Musicians With Questions...


Music Industry Q&A with Kenny Love (04-30-08)

"Kenny, what is your overall take on the state
of the Music industry and, particularly, major
labels and retail distributors?"

T. Jacobs

=====

KL: T, here's my take on the state of the Music
industry...

I was saying to a couple of new clients just this
morning on how there has never been a better
time to be an independent musician, with the
incredible power and decisional control that
artists have today.

Alternatively, it was only a few short years ago
that the reverse was true, with many artists
leaving the Music industry as a result of undue
pressure from within it as well as what seemed
like a ceiling on their level of success.

The only question remaining now, and a very
important one, is if most (if not all) artists will
learn to both harness and execute the power
that they have now been granted through
technology.

As for major labels, I truly wish that I could
invoke the standard response and say that they
started out way back in the day with good
intentions, then went bad.

However, knowing what I know about their
history and how, even as they were fledgling as
small independents before becoming major label
giants back in the 1950s and 1960s by using
their recording artists as musical "slaves," alas,
I can defend very little (if any) of their
mechanics and operations.

And, their ongoing theft of artists' royalties
shrouded long and well in their idea of
"recoupment," while simultaneously insulting the
intelligence of music buyers through their
price-gouged recorded product for years
(anyone remember the $25 10-song CD?) as
well as their presenting lukewarm and lackluster
projects, simply adds more proverbial kerosene
to the proverbial fire.

And, much of the same applies to distributors.
At one point, and for quite some time at that
point, it was easier for an independent musician
to fly a small-engine aircraft successfully to
Mars (and back) on a single tank of fuel solo
than to get a distribution deal.
________________________________________

[---SIDEBAR---]

For anyone wishing to argue the above point,
please allow me to graciously inform you that
Mars is approximately 35 million miles from Earth,
and a small engine aircraft, such as the Cessna
Citation X, only holds 1400 pounds of fuel, with
a top speed of 703 miles per hour.

Now, when one takes the time (I, obviously,
have too much time on my hands) to divide the
35 million mile distance by 703 miles per hour,
the answer equates to the trip taking just
about 49786.6 hours, which translates to
2074.4 days, ultimately, translating to a total
of 5.6 years to reach Mars.

In the interest of getting the most out of the
plane's single tank of fuel, is why I have chosen
to delay my own trip to Mars until summer, and
I strongly suggest your doing the same.
________________________________________

[---MAIN TOPIC---]

And, for those few Indie artists unfortunate
enough to get a distribution deal on their own,
meant waiting for months, and almost a year in
some instances, in order to receive any profits
from distributors for sales of their recordings.

And, even when distributors would pay Indie
artists, they would, almost always, hold a
certain amount of royalty payments in "reserve"
with the excuse being (and, perhaps, valid in
some instances) for any anticipated retail
returns.

And, in most cases today, I believe that
distributors may even be in far deeper trouble
financially than major labels.

So, have the chickens now come home to roost
for the major labels and the distributors?

Well, not only have their chickens come home to
roost, but they have now been sound asleep for
several hours. And, to that end, not even their
rooster shall crow again at dawn.
________________________________________

"Mr. Love:

Nightclubs have gotten out of control, with their
pay-to-play situations that began out in LA a
few years ago.

Now, as you have mentioned in your letter, a
couple of new bad things are happening and,
mainly, that some clubs are now forcing
musicians to either sell tickets or bring in a
certain number of people to clubs that they are
trying to work a show with. How can bands
overcome this?"

Tina Hobbs, Manager

=====

KL: Ms. Hobbs:

Ironically, I have recently changed my letter
that I send to prospective promotion and
publicity clients to reflect and address this at
the onset in an attempt to "even the odds" for
musicians caught in these vile situations that
you mention.

In addition, I might suggest something that I am
almost certain will never take place. And, should
it, indeed transpire, please have a team of
emergency medical technicians on hand and
standing by to briskly transport me to the
nearest medical facility as a heart attack victim.

And, that "something" is for bands in locations
where this is occurring to get together and
boycott such clubs. This will, almost assuredly,
work well if the club hosts a respectable amount
of (or mostly) independent local "live" music.

The first step would be to get bands together,
address the problem(s), with all agreeing to
implement this (hopeful) solution.

The second step would be for representatives
from each band approaching such club owners
or its management, and presenting and
discussing this problem and solution(s) with the
owners/managers.

Should owners/managers seem unwilling to
entertain such changes and solutions presented,
the third step (sigh) would be to inform these
owners/managers that, as a result, an organized
boycott by local bands would be implemented on
a certain date, which would be carried out for a
certain time period.

Even better, would be to get fans of local bands
who frequent the clubs involved and included as
well. This would "hit" clubs where they live and
breathe...in their wallets two-fold through both
a loss of "live" entertainment as well as a
dramatic reduction of profits from club patrons.

An even nicer touch, would be to contact your
local media to inform them that a boycott/strike
is taking place by both musicians and club
customers, which would serve to bring quite a
bit of heat and negative publicity on the club(s)
in question.

All of this is likely to get owners/managers to
re-think their current methods and be open for
more discussion. Again, this is most likely to
have success with "showcase" nightclubs that,
primarily, rely on "live" music to attract and
maintain their clientele.

In your negotiation attempt(s) in your first
meeting with club owners/managers, you may
even mention your, possibly, going to the media
to present your case and inform them of the
combined musician/club customer boycott, which
may serve to get exactly what you want without
further ado.

- Kenny Love
http://www.myspace.com/jazzman795
P. O. Box 764
Crockett, Texas 75835
(936)545-0381
kenlove@...
________________________________________

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