How Many Streams Equal The Sale Of One Album? Who The Hell Cares, Write Music That Everyone Wants To Hear, But They Don't Know It Yet

How Many Streams Equal The Sale Of One Album?

Music is everywhere around us. Whether it be the rhythm of bull frogs chirping in unison on a warm summer night or a perfectly balanced and tuned engine, a syncopated noise is happening everywhere we go. What was once considered a high art form, has now just become a commodity as cheap as a bowl of Ramen noodles. 

This is not a sad state of affairs, but a natural evolution that creates a leveling of the playing field and one ripe for opportunity. Bands can now afford to record on their own and do it for a minimal budget. Be thankful for the opportunity as now you have the potential to create your own future and do it on your own terms. Where as only a few decades back, the struggle was to be heard on a national level and to be signed to a huge recording act. Now in a matter of hours a song could be crafted and uploaded to the masses.

Bob Lefsetz Words Of Wisdom, From House Of Cards

Kevin Spacey is quite the character on House Of Cards

Dive into all the writings and ramblings of Bob Lefsetz


"1. You Need A Partner

There's a reason why spouses get fifty percent in community property states, because you don't make that money alone, you depend on the counsel and soothing of your significant other. Furthermore, the inability to force one spouse to testify against the other in court speaks to the bond between the two.

In other words, there's a reason why the most powerful people are in relationships. It takes two. Someone you can trust, someone who's got your back, someone who will not scorn or question you but defend and understand you, and nudge you in the right direction if necessary.

We all need a sounding board. But we're all fearful that information can be used against us.

Your sounding board is at home.

Choose well.

Find someone who shares your hopes, dreams and desires. Someone who won't divorce you when the going gets rough. Someone who's willing to get down in the trenches and fight not for what's right, but you.

2. You Can't Worry What People Say About You

If you want to be liked, join a social club. But business, like politics, is for winners, not joiners. You're gonna make enemies. If for no reason other than some will become envious. You need a thick skin to play hardball. And the ability to ignore those without power who abhor you, and sidle up to those with power who hate you. Ever notice that everybody at the top of business knows each other? All the tech titans, all the record industry giants? It's because they rely on these relationships to get them what they want, and know it's only these people who can prevent them from reaching their goals.

3. Don't Be A Wimp

If you're not willing to stand up and give back, stay out of the arena. A powerful person runs right over sycophants, he or she only respects someone who stands their ground and pushes back when necessary. This is the signal you're a real player. Once again, it's not about being liked, those at the top are not concerned with this, rather it's about showing that you understand power and are willing to use it.

4. Know The Game

We're learning until we die. Every day you learn what you did not know before. If you're not willing to re-evaluate your choices and positions, you're going to find yourself left behind. With age and experience comes wisdom. If you think you know everything, you've got blind spots. And there's always something we don't know. Cultivate those with expertise outside your primary focus. Because you're going to call on them at some point in the future, you just don't know when. And choose enemies wisely. Having said that, power players respect other power players who are willing to burn bridges. Because although it's the primary move of the amateur, it's the ace in the hand of the professional. If someone is willing to cut you off, that means their agenda doesn't square with yours, and they might be trouble in the future.

5. Align Yourself With Winners

Few understand this. They're so busy worrying about who's nice and friendly, who they can trust, that they don't realize very few people control the back line of pieces on a chessboard. The pawns are up front, ready to be taken at will. But the King is protected, and the Queen has the ability to move in ways no other piece possesses, speaking to point number one above.

If you want to go all the way, you've got to play with the number one player, the survivor, the person who knows where all the bodies are buried.

6. Learn How To Say Yes

Anybody can say no. It takes you out of the game. But saying yes... Too many are afraid. Of the unknown. Of the consequences. But if a power player gives you your chance and you waffle or say no, you're passed over, forgotten. You're a pawn in the power player's game. Feel good that you've been chosen. If you believe you're being sacrificed, you aligned yourself with the wrong people. You're a soldier, pledging fealty. An underling who argues with a power player frequently finds himself in a cul-de-sac, his career stalled.

7. Success Is A Power Game

Can you get your e-mail returned? How fast?

That's the demonstration of your power, your reach. Sure, money helps. But power players rip off the rich on a regular basis. Because having cash does not mean you know how to play the game. True power is the ability to get your vision exercised. And this can only be done if you understand the game and what reactions will be, who you can trust and who you cannot.

8. Eat Or Be Eaten

You might not want to make it to the top, but that guy sitting next to you...he might feel otherwise, he might be hungry to move up the ladder. So be suspicious. Be on the lookout for agendas. It's show BUSINESS, not show FRIENDS!"

The Mainstream According To Bob Lefsetz

Van Halen brought arena rock to the masses

Read more into mind of Bob Lefsetz

"People hate when their record is not a hit. Or the one they're working. Or the one made by their favorite artist. And what's on the radio, what's successful, sucks.

I get it. You're frustrated. You wish the world were different.

But it's not.

Now I'm not saying everything that's popular is fantastic. But I am saying it's rare that that with little traction would be loved by everybody if it just got exposure.

In other words, records are hits for a reason.

Primarily because they're good.

And god forbid you do something good in this world. Oh, that's right, I've gone on record that good is not good enough. God forbid you do something great. Then the whole world is gonna rain down on you. Both positive and negative. You'll be in the center of an unforeseen maelstrom that almost no one can understand.

Kind of like Taylor Swift. She thought she wanted to be successful. She had no idea what came along with winning. Every move, every action is scrutinized. You think since you're posting on Facebook or Twitter everybody cares, but they don't. Hell, just look at the Twitter followings. You've got to get into the hundreds of thousands to get true traction, do you think it makes a difference what you say if you've only got double or triple digits?

But you keep doing it. Not for yourself, but to get ahead. Everybody's trying to get ahead. And criticizing those above them.

The guys who run the record labels! They're idiots!

I've known all of them. They're not. In fact, they're very smart. Rawly, and they know how to play the game. That's right, if you can't get along, you're never going to make it to the top.

And staying on top? That's a skill too.

Am I saying those ruling the world are the only ones who can do so?

No.

But I am saying stars are irreplaceable.

There was only one Steve Jobs. Apple hasn't been the same since. Could end up being something great according to Jony Ive's vision, but it won't be the same. The same way Sammy Hagar Van Halen wasn't the same as David Lee Roth Van Halen, and that's one of the only bands that replaced its lead singer and continued to have recording success.

It doesn't matter that you hate the stars. Doesn't matter that you think you can do better. Because most of the people don't agree with you. Most of the people are just fine with Rihanna and Katy Perry and the aforementioned Ms. Swift. One can argue Rihanna and Perry are niche compared to the stars of yore, but certainly not Ms. Swift. She can sell out stadiums, alone. No one else in the business can do that. Is it because she's tall and attractive and has a rich father?

NO!

IT'S BECAUSE OF THE SONGS!

She's speaking about her inner life. Certainly on the first two albums, before she went off the rails a bit. And people are drawn to that. That's a hit.

You wonder why your music is not a hit and somebody else's is?

It's the je ne sais quoi, that something different that's hard to define and articulate but resonates nonetheless.

Don't ask me to explain Alanis Morissette's "Hand In Pocket." All I know is when I listen to it I feel like I'm the only one, and I'm empowered, it squeezes all the b.s. out of my mind.

And yes, I know there are Beach Boys harmonies in AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long," but that doesn't account for all the magic, it's the drums...it's the way it makes me feel!

Same deal with Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy."

That's music. It's hard to explain.

Can I tell you that my favorite track of the year is Katy Perry's "Wide Awake"?

Maybe it came out last year, I don't know. But the sound, the way it makes me feel. I don't care that it was written by committee, that Dr. Luke was involved, all I know is I want to hear it again and again and again. That I only had to hear it once.

Stuff is mainstream for a reason. BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE LIKE IT!

Decry that all you want, but now, more than ever, when something breaks through and sustains...

It deserves respect."

Data Is More Valuable Than Gold

The very fabric of all the we see, read and update is now related to social media. As soon as we pick up a phone and check the instagram, facebook or a littany of other apps, we are absolutely tethered to data and technology. Does this make us completely dependent on the technology for everything? Well I would argue yes.

It is not so much so that we can't just walk away from it, but the convenience is what drives our motivation along with curiosity. Any quick idea that jumps into the brain, we are on top of it to find out more. Hear about a new band and all you can think of is that you have to hear it, well yep, log on and find out all about them. 

The trick to this sphere of influence is plain and simple. It's data. Folks have to be able to find you online in order to hear and see what your all about. The more posts, media and links that are driven to your sites, the more potential interest and traffic you will receive. For the entertainment industry its a way of thinking in which you have to be at the forefront of developing all of your communications in a social media environment or you are being passed by.

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DATA

Has been underutilized in the music business. SoundScan was a revolution, but then the Internet happened and everybody was caught flat-footed and was so flabbergasted at the evisceration of the business model that the only actions taken were rearguard ones, and those were executed late.

Don't confuse the product with the sell.

The key is to see if the product has traction. If it doesn't, don't expect anybody to invest in it. If you want money, if you want human effort, you must show growth and attention. That's the data focus of the artist.

As for the seller...

We're only at the advent of knowing what does and does not work. Does TV work, both ads and appearances? Web ads? YouTube play? No one is correlating cause and effect, they're just going by their gut. In other words, an appearance on Letterman or Leno might feel good, but is it actually helping an act's career?
Emotionally, I'd say no.

But emotion will not rule the record business in the future. Labels will look at the effect of activities and then judge whether to pursue them. Waste will be siphoned out of the system. A revolution is brewing. And he who has hit acts and employs data to further success will win. Because that person will generate the most success and money for acts, and hit creators will gravitate to them.

We're seeing it already in publishing. Kobalt has made its old line competitors very afraid, because the company is data-based, it provides information to its customers on a regular basis and utilizes data to generate more cash.

As for concert tickets... Soon prices will not be determined by hunch, but data. This is a much bigger issue than scalping and StubHub and all the bloviating about the secondary market.

In other words, what is a ticket worth?

Furthermore, regular customers will be courted. A regular customer will be given discount tickets to shows they might not otherwise choose to attend. A regular customer is much more valuable than an inactive one. Right now, no true differentiation is made.

It's not so much about all the revenue going to the secondary market, as the primary market not knowing how to price effectively. The Stones tried to capture all the revenue and it blew up in their face. The question is how do you price so the arena goes clean, you don't pull a number out of thin air and see if the public is willing to pay it, discounting after the fact and alienating all involved.

Also, the concept of bidding war guarantees will fade. Promoters will model what an act is worth. It won't be about the upfront payment so much as sharing in the revenue. Data will drive the sell. This will require promoters to be upfront about costs. Despite what you hear, those days are coming. Every ticket is going to return to the manifest. The big acts will insist upon it.

WINNERS AND LOSERS

Acts will replicate the web model, wherein only monoliths succeed. There's one Apple, one Amazon, one Google. They each have imitators, but the replicas have a tiny share of the marketplace.

In other words, if you invent a new type of music, you will rule. Others will horn in on your action, and you will fight back by continuing to record and release, i.e. innovating, and you will continue to get the lion's share of the revenues...unless someone who built upon your base leapfrogs you with innovation.

It's the sixties all over again. The Beatles put out records constantly. Each one was different. That's why they dominated.

It just looks right now like there's endless repetition of the formula. But the cracks are already showing. Top Forty, which is responsible for tonnage, used to be solely rhythmic. Then came Gotye, now comes Lorde. The new and the different is undeniable, the public demands it.

RADIO

Give Clear Channel credit. It sees the future.

Despite all the hoopla by entrenched players that terrestrial radio is burgeoning and forever, Clear Channel realizes this is untrue. So the company is expanding online. As for its iHeart Radio Festival, it's burnishing the company's image. Furthermore, unlike radio in general, which is anti-innovation and anti-spending, Clear Channel has invested in its own studio in Los Angeles.

So Clear Channel is better prepared for the future than other radio groups.
But will Clear Channel win?

Only if it is willing to kill its terrestrial model and super-serve its customers. That's the "Innovator's Dilemma" in a nutshell. What's killing terrestrial is the commercials. If you're beholden to twenty minutes of commercials per hour, you're going to lose in the future, which is so much more an on demand world. Digital advertising looks different, it's embedded, it consumes less time. Newspapers were dependent upon advertising, it moved away and newspapers died. Radio and television are just a couple of changes behind, the public will not tolerate this commercial load.

CONCERTS

Humanity will be king. Kanye cancels tour dates because his screen is broken, he's putting on an extravaganza when more and more people will be looking for honest performance in an increasingly digital world.

He who can play and perform live and write will win in the future. It's a return to basics. A reaction to today's over processed / fake world.

MAJOR LABELS

He who controls talent wins. It doesn't have to be the major labels. But since no one else was willing to put their money into artist development, the labels have sustained, they've been pulled slowly into the future, but they're here.

Artist development...don't equate it with multiple albums, which is an admirable quality, equate it with the spend. Managers are loath to spend. Institutions are loath to spend on art, where you can easily lose it all.

If you want to dominate in the artistic field in the future, you've got to spend.

That's what makes a successful concert promoter. Someone who's willing to lay their money on the line.

First you start with the money.

Then it's about insight and inefficiencies.

If you've got no money to spend, you're not in the game.

If you control no major talent, your opinion is not listened to, no matter how brilliant it might be.

CUSTOMERS

Demand full access 24/7 at a low price. Scarcity is history. As are high prices for content. Wireless companies drove down the price of access, content companies were swept along the way. Stop agitating for higher prices. Just try to get a larger piece of the pie.

Music a huge pie. Don't complain, dive in.

CUSTOMERS 2

Want to bring their digital lifestyle to music.

Which means they want to do everything on their handheld. They want to listen to music, buy concert tickets and interact with acts. And they want to employ their mobiles at the show. Expect wireless in all venues (it's already penetrated the NFL), and gamification.

You will earn points for going to the show. There will be a competition with rewards. He who goes most will get a free pass, stuff like that.

It's all about loyalty. Something the industry has done a poor job of leveraging.

Acts will know who their fans are. They will be incentivized to remain loyal. He who controls the customer data wins.

What Path Do You Choose?

Upon seeing the daily insight from Bob Lefsetz it's always a fun read and here is why:

FOLLOWERS

Finish college.

LEADERS

Drop out.

FOLLOWERS

Obey the rules.

LEADERS

Question authority.

FOLLOWERS

Believe it's about accolades.

LEADERS

Believe it's about relationships.

FOLLOWERS

Need external validation.

LEADERS

Have self-confidence.

FOLLOWERS

Have a backup plan.

LEADERS

Have no safety net.

FOLLOWERS

Will not take no for an answer. Since they're playing the game, they believe the rules and the courts will save them.

LEADERS

Hit a roadblock and change direction. They only fight battles they know they can win.

FOLLOWERS

Work for the corporation.

LEADERS

Start the corporation.

FOLLOWERS

Go to graduate school to gain a profession.

LEADERS

Hire professionals.

FOLLOWERS

Look at how everybody else does it, conformity is king.

LEADERS

Do it their own way, but are aware of how everybody else is doing it.

FOLLOWERS

Believe in vacation.

LEADERS

Never take a day off.

FOLLOWERS

Are students of what's in front of them.

LEADERS

Are students of the game.

FOLLOWERS

Stop learning after school.

LEADERS

Never stop learning. Whether it be from books, news or colleagues.

FOLLOWERS

Argue about their paycheck.

LEADERS

Money is secondary, and they believe there's enough if they succeed.

FOLLOWERS

Are afraid to lose.

LEADERS

Are willing to lose, because they believe they're destined to win.

FOLLOWERS

Say no. Pessimism reigns.

LEADERS

Say yes. But are not afraid to say no. Optimism rules.

FOLLOWERS

Plan.

LEADERS

Make it up as they go.

FOLLOWERS

Take direction.

LEADERS

Make up the direction.

FOLLOWERS

Believe it's all about the CV, what you can list on LinkedIn.

LEADERS

Social network because they've got so many ideas their heads will explode if they don't release them. They know the people who started the social networks. They're more interested in what made social networks successful than playing within them. They know building a resume only counts if you're looking to get hired, and they've created every job they've had since high school.

FOLLOWERS

Are afraid and sometimes evidence desperation.

LEADERS

Are never afraid and never desperate. They see the world as their plaything, not something that can hold them back or down.

FOLLOWERS

Have no vision.

LEADERS

Can see the future in 3-D.

FOLLOWERS

Work in established industries.

LEADERS

Establish industries. The greats are not afraid of being ahead of the times, they know the times will come to them.

FOLLOWERS

Think about themselves.

LEADERS

Think about others. Sure, many are narcissistic, but their fortunes are based on filling the needs of the public, not their boss.

FOLLOWERS

Adjust their personalities to get along.

LEADERS

Get to be themselves.

FOLLOWERS

Play the politics.

LEADERS

Are above the politics.

FOLLOWERS

Work in the world.

LEADERS

Run the world.

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The Top 39 Annoying Things That Local Bands Do, From Metal Sucks

Cheesy cover bands always want huge pay

Check out this post on MetalSucks

"I’m sure a good portion of our readership are in bands, and I’ll bet 99% of those are guilty of at least some of the below. A venue called The Creepy Crawl in St. Louis has the following posted on their website [via The Lefsetz Letter], and every single bit of it is so, so true. Enjoy.

Top 39 Annoying Things That Bands Do

1. Bands that feel compelled to bang on their drums and guitars in an annoying display of lack of talent before the doors open. Usually this occurs when we are trying to talk to someone on the phone or give instructions to employees. There is a place for this type of behavior, its called your basement.

2. Out of town bands that show up and say “We decided to bring another band with us, don’t worry, they just need gas money and pizza.”

3. Out of town bands that watch you order their pizzas with “the works” and after they arrive tell you “Oh, we’re all vegetarians, can we get buy-outs instead?”

4. Local bands with managers.

5. Local bands that have a girlfriend as their manager (Can you say annoying pain in the ass?). This usually marks the beginning of the end for most bands at the Creepy.


6. Bands that bring their own “personal” sound-tech. After seeing him try to operate the soundboard for 5 minutes the house soundman concludes that this guy has absolutely no clue how to operate a PA. Accordingly, the band sounds like total shit.

7. Bands that have more roadies than band members.

8. Bands that spell their names with a strange spelling twist e.g., junkeez, katz etc. After meeting the band, however, we are left with the impression that they didn’t intentionally try and spell their name with a twist but rather they probably just don’t know how to spell.

9. The out of town band that was lucky to get the gig, brought absolutely nobody, bitched all night long about their time slot, when told they had 1 song left in their set play 4 more anyway who when being paid out $50 in gas money asks “Is this the best you can do?”

10. Bands that arrive and state that they talked to someone at the club and were told they get to play 3rd at 10:30 and can play for an hour. When asked the name of the person they talked to they suddenly forget their name but are sure they talked to “someone”.

11. Bands who all arrive at the same time but no one is willing to play first. Subsequently the show doesn’t start until 11:30 and everyone has 10 minute sets.

12. Top 3 signs that the band will bring no one to the show – 1) 2 Weeks before the show they say “We’re gonna pack your place!” – 2) 1 Week before the show they ask – “What’s your capacity?” – 3) Upon arriving at the gig they ask “So how many people do YOU usually get on a Wednesday night?”

13. Bands who draw is so bad that even their guests don’t show up.

14. Bands who have no guests because they have no friends.

15. Bands who bring absolutely no one to their first gig and then call back incessantly to ask for another show and can’t understand why they haven’t gotten asked back. That’s fine, we don’t have to eat this month and we really dig watching you guys rock out to our empty club. Bands who fit this category don’t need to bother calling back because the booking guy will always be away when you call.

16. Bands who after drawing no one at the end of the night apologize by saying, “geez, after you booked us we booked ourselves to play at the Hi-Pointe last night and we told all our friends to go to that show, that’s probably why no one came tonight. BTW, when do you think we can play here again?” (Note: see above for our response).

17. Bands who pester you to book their bands “side-project”. Side-project is another name for self-indulgent crap so embarrassingly bad they can’t dignify it with a name and gives them a cover why none of their friends will come see them “perform”. (Would you go see your friend masturbate if they asked you to come watch?). Note to bands: think of your side-project as a project never to get booked again.

18. Bands who show up wearing “All Access” laminates around their neck. (Note to these bands: We honor these laminates for the bathroom and parking lot areas only.) I wanted to be an astronaut when I grew up but you don’t see me walking around wearing a spacesuit at the club. We’re convinced these people are recovering air guitar addicts from the 80′s.

19. Bands who right before their set ask to play without a PA so it won’t be deducted from their pay. (This has actually happened before). Sure, we’ll just ask the sound guy to go home for a 1/2 hour.

20. Bands that want to play in front or the side of the stage.

21. Bands that suck and then ask if you’ll swap them out a shirt. You know, our shirts actually cost us money and I really doubt anyone at the club wants to wear your shirt. How about if we swap stickers and call it even?

22. Band members that ask 10 times throughout the night for a water or soda (usually in a nasally whining voice). Typically this occurs when your in the middle of doing something important like counting down the drawer or dealing with actual paying customers. They usually like to precede their requests with a “Do you think its possible I could get a….” etc. etc. We feel like responding “Do you think it’s possible you could shut the fuck up and go away?”.

23. Parents of bands… this could be a whole top 39 list on its own… Parents who either a) insist on standing next to the owner all night and talking his ear off about how great their 14 year old kids band is (who BTW sound like they had never picked up an instrument in their lives before they started “playing” that night) b) insist on standing next to the the sound person all night and making stupid suggestions on how to improve the sound of their kids band to the sound person all throughout their set c) going to the bar while they wait for their kids band to play, consuming way too much, and then going to stand next to the owner and talk his ear off about how he used to jam in a band that was huge 25 years ago but now their kids band is going is going to hit mega-stardom any day now and makeup for his missed…. oh right, this is only supposed to be a paragraph.

24. Bands that leave gear behind. This happens at least several times each week and then we get the deluge of frantic phone calls in the following days about have you seen this or that piece of equipment and on the phone act like we should know where their stuff is. Its amazing how something that is so important to them the next day gets so carelessly left behind the night before. We’re the Creepy Crawl, not Bob’s Nightclub and Repository of Leftover Band Shit. Keep track of your shit and take it with you when you leave!

25. Bands that send us emails that say: “We’re XXX from XXX. We wanted to play your club on XXX date. How about if you book us a show, put a bunch of good drawing locals on that bring a lot of beer drinkers and then you guys can make a lot of money and we can put on a great show in front of a big crowd and get paid. That way we all win!” Here’s an idea, why don’t we book a show with a bunch of good drawing locals that bring beer drinkers, we make a lot of money from the show and you can keep your sorry asses the fuck in XXX? (Really, we’re not making this stuff up, we actually get these emails).

26. Bands who when you tell them they have 1 more song left because they’re running late into their set decide to play a 45 minute opus full of self-absorbed guitar solos which in the course of playing covers in its entirety side 2 of Pink Floyds’ Dark Side of The Moon.

27. Bands that pester you constantly to open for a particular touring band because they swear they worship their musical footprints and are the heaven endorsed guiding light of their musical lives. On the day of the show and after you told them sorry but the show was already filled up they don’t even bother to come to the show. However, someone at the show reports hearing they decided to catch the Story of The Year show at the Pageant that night.

28. Bands that can’t play longer than a 15 minute set.

29. Bands that can’t draw two people but keep telling you that they can play as long a set as you like. “We can play an hour, an hour and a half, two hours if you want.” That’s kind of a like a doctor rushing to the scene of a car accident and asking the victims “If you need me to help prolong your bleeding I can do that.”

30. Bands that bitch and beg to play a longer 45-50 minute set. They do this knowing everyone else only gets a 1/2 hour slot. We finally relent and rework the whole show to accommodate them and they still wind up playing the same rush-through-it-because-we’re-dip-fucks 23 minute set they play every other night they play. Apparently they live in a different time dimension than everyone else on the planet. They thank you profusely at the end of the set for letting them “headline” for their fans but we make sure they buy us and everyone around us shots at full price.

31. Bands that give big lectures on stage about how important it is to support “the scene” but at the end of their set want to get paid ASAP and don’t want to wait until the other bands get done.

32. Bands that give long-winded lectures about respect… how we need to respect each other, the world we all live in, ourselves, God, our fellow man, other “artists”, Picasso, Left-handed midgets, respect this, respect that etc etc… What are these guys in the Mafia? The next morning you discover the parking spot they were parked in the night before is completely covered with empty water bottles, soda cans and Taco Bell.

33. Bands that are booked for a show but email every 12 hours to tell you they have changed their name and to please update your advertising. Call yourself Bobby & the Blowjobs for all we care, pick a name and STICK WITH IT!

34. Pathetic reasons why bands cancel. Bands that cancel 10 DAYS ahead of time because they have to go to a funeral! We feel so sad for these bands. Geez, I didn’t know your grandpa was being stored on ice for 10 FUCKING DAYS! Who is he, Walt Disney??? If your going to friggin lie, try and come up with something half-way believable please.

35. Shows where the 4 local bands collectively can’t outdraw the one out of town band you threw on the bill for gas money but through their own initiative and hustle actually manage to outdraw the 4 local bands (this BS actually happens!) We feel sorry and embarrassed for the out of town band who usually when getting paid out their gas money ask us quietly “whats up with the locals, who don’t they have anybody come see them?” and we tell them as loudly as we can “BECAUSE THEY ARE PATHETIC & RETARDED LOSERS”. Invariably (and we do mean invariably) their has to be the one local band who shoves the out of town band on the way to the door guy, lives 20 minutes away and brought a negative number of people, (they sucked so bad they ran off our happy hour crowd early) ask how much did they make and we tell them zero “BECAUSE THE BAND FROM 1/2 A CONTINENT AWAY OUTDREW YOUR PATHETIC AND RETARDED ASS”. Actually we don’t say that because we’re so pathetically nice, we usually say ” you guys rocked, let us know when you want to play again!”.

36 – 38: Bands that don’t correctly understand the definition of these terms -

Load-In Time

CORRECT UNDERSTANDING: If a band has a load-in time of say 6:30 from that time they may attempt to enter the premises and inquire about loading in of their gear. If they by chance happen to arrive early they can occupy themselves with other activities to fill in the time, such as: visit the library, worship at a local church or synagogue or beating up the homeless guy living in the dumpster.

INCORRECT UNDERSTANDING: If a band has a load-in time of say 6:30 they arrive at 1:45 in the afternoon and knock incessantly on the back door. Usually they knock while the owner is in the basement knee-deep in standing shit working with a plumber to fix a leaking drain pipe. After trudging all the way upstairs to find 5 snot nosed kids asking if they can load-in now (and hang out all day!) they are politely told to fuck off and come back at 6:30.

Promoter

CORRECT UNDERSTANDING: This is a person who actively works to promote a show. They promote by distributing flyers, plugging the show wherever they can and try to get as many people as possible to come to the show. If they have an out of town band booked on the show they take financial responsibility to ensure they get paid and are taken care of in whatever way they need. They also take charge in organizing the show and making sure all the bands know when they are scheduled to play and how the money works for getting paid.

INCORRECT UNDERSTANDING: This is a person who after asking repeatedly to put on a show does the following 1) fails to promote show in any way 2) fails to communicate any show details like lineup or order of the bands to the club (or the bands themselves) 3) makes themselves very scarce at the show , assuming they show up (they sometimes make a pathetic phone call just before doors to say they’ve just contracted a rare disease called pussyitis and to please take care of the out of town band). If they do show up and when questioned about things like band order, who’s taking care of the bands etc. only respond with a blank stare.

Gas Money:

CORRECT UNDERSTANDING: Gas Money is a term used to designate an amount of money to get a touring band to their next show. It sometimes includes a little more than that so they buy themselves some fast-food on their way or if they are lucky enough to cover a room at a Motel 6. Generally gas money would be considered anything from $30 to $75 and depends on how well the show goes.

INCORRECT UNDERSTANDING: $200 is not gas money. $200 is we’re partying all night on the East Side and getting privates at Roxy’s for everyone in the band.
Touring Band:

CORRECT UNDERSTANDING: This is a band that is engaged on a “tour”. They come to the Creepy Crawl while on their tour and often come from far away places such as the far corners of the country, Canada, Europe or Asia. They are on the road for extended periods of time, sometimes for several months at a time, in a van or bus and experience many new places along their journey. These bands are always entitled to at least gas money or more.

INCORRECT UNDERSTANDING: Driving up from Festus does not make you a touring band. A “Following”:

CORRECT UNDERSTANDING: A “following” is a collection of fans that attend the performances of a particular band. This is what bands try to develop to get ahead in the business and grow over time and is a measure of their general popularity. The larger a bands following generally means they will be booked more often and on better nights at the Creepy Crawl

INCORRECT UNDERSTANDING: A “following” does not mean all the people that attended The Queens of The Stone Age show you opened for to cover the last minute cancellation of a contractual local opener counts as your bands following (perhaps the rush to the bar by the entire club and club staff when you started playing was an indicator). And, yes, this means the Jager girls at the club that night probably didn’t come to see you and probably won’t be following you to your next show.

39. Bands that read this list and then send us emails like this one: “dont take this the wrong way i am just a guitar player but ur annoying list was some what funny, but it makes u guys seem like a bunch of pricks u would not have ur joint with out the annoying bands. i frequent ur place when my friends play but if u dont treat the bands that deserve respect with respect they will not play shows and tell others and so on and so forth just a little concernced.”
rick branstetter

… This is just a small sample of annoying things that bands do that we came up with at the Creepy. We could go on and on with this…."

Sound City Was A True Oasis

Find out more about Bob Lefsetz and read his great write up below...

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"She was that kind of lady Times are hard"

Desperation and desire. The key elements to rock stardom.

And Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham had both.

"She's back in town
And she's looking around"

From Phoenix to San Francisco to Hollywood.

That's where you had to end up. You could start anywhere. But if you wanted to make it, you had to come to L.A. And what you found there surprised you. No city center. No three piece suits. Just a bunch of suburbanites just like you. And in the hallowed halls of recording studios, in the darkness, was where not only the sound of America was created, but the world. There was magic in studios. But it really didn't begin until the band plugged in and started to play.

And from the hinterlands to Sound City was a very long journey. As AC/DC once sang, it's a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.

But not anymore. Five year olds can wail on their iPads. Record in GarageBand and then their parents can implore the rest of us to buy the production on iTunes. We're inundated with dreck. And the ultimate desire is to get rich.

That used to be the byproduct. The goal was to REACH EVERYBODY!

Yup, you could be recording in an industrial park, but if you got it right people could be singing your song not only next week, but forevermore. Chances were slim. As were opportunities. So you made the most of them. You only had one shot...to change the world...and your life.

It's not about technology, but people. In the almost unwatchable last third of this movie Trent Reznor, Josh Homme and Dave Grohl create music utterly riveting. With one hand on his laptop, Trent's not worried about the tech, but the sound. It always comes down to the sound.

And the songs.

Without both, you've got nothing.

We knew what Sound City was. Because we read the credits. More than once. They were not in tiny CD type, they were big, in the center of the gatefold, on the inner sleeve. We not only knew the studios, but the guitar strings. Everything about the musicians and their music, because the music touched us, because it changed our lives.

And it hasn't been that way in a very long time.

Because everybody's not shooting high enough. They don't need it enough. There wasn't a single person in Dave Grohl's studio telling him all that new material sucked, from Stevie Nicks to Lee Ving to Paul McCartney. Looked like they were having fun, but you don't want to hear a single song ever again.

Then there's "Lithium."

Nirvana was hungry. They had to get it right. The songs didn't need to be good, they needed to be great. And some things never change. If you're still that great, everybody will know. And if not, you're in an endless circle jerk thinking that everybody cares, when they don't.

So you can skip the first few minutes. Until Dave pulls up at the studio.

And they tell the story of Buckingham Nicks and Fleetwood Mac.

Ooh, brings chills.

Mick Fleetwood is looking for a cheap studio.

And Keith Olsen pulls up the Buckingham Nicks album. Recorded there. At Sound City.

Do you know "Crying In The Night"?

Check it out here: http://bit.ly/K9jOpI

It's the best Fleetwood Mac song you've never heard. Better than anything the band has done since "Rumours." But because musicians are insane and their own worst enemies, it and the album it came from has never been released on CD. Even though the vinyl record populated baby boomers' dorm rooms back in the seventies, when they bought that first Fleetwood Mac album with Stevie and Lindsey and needed MORE!

And when the sound comes out of the speakers, you TINGLE! Because it's the essence. Music played by people who NEED IT! Buckingham and Nicks were always gonna break through, because they were never gonna give up. That's what it takes, more than talent, PERSEVERANCE! You pay your dues, you get kicked around, and if you hang around long enough you make it.

You've got to be playing so long you get lucky.

And Buckingham and Nicks do. They're picked up and rescued by Mick Fleetwood and the rest of the Mac. Look at the photos. They were so young, so skinny, so CUTE!

They were our rock stars.

Like Tom Petty and his Heartbreakers. Who were known by everybody BEFORE "Damn The Torpedoes" and "Refugee." It's not about everybody knowing your name, but a track so indelible they've got to play it again and again, that they can't forget.

And yes, these tracks were all cut on the Neve.

But they would have been hits if they were cut ANYWHERE!

Don't forget, the even bigger "Rumours" was cut up north, at the Record Plant. Studios aren't everything.

But people are.

It was a different era. We were all paying attention. And if you got it right, you were as big and rich as anybody in the world. And you only answered to yourself. THAT'S why everybody wanted to be a rock star, the FREEDOM!

And it was hard work.

But it was worth it.

But then MTV made it more about looks than music. And the Internet blew the system apart. And if you don't think this is a good thing, you're never going to make it.

We need more documentaries like this. That illustrate how it once was. It's like discovering a Dead Sea Scroll.

The arc is bad. It's two movies in one. The story of a studio and the story of a board. Great moviemakers, like great writers, know it can only be about one thing. Add too much, even if it's great on its own, and you muddy the waters, you ruin it. An expert knows sometimes you've got to leave the best things out.

But when they show what it was like back in the seventies, with the girls and the dope and the hope, all tied together by the music, you just want to crank it.

And you realize you can't make it. That it's only the special few who deserve our accolades.

And this movie features more than one.

And when the soundtrack blasts, you say THAT'S IT!

P.S. The "Sound City" movie is totally free at the above link. Not sure if that was Dave's intention or a programming glitch, but put on your headphones and ENJOY!"