Segarini: The Monday Morning Mailbag

The Monday Morning Mailbag Returns with a bang and a boom! A lot of you have had a lot to say about the four part Rock Files: Fixing the Mess We’re In. I encourage those of you who haven’t chimed in with your ideas about how to fix the business side of music to do so. In the meantime, here are the responses so far, and some heated debate about record company contracts. You can follow me on Twitter, and join my Facebook page if you would like. Search ‘Segarini’ at Twitter, and ‘Robert Segarini’ at Facebook.

Fixing the Mess We’re In Part One

Stella Hunt: Bob you mentioned Bon Jovi… woo, that hit a sore spot with me because of the shameless tactics they use to promote their big stars. Sure Kid Rock opened for him, but the promoters for months held a contest for someone to start it off. The winner was Chris Cadell (The Wreckage). The tickets said 7Pm show time. What time did these guys put the winner of the contest on?? 6:30 PM.. hardly anyone in the Rogers Centre. No lights, no screens to see him on stage for the ones who were there early… Nothing. He didn’t even have more than mere water in his dressing room!

We had Chris Cadell on Liquid Lunch the day before the concert. He’s a young upstart from Belleville. He was really good. He shows Promise.. Wrote a beautiful ballad/song on his own.. and what did these fucks do? Put him on way too early.. over charged the tickets, and who won out in the end? Bon Jovi, and his re-gusting Promoters. I use re-gusting because it’s a re-occurring disgusting event of power plays, scams, and fraud!
Look here.

Stella Hunt
Guest Booking/Co-Host Liquid Lunch

SEG SAYS: Thanks for sharing, Stella. Another ploy to create ticket sales that has left a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths. They would be better served by setting up a stage in the parking lot or the entrance to the venue and letting 3 or 4 ‘winners’ play as the crowd comes in, rather than falsely say they are opening for whatever bands are on the tour. More audience for the kids that way, too. Either that, or let the winner actually open the show when the audience is in the building.

Frank Gutch Jr: I loved radio and records, too, Bob, but the business has changed. Unfortunately, people who are in the business think it’s changING and refuse to move forward. Better to hang on to remnants by your fingernails than admit the truth.

The one mantra that you chant on an ongoing basis is one I now hold close to the vest— that music is stronger than ever. The problem is, no one knows how to find it (and most are too lazy to try). It is down to the grass roots and the tools are right there by our feet— networking, sampling, free downloads, blogs, music columns…. All it takes is a few minutes a day brushing those musical teeth (for the unimaginative, that means actually trying to find new and good music) to keep the old oral (aural) hygiene intact. What I’m saying is that radio obviously isn’t there anymore, nor are most of the other avenues to find good music. Time for Finding New Music 101. We have to be re-taught. No transistor radio, no more MTV, no more CMT, no more of the old ways, outside of listening to what friends pass along. Time to branch out and use the tools of the Internet— sampling, comparison sites (If you like…., you might like…) and a whole lot of communicating and reading. That is, IF we want new music. IF it is important enough to us. The business? All they care about is IF they can make money. Kick it to the curb.

A lot of people don’t listen to me anymore. I won’t talk Beatles or Green Day or Bieber or Gaga. I don’t know how to. I barely have time enough for all of the buried music that should be getting attention— the Ali Milners (thanks for that, BTW) and The Weaver Twins and The Research Turtles and Shade and so many more. Man, those artists are HUNGRY! They LOVE it when people listen! That’s why they do it! THEY are the future.

Of course, why would anyone listen to me? Or you, for that matter, Bob? Our yearly Top Tens are a graveyard of great music. Try getting someone you don’t know to listen when The Weaver Twins and The Research Turtles are one-two on your list when all they want to talk about is the “industry” Top Ten. It is a conversation destined for hell.

Still, I try to stay positive. Your column helps keep me sane. Keep it up.

SEG SAYS: The music business needs to become more involved in searching through the thousands of releases and finding new music to play that doesn’t sound like it was manufactured specifically to get airplay on today’s terrestrial radio stations, and the internet needs some gatekeepers to sift through what’s getting a buzz on the net and compile it somewhere where more people can easily find it. Keep the faith, my fellow muso…

John O’Mara: Frank, I think many of us do need the likes of you, Segarini and Lefsetz to say, “Hey, this band is great, check them out.” It’s important to read opinions from people who are passionate about music.
The internet is now the main source of music discovery. I don’t have time to search through all the websites so when I find someone with a good grasp of what’s new…or who can tell me about music and artists I might have missed the first time around…I’m grateful.

SEG SAYS:…and we’re grateful for guys like you on the radio, John. You can catch John (as Johnny Maraca) on TheBeach.

Facebook Comments…

Peter Kashur: Preparation H….?? I’m just asking!

Len Fagen: Everyone who is in the music biz, or who loves Pop/Rock music, should read this relatively short, easy to understand screed Bob has posted. Very simplified and so true!

Steve Birnstihl: That was the most spot-on, honest to goodness thing I’ve read on the business in 10 years, at least. But if you can figure out the alchemy of turning apathy to action, you’re Da Vinci.

John Scott: The key word within Bob’s comments is “quality” as I see it. Keep making great music and creating amazing stage shows and when held up against the usual nonesnese we hear, quality will attract.

Lawrie Ingles: The link worked fine from my fine Apple product. What you got against Steve Jobs Uncle Bob? iTunes barely makes a dent vs file sharing. And it’s been available free for windows and mac for ages.
Bottom line, if there is no source of payment for artists and creators of content there will eventually be no artists and no content. The file sharing technology will desimate the infrastructure of music manufacturing, recording studios, recording gear, musical instrument sales, and of course the brick and morter and even online legal purchase of music. The devaluation of music is very sad.
The concept of people looking for value and quality is nonsense.
Most wouldn’t know it if it hit them in he head. The stuff that actually still sells big is usually not the quality crafted meaningful artistic stuff.
Music is a much better and more lasting value than an expensive latte. Imagine if you could download coffee.

Peter Kashur: “No wonder the unknown Indies and smarter bands are packing smaller venues for reasonable prices. How much longer will the general public and casual music fans put up with this nonsense?”

The Indies and smarter bands have the key….and the fans, most of whom don’t know or give a shit who SONY is…

Just saw an interview with Arcade Fire the other day on CBC….they gave the money from the Super Bowl ad (a million+) to Haitian relief….they apparently have financial success to go along with their critical success AND they have complete control of their careers…there are loads of other bands who those of us stuck in classic rock mode haven’t even heard of….

I’m wondering if there is anything left of the old business plan that is worth fixing…just learn from the kids and adapt! The old business plan is controlled by business men and accountants who don’t know shit all about music, musicians or their fans….

Ray Tracy: “The music industry is like the slave trade, only the people aren’t as nice.” -Robert Fripp

Peter Kashur: The money is made on and off the stage…live shows create the buzz, sell the shmata, a few autographed cd and the fan base is grown…Arcade Fire (again because i know more about them than about the others) gave away their first single at their gigs…people (fans) like to belong to something and the young bands are accessible to their fans much more than our generation of ‘rock royalty’ has for 40 years….Garcia and Grateful Dead knew this formula as well…many times, by the time the majors clue into something, the act already has a well established fan base and can negotiate a ‘stick it to them’ contract that has them set for life even if they never produce anything ever again…re: Dave Murphy, Avril Lavigne, Alanis Morrissette…the kids are smarter than the majors! Dave Murphy should have been Dave Matthews…although i hope Dave Murphy gets a chance to stick it to a major with deep pockets as well…

Anni Gabud: Well said Bob!!…

SEG SAYS: The passion burns hot in all of you. If only the industries were able to understand our frustration and at least give us choices other than the cookie cutter formulas they all seem so adamant about preserving.

Fixing the Mess We’re in Part Two

Doug Chappell: Bobby, you are so right on with this column. What you write is exactly what has happened, problem is I have absolutely no idea how the ship can be turned around. The one thing I know is that I consider myself very lucky to have lived through the “Golden” years of the Biz.
It truly was the “Wild West” with the music being the driving force and those involved living their life around it, Artists, Record, Radio and Retail alike.

SEG SAYS: Doug has helmed more major labels than anyone currently in the business. When guys like him were running the zoo, the animals were healthy, the turnstiles were spinning, and the audience was happy. Those of us who were there, were ALL lucky to be part of a magic time, indeed. And where did Doug come from? A great Canadian rock band called Richie Knight and the MidKnights.

Frank Gutch Jr: I agree with most here, Bob, but take exception to the “no one in the music business is evil” statement. While it is true that most aren’t, too many are. Well, maybe I should qualify that, changing “evil” to “unethical.” No, I think I’ll stick with evil. They know they’re f**king it up. They just don’t seem to care. And I’m a positive thinker about the rest of the music (and not radio) side.

In my opinion, the music business as it was is ashes right now. The good rising from those ashes have little to do with what was, but what will be. The ones who see that are looking to the future. The rest will eventually be kicked to the curb. I hope. Idealistic, true, but if music deals with nothing else (in its purest form), it deals with the ideal.

SEG SAYS: To many, we are just numbers in a ledger, not flesh and blood. When the numbers add up, the industry looks no further. When they DON’T add up, they reduce costs instead of make changes. Reducing costs means people lose their jobs and quality suffers, but it DOES make the numbers add up…for a while.

Don Lamont: Satellite radio seems to be conspicuously absent in your rant Bob. What’s your take on it?

SEG SAYS: See part four of the series, if you haven’t already, Don.

Warren Cosford: In the early ’80s I dropped into a recording session in Vancouver. The Band Track had been recorded. Now The Producer was “punching in” The Singer line by line. It was then I knew that Music has we had known it……would never be the same. The Machines had taken over.

SEG SAYS: And how sad it is that a disc jockey can only sit and watch the songs he didn’t pick, wondering if they’ll reflect his mood, the day, and the feel of the city he’s working in, scroll by on a computer screen he can neither affect, or contribute to. Alas, there are no discs to jockey with intuition, creativity, or passion.

Facebook Comments…

Sharon Hyman: Very well written and argued.

John O’Mara: Good stuff, Bob. It’s hard to feel sorry for the big record companies when the best solution they can offer is, “stop downloading and go back to buying CDs.” Ain’t gonna happen.

Annette Shaffer: They could try hiring hackers to write malware onto the music that is released when music is illegally downloaded.

SEG SAYS: Annette…there is a job waiting for you on a board of directors somewhere. Seriously, this has already been tried to a certain degree (Hi SONY!) and only succeeded in pissing off so many people, they still haven’t recovered. Punishing downloaders isn’t the solution. Making sure that they have access to the music they want by monetizing how they get that music is. When accessibility is easier, the quality is excellent, and the price is reasonable, people will prefer it to downloading inferior sounding files that could be hazardous to their computers or be of inferior quality. Like prostitution, and drugs, you can’t control down loading unless it’s legal. How unfortunate  the powers that be can’t seem to see the simple truth. Prohibition, anyone? Making something illegal CREATES criminals. Making it legal and monetizing it eliminates most criminals and allows you to deal with and prosecute actual criminal activity.

Fixing the Mess We’re in Part Three

Muchael Senchuk: Awesome article, Bob – I’m going to go read the first two parts right now!

Frank Gutch Jr: Now we’re getting somewhere. Putting together a lot of your former columns is giving me a real view of what the business was like, though I am still fuzzy about record companies and their contracts and how the money was tracked. Maybe I will always be.

Now, mechanical royalties on your songs went straight to you, correct? Meaning publishing? I’ve heard a couple of musicians say that they didn’t see a dime on publishing because of the way the labels set up their contracts. Or am I misunderstanding?

SEG SAYS: There is more smoke and mirrors in a record or publishing deal than a Vegas magician’s act. If David Blaine and Chris Angel can convince you they can walk through concrete or hover above the ground, imagine what a record company lawyer can make you believe.

Facebook Comments…

Bob Roper: Nicely stated!

Laurel Masse: That’s how it looks from my house, too. Well said, Bob.

SEG SAYS: Laurel is one of the most brilliantly talented and beautiful people I have ever known. From her work with Manhattan Transfer, through her solo recordings and performances, to her current musical projects, Laurel is a perfect example of someone who would be all over the radio if they were interested in music.

Jamie Lindsey: Very, very, NICE! GREAT INSIGHT! Thank you!

Greg Collier: Bingo! I found out after our band broke up, that all those big flower arrangements and wine and cheese baskets backstage that were supposedly from Arista to congratulate us, they charged it to our band. Real nice guys. It’s like giving your kid a birthday gift and paying for it our of their piggy bank. And, that is only the part of it. Thanks for posting this Robert.

Bob Roper: Greg…had you, your manager, or your lawyer simply inserted “mutually agreeable” into the clause outlining recoupable costs, you would not have had to deal with those charge backs. I always get a kick out of musicians who whine AFTER they sign a contract without reading and understanding it FIRST.

Greg Collier: Bob, you hit the nail on the head. To be honest, I don’t know if I would have understood all the legal speak anyway. I just wanted to play music and did not want to deal with the business part. Silly me.

Robert Segarini: @Roper: You got a “kick” out of it, Bob? What if the lawyer was recommended or appointed by the record company? Most of us “silly little musicians’ didn’t have the need for one before getting a record deal. Answer me this: Why didn’t the contracts just say ‘mutually agreeable’ in the first place?

Bob Roper: Robert…very simple. All record company contracts are written to benefit the record company. They are not written to benefit the artist…never have been, never will be. And as an artist yourself, you know that. And as an artist, if you did not feel the need to hire a lawyer as a “silly little musician”, you would have been taken advantage of BECAUSE you were a “simple little musician”. As a manager I would NEVER use a lawyer “recommended” or “appointed” by the record company. That’s asking for trouble. Historically, artists have been raped and pillaged by industry contracts. The “new” music industry is changing by the day. The “new” artists and “new” young managers have learned from the ignorance and naivety of those who signed paper without the help of a lawyer who works for YOU (and not who is recommended by the label).

Jamie Lindsey: GEEZ…if it wasn’t for those musicians where would the maggots get their flesh! REMINDS me of the song “HAVE A CIGAR” BY PINK FLOYD!

Robert Segarini: @Roper: Exactly! That’s why music is healthy and the music ‘business’ is in trouble. At least now, the people the music business use as indentured slaves want and know they’re being used. It’s all about the fame and fortune…and music has nothing to do with it. It is a perfect marriage. There will always be younger, prettier, exploitable ‘performers’ who will do anything the labels tell them to do.
The rest of us will keep making music…

Jamie Lindsey: AH where to find the “magic lawyer” that is as cunning as the team of lawyers of the “company” and will have only the music man’s interests at heart!!

Bob Roper: Robert…sorry to disagree somewhat. It’s not the music business that’s in trouble. It’s the record business. Huge distinction that I wish those who blog (like you) would clarify. Music (despite what some folks believe) is still a business. At least it is if you want to make a living from it. The record business is about short term greed (and not long term greed). I have made a pay cheque for 42 years through music. I don’t sing, play, or dance. I do “business” for musicians that only want to focus and the music and not the business.

Jamie…there’s a wonderful new invention called the internet and social networking. Talk to those who have hired lawyers in the past. Ask around for the names of the three entertainment lawyers who are the biggest sleaze bags, then ask for the three “magic lawyers” that are the most honest and that have the “music man’s interests at heart”. You’ll have your names in less than ten minutes. It costs nothing to take a 15 minute meeting with any lawyer. It’s a consultation meeting. Meet them all. Research them. Then hire one. Pretty simple stuff.

Jamie Lindsey: Well thank you BOB! Got some songs and will need one in my dreams anyway! One can hope any way! Thank you for letting me know bout the internets!!

Robert Segarini: @Roper: Music is healthy…the music businesses (radio, records, concerts) are in decline. Mentioned several times in my articles.

Jamie Lindsey: I keep hoping a group as the BEATLES did will rise out of the ashes with the backing of the people and will be so strong they or the artist can dictate the terms of what will be!

SEG SAYS: It is highly unlikely that such a thing will occur, Jamie, but you have to realize that their contract was one of the worst ever, and it wasn’t until years later that they got a fair deal. Even then it wasn’t that great, but good for the time. If music ever gets another gathering place like radio used to be, and great gatekeepers to let us hear the best of the best, it could happen, though. It’s doubtful that such a group would even need a label or any other outside help. Eventually the people who MAKE the music will CONTROL the music, and hire who they need to assist them. The labels, marketers, etc, will work for the artist…not the other way around.

Fixing the Mess We’re in Part Four

Jaimie Vernon: Bob…absolutely love this column. If you ruled the world everyone would be making money now. Bullseye was one of the labels that offered 50/50 deals. Nobody made a lot of money, but everyone got paid. And we stimulated back catalog. The majors still don’t ‘get it’.

Several addendum I’d suggest:
1) One way to stimulate music sales AND reduce the cost of concert tickets would be to discount the seat if you bought the artist’s newest disc the night of the show (or any catalog item).
2) The Barenaked Ladies were onto something when they were offering real-time USB flashdrive recordings of the show you just watched. Pearl Jam did a similar thing with a collector’s series of CDRs from everyshow.
3) Labels should enlist the aid of the P2P file sharing gurus to leak and promote new tracks. No one seems to understand that P2P was the FIRST global social network.
4) Holding back catalog and charging ridiculous licensing fees for smaller labels to access major label dead catalog under the guise that they need to ‘recoup’ needs to stop. After 7 years, the debt is written off, or at least deferred. So, here’s your chance to turn assets into cashets by letting other labels work your catalog for you…at a reasonable rate. Or, hell, let them BUY the assets like master recordings from you!

SEG SAYS: These are all terrific suggestions, Jaimie. They remind me of something I have started to say more and more. Common sense is so rare it should be called Uncommon sense…and you, my friend, show a great deal of it.

Frank Gutch Jr: Getting the various levels of people to agree on anything like you’ve suggested is a big task, Bob, but none of those ideas are poor ones. Some are excellent, in fact. The minimum airplay for local artists is something that certain radio stations used to their advantage back in the old days. KGAL in Lebanon and KASH in Eugene Oregon built reputations on a loose playlist and a commitment to music. A return to that attitude might do something to help struggling stations and station-related websites. Supporting live music? Even better. I saw two of the best shows I’ve seen in years this summer (Zoe Muth & The Lost High Rollers at the Axe & Fiddle in Cottage Grove Oregon and Deadwood Revival at Sam Bond’s Garage in Eugene Oregon) and the only thing missing was the large audience. While it is true that things are not like they once were, the music is still out there and when it is great, it is as great as it ever was.

SEG SAYS: Music doesn’t need fixing. The business of music is what’s in trouble. Let’s all hope that some of our uncommon sense rubs off on people who can at least start trying to fix the problems. I want all of us to be happy, dammit.

Facebook Comments…

Graham D. Duff: Lots of hope for music…not so sure of the business, though. Blinders in the 90s resulted in what we see now.

Mike Bessette: Excellent article, Bob. The 96kps idea makes a lot of sense. You hear a song or album that you like, but the sound quality is below par, pull out a little bit of cash and buy a legitimate and proper sounding copy.

SEG SAYS: Thanks for your input, everybody. Keep it coming.

Next: The Rock Files…

Cherry Cola’s on Facebook

That’s enough for now. Email me at segarini@fyimusic.ca with your comments, complaints, and thoughts…and remember…don’t believe a word I say.

Bob “The Iceman” Segarini was in the bands The Family Tree, Roxy, The Wackers, The Dudes, The Segarini Band, and Cats and Dogs, and nominated for a Juno for production in 1978. He also hosted “Late Great Movies” on CITY TV, was a producer of Much Music, and an on-air personality on CHUM FM, Q107, SIRIUS Sat/Rad’s Iceberg 95, (now 85), and now provides content for radiothatdoesntsuck.com with RadioZombie, The Iceage, and PsychShack. Along with the love of his life, Jade (Pie) Dunlop, (who hosts and writes “I’ve Heard That Song Before” on RTDS), continues to write, make music, and record.