I am trying to figure out the thought process that goes into putting bands on extensive tours when they also have a contractual obligation to churn out albums. There seems to be a massive lack of understanding of how to nurture the creative process on the label and management side. While the bands' touring schedule does net the most income for the group and push albums, it seems like tapering off/ being more selective about the touring would help to build a band's catalogue and fanbase for the longer term. How do we on the management side make an accurate assessment of how a band should tour in such a fickle market?
Here are a few links that got my brain churning today.
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Nick Zinner discusses excessive touring, the new album , and why it took so long to put it out (Drowned in Sound).
But you’re about to start that all over again. Did you learn any lessons from your past touring experiences? Are there things you’re going to do differently?
We’re going to have more breaks and be more selective. We’re going to try to not open for other bands, and try to not tour for more than three weeks at a time. The details like that – when you have days off, and where. We need to concentrate on the little details to make things run smoother.
The Dresden Dolls to tour with Panic! At The Disco: Not excited about it
"...i am going to make an ass out of you and me and guess that most of you probably don't know or don't like this band..."
"...that being said, the tour scared the shit out of me and i didn't like the idea of doing a support tour - ANY support tour, but esp one with unobtainable tickets - right after the record came out..."
Friday, March 31, 2006
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
"In fact, bands of the recently popular New York New Wave school, such as the Strokes, Interpol or the Killers, would do well to pay attention. When the time comes for their flop album (for the Strokes it already has and for the others it's only a matter of time), one-time fans will be a lot less willing to sit through another haughty, disdainful performance by a singer too shy or bored to interact with the audience. "
A great article on The Darkness and rock n' roll showmanship in Australia's The Age (via Coolfer). While sales of The Darkness' second album, One Way Ticket to Hell and Back fell far short of their debut, their concert attendance has been through the roof.
"In short, the answer is to be a strutting egomaniac, a larger than life showman, supremely confident of the adoration of your audience. Because in a musical climate where one week you're the hottest thing in spandex tights and the next you're washed up hasbeens in, er, spandex tights, the only thing that you can really call your own is your live show. And if you don't cut it as a live band, then you're already yesterday's news. "
This is what I'm talking about! As is mentioned in the article, the record buying populace is more fickle than ever, and growing ever disloyal. The real revenue is in live performances, so musicians don't give it your all in the studio and then drag yourself on stage. It appears you're doing yourself a drastic disservice.
A great article on The Darkness and rock n' roll showmanship in Australia's The Age (via Coolfer). While sales of The Darkness' second album, One Way Ticket to Hell and Back fell far short of their debut, their concert attendance has been through the roof.
"In short, the answer is to be a strutting egomaniac, a larger than life showman, supremely confident of the adoration of your audience. Because in a musical climate where one week you're the hottest thing in spandex tights and the next you're washed up hasbeens in, er, spandex tights, the only thing that you can really call your own is your live show. And if you don't cut it as a live band, then you're already yesterday's news. "
This is what I'm talking about! As is mentioned in the article, the record buying populace is more fickle than ever, and growing ever disloyal. The real revenue is in live performances, so musicians don't give it your all in the studio and then drag yourself on stage. It appears you're doing yourself a drastic disservice.
Almost every band that contacts me is looking to get great support slots. They feel certain that it's the missing link that will jumpstart their careers and kick up their fanbase from 1,000 to 100,000. While a good support slot can definitely help bring more exposure, it is not the end all be all. Every band must develop a touring strategy that develops new audiences in key markets while nurturing and strengthening their existing fanbase.
In a recent interview with Interference.com, The Secret Machines' Josh Garza from the Secret Machines discusses touring with U2 in Mexico and charting their own course with their upcoming US touring.
"We told the label to kind of ease off of it. We told them, look, let's not come out of the gate swinging because I think our fans will be turned off by that because, in a weird way, it's like ignoring your fan base and trying to have a radio hit single. And so we told them, just ease up a bit; let the record come out, let us tour, let it bubble up, let the press come out because we really feel like we've been fortunate enough with the press that they like us, every review's been positive, it's like four-out-of-five stars and it's always been really good, so we're like, let's do it that kind of way, let it be gradual and, if by chance, somebody somewhere wants to play it on the radio, okay, then maybe we'll start saying let's go for it. Let's maybe take it to that next level.
I think the mistake we made on the first album … the mistake the label made is thinking that they would try too much too soon. And then what happens is, after two years touring, they're already over it. The label is like, okay, the record didn't do anything, so they're over it. And it's like, how about we do it gradually? We come out slowly but surely and just let it happen and maybe near the second half of the touring, near the end of the record, that's when they can come in and be like, if there's anything happening we'll help out. We want to do it more natural because everyone knows when a band is forced and nobody likes that, especially your fans. We have a really small fan base and we don't want to alienate them. People are smart enough to recognize that. You can't pull a fast one on anybody these days. "
In a recent interview with Interference.com, The Secret Machines' Josh Garza from the Secret Machines discusses touring with U2 in Mexico and charting their own course with their upcoming US touring.
"We told the label to kind of ease off of it. We told them, look, let's not come out of the gate swinging because I think our fans will be turned off by that because, in a weird way, it's like ignoring your fan base and trying to have a radio hit single. And so we told them, just ease up a bit; let the record come out, let us tour, let it bubble up, let the press come out because we really feel like we've been fortunate enough with the press that they like us, every review's been positive, it's like four-out-of-five stars and it's always been really good, so we're like, let's do it that kind of way, let it be gradual and, if by chance, somebody somewhere wants to play it on the radio, okay, then maybe we'll start saying let's go for it. Let's maybe take it to that next level.
I think the mistake we made on the first album … the mistake the label made is thinking that they would try too much too soon. And then what happens is, after two years touring, they're already over it. The label is like, okay, the record didn't do anything, so they're over it. And it's like, how about we do it gradually? We come out slowly but surely and just let it happen and maybe near the second half of the touring, near the end of the record, that's when they can come in and be like, if there's anything happening we'll help out. We want to do it more natural because everyone knows when a band is forced and nobody likes that, especially your fans. We have a really small fan base and we don't want to alienate them. People are smart enough to recognize that. You can't pull a fast one on anybody these days. "
Monday, March 27, 2006
A review of the recent Concert Industry Consortium with a particular emphasis on the Canadian scene (via Chartattack).
Here are some interesting snippets:
(from Michael Rapino of LiveNation's speech)
* Just one per cent of consumer spending on entertainment and media goes toward concerts.
* Just 16 per cent of the money spent on music goes toward concerts.
* The average consumer only goes to 2.2 concerts a year.
* Seventy-one per cent of the U.S. population didn't attend a concert last year.
* Just three per cent of the population buy 24 per cent of all concert tickets.
The study also found that 56 per cent of music fans aged 13-24 found out about concerts online, but Clear Channel spent just one per cent of its advertising budget on the internet. Rapino's goal is to increase that to 15 per cent this year. Live Nation has also established a research department, hired "fan experience directors" at every venue that it owns, is going to reward innovative staff members who come up with good ideas with shares of the company, and plans on making LiveNation.com a fan-driven, community-minded website that falls somewhere in between Ticketmaster and MySpace.
Here are some interesting snippets:
(from Michael Rapino of LiveNation's speech)
* Just one per cent of consumer spending on entertainment and media goes toward concerts.
* Just 16 per cent of the money spent on music goes toward concerts.
* The average consumer only goes to 2.2 concerts a year.
* Seventy-one per cent of the U.S. population didn't attend a concert last year.
* Just three per cent of the population buy 24 per cent of all concert tickets.
The study also found that 56 per cent of music fans aged 13-24 found out about concerts online, but Clear Channel spent just one per cent of its advertising budget on the internet. Rapino's goal is to increase that to 15 per cent this year. Live Nation has also established a research department, hired "fan experience directors" at every venue that it owns, is going to reward innovative staff members who come up with good ideas with shares of the company, and plans on making LiveNation.com a fan-driven, community-minded website that falls somewhere in between Ticketmaster and MySpace.
Friday, March 24, 2006
Boston Globe lists the top ten overhyped bands of the last few years (via Coolfer) .
I feel there are more than a few missing from the list. Nonetheless, this is a very exciting time in the music industry. An overwhelming amount of great new music and a ton of music bubbling up from independent outlets. As a person in the touring industry, I think the next big things that need to happen are:
1) emergence of a crop young new bands with great live shows. (I must see The Noisettes soon!)We need an indie rock Bob Fosse, we need an indie rock PT Barnum. We need a new Grace Jones and David Byrne. More personalities. Build it and they will come.
and
2) a big insidious propaganda campaign that re-popularizes the live concert experience.
I'll see what I can do on my end. Until then go see The Undisputed Heavyweights.
I feel there are more than a few missing from the list. Nonetheless, this is a very exciting time in the music industry. An overwhelming amount of great new music and a ton of music bubbling up from independent outlets. As a person in the touring industry, I think the next big things that need to happen are:
1) emergence of a crop young new bands with great live shows. (I must see The Noisettes soon!)We need an indie rock Bob Fosse, we need an indie rock PT Barnum. We need a new Grace Jones and David Byrne. More personalities. Build it and they will come.
and
2) a big insidious propaganda campaign that re-popularizes the live concert experience.
I'll see what I can do on my end. Until then go see The Undisputed Heavyweights.
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