Billboard Touring Awards 2013: The Hardest-Won Award

On November 14, 2013 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York, live music industry behind-the-scenesers gathered for the Billboard Touring Awards, as part of the 10^th Annual Billboard Touring Conference.

Most of the awards were based on Billboard’s Boxscore numbers, with awards in a few categories determined with input from touring industry personnel. As its name implied, the Eventful Fan Choice Award was determined by fan votes on the Eventful event locator website. Country artist George Strait was awarded the 2013 Billboard Legend of Live statue. P!nk was named Billboard Woman of the Year, in addition to winning the Top Boxscore award, which is awarded for the year's top-grossing engagement at a particular venue.
 

Bon Jovi won four out of five of the awards they were nominated for. In addition to the Eventful Fan Choice Award, they won Top Tour (awarded to the top grossing tour), Top Draw (awarded to the top ticket seller), and Top Manager.  

Given that 2013 was Bon Jovi’s 30^th year in the business, and considering all they’ve been through during this touring cycle--guitarist RichieSambora’s no-show status for the second and subsequent legs of the tour, plus drummer Tico Torres’s two emergency surgeries during the South American leg and Tico's subsequent triumphant return--I was especially happy to hear the band won.

There will, no doubt, be some blowhard who writes a nasty remark or two about the “touring industry elite engaging in a self-congratulatory exercise.” (They’re so predictable, I have them memorized.)

I say, you’re Goddamn right they are. They should congratulate themselves.

Touring can be, and often is, physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting. On the performers’ part, to carry off a successful tour takes an incredible amount of focus and discipline. From behind-the-scenes, the planning and execution of a tour might be best described to someone outside of the industry as a lot like planning a huge wedding every night, as it's the only "real life" event most people can even begin to relate to in terms of scale and stress level. The difference is, on tour the “wedding” takes place in a different town every night, and you have to keep getting everyone and all the components of the reception to the church on time. Then you pack ‘em all up and do it all over again. And again. And again.

That’s why I’ve always considered the Billboard Touring Awards (and their sister awards the Pollstar Awards) harder-won, and maybe a little more special than some of the other music awards. During my career I’ve worked for and with some Billboard Touring Award and Pollstar Award winning promoters and agents, so that’s admittedly part of, but not all of it.

The thing that makes a touring award special is—and this is no disrespect to the Grammys or AMA’s, or anyone who’s won or been nominated for them—a Grammy-award winning song or album is made once, by perhaps a hundred or so people. An award-winning tour is made every night, by thousands.

Congratulations to all my colleagues and friends in the touring industry who were nominated, won awards, or even just came really, really close. You earned it.

A complete list of winners is here .

You can see who was nominated here .


©2013 Randi Reed and MusicBizAdvice.com . All rights reserved.

Letter to a Rude Guy: How Not To Treat People at a Concert (And What Happens When You Do)

Last week I aggravated an old ankle injury at a show in Anaheim, necessitating the use of a cane. For Bon Jovi’s Staples Center show a couple of days later, I was still on the cane so I used the opportunity to see what it’s like to be a differently-abled audience member (no industry perks, and without venue staff knowing I’m industry). I’d planned to post about that, but first I need to address an audience member who was at that show. At least six people saw what you’re about to read. To any guys reading this,  please be assured this is no reflection on your gender. There were plenty of rude women there, too. This person just happened to be the worst I saw. I wrote this the morning after the show.

Dear Rude Guy in Floor 1 at Bon Jovi Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA, October 11, 2013:

If your behavior at the above-mentioned show is any indication, there’s nothing “dear” about you.

Out of human decency I will do you the courtesy of not mentioning our row number, or your seat number, in a public forum. But don’t think I’m not tempted to. You’re probably lucky I’m the one writing this instead of someone who does not consider the power of his or her words.

In the middle of Jon Bon Jovi’s Circle Stage* performance to my right, you barreled your way down our row to get to Jon, passing in front of everyone in our row without so much as an “excuse me.” As you pushed past, you inappropriately ran your hand over BFF @Jinjer ’s hip area, then knocked my cane off of the back of the chair in front of me, sending my purse flying and nearly toppling me over as I balanced on one foot. Had that chair not been in front of me to grab onto, I would have fallen; the only thing that kept me from it was a hopping lurch toward it on my good foot.

Someone with less mobility would have gone down. Someone with manners would have noticed their error and apologized and perhaps helped the injured party retrieve her purse and cane, or, at the very least, said a simple “excuse me.” You did none of those.

If you’d made a beeline toward the restroom after your loutish behavior, I might have been more forgiving, because you may have been ill. (You looked sober.) But no…

You proceeded to stand in the aisle that was next to me, blocking my view, and then you attempted to crowd me out of my spot in front of my aisle seat and claim my seat as your own. (My seat was a full-price ticket, bought through normal channels, by the way. I wanted to have fun and not feel obligated to “network” so I didn’t even use an industry buy. Your seat was at the other end of our row.) Then you had the temerity to nudge me and smile and try to be my concert buddy while I stood my ground (on my one good foot) and tried to ignore you as I clapped along in support of my favorite frontman.

Oh, but wait…There’s more.

When I shouted in your ear, “I’m balanced on one foot. Please move!” and held up my cane to show you--yeah, the one you never noticed you’d sent flying a minute ago--you ignored me and continued to crowd me while I balanced precariously.
  

This is why you were at the show without a date. And if you think that trolling Bon Jovi concerts for female companionship is going to help you, you are sadly mistaken.

Do not think for a millisecond that gold Rolex you were attempting to show off by pushing up the sleeves of your cashmere sweater will help you. It won’t.

Do not try to blame my icy glare--some might call it “the stinkeye”--and my lack of any friendliness toward you on the fact that Jon Bon Jovi was standing a mere few feet away. While that certainly wouldn’t help your case, Jon’s not your problem.

It’s you. More specifically, the problem is your behavior and demeanor.

You, sir—note the omission of a capital on that “S,” because you clearly don’t deserve one-- are an ass.

That is why, unbeknownst to you, while you were busy pulling out your camera, I caught the eye of the usher working the aisle, gestured toward you, and gave her the Security “he’s outta here” hand signal. She gave me a nod of recognition and came toward you immediately.

Until that show, it was unthinkable that I’d ever use it as an audience member. Even while working various artists’ shows over the years I’ve only had to use it twice, because most people are truly good people who just get a little carried away. I do admit to feeling more than a little gleeful when I used it on you, however. You groped my best friend’s *ss and nearly knocked me over, remember?

You then proceeded to stand in the aisle pleading with the female usher, which only made you look more asinine (I didn’t think that was even possible). You had no case, and she got rid of you as two members of Security--who’d silently moved in behind you without your ever noticing--stood ready to escort you out as necessary. (As it always does when I see Security move in on someone, the theme from “Jaws” ran briefly through my head.)

Let me guess: you didn’t get laid after the show that night, did you, Rude Guy?

While Security was dealing with you, I just rolled my eyes and shook my head and went back to watching my favorite frontman sing. You know…the guy who inspired me to want a music career in the first place. You know…the career where I learned that signal that made them send you packing.

Ain’t the Circle of Life grand?

And while all this was going on a few feet away from him? Jon, pro that he is, kept singing and didn’t miss a note, despite multiple audience distractions.

Amen.

“Have a Nice Day,” Rude Guy.

RR

P.S. The ushers and Security were very busy dealing with seat stealers and rude people that night. Thanks and kudos to them for doing such a great job.

Also, Staples Center Guest Services staff, you rock! Thank you for helping me get around that night. You went above and beyond, and you did it with a smile. I wanted to see what differently-abled concert goers really experience, so you didn’t know I’m industry ‘til now… Surprise! :-) Thanks again. I had a great evening, despite Rude Guy’s antics.

“The world is only broken into two tribes: The people who are as*h*les, and the people who are not.”—Arnold Spirit Jr., The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

*For those not familiar with the show, that’s the part of the stage where Jon comes down front with his acoustic guitar to sing a few songs.

©2013 Randi Reed and MusicBizadvice.com .All rights reserved.

30 Years Gone? The Real Story of Richie Sambora’s Current Status in Bon Jovi

 I posted this to the MusicBizAdvice.com website last night.... --RR 

I hope everyone affected by the subject of this post understands why I’m writing it. Longtime readers of MusicBizAdvice.com know my mission: to give musicians the truth and help them protect their interests, even when it’s hard to hear. This post has certainly been hard for me to write.

Today I’m breaking my policy of never speaking publicly about an artist, because someone’s health is at stake, and our mutual friends and colleagues are worried. It concerns Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora and his future with the band.

2013 is the 30^th anniversary of the release of Jon’s first single, “Runaway” and of the subsequent formation of the band Bon Jovi. Unfortunately, the band’s anniversary is overshadowed by Richie Sambora’s absence from their current tour to promote the band’s 12^th studio album, What About Now.

“Personal issues” was the explanation given for Richie’s absence. Guitarist Phil X was hired to stand in, and the first leg of the tour came and went.* Richie was still absent when the band hit the UK and Europe on the next leg of the tour, and Jon Bon Jovi said questions regarding Richie’s absence were best answered by Richie himself. (Bon Jovi have never been a band to air their dirty laundry in public, and as Richie Sambora’s employer, legally Jon Bon Jovi can’t speak about him due to privacy laws.) Meanwhile, Richie stayed mum and began promoting his fashion line with Nikki Lund, leaving fans baffled as speculation about his employment status went public via the tabloids. Now well into the band’s August break, Richie appears to be more focused on the fashion line than music.

I’ve been in and around bands since I was a kid, and I’ve seen this scenario play out before. From a personal standpoint, it’s especially sad to see this happen, because Bon Jovi was the first globally successful artist whose entire career (thus far) I’ve observed.

There’s much I could say about Bon Jovi from a professional and personal standpoint…like that time when, as a young intern new to the job, I picked up my boss’s phone to hear a voice I recognized from MTV interviews. It was Jon calling to negotiate his own deal. (It took maybe less than five minutes, everyone hung up happy, and it’s still the most amicable negotiation I’ve ever witnessed. I learned a lot from Jon that day.) Since then we’ve had many mutual colleagues and friends, and I’ve known the real story of what’s happening with Richie and the band for a while.

Again, it’s not my policy to speak publicly about artists. But the tabloid media are spreading tales that my colleagues and I know are lies, and it’s getting uglier, so here’s the truth:

1. Richie has NOT been fired. As one of my colleagues said, “Jon’s not going to kick a man when he’s down.”Additionally, Bon Jovi band policy is, as an original member of the band, Richie retains the title of “Bon Jovi Guitarist.” Whether or not Richie is actively using his title depends on him.

2. Richie is in control of his own destiny in the band, and there are conditions and parameters for his return if he wants to come back. He can’t just walk in and be welcomed back with open arms as if nothing has happened. Jon and the band love Richie and want him to be well, and his health is the most important thing to everyone. They want to welcome him back, as long as he’s healthy.

3. If you have a job, no matter what your title is, from Walmart Associate, to CEO of a Fortune 500 company, to Wall Street magnate, if there are multiple instances when you don’t show up for work and no one can reach you, there are repercussions. If you’re an athlete on a sports team and are a no-show without talking to the coach or the team, you’re suspended. If you’re in the army and you don’t show up, you go jail. And for all those jobs, when you show up, you must be physically able and ready to perform your job.
Being a rock star is no different. If you don’t show up or are physically unable to perform when you do show up, there are repercussions.

People count on you to be there: the audience who paid to see you (and maybe even traveled to do so). The fans who support you. Your crew members who take care of you and help you sound great and look pretty. Your Brothers onstage. Your singing partner. The talent buyer, record label, and partners in your 360 deal. Your corporate sponsors, and the TV and radio networks who invest millions of dollars to present your talent. The venue staff. All those people count on you to show up and do your job with the same excellence you ask of them.

4. It kills me to say this…but I happen to know there are multiple times when Richie didn’t show up for work, or was unfortunately physically unable to perform.

There are multiple, documented times when Richie was physically unable to perform in the studio and at the band’s important events– including live concert broadcasts attended by press and music industry people who are important to the band’s career. The “Unplugged” show in Brooklyn is just one example of an event when Richie was unreliable.

5. This is not about slagging Richie. It’s about concern for Richie’s health.

6. Everyone wants Richie to be healthy, happy, and well. They all love Richie and are united in this. There’s no “Team Jon” and “Team Richie.” It’s The Brotherhood.

7. The major news organizations who copied and pasted or cited the “Rumorfix” article as a source never called the Bon Jovi organization for comment. They did this to stretch out headlines and get more ratings and page views out of it. When people learn the truth, there’s no more story.

8. Someone who has a lot to gain–I won’t mention names–is orchestrating a full-on media takedown of Jon Bon Jovi, and they’re taking advantage of the fact that Jon, as Richie Sambora’s employer, is legally prevented from saying anything about Richie’s absence from the band. Even worse, the people orchestrating the attack are using unsuspecting, well-meaning Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora fans to do it.

That’s why I’m writing this: my colleagues and friends are hurting, and we all hate what these people are doing.

9. It’s painful for Jon’s friends and colleagues to watch Jon take the fall for his Brother Richie’s actions and take the high road while people make up tabloid lies about Jon. (Would you be strong enough to do that for a friend?)

Everyone I’ve ever known in the industry who has worked with Jon Bon Jovi says he’s a good guy who inspires decades-long loyalty. I’ve never heard anyone who’s worked with him say anything bad about him (and believe me, they say plenty about other people).

10. Everyone I’ve ever dealt with in the Bon Jovi organization has been a pleasure to work with. In any organization, the CEO sets the tone, and it comes from the top down. Bon Jovi’s teamwork, loyalty, and “can do” spirit start with Jon Bon Jovi.

One of the things people like about working with Jon and the Bon Jovi organization is that when the project begins, their first question is a sincere, “What can we do to help?” Or “What do you need from us?” Later, they follow up with “Do you have everything you need?” It’s such a simple thing, but Bon Jovi is the only artist I’ve ever dealt with who does this consistently.

So to see Jon Bon Jovi portrayed as the bad guy by people who have their own agenda (or by their team of minions who’ve never worked with, let alone met anyone in the band’s orbit) is unfair beyond words. It’s also unfair and disrespectful to Tico Torres, David Bryan, Hugh McDonald, and Bobby Bandiera, who have known and worked with Jon since he was a teenager. It’s also unfair to Phil X, who’s doing a fantastic job in a strange situation.

I’m not a spokesperson for the band, nor do I work for the band, but I’ll try to address some concerns Bon Jovi fans may have, based on what I know:

1. “The Brotherhood” is real. As a band, Bon Jovi may be big business, but they’re not just business. After 30 years together, the ones on the inner circle think of each other as Brothers. That doesn’t mean they don’t have disagreements, or that they don’t get angry or frustrated with each other. As in any family, you can laugh with your brother, you can cry with your brother, or you can be irritated or even angry with your brother, but you still love him no matter what and want him to be OK.

2. The band and crew hate the whole “Team Jon” and “Team Richie” thing. Jon hates it when the band’s fans fight amongst themselves. That goes against the concept of the Brotherhood. These are the guys who wrote “Undivided,” remember?

This situation isn’t about hate. It’s about love…tough love, but love nonetheless. It’s also about worry, and about fear for someone’s health.

3. The onstage chemistry between Jon and Richie was real. Here’s how I see it: I once saw a T.V. interview with Lucille Ball in which she talked about working with Desi Arnaz on “I Love Lucy”(a huge pop culture phenomenon of a TV show) and about making people laugh when their marriage was collapsing. Lucy and Desi were collaborative partners who were great onstage together. In the interview, Lucy said, “It helped to go to work.“ What she meant by this was, onstage, the magic was still there. I think that’s how it would be with the band if Richie came back healthy.

4. As to why Jon didn’t cancel the tour, this answer is based only on my experience in the industry:

i. “The Show Must Go On” for the people who bought tickets, and for the crew, who count on that employment. There are only so many tours out at a time, with very few crew slots available.

ii. Contractual obligations to AEG and the label. A recording contract includes promotional clauses that require artist and label to each do their part to promote an album, and a 360 label deal structure brings additional weight and meaning to the word “promotion”. Jon’s label is owned by one of the largest media organizations in the US, so it’s advantageous to keep them happy. Regarding AEG, the Michael Jackson O2 Arena contract for ten shows had a clause that gave AEG the right to sue for $24Million if Michael could not perform. You can imagine how large that figure would be for an entire long tour. (Tour insurance coverage varies depending on the situation…I’ve seen a situation where an artist with a cancer diagnosis had a hard time getting the insurance company to pay, and another where a flaky artist cancelled with no hassle from the insurance company. Then there’s the question of whether or not everyone in a given band is insurable.)

There you have it. I’ve given you facts and I stand by my words enough to post them under my real name. Hopefully, you understand this was written out of concern for Richie’s health and that no one wants anything to happen to him. He has not been fired, and the band wants to welcome him back if he’s healthy and meets the conditions and parameters for his return.

Randi Reed
Founder/Editor-in-Chief
MusicBizAdvice.com
August 27, 2013


*ETA 7/20/14: Correction: Richie actually was on the first leg of the tour and no-showed for the band's first show (Calgary) after the band's spring break. My apologies. Having been at some of those shows before that break, I should have remembered that.



I stand by the rest of the above post, and except for that one fact, I would write the exact same post today. Had I not been running on just a few hours' sleep before posting it, it would have also included this:
The Paramount Studios backlot show stands out for me, because having worked my entire career in sunny places, it was the first time I'd seen the band in a downpour. The band was great and it was a fun show, but I remember noticing something was "off" and hoping it was just the cold weather and rain, or hoping that it was the funkiness of restarting the engine again...Doing a show in the rain is a pain in the a** because equipment and water don't mix, and cold makes fingers stiff. And the first couple of times in front of an audience after studio lockdown are always weird for an artist, what with debuting new songs while sense memory about old ones comes back.

The show was outdoors, and although the stage was partly covered, things were leaky and there were puddles all over the stage--which Jon splashed and jumped around in like a little kid. I remember laughing as my teeth chattered and thinking, "For the love of God and rock and roll, Jon, don't slip and hurt yourself--the tour hasn't even started yet!" He seemed resolved not to let the rain get to him and to try to have fun anyway. Richie seemed not himself. But rain is harder on guitarists than singers (voices love moisture). Later, things became more obvious and as mentioned above, concerning for our mutual friends.

There's nothing I want more than for Richie to be healthy and happy.


















































 

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

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."    

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.


© 2011-2013 Randi Reed and MusicBizAdvice.com. All rights reserved.  

Book review: Bon Jovi: When We Were Beautiful

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

Soraia Single and Video for "Not the Woman"

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.

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

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

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***7/24/14: Due to Richie Sambora's no-show /departure from the 2013 Bon Jovi tour and subsequent interviews in which he appeared to express anger for the resulting consequences,   some Richie Sambora supporters have tried to turn a sentence from one paragraph of this ASCAP Report into Richie talking about being a hired gun songwriter for Jon.

I'll be blunt:

That's asinine. ASCAP's "I Create Music Expo" is a songwriter's event. Jon and Richie were there to discuss their writing process, in depth, and members of the media were there in the front row.

I was in the room, sitting in that front row, directly across from Richie when he said it. The people who are trying to create dirt out of my ASCAP report were not there. I know who was in the media row with me. The people who are making this stuff up never seem to remember the "I Create Music Expo" Jon and Richie were at was in Los Angeles (specifically, Hollywood), and that being local, I know who was there.I can assure you, that is not what Richie was saying. And they're doing Jon, Richie, and Desmond Child--who happened to be sitting behind me when Richie said it--a major disservice with that misinterpretation.

When Richie referred to writing for Jon's vocal range when he said "I write for Jon" they'd been talking about how, as writers, it's important for them to go away from each other and then come back to the writing table with fresh ideas and new material, and how sometimes they arrive with songs they'd started individually.

I'd need to get the recording out of a safety deposit box to quote the moderator's exact question,  but I'm one of those people with an annoyingly photographic memory for details, so here's what I can tell you:
 
The moderator wanted to know how, as writers, Jon and Richie determine which will be solo material and which material will be brought together for further collaboration as a band. Richie replied that it's really easy for him, because as soon as he sits down to write, he thinks of who will be singing it. Richie was speaking specifically about writing for Jon's vocal range when he said, "i write for Jon" and then he turned toward the audience of songwriters  and gave them the advice about thinking about the artist who will sing it and the demographic.


Jon nodded as if to say, "Yeah, me too" to what Richie said, and that's when Jon added the part about regretting "writing so many high notes" as a young songwriter. Jon got a laugh from the audience when he said it, and one of the times he and Richie said the same thing at the same time was when they both said, "'because you have to actually sing them!" Then they riffed on "Don't write what you can't sing" jokes.
 
 That's it. I remember the "I write for Jon" quote clearly because I was sitting directly across from Richie, and when he turned toward the audience to say the second part, he had to turn toward me. It also happened right after a hilarious incident that was part of why my audio of the event was never posted. I didn't write about it then, but now that time has passed, I'll tell you about it in a minute.)
 
The meaning of that 'I write for Jon" quote was very clear and non-controversial in person, at the event. Jon was sitting right beside Richie and nodded in agreement, and Desmond Child was there and heard it, too. Desmond was sitting either directly behind me or one person over. He has a great laugh and I could hear him behind me, and I saw him as I was leaving afterward. 

Desmond Child is a very outspoken guy who had his own songwriter's panel there, which I also attended. If Desmond thought Richie meant anything other than starting a song with Jon's vocal range in mind, Desmond would have said so at his own songwriting panel. He's not a guy who minces words.

Seriously, guys, you're looking for a smoking gun that isn't there. When I originally posted this piece, there was no discussion of the "I write for Jon" quote at all. 

Now that time has passed and the person in question won't see this, I can tell you a funny thing that happened right before the guys said the thing about the "rickety old cassette tape recorder". It was one of the reasons why I never posted my audio for this event:

There was a guy sitting next to me in the media row, who clearly wasn't media or anyone who worked at the event, and he didn't seem to be a fan or a songwriter either. Remember, the media row is the front row, directly in Jon and Richie's sight-lines. Jon and Richie are on stage facing us, and I'm across from Richie, maybe ten to twelve feet away?

So Jon and Richie and the moderator are in the middle of the discussion, and I'm speedwriting my notes, and I've got my recorder positioned on the corner of my notepad on my lap, steadying it with my left hand as I write so the recorder will pick up what they're saying without their having to stare at it. (Media etiquette 101.)

So I'm scribbling away, and out of the corner of my eye I see the guy break out a bag of  sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds or something that needs to be shelled. And he kicks back in his chair like he's in his livingroom. Then he pulls out a drink, which he cracks open noisily. My recorder is picking all this up, because it's right next to the guy.

Then, still kicked back, he pulls out his cell phone to call God knows who--but it becomes obvious he's trying to impress a girl when, just as Jon's in the middle of answering a really good question, the guy says in a smarmy voice, loud enough for them to hear, "Hey. Guess where I am. Yeah, I'm checking out Jon Bon Jovi..."

You can't make this stuff up. Jon paused for a microsecond to glance over (not a stinkeye) and kept going. If I had to draw a thought bubble above Jon's head it might have said something like, "WTF?" Meanwhile, I'm trying to stay focused, and I'm periodically glaring daggers at Cell Phone Guy to try to get him to shut up. And I cannot look at Jon or Richie, because I'm afraid I'll start laughing at the ridiculousness. So I got more interested in my notes.

The guy hangs up, so I think, cool, he's over it and he'll settle down with his snack now.

Um...no. He picks up my recorder from the notepad on my lap, holds it up, and says to me, in a stage whisper loud enough for Jon and Richie to hear:

"Junk!" and gestures to his own recorder, which is like a ministudio the size of a paperback book and has multiple sliders and all this crazy stuff on it.

Sidebar: There's a reason why a lot of reporters still use very simple mini recorders instead of an IPhone or whatever. Simple recorders are durable and and can take jostling around or being dropped. (Mine survived a fall onto the cement floor of an arena years ago.) More importantly, you need something with simple record buttons you can switch on without looking when you're juggling your notes or walking really fast.

And that's where we pick up with Jon and Richie, who've seen thousands of reporters' recorders.

This may be coincidence, because I'd heard them tell the story before,  but there is no way they hadn't seen and heard that guy's antics...  and I saw Richie get that look musicians get when they're either suddenly entertained or about to be, and I saw him glance over at Jon to get his attention.

And that is when Richie told the the story about "Who Says You Can't Go Home," their current single at the time, being written with "two guitars and a rickety old tape recorder" and Jon joined in.

:-)


7/25 ET fix a formatting error and a typo.