From The Archives: United We Stand, Divided We Fall- Partnerships in the Jamband Music Business
Phil Simon
2003-11-28
This piece originally ran in December of 2001... I work with both jambands, and bands that would be more easily considered in
a radio rock category. And there is one glaring difference that I have
noticed between the experiences of bands that are developing in these two
different genres. When I send developing rock acts on the road, it is a very difficult
experience. They are often subject to empty rooms night after night,
because as they travel to new towns on tour, no one knows who they are.
While the same experience is felt by travelling jambands, it is not nearly
as extreme. Why is this? It is because jambands stick together, and have
decided to work together to further the musical style in the absence of
industry support. So what if the radio won't play Max Creek? Who cares if you can't buy an
ulu disc in the stores? If we work together to bridge these gaps of
distribution, we can work more efficiently. This notion has created a whole
unification of work throughout the jam style of music, binding together
these bands in ways that has not been shown within other musical styles.
The formation of the Home Grown Music Network, both nationally and in local
groupings is a perfect illustration of this work together attitude. If
separately we don't have the knowledge and power to succeed, perhaps
together we have the shared tools and knowledge to succeed. But what about the larger question of how to work- alone or in groups? How
can this be generalized to help us better understand how to work in this
mysterious business? I started working with bands about 10 years ago. Basically, I volunteered
to get involved with my buddy's band as their manager. I didn't know the
first thing about how to do it. I spent the next 3 years going out and
re-inventing the wheel. I went and met club buyers and festival promoters.
I traveled with the band everywhere they went, because each new city gave me
new opportunities to find out more about the business. I had a lot of time
to make up for, and I hoped that with enthusiasm and energy, I could
re-invent the wheel. What I found though, was that I was an island. Without quality partnerships
with other bands, without favors that had been exchanged for years and
relationships that were long standing, I was attempting to swim against the
stream. While it was better than what my friend's band had at the time, I
didn't really get to help them all that much, because in my isolation, I
could not deliver. I found this to be true throughout my booking experience on the West Coast.
I was able, over a period of time, to build up a modest roster, and a list
of contacts. But because I was sitting alone in a bedroom in Eugene, OR- I
wasn't networking with enough like minded people to get anything done. In
the absence of group leadership, the originality that comes from group
brainstorming, or the power of collective bargaining, my business stagnated.
So I broke this chain of isolation by moving to the East Coast. I decided that if I was to move that I would not continue this path of
isolation. That I needed to exist within an environment of like minded
music industry professionals- tapping off of each other and feeding off of
each other's energy. I sought and landed a job with the Planetary Group in
Boston. This company was filled with young
and energetic people who were all leading the same life that I was- doing
radio promotion, record sales, publicity, and more. My wife felt that I didn't need to do this. She said that if I could do it
alone in my bedroom in Oregon, than I surely could do it in the city where
there were far more opportunities. But I was tired of struggling for
contacts. My theory was that if I was going to spend 1-2 years meeting
everyone for the first time, I should do it on someone else's dime, and that
I could sap the contacts and networks of people who were already
established. And this did happen. The company wasn't large, but over two years I worked with a few dozen other
folks. I was introduced to every major club buyer and promoter in Boston.
I was introduced to the people who ran the Boston Music Awards and the NEMO
music conference. I met with band managers and musicians from around the
globe, welcoming some London bands to the States for the first time. All
the while the company benefited from the contacts that I brought to the
table and from my efforts to expand their broad base of knowledge. My
theory was verified, and I found that my stock in this industry grew by
leaps and bounds. Now, after two years, I find that I can easily attract
clients, that I can gain the ear of talent buyers, and that I have a much
wider base of operations- both through my own efforts, and through the
contacts that I made within a group situation. But what is the downside of working with others? There are a few, and they
can be significant. Unlike working alone, when you work with others you
will often find your time and energy being put to use by the rest of the
folks with which you work. If you are depending on them to fill your brain
with knowledge, you too will be called on for your particular area of
expertise. Payback can be a bitch if you become bogged down with two many
questions, or meetings to help along people with whom you may not be in
business in your department. This can take the form of office functions promoting bands outside of your
department, or office meetings surrounding functions of the company that are
outside of your concern. You may be required to sit through meetings that
are detailed explanations of areas outside your scope, or pulled away from
an important phone call to meet someone and impress a client in someone
else's department. These are give and take situations that are an essential
part of group working environments. For the most part, these situations end
up canceling each other out. You help out other departments, and they help
you out- even Steven. But I found that after a while, I had gained the contacts that I needed. It
was common for potential clients to approach the company and demand that
before they took on promotional services, they needed guarantees that they
could get booking services in addition to these promotional services. While
I was never forced to take on clients for the benefit of other departments,
it was often made clear that it would benefit the company if I could make
some efforts for these clients, because they were ready to write significant
checks that would benefit the company. This is a difficult position in
which to be put. My co-workers were very understanding, and I was never
put in an awkward position other than by my own conscience. Though this was not a problem with my company, you may find yourself being
put into compromising positions simply because of the reputation of the
company where you work. If you are working diligently and honestly, someone
else in the company not following your example could erase all of your
progress. If your work group becomes saddled by a negative reputation, then
you may suffer the consequences, even if you were not involved. If a company were rocked by some serious scandal it is possible that
everyone within the company could be pigeonholed by the mistakes of one
member. In this media age, we can see how easy it is to generalize and
sacrifice truth in the pursuit of a sound bite. Individual members of this
grouping could find their business in trouble because of the actions of an
individual. For instance, when I first got started in Eugene, there was a club that had
been operating for years quite successfully. Its main crowd was fraternity
and sorority members from the college that was literally next door. Every
night this place was packed with hundreds of college kids looking to get
drunk and score. Local musicians benefited from playing there and being
able to be exposed in front of a huge crowd. Out of the blue, it was
intimated that one of the proprietors of the establishment had been
mistreating some of the female customers that frequented the club.
Accusations of date rape were distributed quietly through this club's
patrons, and within a day or two, the club was empty. I mean empty. So
everyone involved with this work group- from bartenders to bands, to agents
and waitresses- all of these people were robbed of their opportunity to make
a living because of the actions of just one of the people within that work
group. This is the risk of working together with others. In many
situations, like in a club venue, a festival, or even a music network, this
risk is unavoidable. Nevertheless, it is a risk of group working
situations. So where does that leave me now? I have just declared my own independence,
and have formed my own company. Will I therefore lose the benefits of group
working? I have attempted to minimize that risk by creating my own group
working situation surrounding my new agency. While I no longer benefit off
of my working relationship with the Planetary Group, perhaps I foster a new
work group for the bands that are rallying around my new company. Perhaps
this new working relationship benefits the bands that are working together
under my network in the same way, or different ways that I had before. So
am I still working alone as I was in my bedroom in Eugene, OR or am I
working together with a whole group of high quality bands that help to form
a wholly new network? So in then end, perhaps I have not returned to the island on which I was
marooned a decade ago. Perhaps once I saw the existence of my own network,
this was the time when I became comfortable gaining my independence from
this larger group of my old company. I feel strongly that everyone within
this industry can benefit highly from positive partnerships and alliances.
Many of the bands that frequent this site have been practicing this for
years with success. While you may run the risk of taking a hit now and then
by the actions of others within your alliance, the potential benefits are
still too attractive to turn down. Once you have networked to the benefit
of your music or your clients, than take a look around you. Have you been
able over this time to rally some allies to your way of working? If so, the
time may be ripe for you to go independent yourself. United we stand, divided we fall. But a smart person survives by keeping
their wits about them, and knowing when to assert themselves to retain what
is best for their business, and for their clients.
Phil Simon is a contributing writer for Jambands.com and the Weekly Dig. He
has formed a new agency called Simon Says Booking where he continues to handle the bands
Psychedelic Breakfast, ulu, Uncle Sammy, Soulwork, Max Creek, Antigone
Rising, Phat Phunktion, and many others.
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