-Part 2: ROLE MODELS -
FOLLOWING THE PATH OF MISTAKES AND COMPLACENCY
The importance of the DIY business model for bands and what they need to do to avoid being victimized is explained in an in-depth manner. Bands are paying $200 or more to perform at VFW and American Legion Halls in which the bands pay an exorbitant amount of money only to have their shows not promoted. Recommendations to avoid victimization include a number of bands getting together and putting on shows at small venue and running the concerts themselves.
Can you describe for musicians a successful DIY business model since the alternative is either to get on a major label, or deal with an underground label?
I don’t have a formula or a sequential set of steps that would work with every person and situation. It all comes down to education. Educate yourself and if musicians want to actually stop being victimized, you have to lose the fear and you have to be able to say “No.” You have to say “No that is unfair. You cannot do that to us.” The thing is this, if you have a whole bunch of bands that are all together on one side of the picket line going “We are not going to let that promoter screw us like that anymore. We are not going to stand here and we are not going to play that show. Let that promoter eat shit because of what he’s done to all of us.” But you are going to have one band that is going to go “Wow all those guys backed out. If they will book us, we will be the headliner, and some people will probably still come.” The way I see it, we all sink or we all swim. It would not necessarily be an easy turnaround, but everyone has to do it. You have to lose the fear thing.
( Rat then takes on the character of a musician, “oh well, but we really want to play.” )
You are paying all this money to play. When you do that, you and everyone else is expected to do that. And that is now the norm. The norm is “pay to play.” That’s ridiculous. That’s insanity. So everyone has to get on the page of who is in charge here, is it the dog or the tail? Who is running the show? *laughs* The industry got that way because we let it get that way. There never was a gun to our head, saying “You have got to sign this and here are your terms, and here is what you will make and here is what you will not make.” No. We have to learn from mistakes and that is it.
Anything you want to add on an intelligent move a band could do when the topic of pay to play comes up?
With what I have seen in these “pay to play” shows, a lot of these guys (these promoters who are taking advantage of kids) are just renting out American Legion and VFW Halls. That is no big deal to do that. Why let some guy make all the money he is going to make at the door? They will tell you they are not, but they are, otherwise they wouldn’t keep doing it. Bands can get together. Camraderie is going to work a heck of a lot better and work for bands to band together and say “Let’s put on a show. Let’s get four or five bands and get this American Legion Hall with our parents or whatever.” Get someone to rent it out, have a cheap PA system, have a couple of lights, and you have basically the same thing. And you didn’t pay $200 to some guy for doing nothing when they don’t even promote you. They (bands) should do it themselves. They should run their own shows, absolutely.
Part 3: The Suicide Process - Trying to Survive what You don’t Understand
Musicians self medicating to deal with their problems. They sell a large amount of albums and yet do not make any money. They deal with contract mistakes that they need to live with for the rest of their lives. Dealing with suicide in musicians as well as forced contact mistakes and how to deal with signing a contract in an intelligent manner.
Rat is helping musicians to survive the collision of art, money, ego, success and fear. Find out more about his projects:
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