....Gene Simmons could probably teach you how to make millions from being a musician. I can't even come close. This is why I have a "square" job--but no, I do not look like this stock-photo fellow on the right. That being said, perhaps it is time to discuss my own experiences related to the business of music, in no particular order.
1. Gettin' paid--whether one does music for fun or business, getting paid is a good thing. I have never felt ashamed about receiving forty dollars after lugging gear over vast distances at my own/ other band members' expense and time, playing full on for several hours, and allowing every other act to use my/ our gear. I have appreciated each and every beer ticket I have ever received, even if it was only good for "unpopular" brands of dubious vintage/ age. Neither have I felt ashamed of asking for the monies owed. Perhaps more than once, if the "promoter" is still around (See earlier post about band vs promoter). As noted, I am not in this FOR money, but, as anyone who plays knows, gear, and its upkeep costs money. It's just nice to know that perhaps, if nothing else, the cost of gasoline has been recouped. Of course, you can make all sorts of different arrangements--collect at the door, a percentage of the bar, play for booze, etc. To each band, his/ her own. However, for the last eight years or so, virtually all of the money The Responsibles have made has gone into the almighty kitty, which is a damn good (not my) idea. Knowing me, I would have spent it on beer anyway, thus increasing the club/ bar owners hold over my rock n' roll soul. Again, it's a good feeling getting something back, especially when it comes to...
2. "Merch" ( as they say). Putting stuff "out" is expensive. Whether it is a CD, T-Shirts, etc, good stuff costs good money. I've tried to go cheap in the past, but it has never worked out well. As far as CDs go, there really can be no cheese paring. But, do some homework on different areas of the project--from the actual studio, mastering, pressing, etc. I learned the hard way, in perhaps what is a cautionary tale. In brief, it has to do with an old band of mine, RIOTSTAR's one and only CD, which was on shaky legs to begin with. I wish I had at least some of the money we had earned at hand to pay for this behemoth. For expediency's sake, the experience in one sentence *deep breath* Studio let the meter run, "producer" took off with money destined for owner, I pay for the "tapes" which have been erased, then attempt to "master" the digital mess at another studio, proceed to CD production shack, complete with "art department" who have difficulty, at $75/ hour, telling the difference between "red" and "black", not to mention any popular spelling conventions, then off to the pressers, both the booklet (made $500 more expensive by the sudden appearance of the singer, who wanted every lyric printed in deluxe fold-out style) and the CD itself, then postage and handling, an additional "mastering fee", and straight to my door--at a cost of almost three thousand dollars. I know its a run-on, fragmented sentence, but sometimes that's what my train of thought is like. Besides, the bile is starting to rise, and I remember a certain band member at the "Release Party" casually mentioning to a patron that the CD was something "We just kinda threw together"....I'll stop now, the lesson ended, to be positive about the beautiful fruit that is..
3. FREE MONEY--yes, through contests, government programmes, etc. Whatever it is, TAKE IT! Swallow your pride, as I, and many others have done, and get the scraps. For the Responsibles last release, we were lucky enough to get a Canada Council grant for the arts to produce/ press the CD. For this, I am eternally grateful. Perhaps we "sold out", but for the third time, it was nice to have to pay very little out of our own pockets to get the thing out. All it takes is the motivation and initiative to do the paperwork, which we had done previously, and voila! Plus, this kind of benefit can lead to others, such as increased exposure, etc. It doesn't hurt, really it doesn't. Virtually painless, actually, and I still sleep very well, thank you.
So, I've not given any concrete lessons to those that dream of becoming full-time rock stars, but I think anyone can learn from my many, many, myriad mistakes. Gene Simmons I am not, and do not intend to be, but in a nutshell, every little drop in the bucket counts, especially when paying for a rock and roll life out of your own pocket.
