I have been involved in, typically on multiple levels, at least to some extent, the music industry for 20 years. It's just dry and well picked bones now. I'm going to share some of what I have picked up along the way. You will disagree with some, agree with others, and with different ones just call bullshit. I will answer questions. I won't take requests. I will not name names of living people, as some of the guilty are necessary to have dealings with to continue to perform. I will not name open businesses. I will tell things as they are remembered or written down.
Let's begin.
I) If you are considering a career in music, don't. It goes without saying I didn't practice what I'm preaching but don't. You have higher odds of hitting the lottery than making it big. You have higher odds of scratching off a 250k ticket than making a living at it. So do it because you like to and separate your music from your money. Rock music is dead or at least gravely ill. It won't be recovering. What you see are the last reflexes. Guitar music was deemed dead before the Beatles broke, pronounced dead again in the early 80s and just in case it had any breath left, it is pretty much dead at this point. It should be at least. Rock has deserved to die for a while as a form of pop music. It is poorly suited for that and it gets weaker the more populist it's made. You have to go another route if you want to succeed.
You have to be at least passing intelligent to stick your hands in this business. If not, you will be miserable beyond your wildest imagination if you go it alone. Less intellectually endowed music people should probably hire people they can trust or incentivize well enough not to fuck them over. Everybody you will meet who you need for anything in the business is trying to get one on you. Fact. Club owners,promoters, radio dj' s (Do those exist?),record store managers, label people, studio people, merch people, etc...almost to the man are on the con.
You need to know something other than your instrument. Every aspect you can put in your corner and you don't need someone else to do is a bonus. Read. Read business and marketing books. Learn social media. Understand the marketplace not just your tiny ass microcosm. Talk to vets who have done it the old way. The theory holds even when the methods don't.
Learn to be happy doing nothing. If you can find a way to not spend money and occupy the hours between check and show time, bonus points. All the shortest aspects of the biz happen in this lay time. It's not after the gig that is the problem. If you have a vice, it's going to find you between check and Showtime. I read. I fuck off to a corner with some light and I read. I talk to few people who aren't involved in the proceedings. I advise you do the same.
Enough for now.
