)Pop Quiz: Ten points if you know what kind of licensing / permissions would have been needed, and from whom, if the above MusicBizAdvice.com staffers had been performing their version of "Hotter than Hell" live for an audience, or if they'd planned to record and release a studio version (God forbid).

Twenty more points if you knew that reprinting lyrics requires licensing / permissions as well.** 10 more if you knew that because only a small portion of the lyrics were used here AND were used in the context of an educational discussion, their use in this blog entry falls under the Fair Use exemption of the Copyright Act.

So, what's your score? Answers are in Darcie-Nicole Wicknick's MusicBizadvice.com article, "Publishing and Royalties 101: The Nuts and Bolts of Songwriting Income".

**Yes, I know some of you will try to argue that people reprint lyrics all the time without paying for them. I'm just here to offer you the facts so you have information that can help you. What you do with those facts, or whether or not you choose to use them at all is up to you. Ignoring something doesn't make it cease to exist.

Sorry about the rambling entry. It was take 2 after another power outtage this afternoon wiped out the first draft just as I was finishing the last paragraph.

I'm off to get water...

Stay cool,
RR

ASCAP I Create Music Expo Report: It’s My Life Interview and Q&A Highlights with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora 4/10/2008 Interviewer: Erik Philbrook

2008-04-11T21:30:00.000-07:00

This week Researcher Extraordinaire and I checked out the ASCAP “I Create Music” Expo in Hollywood. Yesterday one of the events was a Q&A session with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. (That was me, rapidly scribbling away on a yellow legal pad in the front row.) Here are my notes, in their raw form. Although I’ve arranged them by subject matter for easier reading, I won’t rewrite them into article form here, preferring to let Jon and Richie speak for themselves. For photos of the event check out our Snapfish photo album here.

On Jon and Richie’s Writing process:

Richie said their songwriting process is the same as it always was: “a couple of guitars or a piano and a rickety old cassette tape recorder.” The audience laughed when he and Jon said almost at the same time, “Because we don’t know how to work anything else!”

(“Who Says You Can’t Go Home” was written at the kitchen table, with the above-mentioned rickety tape recorder.)

Richie went on: “I come from the adage that you can’t polish sh*t. If we sang ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’ right here a capella, it still sounds like a good song.”

Jon and Richie’s process is to come up with the song title first, then come up with a chord progression that fits the mood of the title, then go back and do lyrics last. Said Jon: “It was never about jamming for hours and saying, ‘I like that chord’.”

Richie said when he writes, he keeps the artist who will sing it in mind, and suggests beginning songwriters do the same: “I write for Jon. Think about what artist you’re writing for, and the demographic. See where you’re gonna put it.”

As an aside, Jon said he sometimes “regret[s] writing some of those high notes!”

Jon said sometimes they get lucky and a song “falls from the sky.” Other times, it doesn’t come so easily. Moderator Erik Philbrook asked how long they stick with writing a song when it's not happening. Jon said they're very stubborn about it because they “never want to be quitters, so even if the song will never make it to the band you try to finish it.” Then he said he'd always wondered if there's a notebook of unfinished Beatles songs, "because the Beatles were aliens from another planet." ...Jon related that he saw Paul McCartney at an event, and he told Sir Paul this--including calling the Beatles “aliens from another planet.” ("It was after a few glasses of wine," said Jon sheepishly.) Jon said to Sir Paul, "There's gotta be a notebook!" Nope, no notebook. OK, what about a song that you struggled with? Sir Paul thought and thought and finally said, "Oh! Yes, there was one! Finally I said, ‘Let's just say 'Beep beep beep beep yeah' and move on."

On Collaborating with other songwriters:

Jon said when he and Richie write together, the strength of their collaboration means “One plus one equals three.” And that adding another collaborator makes it grow even more.

Richie said one of the keys to successful collaborating is to “find the right people who are going to commit” and that it’s about always “working on relationships.”

On the collaborative process in Nashville, Jon said there’s very little ego involved there: “The process of songwriting there is like Chicken Soup for the Soul.”

Asked what producer-songwriter John Shanks brought to the table when they worked with him, Jon quipped: “A.D.D.! Shanks isn’t here because he’s running around the building.” (Richie added that John Shanks works very quickly, and that his studio set-up is complete and efficient, “like a factory. But a factory in a good way.” Jon said, “Maybe more like a mad scientist’s lab” and Richie agreed.)

Jon and Richie said “Bad Medicine,” which they wrote with Desmond Child, was written with Richie standing “in a nasty pool of water” while the band was shooting a Japanese television commercial.

On today’s music industry: Jon said Bon Jovi were fortunate in that with their first two albums they had the opportunity to grow a regional following and “form the voice of the band. The poor kids now, they come off Idol and if you don’t have a number one single out of the box? That’s it. That’s tough.”

Richie added, “Now you don’t get a second chance. The music business is cold…” (and got a huge laugh from the audience because of the face he made, and his timing when he said it).

Regarding Radio Formats and country crossovers in today’s industry, Jon said: “The big corporate entities that own the radio stations have this pigeonhole kind of mentality. And it affected the video era, and what’s happening on television, and then it ultimately takes away personality. What they’re missing there is that country people like rock and roll, and rock and roll people like country music. It’s just the people’s music, and people are affected by a lyric. Take the tag off of it and do the blindfold test and let people hear the music.” This probably got the biggest applause of the afternoon.

Asked what he thinks of downloading, Jon says, “That’s a very good question. But I couldn’t answer it without asking probably ten others that no one seems to have the answers to: How many records were actually downloaded? Did the records turn into hits because of it? If I write a song and it gets to the point where it’s on the record and I’m that proud of it, I want to share it with the world. I want you to hear it any which way you can. But do I know if ASCAP has collected royalties for every digital download? I don’t go crazy worrying about that. But I like to see people get the opportunity to get paid for the craft that they’ve worked so hard at, because it’s our job.”

Advice for songwriters: Jon: “Try to hold onto [your publishing]. Try not to take the short-term, first kind of deals that are given to struggling writers. And that’s not always easy to do. But it is called the music business for a reason.”

On whether a songwriter should move to Nashville (or another music industry center): Jon said it can be “helpful, but not a necessity. Bob Dylan was going to be Bob Dylan in Minnesota or New York.”

On the longevity of their careers: Jon said, “We’ve stayed true to who we were. We didn’t jump on fads or fashions. We’ve been around long enough to have seen the boy band cycle come and go twice…We’ve seen hip hop and grunge come and go. We never pretended to be something we weren’t. You can like it, you can dislike it. But it’s true.”

Jon also added, “The theme of our body of work has had a universal optimism. There’s faith in faith, and hope in hope.”

Asked for insight about how they stay current, Jon said, “It’s not about staying current. It’s about staying true.”

Insight into Jon’s aspirations, and what he wants to accomplish as a songwriter and artist: “I remember back in the 80’s having a conversation with a guy from a young band and saying ‘you don’t understand. Basically your aspirations are to be on the cover of Circus [a popular rock magazine at the time]. Mine are to be on the cover of Time.”

Randi Reed
Founder / Editor in Chief, MusicBizAdvice.com

Helping a Friend: Darcie's Mom

2008-04-09T15:25:00.000-07:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

I'm on my way out to the Bon Jovi show at Staples Center tonight, but wanted to take the time to ask a huge, huge favor for a friend.

Over on the MusicBizAdvice.com main site, you may have read articles by music business consultant Darcie-Nicole Wicknick. You know our articles on Publishing and Royalties 101, and the article about different types of record deals? That's Darcie's hard work, breaking it down for you. Darcie also sings with band Velvet Stylus, and is the co-founder of the Boston Hip Hop Alliance.

Darcie's mother Shelby (my hero), an amazing musician in her own right, has been battling Lupus, and its effects, for many years. She's battled it so hard, she even beat it--a feat that's nearly unheard of with Lupus. (Like I said, she's my hero.) But the effects of the battle have left its scars, and as a result she was recently hospitalized with a stroke and faces a long, new road.

As you no doubt know, medical care in the US is ridiculously expensive, even for those with health insurance. There is also currently no law that requires doctors to accept Medicare, Medicaid, or MediCal patients, even as a small percentage of their practices. As a result, many patients who most need medical help can't get it, or can't get the best care. It's a sad reality that can happen to any of us.

We want Darcie's mom to get the best possible care, just like you'd get for your own mom. So a fund has been started to help cover some of her medical costs. If you follow this link, it will take you to Darcie's website where you can read her mom's story. There's also a Paypal button where you can donate:

http://askdarcie.tripod.com/id90.html

Any donation, great or small, is appreciated and really helps. The donations will be used to help defray the cost of Darcie's Mom's home health care provider, as well as costs for the accompanying home medical supplies.

Meanwhile, see the Amazon.com button on the MusicBizAdvice.com website at the bottom of the left hand menu? (See it? It's under the Hard Rock Cafe ad.) If you click on that exact button to order stuff from Amazon.com, MusicBizAdvice.com will donate 50% of all our Amazon proceeds to Darcie's mom's medical fund through December 31, 2008. (The other percentage we use to defray MusicBizAdvice.com bandwidth costs, keeping the site free for you guys.)

Darcie did not ask me to do this. But she's a good friend who's good to us, and she's been good to you guys through her informative articles. So your help is much appreciated.

Thanks for reading this, and for whatever you can do. It really means a lot to me, because as someone who also lives with an autoimmune disease, I know just how lucky I am to be headed out to that Bon Jovi show tonight.

Thanks again.

Randi Reed
Founder/Editor in Chief, MusicBizAdvice.com

Are You Kidding Me??? (aka How Not to Play Live)

2008-04-07T17:52:00.000-07:00

Heard on the car radio by MusicBizAdvice.com's Researcher Extraordinaire on the ride home tonight:

A guy from a signed band who's currently an opener was saying how he's getting quite an education from Dave Grohl on how to work an arena. Then came the kicker: "Hats off to him, because I don't think I could play for two hours straight."

WTF???

Loyal readers, if this is you, we implore you...

Get crackin'.

We can't even imagine stamina being a factor with the bands we grew up listening to (or even the first bands we were in or managed), because they were constantly either practicing or jamming. And being the 80's, there were pretty good odds they were um...impaired.

What the hell are you doing? Get off the computer and go practice.

Playlist Easter Weekend March 22 and 23, 2008

2008-03-24T21:16:00.000-07:00

Rolling Stones: Let It Bleed
Rolling Stones: High Tide and Green Grass Greatest Hits
Manic Street Preachers Send Away the Tigers
Arcade FireNeon Bible
Sixx AM: The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack
Beatles 1
Buddy Holly Greatest Hits
Loretta Lynn (with Jack White of the White Stripes): Van Lear Rose
Elvis Presley: Greatest Jukebox Hits
The Strokes Is This It
The Killers Hot Fuss
Elton John: Madman Across The Water
Patsy Cline: 12 Greatest Hits
album track: I Don't Love You Anymore London Quireboys
album track: Levon Jon Bon Jovi, from Two Rooms Elton John and Bernie Taupin tribute Album
album track: The Bitch Is Back Tina Turner, from Two Rooms Elton John and Bernie Taupin tribute Album

Disclosure of Endorsements/Recommendations/Financial Compensation or Business Relationships per FTC Blog Disclosure Regulations in effect December 1, 2009: The MusicBizAdvice.com website, and by extension, this blog, sells Amazon products, including music, as an Amazon Associate.

Another Lennon-McCartney night on American Idol?

2008-03-13T17:17:00.000-07:00

So American Idol is changing the performance schedule in order to do another Lennon-McCartney night.

Another night of butchering the Beatles. Heaven help us...

When the first one was announced, the eternal optimist in me had high hopes that a contestant or two might rediscover a lesser-known gem, rearrange it, and have a performance as good as David Cook's amazing "Hello" a couple of weeks ago.

After seeing the performances, I came to my senses.

As every decent musician knows, Beatles songs are something you sit around playing and singing at home with your friends on acoustic guitars.You don't dare actually sing one in public, because no one will ever do them as well as they did, so you can never really make them your own.

Not even the best of the best will go there, other than as a fun encore at the end of the night (often with a playful McCartney-style headshake in acknowledgment). Or at a tribute event for one of the fallen Beatles. In other words, those that dare perform them in front of an audience know the deal: those songs, and the Beatles' performances of them, were perfect.

So it's reeeeeeally awkward watching the less-than-the best use those songs to try to get their careers happening.

All I can say is...if they must, I hope they go deep into the catalog.

You can read more about song selection and choosing cover songs here.

Nikki Sixx's The Heroin Diaries: Recommended Reading for Managers, Aspiring Rock Stars, Addicts, and Loved Ones

2008-03-11T23:07:00.000-07:00

Although it's been out for a while now, this week I finally read Nikki Sixx's book, The Heroin Diaries.

Excellent book...It's a very brave book that explains addiction better than anything I've ever read. I highly recommend it for anyone who, like myself, has had friends or loved ones who have struggled with drug or alcohol addiction.

It should also be required reading for every artist manager or aspiring rock star.

If you're unfamiliar with the book, The Heroin Diaries came from Nikki Sixx's personal diaries from 1986-1987, the height of his drug addiction. It also coincided with the height of Motley Crue's career. He had vowed to himself to document everything in his journals...and he did, warts and all.

Nikki Sixx is donating proceeds from the book and his band Sixx: A.M.'s accompanying The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack to a music program he's started at Covenant House called Running Wild in the Night. Very cool.

More info can be found at MySpace.com/HEROINDIARIES, and at Nikkisixx.net.

This post is dedicated to Bob Timmons, who helped many people, including Nikki Sixx, get clean and sober.

Disclosure of Endorsements/Recommendations/Financial Compensation or Business Relationships per FTC Blog Disclosure Regulations in effect December 1, 2009: In the 90's I worked for a concert promotion company that presented many Motley Crue shows. Since that time I've received no financial compensation or free product in direct connection with Motley Crue, Nikki Sixx, or their associated companies. MusicBizAdvice.com (and by extension, this blog) sells products, including books and music, as an Amazon Associate.

New Section Over at MusicBizAdvice.com

2008-03-10T12:51:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

When I'm coaching someone in live performance, and in articles I write over at the main MusicBizAdvice.com site, I often refer to specific artists, songs, or performances as an example to get the point across...

...And since the beginning of MusicBizAdvice.com 10 years ago, we've wanted to implement video examples into the site by including video of artist's specific performances. Until recently, performance royalties and bandwidth expense made it impractical.

Therefore, we give you The MBADC Performance Coach. You'll find it in the left-hand menu over at MusicBizAdvice.com.

When you click on it, you'll find links to video clips, along with what you can learn from each performance, and what to look for that made us cite it as an example. (Where applicable, you'll also find a link to the MusicBizAdvice.com article in which we've cited it as an example.)

Each clip, and each artist, has something you can learn...whether or not the artist is in your musical genre, or whether or not you even like that particular artist. It's all about learning from the best, and expanding your creativity.

More links to video are coming weekly, as we find them. In most cases have specific performances in mind, so it sometimes takes a little while to track it down and find the best version.

In fact, as soon as I post this I'm off to continue the search for a clip of this one band that...well, I'll leave that for you to see later.

Make something great happen today,
Randi Reed
Founder / Editor in Chief, MusicBizAdvice.com

Getting a Rock Star on the Phone, or Getting a Doctor's Appointment: Which is Easier? (The State of Healthcare in America)

2007-10-05T15:41:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

I just spent about 20 minutes deciding whether or not to post this...

Usually I keep my professional life separate from my politics, so I try to keep this blog reflective of that. But as someone who lives with a chronic illness, the debate on healthcare in America is driving me crazy. I cannot stay quiet, and I will make use of my favorite swear word (in a way that filters will accept, but believe me, I'm thinking it):

It is f'ing ridiculous that in America, using equal time and effort, I can get a rock star on the phone easier than I can get an appointment with a physician with a good track record in treating my immune system disorder. (And that's with a close relative in the healthcare industry. I'm one of the lucky ones.)

In fact, I'll go one better: I can get a meeting with a rock star more easily than I can get the above-mentioned doctor to take my appointment.

For those who may mistake my meaning, that ain't bragging. With all love and respect to my colleagues and contacts, I think it's f'ing disgraceful.

And you know what? Although I can't speak for them, I'll bet Bono, Jon Bon Jovi, and Bruce Springsteen would think so, too.

(I'll spare you the email: No, I don't know them, and no I can't get you tickets.)

I'm half tempted to call one of my media contacts to see if they'd take me up on the challenge. But I already know the outcome, so half of the experiment would be an exercise in exhaustive frustration. And I really need that energy for keeping the CFIDS disease monster in check.

So instead, I encourage you to send the link to this blog to everyone you know, and to every politician you know. And encourage them to really think: Is this the kind of country, and the kind of healthcare system you want?

I love my country dearly, but friends in Europe with comparable incomes who have similar immune system diseases are doing far better financially. Hell, they can even afford really nice vacations to relax, and they're given a paid month off in which to do it!

The above-mentioned physician, a rock star in his field with a proven track record, won't see anyone without verifiable proof of $1.5 million in expendable cash. (Insurance won't approve the tests he needs, and most of the treatment isn't covered.)

Makes you think, doesn't it?

(And because someone always asks--or makes assumptions based on my profession...Before I got sick, I didn't smoke, rarely drank, didn't do drugs, and worked out every day.)

Thanks for indulging me. Meanwhile, never give up on your dreams: you may need those millions to pay for your healthcare!

All the best,
Randi Reed
Founder/Editor in Chief, MusicBizAdvice.com

(Edited to change to smaller font 3/13/2008)

Thoughts on Staind and Lo-Pro Acoustic Show Wiltern LG, Los Angeles August 14 2007

2007-08-16T00:40:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday night (8/14) I went to an acoustic show at the Wiltern LG: Aaron Lewis of Staind, with Lo-Pro opening. Powerful vocals happening all around, and I had a great time.

Lo-Pro opened the show. The lead singer has an amazing voice…especially on the first song of the set. Decent songwriting, too…The last song of the set was especially strong. Overall, I liked Lo-Pro a lot. (I’d give you song titles, but it was too dark in the venue to write down lyrics to look them up. If band or management will kindly zap me the L.A. set list, I’ll edit in the song titles. The Email address in the Contact Us section of MusicBizAdvice.com will reach me.)

Aaron Lewis was great, too. As much as I like Staind, it was refreshing to hear him sing stripped-down versions of the songs. As a singer he really is underrated, and sometimes the production on the CDs hides the excellence of his voice.

A few highlights of Aaron Lewis's set:

There was an awesome version of “Please” with a great vocal that had Aaron hitting that perfect spot in his voice.

“Let It Out” was great, too.

Lyrically the songs are especially strong. His writing is very brave, with lyrics that tear your heart out, and he sings them that way, too. “Something Like Me” was a real standout in that respect, as was “Zoe Jane”.

“Reply” was very touching as well. (Actually in my notes I wrote “AWESOME!!!” in huge letters.)

There were some funny moments, too…A dead-on impression of Neil Diamond singing “Love On the Rocks,” and a verse and chorus of Kermit the Frog’s “Rainbow Connection”…in Frog voice.

And, Aaron noodled around on Van Morrison’s “Moondance,” too...which actually suited the mellow side of his voice really well and was a nice surprise (for the audience, too—they got really into it).

Overall, a very cool show, in one of the most beautiful art deco theatres in the U.S. .

Merv Griffin: One of the Last Old-Hollywood-Style Impresarios

2007-08-13T22:17:00.000-07:00

Impresario noun. 1. producer or promoter of commercial entertainment ventures. 2. entertainer; showman.

Many people in Hollywood think of Merv Griffin as the guy who created Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. I think of him as one of the last old-style impresarios, because of the new talent The Merv Griffin Show spotlighted. A young model/singer named Whitney Houston. A young actor/stand-up comedian named Jay Leno. A bodybuilder named Arnold Schwarzensomethingorother. Another was a young stand-up comedian named Jerry Seinfeld (who later did an episode of Seinfeld that had Kramer decorating his livingroom with the old Merv Griffin Show set--complete with Merv’s theme music). If Merv thought you had talent or you were an entertaining guest, he told people, and you got work.

The impresario in Merv didn’t go away with his talk show. As a game show producer, Merv discovered a fresh-faced 19-year old host with a potentially high Q-Rating. That 19-year-old would later go on to host a wildly popular, highly-rated primetime show. His name? Ryan Seacrest, of American Idol.

But the thing I liked most about The Merv Griffin Show was that he had an innate ability to combine the old with the new. In the early 1970’s, many of the stars and behind-the-scenes players from Hollywood’s Golden Era and the Golden Era of Broadway were still alive...and Merv brought them onto his show to reminisce, clear up long standing rumors, and tell great stories about their legendary studio bosses . (David Niven, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, and Adela Rogers St. John are some of the guests who come to mind.)

I’m glad he invited them, because their appearances on The Merv Griffin Show gave me the passion for Hollywood history I still have to this day. At the time, no one knew this but my parents, because it just wasn’t cool to be watching a show that my grandma liked. But every day after elementary school, I couldn’t wait to get home to see who was on Merv’s show. I can admit it now: It was thanks to Merv Griffin that I knew about the Cocoanut Grove, the Ambassador Hotel, and the Strork Club, that Arthur Treacher wasn’t only a place that sold fish and chips, and that the Copacabana wasn’t just the name of a Barry Manilow song.

Thanks, Merv.

R.I.P. Merv Griffin 1925-2007

President Bush's Lyme Diease: He Should Follow PR 101

2007-08-09T17:58:00.000-07:00

Hmmm...

I don't usually get political in this blog, because MusicBizAdvice.com isn't a political website. But in the wake of the White House's statement about George Bush's Lyme Disease, there are PR lessons here that anyone in the public eye (or who wants to be) can learn. And, as someone who has a disease similar to Lyme Disease, and who deals with PR, I feel qualified to say something.

I have CFIDS*, an autoimmune disease similar to Lyme Disease. Some researchers even believe CFIDS is either caused by, or is a side effect of undetected Lyme Disease. From my own experience with symptoms similar to those of Lyme, and looking at public reaction to the White House statement, Bush should have disclosed his medical condition.

At my worst, I was confined to bed and had neurological symptoms that made it nearly impossible to read, dial a phone, comprehend a calendar, or do anything requiring a series of ordered, logical steps.

My personal opinion is, I think the American people should know if the guy who's supposed to be running the country has the possibility of similar symptoms. (Which, technically, despite the White House statement, could happen. New information is coming in about Lyme Disease every day...including disagreements among medical professionals about the length of its incubation period, and whether or not you're "cured" after treatment or if it will come back.)

This blog entry explains Lyme Disease, and what it can be like to have it, far more eloquently than I can.

My professional opinion is, from a PR standpoint, the White House blew it.

First, the White House statement about Bush's Lyme Disease conflicts with common diagnosis and treatment standards for Lyme Disease. In fact, medical information in the "learn more about Lyme Disease" link which appeared directly under the Bush news item on AOL flat out contradicted medical info in the White House statement. Oops. (No blood tests were necessary? Unless you test the tick--meaning the insect that gave it to Bush, not Bush himself--how can you definitively know it's Lyme without at least one blood test?)

And then there's the trust issue. (i.e., "He lied about the war, lied about his health, what else is new?" Or, "Since they waited so long to tell us, what more aren't they telling us about his health?")

Some conspiracy theorists are even on the lookout for budget cuts affecting autoimmune disease diagnosis and treatment. Or for new bills that would allow insurance companies to further deny coverage for diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune diseases (i.e.,"You don't need a blood test for Lyme Disease. Even the President's doctor didn't think so").

From a PR standpoint, when you don't let people know what's really going on, they tend to think the worst. A statement sooner, rather than later, is always better than waiting. (Even, in my opinion, in a time of war. Losing the Peoples' trust makes you look weaker.)

People respect you for it, and they'll trust you because you've shared something personal with them. People in the same shoes as you will even root for you.

Unless you lie. If you lie, they lose respect for you. Or if they already didn't trust you, they feel their mistrust is justified.

For those who are in the midst of symptoms, I wish you a speedy return to health. Meanwhile, hang in there.

RR :)

*CFIDS is sometimes called CFS. Many people who have it, including myself, prefer the name CFIDS (pronounced "SEE-fids") because the "I" and "D" refer to Immune Deficiency--which is the main problem and causes most of the symptoms. Without the "I" and the "D" people tend to get it confused with narcolepsy or just think you're tired. When people misunderstand and think it's about being tired, it's a lot more difficult to get research dollars!

The Poor Man's Copyright Myth

2007-08-02T21:43:00.000-07:00

I've written about this before, but we're getting a new batch of questions/arguments about it, so it bears writing again:

If I could set just one music industry myth straight in my lifetime, it's the myth of Poor Man's Copyright (mailing or emailing yourself a copy of your work). Unfortunately, it's something that many musicians, even famous ones, believe. (But famous musicians don't administer their own copyrights; they hire someone to do it for them. So they get a partial pass. :) )

As we have said many times on the MusicBizAdvice.com website (see the Q&A's, and the opening page of MusicBizAdvice.com, center column)...

Despite what you may have heard, been told by musician friends, or even read elsewhere on the Internet, a Poor Man's Copyright is not valid in a court of law. Not even if it's timestamped, wrapped in plastic, hermetically sealed, and buried in a safe for a decade.

The Court's position is, if your copyright was important to you, you'd go through the formal registration process to protect it. Thus, if you have not registered your copyright through the U.S. Library of Congress Copyright Office and someone steals your song, you cannot sue for infringement, because the Court will not hear the case. Not ever, no exceptions, nada, nyet.
Please trust me on this. I'm not an attorney, don't work for the Copyright office, and have nothing to gain by lying to you.

But I have had a lot of clients whose past copyright ownership messes cost a lot of $$$ in legal fees to be straightened out because they believed the myth of Poor Man's Copyright. So don't let it happen to you!

Feel free to pass this along, spread the word, shout it out, yell it from the rooftops if you like. (They'll probably argue with you. But it's the truth.)

Thanks for reading!
Randi Reed
Founder / Editor in Chief, MusicBizAdvice.com

The Sanjaya Effect, & What the Media Isn’t Telling You: What Happens if Sanjaya Malakar Wins American Idol? (And Do Howard Stern & the Saboteurs Win?

2007-04-04T18:18:00.000-07:00

Warning: For those who don’t know, I have two interchangeable uniforms: the jeans and tennis shoes of a former musician-songwriter, and the suit of an agent-manager-business person who’s worked with enough non-artistic business guys to know how they think when they’re wearing their suits. This entry gets into the head of someone in a very tight suit and does not reflect my musical sensibility… nor my artist development philosophy.

Over the past few weeks, there’s been a lot of media buzz about what happens if Sanjaya Malakar wins American Idol Season 6. For those of you who’ve been in temporarily stranded on a deserted island, Sanjaya Malakar is a 2007 American Idol contestant with teen idol looks and charisma, but with a voice that doesn’t quite live up to the hype. DJ Howard Stern and several American Idol-hating websites are encouraging people to vote for the least talented contestant. (More backstory on Stern angle.)

Currently, though American Idol producers insist otherwise, it’s contributing to Sanjaya’s continued stay in the competition…as singers with better voices get booted off.

“So if he wins, what happens?” the media asks in a panic. “Will it take down American Idol?” “They have to give the winner a recording contract, right?”First off, Sanjaya is unlikely to win, because the producers probably have backup plans to prevent such things. To borrow an oft-used phrase from Ryan Seacrest’s radio show, this isn’t their first barbeque.Secondly, although I haven’t seen the American Idol contract, the recording contract is probably a “first look” deal rather than a binding recording agreement. (A first look deal means the label has “first dibbs” on the artist and can then sign or pass the artist at their discretion.)

But, just for fun, let’s say Sanjaya actually does win the competition, and that the recording contract is a binding recording agreement. Here’s what will likely happen:

Nothing.

What the media isn’t telling you is, a recording contract is simply that: a recording contract. A recording contract in no way, shape or form implies that a record label ever has to release a CD it deems unacceptable. At the label’s discretion, a whole project can be scrapped and written off as tax deduction.

In other words, if Sanjaya wins and has a binding recording agreement, they’ll weigh the costs of releasing his solo CD vs. taking a tax deduction…a situation nearly every major label artist finds himself in at some point.

Should the American Idol artist development team decide to go for the CD, a decent vocal is easier to get than ever, thanks to Pro-Tools technology. And, like it or not, Sanjaya does have a cult following of tweens, because he’s “cute.” So speaking from a financial standpoint, the AI team could do OK by making a low budget CD, selling them mainly via download instead of hard CDs, and focusing on Tween-oriented merchandising, personal appearances, and acting...Which is essentially what occurred in the 1970’s with the recording careers of Tiger Beat teen idols like Shaun Cassidy, Leif Garrett, Tony DeFranco, Scott Baio, and Kristy and Jimmy McNichol. (Thanks to regular appearances in Tiger Beat magazine and his starring role in a popular TV show, Shaun Cassidy was actually a major concert draw with a string of sold-out arena shows.)

My hunch is, if Sanjaya wins, financially, the American Idol artist development arm actually comes out better than if he doesn’t win, because in their eyes, they’ll have the best of both worlds: a musically credible artist with a non-fickle demographic (in the form of one of the stronger-voiced contestants, a la 2006’s Chris Daughtry), plus, in the form of Sanjaya, a manufactured teen idol with the preferred tween demographic and all its inherent merchandising possibilities. (Young girls buy their idols’ stuff).

Musical sensibilities aside, these two musical entities have co-existed in the industry since the late 1950’s. As a microcosm of the music industry (or as a mini music industry unto itself, for that matter), why would American Idol be any different?
Regardless, the American Idol show will be fine. From a publicity standpoint, the Sanjaya Effect is probably a good thing for Idol: after several years of success, every fan base tapers off and needs new blood, and the media attention is bringing a new crop of viewers to the show (via curious former non-Idol watchers tuning in to see if “that Sanjaya kid” is really that bad after all).

And, I’m guessing that new rules and voting procedures for next year are probably being drawn up as we speak.

In effect, from American Idol’s point of view, financially the Howard Stern / Internet Sanjaya Sabotage Plot may actually turn out to be the best thing that could have happened in several seasons. Now wouldn’t that tick Howard off?

Copyright 2007 Randi Reed and MusicBizAdvice.com. All rights reserved.

Backstory on Howard Stern’s anti-Idoltry.

2007-04-04T18:16:00.000-07:00

Aside from whatever Howard Stern’s official reason is for encouraging his fans to thwart American Idol’s system of choosing the winner, I have an additional theory: Professional jealousy.

For years, New York-based Howard Stern, the self-proclaimed “King of All Media,” was the most visible radio personality. In addition to his syndicated radio show, Stern was visible on E!,late night talk show appearances, award show appearances, movies, and God knows what else. Aside from ticking off the FCC now and then, he was pretty much untouchable in broadcasting.

Meanwhile, in the late 1990’s, at a Clear Channel station out in Los Angeles, a young DJ from Atlanta named Ryan Seacrest starts gaining visibility. Nothing too major, just stuff a hardworking DJ does to make a living in an expensive city…An appearance on Beverly Hills 90210 here, a talk show pilot or game show there, lots of voiceovers, and taking on lots of extra projects at the radio station. Then, celebrities start tuning in to Seacrest’s radio show because he’s gaining a reputation as a good interviewer, in addition to having a fun radio show. He switches from the evening shift to the more visible Afternoon Drive, picks up a sidekick named Lisa Foxx, and the buzz gets bigger as more celebs tune in while they’re stuck in traffic on the way home from the studio or picking up their kids from school. The ratings follow suit, Seacrest moonlights on the TV show Extra and on E!’s Talk Soup, and the buzz in the broadcasting biz really starts taking off.

Then Seacrest auditions for—and gets—a job cohosting a new TV show called American Idol. The show’s a hit and is picked up for the next season, but with Seacrest as the sole host. His afternoon radio show ratings soar, he starts getting ink in national magazines, and he and radio partner Lisa Foxx start winning awards, including the radio industry’s prestigious Radio Personality of the Year award.

Meanwhile, the FCC is coming down hard on Stern in the form of fines. In addition to the Infinity-owned stations that carry his show, Stern’s show is carried by some Clear Channel-owned radio stations. Stern’s thinking of leaving Infinity, but his contract isn’t up yet. Meanwhile, fines at the Clear Channel stations are exceeding Stern’s Clear Channel worth. Cut to Clear Channel hot shot Seacrest: He’s pretty agreeable, has a more family-friendly audience, and seems really happy to be there. Hmmm…Casey Kasem and Rick Dees shows need new hosts. What if…?

So, Clear Channel has Stern exactly where they want him and turns their focus soley to Seacrest. (As American Idol’s success continued, soon Seacrest was in talks for a TV talkshow, too, with opportunities for cross-promotion.)

To add insult to Stern’s unhappiness, some of the media begin referring to Ryan Seacrest as “the next Dick Clark,” “the real king of pop” and “the new king of all media.” Ouch. Seacrest appears on Stern’s radio show to promote one of his projects, and is a good sport when Stern starts ribbing him about the “new king of all media” title. Except Stern doesn’t sound like he’s joking as he defensively points out that Seacrest isn’t the “king of all media” because he doesn’t have a movie or a book. Seacrest is still a good sport.

Not long afterward, Seacrest replaces Rick Dees as the host of influential pop station KIIS-FM’s morning radio show and drops Stern’s syndicated show from their remaining 6 Clear Channel stations. Stern’s show on E! goes bye-bye, too. Stern makes a deal to take his show to Satellite radio. Much later, Seacrest joins E! as News Editor and anchor.

So…if Stern was a little ticked at Ryan Seacrest and wanted to take down American Idol, it would be a little understandable. Also pathetic, because Seacrest was just working his butt off, doing his own, very different thing, but a little understandable. But mostly it would just be pathetic, because Howard Stern and Ryan Seacrest are both damn good at what they do.

Copyright 2007 Randi Reed and MusicBizAdvice.com. All rights reserved.

Did Hollywood Kill Anna Nicole Smith?

2007-02-09T20:00:00.000-08:00

While the definitive cause of Anna Nicole Smith’s death probably won’t be in for weeks, regardless of the autopsy result, anyone who saw her recent interviews on Entertainment Tonight could see she was obviously impaired by substance abuse. (When someone’s eyes are going in two different directions…) So, I’d like to talk about the addicted celebrity client.

Did Hollywood kill Anna Nicole Smith? Speaking as someone who grew up around chemical addiction in a small-town, non-showbiz family, I really don’t think so. I think the addiction gene or addictive personality (whatever your belief happens to be about the root cause) is either there, or it isn’t.

But, also speaking as someone who’s been in the role of agent, artist manager, and prior to that, as personal assistant, do I think Hollywood contributed to the death of Anna Nicole Smith? Absolutely.

When you have people making money from whatever the celebrity’s status quo is at a given moment, someone in the mix will have an interest in keeping the celebrity in that money-making status quo…Even at the risk of a self-destructive celebrity. (The same status-quo dynamic happens in non-showbiz families too, by the way, but because the motivation is usually more about fear of change than about big money, it’s less overt and is more subconscious.)

It comes down to the kind of people the celebrity surrounds him or herself with. If a celebrity with an addictive personality (or the addiction gene) is surrounded by “yes” people who tell them what they want to hear, that celebrity is going to be in trouble.

I’ve heard some managers and agents say, “It’s none of my business.”

I disagree. It is their business, and getting help for a troubled client is part of being a good manager or agent.

If you work in the industry long enough, you see first-hand that creativity is often borne of pain, and that many clients had troubled childhoods or estranged family relationships and seek fame as a way to fill a void. So to make money off that client and then ignore their need for professional help when that pain gets out of hand is not only irresponsible, it’s inexcusable.

If you have signing privileges (i.e., power of attorney) and can sign your clients’ name on contracts, it’s your business. If you travel in the immediate vicinity with your client (reports say at least 6 people were staying at the hotel with Anna Nicole Smith) or are privy to the details of your clients’ day to day life, it’s your business. If you have keys to your clients’ home, it’s not only your business, you have no excuse not to get them off to rehab ASAP. More than once if necessary.

(And I’m talking hard-core, real-deal rehab like-Betty Ford or Hazelton…not Rehab Lite.)

I’ve heard a lot of people comparing Anna Nicole’s death to that of Marilyn Monroe. I disagree with that as well. Marilyn died in 1962, pre-Betty Ford Center, when very little was known about addiction or even about the addictive nature of some of the prescription medications she was taking.

This is 2007, and we all know better.

Meanwhile, the headlines surrounding the death of Anna Nicole Smith are getting stranger by the minute…The latest, courtesy of MSNBC, is that Zsa Zsa Gabor’s 9th and current husband, Prince Frédéric von Anhalt, says he could be the baby’s father. And it gets even more bizarre: In his press conference today, Prince Frederic (who allegedly essentially bought his title) said Anna Nicole told him she’d always wanted to be a princess, so he’d tried to make that happen for her by attempting to adopt Anna Nicole. But, Prince Frederic said, Zsa Zsa wouldn’t sign the adoption papers. (I kid you not, folks. I saw him say this in the press conference with my own eyes.)

That all these people are coming out of the woodwork with press conferences after her death just proves my point: Anna Nicole needed someone to protect her. If not a good family, then at the least, by very good management…

Very good management does exist, by the way. But unfortunately it doesn’t usually make for very interesting headlines.

Copyright 2007 Randi Reed and MusicBizAdvice.com. All rights reserved.

Letter from MusicBizAdvice.com Editor in Chief

2006-11-08T10:12:00.000-08:00

Los Angeles, CA
Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Hi Everyone,

You may have noticed that recently when it comes to site updates, our main site, MusicBizAdvice.com, has not been as active as we usually are.

Because I value you as readers and as people, I want to tell you why. Some of my advisors would prefer I tell you a story about having to go out of town on behalf of a client or something. But MusicBizAdvice.com is a private company (mine) with no outside stockholders to keep happy, and you deserve the truth.

First off, rest assured, we’re not going anywhere. As many of you know, for over ten years I’ve battled the illness CFIDS (Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome, sometimes called CFS). I won’t go into a rundown of symptoms, (you can read more in my CFIDS Q&A), but Seabiscuit author Laura Hillenbrand and Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers have it, too, and Cher and Stevie Nicks have battled similar illnesses. (CFIDS is in a category of illnesses known as autoimmune disease. Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus, Grave’s Disease, Epstein-Barr, and chronic Lyme Disease are other diseases in this category.)

As often happens with immune system diseases, recently the CFIDS Monster had enough of my working around it and decided to raise its ugly head and get noticed by intensifying the symptoms I’ve become accustomed to (and throwing in a few I hadn’t had for many years).

One symptom, something I call “CFIDS dyslexia” for lack of a better term, makes it difficult to write. It’s been years since I last experienced this, and I hope you’ll bear with us during the longer period it takes to post new material while we regroup over the next several weeks, rally the staff, and give my new vitamin regimen a chance to do its thing. Meanwhile, there will be new material trickling in, so check back.

But, I reiterate: we’re not going anywhere. And the CFIDS Monster, colossal pain in the a** it may be, will not win. After all, there’s always an upside: on a bad day my number comprehension is off too, so having me order lunch is good comedy. Maybe we can get Vegas involved and have people take bets on where each day’s delivery ends up? Just kidding.

As you can see, my sense of humor is in perfect health. …Comes in handy in the music business, as well as for putting the CFIDS Monster in its place. Thanks, as always, for reading MusicBizAdvice.com. (Thanks too, to JH and DW for their assistance in writing this.) And never, never, stop working toward making your dreams come true.

Randi Reed Editor in Chief, MusicBizAdvice.com
http://www.musicbizadvice.com

Copyright 2006 Randi Reed and MusicBizAdvice.com. All rights reserved.

New Orleans, the French Quarter, Good Writing Voodoo, and a Hell of a Baked Potato

2006-09-02T17:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

In honor of what happened a year ago this week, I want tell you about New Orleans.

More specifically, I want to tell you about the effect New Orleans had on my writing.

I came to love New Orleans on a cross country trek from California to Florida in 1992. As they say in all the clichés, it got into my blood and never left, and as a writer, I’ve never been more inspired than during a 2 day period I spent in the French Quarter in August 1992. When we arrived at our destination in FL, what I really longed to do was lock myself away somewhere and write, because ideas kept coming in like never before. We were pressed for time, so I journalled every chance I got…which can be obnoxious to ones’ non-writing travel companions, but I got some pretty good stuff out of it. The feeling lasted for months.

As happens to many people who’ve been inspired there, the stuff I wrote in those ensuing months had a dark, steamy vibe that managed to weave itself through the material without my intending it to be there. I wrote a lot by candlelight (which I’d never done before) and had a newfound understanding of where Anne Rice was coming from (literally). The guy I was going out with wondered what was up. (“Good voodoo” said I.)

The French Quarter, if you’ve never been, heightens your senses like a drug. Take a walk in the daytime, and your eyes are taken by the architecture and antiques, punctuated here and there by Dixieland jazz bands dressed in traditional costumes. Go out before the sun starts to set, and delicious smells fill the air as the restaurants prepare for the dinner hour: a whiff of gumbo in one block. A few doors down, something else. Turn the corner, and it’s the scent of freshly baked bread. Next block, something sweet and buttery coupled with the scent of brewing coffee; must be dessert. Meanwhile, you pass musicians heading out for their gigs, and occasionally hear a faint sound of someone rehearsing or tuning up.

By the time you’ve had a long dinner with friends and maybe a romantic walk along the river, the party’s starting on Bourbon Street, and the music’s in full swing. And the block you were on when you took your walk in the daytime is a whole other place, as if you’ve suddenly stepped into the middle of a circus (barkers and all).

And in the summer, it’s all wrapped up together like a present tied with a big, steamy bow.

The French Quarter isn’t a place you go; it’s a place you feel. And although it’s a little different now, it will come back. It just needs a little help from those who remember.

Go to NOLA, and write!

Meanwhile, as a remembrance of my favorite oyster bar, in our Starving Musician column I’ve posted my version of an incredible smothered baked potato I ate there in 1992.

Go for your dreams!
RR

Randi Reed, Editor in Chief / Founder, MusicBizAdvice.com

Copyright 2006 Randi Reed and MusicBizAdvice.com. All rights reserved.

Problem 10,001 with the Music Industry, and Business in General

2006-08-11T19:58:00.000-07:00

Hi Readers (and Writers, and Performers, and Assorted Friends and Relatives),

I’m writing an article for MusicBizAdvice.com and needed a break, because frankly it’s making my head hurt. That tells me it’s time for a new approach to the article, which means I’ll be scrapping the whole thing and starting all over after 3 hours’ work on it. (Which really blows, because it’s not like effective online writing bears any resemblance to what I consider great writing. It’s not meant to.)

But, if it makes my head hurt to explain something I can usually rattle off information about without a second thought, I can imagine how it would be for someone who may not have ever seen the information before. So I’d damn well better try again…

Which brings me to Problem 10,001 about the Music Industry (and Business in general): we rarely take the time to understand why we do certain things the way we do…from marketing methods, to overall business strategy.

For years, the M.O. of the music industry (and corporate America in general) has been, “Because we’ve been doing it this way for years.” Or, worse yet, “Because we said so.” Which doesn’t work, because you can’t effectively apply or reject a business method without a basic understanding of why. It’s also impossible to create a new business model without understanding why a certain methodology has been in place.

(I could probably take it even further and say something about how not understanding the “why”‘s doesn’t work in politics, either, but I’ll leave that for you to decide.)

The most successful people in business—particularly entrepreneurs--usually do ask “why” (or “why not?”) and try to understand the answers. Russell Simmons, Madonna, Jon Bon Jovi, P. Diddy, Donald Trump, David Letterman, and Hugh Hefner are examples of people who asked the questions, applied what works, and then created new methodologies for what doesn’t.

Back to my article (the goal of which is to help clarify some of the “why”’s)…Well, OK, maybe after dinner--takeout from California Chicken Café, which just arrived--and a little dark chocolate, which always brings clarity.

Have a great weekend,
RR

Randi Reed
Founder / Editor in Chief, MusicBizAdvice.com

P.S. My last blog has now been fixed and reposted. It appeared correctly when I first posted it, then at some point afterward was either hacked by someone or edited by Blogger. There was absolutely nothing in it that was a violation, so let's hope it was an idiot and not the fine people of Blogger. Either way, it sucks. This is America, people.

Copyright 2006 Randi Reed and MusicBizAdvice.com. All rights reserved.

Commentary on Stupid Things Celebrities Said in the Last 10 Days

2006-08-04T23:53:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Los Angeles,

(8/11: I'm reposting this blog because after it posted correctly, it was either hacked and edited by someone unbeknownst to me, or Blogger went in and edited my comments.)

A few random comments on stupid things celebrities said in the past 10 days. I haven’t had dinner yet, so I’m feeling particularly acid tongued…

Mel Gibson (anti-Semitic and sexist remarks): As Donny Deutsch said on his show the other night, alcohol goes in, truth tends to come out, and something won’t come out that isn’t already in there. Hollywood needs to stand up and say how vile and hate-filled Mel’s comments were—especially given what’s happening across the Globe--and stop spinning it with the rehab excuse. Sure, he’ll be clean, which is admirable, but that’s no cure for hateful remarks about an entire group of people. Meanwhile, now where is that Moonshadows business card I grabbed last time I was there so I can put it on Ebay…?

Paris Hilton (didn’t know who Tony Blair is, and on E News said that she’s a like mixture of Princess Diana mixed with Marilyn Monroe): While it’s no surprise that Paris Hilton didn’t know who Tony Blair is, it is ridiculous that she’s continually rewarded for stupidity. As for her comparison of herself to Princess Di and Marilyn…Princess Diana and Marilyn Monroe were intelligent and politically astute, so try again. Paris Hilton sets women back 50 years; there are plenty of intelligent beautiful women with beautiful wardrobes who should be given the airtime and ratings instead.

Lindsay Lohan’s mother Dina (said Morgan Creek Films came down too hard on her daughter by sending her a letter about her partying, adding “She’s just a young girl.”): She’s a young girl with multi-million dollar adult responsibilities that put food on the table for an entire crew of people. You can’t have it both ways. Maybe a little more conversation with Lindsay about less partying during the work week might have prevented the necessity of sending the letter.

Bono (who said on 60 Minutes that U2’s music will be around 100 years from now because their songs “have an emotional landscape”—meaning socially conscious lyrics--that were previously unheard of before): Oh, really? What about REM, Sting, John Lennon, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Joan Baez, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, Neil Young, et al…

Elizabeth Hasselbeck (who went off on guest co-host Lisa Loeb about the Morning After Pill—which she seemed to have confused with ru-486-- on The View, prompting Barbara Walters to say, “Elizabeth. Calm down dear.”): Arrrrgh! Elizabeth Hasslebeck should get the facts right before spewing venom at a guest co-host. (Among other things, she got wrong the most commonly accepted medical definition of when conception occurs.) Since Elizabeth’s tirade helped spread misinformation to advance her own political beliefs, I compiled some information about the Morning After Pill and how it works, and put it in MusicBizAdvice.com’s Body and Soul Section. I used several sources to compile the information, but this one had a good list of Q&As about the subject.

(As to my opinion…Since the debate over when conception begins is currently largely dependent on someone’s religious beliefs, I think the government should stay out of it on the basis of religious freedom alone.)

Time to get that turkey sandwich on whole wheat…

RR

Copyright 2006 Randi Reed

Unsigned Artist Lilly Allen Signed to United Talent Agency Based on My Space Tracking?

2006-08-03T00:53:00.000-07:00

According to Reuters and my local news’ entertainment report, a UK artist named Lilly Allen, who had a Top 10 hit in New Zealand, has been signed by UTA (United Talent Agency) based on her ability to build a fan base on My Space, as well as her talent.

I have no doubt that could happen, if extremely high numbers of profile views, downloads, etc. were consistent and attendance at an artist’s shows was consistently high. Labels have certainly looked at artist’s mailing list numbers for years (especially in rock), and it’s often used as a determining factor when deciding between two artists. (And she had a label deal with Warner in the past, which I’m sure came into consideration.) So, My Space tracking and fan base numbers are an important consideration, regardless of how valid this story turns out to be.

The question is, will those page views and downloads translate into consistent ticket sales and interest in seeing the artist on TV and at other personal appearances? The solidity factor of the fan base may not be there to translate into a concert draw...Will a fan base heavily based on My Spacers go out and spend dollars on tickets? So if it’s true, I’d expect this artist to do a lot of webcasts and podcasts and other alternate income streams and not rely on traditional touring.

(I don’t include CD sales/ major label record deals in the income stream in this discussion because agents have nothing to do with record deals. Agents handle concerts, TV appearances, paid web appearances, film, and books, and some kinds of endorsements.)

Many people in the industry are waiting to see how the story plays out, and whether or not it’s even true. One report I saw about this story contained quotes from her rep that seemed to mention My Space more than the artist, and they’re pointing this out as suspect. Some people are wondering if it’s actually a publicity stunt for My Space, or if Lilly Allen signed an endorsement deal with My Space, or if her agency is possibly now representing My Space.

Given the timing, it’s a possibility, because My Space has certainly received their share of bad press over the past several months, and many members of the media seem not to know about the music aspect of My Space. Also, this week it was reported that My Space slipped to #2 in website hit rankings. Then...bingo! The first major talent agency signing of an unsigned artist, based on My Space tracking.

Or, it could be that the whole thing is true, and that My Space found out about it and issued a press release.

We’ll see...Meanwhile, if you’re an aspiring artist, never overlook the importance of building a large, solid fanbase online and offline, so that it translates into butts in seats. (Butts in seats sell CDs paid downloads and put more butts in seats. For a new artist, CD sales alone don’t put butts in seats.)

Live your dreams!
RR

Randi Reed
Founder / Editor in Chief, MusicBizAdvice.com

Copyright 2006 Randi Reed and MusicBizAdvice.com. All rights reserved.

Music Biz Savvy: If you're an indie artist, local band, or new National act who plays live shows…

2006-08-02T13:24:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Los Angeles,

I wrote this on My Space a while back, but as my brain cells fail to come up with anything witty to say on this busy afternoon, thought I'd post this here to give even more people the heads up...

Lately I've been noticing a scary trend that affects indie and agentless artists who play a lot of live shows:

Young promoters who've managed to get hold of large sums of money to produce shows, but who don't know the basics of live performance contracts.

I see this trend growing, because lately MusicBizAdvice.com has been flooded with very basic questions from young concert promoters who have funding.

I find this troubling, because if someone doesn't know the basics of a live performance contract, it's highly likely they also don't know about local ordinances, OSHA regulations, event insurance, union rules, music licensing for live venues, or any of the ten million other details that go into putting on a safe, successful show.

There's a strong probability artists who work with them will get screwed over (from inexperience more than malice in this case). Or worse yet, the artist will be named in a lawsuit in the event of an accident--simply from the buyer not knowing what they're doing, and the artist getting tangled in the fallout.

So...If you're an artist who plays out a lot, know who the A-level and B-level talent buyers are in the cities where you play regularly, as well as for the cities where you want to branch out.

If an opportunity comes from a promoter you don't know, check them out. Find out what shows they've done in the past, and talk with some of the artists who were on the bill (better yet, their managers or tour managers)...Especially those at your level of your experience in the industry, and one level above.

A few things to ask...

Did they get paid? Were there any disputes/misunderstandings with the performance agreement? Were there any problems with the show? Were they resolved quickly? How did the promoter resolve them? Did Settlement go smoothly?

Meanwhile, take the time to learn your business so you'll know how to spot a bad promoter...and will know how to handle some of the problems that inevitably come from a promoter not knowing theirs.

Live your dreams,

RR

Randi Reed, Founder / Editor in Chief, MusicBizAdvice.com

Copyright 2006 Randi Reed and MusicBizAdvice.com. All rights reserved.

Rock Star Supernova vs. The One

2006-07-19T18:03:00.000-07:00

Greetings from the oven known as Los Angeles,

Last night I flipped channels between the talent competition rivals: Rock Star Supernova, which I love, and The One, a new talent competition on ABC with some huge names behind it…

The One has some great names behind it. I’d been looking forward to watching Mark Hudson (the guy with the cool multi-colored beard), because in addition to being a producer, songwriter, former Hudson Brother, occasional exec, and Kate Hudson’s uncle, Mark Hudson is in my opinion, one of the best studio backup vocalists known to man. His clear tone, blending ability, and chameleon-like ability to blend with, sound like, or harmonize with anyone from Jon Bon Jovi to Steven Tyler make him well-known in studio circles. (He’s also known for getting his part down really fast in the studio--obviously a major plus.)

And Andre Harell (former president of Motown--was majorly involved in the career of Sean Puffy Combs, aka P. Diddy) and Kara DioGuardi (songwriter, producer--worked with Gwen Stefani, Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera) are certainly no slouches. Plus The One has major names on the artist development team--including choreographer Tina Landon, vocal coach Roger Love, and guitar teacher Ray “The Weeper” Fuller--and the prize is a contract on a label with a great behind the scenes talent pool (Interscope/Geffen). So, I had really high hopes for the talent on this one.

Hmmm. Maybe they’re trying too hard to make “good TV” and are intentionally holding something back so we can see the performers develop, but I wasn’t impressed with the overall talent pool or the performances. Caitlin Evanson was a standout, but I was really bored by the rest.

As for the host…Well, he’s no Ryan Seacrest. But his delivery would make him a good host for Rock Star Supernova.

As for Rock Star Supernova…Now we’re talking! For the most part the contestants are extremely talented, seem to have a decent amount of live performing experience, and most of them have good stage presence. The show also has a great house band…Great players, tight rhythm section, good sound, and they can actually rock. Musical director Paul Mirkovich’s credits on paper might not look like he can rock hard--he toured for years as Cher’s musical director and was also the keyboardist for the band Nelson, plus a slew of other credits--but he’s an excellent rock arranger who’s assembled what has to be the best backing band on TV. (Sorry American Idol people, I gotta call it like I see it.)

Favorite contestants on Rock Star Supernova? They’ve given very little indication of what Tommy Lee is looking for, so choosing a singer for Supernova is a tough call: Would a female singer really be considered, or is it just because they have to? Are they the kind of band who wants a good looking front person to attract a wider audience, or do they want someone more “interesting” and dark? Do they want someone colorful who gets a lot of attention, or do they want Tommy Lee to be the colorful one? All those things are important factors. If there was no ego factor involved, Rossi might be a good choice, or, if a female is being considered, Delana, because I think she’s a riveting performer and could handle performing in front of a large audience at a festival.

Tommy Lee band aside, my own favorites include Jill (who was in my Top 2 until the unfortunate white dress performance but redeemed herself last night with a pretty good version of “All Right Now.”), and Toby, who was my favorite until he had the misfortune of singing one of my all-time favorite songs, Soul Asylum’s “Runaway Train” at too fast a tempo, and without much emotion. There are one or two others that could make my Top 3...but no one who’s stood out enough to make me remember their name yet (a telling consideration in itself).

Overall, the contestants on Seasons 1 and 2 of Rock Star have been far better live performers than on all seasons of American Idol combined, and I’m more entertained by them. (But, as a show, Rock Star still doesn’t have the “it” factor Idol has in terms of drama and chemistry between judges and host. Nor does it have a breakout, household-name star…yet.)

What don’t I like about Rock Star Supernova? Brooke Burke was cool on other shows she’s hosted but tries way too hard to “act rock and roll” on this show. Maybe a better fit would be the host of The One, George Stromboulopoulos?

Live your dreams!!!

RR

Randi Reed
Founder / Editor in Chief, MusicBizAdvice.com
http://www.musicbizadvice.com/

Copyright 2006 Randi Reed. All rights reserved.

Zen and the Art of Music Licensing Reader Mail...

2006-07-11T01:43:00.000-07:00

While going though MusicBizAdvice.com reader mail this week I made an interesting observation: most of the questions /complaints we receive about having to pay copyright holders for the use of their music comes from Christian businesses.

You’d think it would be rabid audiophiles, or college students on a budget, right? Nope. The people who seem the most intent on finding a loophole out of it--intent enough to write to us, anyway-- are Christian businesses and organizations.

I find this amusing, because not even the sleaziest promoters and club owners I’ve met over the years have complained about paying music licensing fees. I’ve heard complaints and debates about catering, roast turkey instead of pressed turkey, brands of bottled water, the necessity of shore power, airfare, hotel, ground transportation, pizza, bars of soap, Kleenex, and even ice. But never music licensing fees.

We get a lot of mail of this type, so we must have accidentally ended up on a Christian music website or Christian music directory. (Whatever works for ya, welcome. Just don’t try to recruit me, please. I’m a spiritual person but don’t happen to believe mere mortals have the right to try to interpret spirituality for other mere mortals.)

Rock on, kids...

Randi Reed
Founder / Editor in Chief, MusicBizAdvice.com

Copyright 2006 Randi Reed

MBADC ScamAlert Safety Alert: Online Modeling and Talent Agency "Audition" Kidnapping Scam

2006-04-06T19:05:00.000-07:00

Hi again Music Fans,

This is actually for the actors among you, but I have a feeling it will hit music, too. It sounds unbelievable, but I checked the facts and verified them with the reporter who did the original story that appeared on The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch.

If you've ever posted your headshot and resume to an online modeling and talent agency website--you know how I feel about those if you read MusicBizAdvice.com--or know someone who goes to auditions, the new ScamAlert Safety Alert we posted in the April issue of MusicBizAdvice.com is required reading. (It's in the center column, directly under "This Month on...")

Some sick, evil people are using online modeling and talent agency websites to pose as legitimate casting directors for a famous film company to lure women to "auditions." When they arrive they're kidnapped, stripped of their identification, and shipped overseas to work in the sex slave trade.

Ladies, if you go to an audition, bring a male friend. That's how 2 of the actresses in the story foiled kidnapping attempts in New York.

And, while we're at it...If you're under 18, that person must be a parent or guardian. Minors can't sign contracts, so no legitimate casting person, agent, manager, or producer will ever see a minor without the parent or legal guardian.

Be safe,
Randi Reed
Editor in Chief / Founder
MusicBizAdvice.com

Reader Feedback Reply to the American Idol and Chris Daughtry “Walk the Line” Controversy

2006-04-06T16:54:00.000-07:00

Greetings Music Fans,

I’ve been going through MusicBizadvice.com’s feedback mail…

There’s been a lot of commentary during the past couple of weeks about Chris Daughtry’s forgetting to credit Live with the arrangement when he performed “Walk the Line” on American Idol's ‘50’s night a couple of weeks ago.

Some of you have asked how that affects the performance notes we wrote in the MBADC American Idol Armchair Quarterback, praising his song selection and the arrangement.

Here’s what happened from our point of view at MusicBizAdvice.com, and why our Armchair Quarterback notes about his performance stand as originally written:

The morning after Chris’s performance of “Walk the Line”, we were reminded that Chris Dughtry's arrangement was actually Live's arrangement. I love Live and had forgotten about their version. (Sorry guys, my bad. Apparently my brain cells' musical encylopedia wasn't working that night.)

I knew from the brewing backlash from Live fans on the Internet that American Idol had to address it--either by media statement, on Ryan Seacrest's radio show, or on AI. I made the decision to withhold comment on MusicBizAdvice.com until after their statement, because I felt to do otherwise would be unfairly proclaiming Chris guilty until proven innocent.

It would also be irresponsible of us, since votes are involved.

As you probably know, Ryan Seacrest and Chris corrected the omission during Chris's interview on the next American Idol performance show. After Ryan and Chris made the correction, I added an Editor's note to Chris's performance notes on our '50's Week page, as well as acknowledged it in Chris's performance notes for the next week, for those who didn't see it on the 50's Week page.

You can read the full Editor's Note here, which should answer part of your question regarding crediting Live. It also offers our best guess at why the omission happened.

As for how this knowledge affects what we wrote about Chris’s song selection and performance…

If we pretend for a moment that Chris had remembered to credit Live with the arrangement, my feelings about the performance and song selection still stand--in this case--for two important reasons:

A. Although the arrangement was word for word, it still works as a song selection and was still the right musical choice because Chris's voice doesn't sound like the guy from Live. Even on the same notes, Chris's voice has a clarity and energy that's unique.

B. Live's version was not a widely known classic with heavy, across the board airplay, so for most people there weren't immediate musical memories attached to it. (I like the band’s work and forgot it myself!)

Had either A. or B. not been the case, and if Chris wasn't unique as an artist, it wouldn't have worked as a song selection, and I'd call it karaoke.

As I said in the Editor's Note, the best musical example I can give is the Joe Cocker version of the Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends." The Joe Cocker version become a much-covered cover, and pretty much every rock band who ever played a bar in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s has covered the Joe Cocker version. The best renditions were done by people whose voices sounded completely different from Joe Cocker and held the notes differently.

Conversely, although I like Taylor Hicks’ voice a lot, if Taylor tried touring with it, it would sound karaoke, because he sounds like Joe Cocker. (Although for some reason I have the uneasy feeling that when the Top 10 finalists go on tour, we’ll see Taylor singing it. Please, no.)

So, Chris’s version of “Walk the Line” on American Idol was just fine, and our performance notes still stand.

Also, I don’t believe there was any underhanded thinking on Chris’s part with regard to not crediting Live, because he’d gone out of his way to mention another artist’s arrangement in a previous week. It’s live TV, performance nights are especially tight on time, and the contestants are still learning how to express themselves on camera.

That’s why the producers, musical directors, and people who put together the clip explaining his song choice should have made sure that, as a courtesy, Live was credited with the arrangement.

Fortunately, the voting audience didn’t take it out on Chris. I’m glad, because I think he’s an amazing singer.

We now return you to current topics…Were we surprised that Mandisa went home last night? Unfortunately, no. We liked her, but if you read this week’s MBADC Al Armchair Quarterback, you know we weren’t surprised.

Rock on (That was a really cool David Essex song from the ‘70’s, by the way…),
RR

Randi Reed
Founder / Editor in Chief
MusicBizAdvice.com

Stage Presence: American Idol Contestants, and Stage Presence Then and Now..Plus AI's Producer Disses Shakira

2006-04-05T08:30:00.000-07:00

Good Morning, Music Fans,

I’m in the midst of writing the performance notes into column form for the MBADC American Idol Armchair Quarterback for MusicBizAdvice.com but wanted to pop in with an observation…

At this stage of the game, the contestants should have a much better idea of cover songs that really connect with an audience.

They should also have far better stage presence than they do.

But, this is what happens when we have a generation of kids who take private voice lessons and only sing for their family, friends, and instructors...and who don't go to live concerts.

Starting at a young age (14, 15) my musical peers all learned what connects with a live audience by playing backyard parties, school events, frat parties, and jam sessions, and by getting gigs at tiny little clubs. Since they’d learned as they went along, it was rare for even local artists to not have stage presence. (Some more than others, but most of them knew how to connect.) They also built loyal fan bases.

Vocal coaching was rare then, too—Most of my musical peers never took a lesson until they blew out their voices on the first tour or got nodes on their vocal cords. (Not a great way to go.)

Conversely, now we have droves of kids who have a high level of technical ability, but have no clue what songs connect with an audience.

Seeing Katharine McPhee smile when she sings blues is the final straw. It’s the blues, Katharine. People with the blues don’t smile.

The same goes for Elliott Yamin. If it’s a sad lyric, don’t smile!

Readers, if you’re not playing live, start. Look for opportunities to do so everywhere you go…You won’t make a lot of money at it, and you’ll be doing gigs where you don’t get paid at all, but what you gain in experience and stage presence is priceless. Learn what you’re doing before you start trying to get famous.

Also, get out there and see live performances. If you're underage to get into clubs and tickets are too expensive in your area, check out DVDs of performances. Adelphia Cable's On Demand feature has a lot of free concerts in their music section, too. Watch a variety of performances, in many musical genres, to see what makes crowds react. (I don't recommend viewing clips on your computer for this purpose, BTW--You need a larger screen to really see exactly what the performers are doing to get that reaction.)

It's the musical equivalent of football and basketball players watching footage of classic games; they watch the plays closely to see what works, then they incorporate them into their own game. So go play, team!

I’m going back to my article now…Barring any server problems, it will be up on MusicBizAdvice.com before Ryan Seacrest reads the results on the East Coast. (Update 11:45 AM: It's up!)

P.S. American Idol Producer Nigel Lythgowe (sp) just said on Ryan Seacrest’s radio show that when Shakira was on American Idol, the contestants never met her, although AI requested that she go out and talk to them. He said, quote, “she wouldn’t get off her ass” and go out to talk to them, and that she's no longer welcome to have anything to do with the show because "it's about the kids" and, he feels she used the show to promote her CD without regard to the contestants.

Live your dreams!
Randi Reed
Editor in Chief, MusicBizAdvice.com

P.P.S. Yeah, yeah, I'm still learning how to insert links on Blogger, so bear with me...I'll have Webmaster Extraordinaire show me again and will go back in and change them. (Done!)

Edited to get rid of a typo, and to add a performance suggestion.--RR

Copyright 2006 Randi Reed. All rights reserved.

Britney Spears Spoofs Clear Channel on "Will and Grace"

2006-03-30T20:34:00.000-08:00

Greetings, Music fans!

(One of my goals this week: learn how to use the audio blog feature so I can post more regularly, and on the fly.) (Update: never could get it to work.)

Don'tcha love when art and real life collide with perfect timing?

Kudos, kudos, and more kudos, to the writers of tonight's Will and Grace episode for their brilliant spoof of Clear Channel. Ahem. Or I should say, for the brilliant spoof of a media conglomerate that has some incidental similarities to media companies like Clear Channel.

The airing of this particular episode was especially timely: Recently Clear Channel fired Indie 103 morning DJ Dicky Barrett from his successful morning show the same day he had, according to Dicky's press release, a "substantial, unauthorized pro-choice on air conversation with a South Dakota DJ and a few callers." According to his press release differences about the show's direction played a role, but in Dicky's words, the pro-choice on air conversation was "the straw that broke the camel's back."

Welcome to America, kids...the Land of free speech. (!)

(Clear Channel maintains Dicky's departure was because his main priority was the Jimmy Kimmel show. Dicky refuted this on L.A. Voice.org, saying in part, "Jimmy is a great guy who supported the Mighty Morning Show...It is unfair to let people think I walked away to put more work into loudly reading twenty to thirty words a night on Jimmy's TV show.")

Ironically, in tonight's episode of Will and Grace, Britney Spears played a right-wing, flag waving (literally) Pro Bush supporter added to Jack's show by the conglomerate. In one scene, to Jack and Will's surprise and horror, she unfurls a huge American flag that covers the gay tolerance rainbow flag that hangs above Jack's talk show set.

In another bit of irony, in real life, Michael Steele, the Clear Channel Program Director responsible for programming decsions relating to Dicky Barrett's Indie 103 morning show, happens to pride himself on breaking Britney Spears' radio career.

Make your own judgements, Music Fans. But it was really bleeping brilliant!

RR :)

Random Thoughts on the Grammys

2006-02-09T15:06:00.000-08:00

It's a crazy time with a lot going on (deadlines, Grammy week, DIY Convention) so today I'll just post a few Grammy Award observations...

Mariah Carey's awards should have been televised. She worked hard to regain her career, and politics shouldn't get in the way of her comeback moment.

Kelly Clarkson: Kelly's the real deal, and it's great to see her rewarded for that. Let her thank who she wants; she was in a daze, so leave her alone. I would be too.

Christina Aguilera: Christina looked beautiful and started off great, but got a bad case of the runs. The voice is already great without doing a run on every line. (Remember Mulan?)

Jamie Foxx and Kanye West: That was fun. Well done play on the lyrics, and the choreography was a blast.

Sly Stone: It's not easy to get up there after 14 years, in front of that crowd.

Green Day: Seeing them win was very cool.

Madonna and The Gorillas: I continue to be amused by the media who don't know the Gorillas have always been animated.

Keith Urban: Really nice performance of his hit. I like the guy.

Song of the Year: Should have been Rascal Flatts' Bless this Broken Road. It's a very well crafted song, and if I'm not even a country fan and know and like it, that says something.

Random Thoughts:

Randy Jackson: It was great to see Randy Jackson onstage. People who only know him from American Idol don't realize what a great, well respected session player he is. Before Idol, I'd seen him play live with at least 3 different artists: Journey, one of the Stanleys (Stanley Clarke or Stanley Jordan; I've seen them both and it's been a while), and Jon Bon Jovi. I met Randy backstage once and always associate him with a big smile and a booming laugh. He seemed genuinely happy to see everyone he met and had great energy. I walked away thinking, "There's a man who truly loves his job.

Ryan Seacrest: Loved Ryan Seacrest's coverage of the pre-show on E and how calmly he handles the chaos. (When someone did a porn star pose on the green carpet he deadpanned, "A little subtlety here tonight on the green carpet...") Ryan Seacrest was the weekend DJ on my station when I first moved to L.A., and I could never remember the poor guy's name and kept referring to him as Ryan Secrets or Ryan Seacrets. It's been very cool seeing his star take off. He's worked his butt off for it and deserves the rewards he's getting.

Live your dreams!

Randi Reed
Founder / Editor-in-Chief
MusicBizAdvice.com
http//:www.musicbizadvice.com

Copyright 2006 Randi Reed

Required Viewing for Aspiring Musicians, Managers, and Agents (TV Review: There and Back: Ashley Parker Angel)

2006-01-24T11:49:00.000-08:00

There and Back: Ashley Parker Angel should be Required Viewing for anyone who wants to be in the music industry. Even if this thing was 100% scripted, it would still be a pretty accurate portrayal of what happens to an artist after the success, money, and lifestyle go away.

It wasn't that many years ago that Ashley Parker Angel was a member of the boy band O-Town and had a hit single. All that's gone now--former O-Town bandmate Jacob works construction--and the series chronicles what life is like for a musician post-success. Ashley seems like a nice guy (maybe at times a little too nice for his own good) who signed a bad deal that screwed him out of his recording advance, and I can't help feeling for him. The fact that he's clearly a more talented singer and songwriter than O-Town allowed him to show makes me like him even more (so reserve your boy-band perceptions 'til after you've seen the show).

Watching the scene with the meeting with the producers who (allegedly!) screwed him over made my blood boil, because just by looking at them, it was fairly obvious where his advance probably went. (Allegedly!) Hearing them spew their manipulative BS about not wanting lawyers to get in the way of the music had me yelling, "Don't fall for it Ashley!" at the TV. If the scene was real (MTV got a lot of flack last year for allegedly scripting its "reality" moments on other shows) the presence of MTV cameras and manager Larry Rudolph certainly got him out of the situation. And if it was scripted, it was very well done; I've heard those words hundreds of times myself from artists who were ripped off and told the same thing.

Meanwhile, there's life on the home front. On the show Ashley's pregnant girlfriend is about to pop with their first child, the hormones are getting to her, they live with her mom because Ashley can't afford a home of their own, and the resulting pressure of it all is getting to Ash. Meanwhile, he's trying to write an album that financially and career wise, he knows really needs to be a hit.

If you watch the show and think Ashley Parker Angel has it bad on the show--and he does--consider this: at least he has a top level manager, a deal with MTV, and people are taking meetings with him. Most artists in his situation don't, so using the show as a tool to learn where things went wrong businesswise to prevent it from happening to you or your clients is key, along with the knowledge that there's probably not going to be an MTV deal to help out. Kudos to Ashley for his bravery in being an object business lesson for fellow musicians.

Score: ****1/2 out of 5 stars.

Edited 1:28PM January 24 b/c my Grammar check program truly sucks.

Why Are There So Damn Many References to Bon Jovi on MusicBizAdvice.com?

2006-01-23T21:53:00.000-08:00

(Written on Sunday, January 22, 2006 but posted Mon Jan 23 due to power outages)

If you go to MusicBizAdvice.com and do a site search, you'll see a lot of references to Bon Jovi or Jon Bon Jovi. Sometimes this irritates managers or fans of other artists, who occasionally send me flame mail. That's OK. Life Lesson #10,049: No matter what you do, somebody's going to be ticked off.

Today's blog entry is actually for those who either genuinely want to know or who say, "You like the 80's or what?" (A question I find a little irritating, because it usually means the person asking it only pays attention to the Top 10 and has little appreciation for album cuts or longevity in the music business.)

The main reason is really pretty simple: MusicBizAdvice.com's readers span 67 countries and three age groups. No matter whom I'm addressing, where they live, or what kind of music they're into, if I refer to Bon Jovi or Jon Bon Jovi as an example of success in one of our articles, that reader knows whom I'm talking about. Given that the average career for a successful recording artist is 5 years, the band's 23 years of high visibility are pretty impressive.

(Sidebar: Bon Jovi is a band, Jon Bon Jovi is a guy. If you're working with or writing about them, it's polite to know this and get it right.)

More importantly, Jon Bon Jovi has the kind of work ethic and attitude I'd love for our readers to follow. Jon's a household name, and is obviously a great looking guy (some would say "stunning" in person). Given that and the way fans react when they meet him, most people expect him to be difficult or unpleasant to work with. But you'll rarely hear anyone who's worked with him say anything but the opposite. Some artists, on the other hand, act like they're entitled to make working together a miserable experience for everyone but themselves.

On a personal level, it's no secret that I've liked the band's music since I heard "Runaway" during Christmas 1983. I heard it long before I knew what Jon even looked like, and it still holds up as a well-written rock song when stripped down to its essence. But my favorite Bon Jovi stuff is well after 1986's Slippery When Wet, and it's the stuff a lot of people other than hard core fans don't know:

Jon's vocal on "Dry County," (Keep the Faith) still gives me chills; if you listen to it on a great system with headphones, you can hear his voice open up on the line "I cursed the sky to open." Richie Sambora does an amazing solo on that track, too.

Jon's version of "Levon" on the Two Rooms CD is still one of the best rock vocals I've ever heard. The engineering and production are so well executed, you can almost hear him breathe. I'm especially impressed by this because it was recorded in Jon's home studio...in 1991, before Pro-Tools became standard.

I often play "Hey God" from These Dayswhen I'm royally ticked off, and "This Ain't a Love Song" (also from These Days) is my favorite wallow-in-it break up song. The first chorus of "Someday I'll be Saturday Night" Cross Road) kept me going during my worst days of a chronic illness ("Hey man, I'm alive, I'm taking each day and night at a time, I'm feeling like a Monday but someday I'll be Saturday night"), and This Left Feels Right's "It's My Life" and "Born to Be My Baby" sound so intimate, when I hear them I feel like I've walked into a room with a closed door.

Do I like the 80's? Yeah, they were OK. But I like the evolution of the band even more. And if you're an artist or songwriter, I wish it for you as well.

C 2006 Randi Reed

Disclosure of Endorsements/Recommendations/Financial Compensation or Business Relationships per FTC Blog Disclosure Regulations in effect December 1, 2009: In the 90's I worked for a concert promotion company that presented many Bon Jovi shows. Since that time I've received no financial compensation or free product in direct connection with the band. I have, however, interviewed their recording engineer for MusicBizAdvice.com, and the MusicBizAdvice.com website sells Amazon products as an Amazon Associate.

Dread and the Client Drop (or How to Work with Others)

2006-01-21T19:04:00.000-08:00

This week, I performed one of my least favorite tasks: notifying an artist I won't be working with them.

Contrary to popular belief about managers, agents, A&R people, and other music executives, it's not something I ever relish or look forward to. Although I will admit to sometimes feeling a sense of "good riddance" if someone's been a real pain in the bleep.

I mention it because the artist made a key mistake you'll want to avoid in your own career: we're dropping the artist from our radar because the artist is too difficult to work with. (To protect the artist's privacy, I'll change the details.)

"Difficult" isn't bad in itself. Frankly I worry when someone blindly follows everything I tell them without question, because it means they can't say no (which leads to other problems later on).

What matters is the degree of "difficult."

State your case, and defend your art. But pick your battles. You can be hands on without being a bleep. If you're paying someone to advise you--especially when you've contacted them for help, not the other way around--don't argue with everything they're telling you. Artists who do are exhausting to work with, and people go out of their way to avoid working with them. (I once had a client who once spent 45 minutes arguing with me on the placement of a comma in his bio...Even after I showed him the entry in Strunk and White's Elements of Style and an English textbook. True story.)

Let me give you another example: Getting someone to redo some seriously off-pitch notes that are prominently heard in a chorus shouldn't take the band, a producer, an engineer, myself, and ten rocket scientists from Teledyne an hour to convince them. (OK, I exaggerated on this one. But close...)

And that's just one chorus, of one song...Of an entire CD. (Can we say expensive studio time?)

I don't claim that it's easy taking criticism, letting others into the process, delegating, or dealing with control issues. But we all go through it, no matter what we do for a living. It's all in how you handle it.

Assuming you have good people working with you, at some point you have to relax a little and let people do their jobs. Otherwise you're wasting your money, and their time. (Not to mention the time of everyone else who's working on the project.) If you can't trust them enough to let yourself relax a little, either you haven't done your job in hiring people you're comfortable with, or you're having trouble with control issues.

It's sad, because this artist is talented, and I'd really like to see them succeed.

But it ain't gonna be with me. Nor the previous other people who tried to manage them...Is it any surprise that the more successful the artist, the easier they are to work with?

©2006 Randi Reed

About Your Friendly Editor, and What I Do

2006-01-21T10:24:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my blog! Make yourself at home. (The Food's to the right, the bar's to the left, and non-alcoholic beverages are there too...)

Frankly I'd rather dive right in, but should probably tell you something about myself...

I'm the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of MusicBizAdvice.com, and a music business consultant. I started as a singer-songwriter in a band, hated it (those of you who are reading this with a sore throat from last night's gig or recording session, I salute you), and discovered that although music was (and still is) my passion, I liked the behind-the-scenes aspects a lot more than performing.

I won't tell you how long ago that was, but over the years I've worked in artist management, booking, and concert promotion at the national level. Along the way I was also an assistant manager at a record store, a personal assistant to a platinum artist, and was the editor for another platinum artist's official fan club newsletter.

The most adamantly anti-business artists (why you're reading this I don't know, but welcome) say I think too much like a suit. The most business-minded non-creatives (ditto to you) say I think too much like a musician. Often on the same day. I can live with that, because balancing the two isn't easy. But I can tell you that I'm fiercely protective of my clients, even if I don't always tell them what they want to hear. (Sidebar: A good manager should tell you what you don't want to hear. If you're surrounded by yes people who only tell you what you want to hear, you're screwed.)

MusicBizAdvice.com came about when I lost my job at a major Hollywoood entertainment firm after getting a chronic immune system disorder. It affected the part of my brain that controls math functions, reading, and writing, and was so bad that at one point I couldn't read a calendar, dial the phone, read, or use a computer because the numbers and letters scrambled in front of me. (Really conducive to booking bands, right?) My sensory perception was also affected, so watching TV or listening to music made me dizzy and nauseous. (Remember how you felt during the worst drunken episode of your life, when you felt sick and the room wouldn't stop spinning and you felt like you had to hang onto the floor so you wouldn't spin off? That's it.) I was confined to bed for quite a while, and coming back was a slow process.

During my convalescence I started outlining ideas for projects on a legal pad from my bed. In 1997, MusicBizAdvice.com was one of them. So, here we are. I hope it helps you get where you want to go in your career, helps one of your clients, or is helpful to that research paper you're writing.

As for this blog? This is where I get a little more personal, a little more editorial, give kudos to people I like, and rant about those I don't. Here's hoping it's entertaining.

©2006 Randi Reed