How many have opened for Big headed bands?

[E2daGGurl]

Originally Posted by txbasschik

You know, I don't understand why managers do that. I mean, I understand keeping artists secure against the press of a crowd of fans, or from Joe Blow who insists on getting an autograph during sound checks or whatever. People can do crazy things. But to behave like that with other musicians, techs, and the like, and to cultivate the perception that the artist doesn't want any contact with anyone...that seems dumb to me. I don't understand the manager's purpose in giving out that image.

Cherie

Some people really don't want contact (or much contact) with other people. It's not dumb if you're well paid and successful, is it?

There are some fairly well known performers in my larger family, and one of them is a well-known loner (at least, we all know that he is). And, there are some loners in my family who, while not performers, are still employed in occupations that make them very well-known - and even we, the family, know better than to bug them in any way.

If I were successful in a band, I'd want it to be up to me who I hung out with before, during and after a show - indeed, that would be my very definition of success. The money would be way less important. Being famous and having people want to hang out with me would be like a curse, from my point of view (being a loner is, perhaps, genetic).

All I know is that some very, very successful people are not real social. If they can set it up to please themselves - they will. If you're well known, opening acts are usually a dime a dozen, aren't they?

Lots of musicians I know are not that social, really.

[Joey3313]

Originally Posted by Time Consumer

p.s. I love the big O, if ur name (comes from the anime series and not sexual climax)

Dude

[Eilif]

Great thread, Some great stories here (Cherie's tale is one of the best I've read in a long time). True, there are alot of duchebags out there, but some of what has been discussed here is pretty standard, especially those things related to privacy and not approaching the "stars". We've supported two major acts in the last two years. Randy Travis, and Trace Adkins.

Both times, we were treated very well by the organizers, but both times they excercised a strict quarantine on the backstage area for an hour before, during and after the headliners section of the show. If I hadn't left my amp back there, there is no way I'd have been allowed to go back stage, after the Trace show, and it was almost an hour before he was scheduled to take the stage. On the plus side, my lead singer and guitarrist got to meet Mr. Travis, and Trace did come out to watch us for a while from the side of the stage.

Privacy, security and personal space -especially for stars who may have family on the road- is a very respectable request. Also, when it comes to managers, it seems to me that in many cases, it's the manager's job to be a jagoff, in order to provide the star the personal space to be sane enough to be gracious when they do contact the fans.

In any case, there's no excuse for being a jerk, but it comes with the territory of being a musician.

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by BassScum

Your young age really shows on your comments. Blind Melon was great. Unfortunatly with Shannon Hoons passing they will never be what they were. I'm not sure if they have the original bassist but he was great. His bass tone and lines really stood out in the mix. If you listened to the other songs on the No Rain album (i think that was the name of the album) you would probably appreciate their talent. I saw them in concert with STP and Neil Young in the early 90's and they were great.

Great? Define great.

[txbasschik]

Originally Posted by E2daGGurl

Some people really don't want contact (or much contact) with other people. It's not dumb if you're well paid and successful, is it?

There are some fairly well known performers in my larger family, and one of them is a well-known loner (at least, we all know that he is). And, there are some loners in my family who, while not performers, are still employed in occupations that make them very well-known - and even we, the family, know better than to bug them in any way.

If I were successful in a band, I'd want it to be up to me who I hung out with before, during and after a show - indeed, that would be my very definition of success. The money would be way less important. Being famous and having people want to hang out with me would be like a curse, from my point of view (being a loner is, perhaps, genetic).

All I know is that some very, very successful people are not real social. If they can set it up to please themselves - they will. If you're well known, opening acts are usually a dime a dozen, aren't they?

Lots of musicians I know are not that social, really.

I do understand giving the artist some personal space and privacy. If everyone and their cat feels they have access to a popular artist, that artist will never get anything done, much less be able to keep sane. Everyone needs that, and, particularly if you are *very* popular, it is difficult to maintain.

I don't, however, understand treating other acts on the bill rudely in order to maintain that space. Maybe to the popular artist, opening acts are a "dime a dozen", but they are professionals, just as the big artist is a professional, and deserve to be treated as such. If they're good enough to open for Big Artist, then they are good enough to be treated respectfully.

I just have an extreme dislike for undeserved rudeness. There's no excuse for it, yet managers often resort to it without even *trying* to be decent. Better to be polite, but firm. Evidently, however, that is too tall an order for many managers.

Cherie

[txbasschik]

Originally Posted by Jazzdogg

Their sense of overblown self-importance reminds me of a security guard, but without the uniform: Bravado, insecurity, and narcissism masquerading as competence.

That sounds about right!

Managers...Mall Cops of the music world.

Cherie

[txbasschik]

Originally Posted by SMASH

My mind just blew. As I was reading this post, a Jack Johnson tune came on my MP3 player - the only JJ tune on there among thousands of tunes, then when I refreshed my email I rec'd an email from a friend who teaches at UCSB.



Ummm, yeah I'd blame the manager. Blind Melon's "Soup" is an awesome album and a good listen for any bassist.

For those who don't know, they'd disbanded after Hoon killed himself (I'm not a PC type guy, heroin addicts don't die they commit suicide) then a year or so ago they rec'd a demo from a guy in New Orleans who wanted to record a demo at their studio (a couple of the Melon guys produce and run a studio someplace) and the guy sounded like Hoon, and they all got along, and the band is reborn.

I hope they find further success. Shame for that band to put so much effort into their music, only to get gypped by an addict. Then again without Hoon they'd not have likely gotten anywhere so it goes both ways.

3 is copied by C&C? Wouldn't have guessed. I saw 3 live recently and they were awesome. I've heard some C&C discs and could only stand a few tunes. Didn't sound similar at all from my perspective.

3 used to play here all the time, before they went back to Cali. Dang, I love that band! They are missed here in Texas.

Cherie

[Shaun_Bass0]

My band played with Dennis Stratton's (Ex-Iron Maiden) band Remus Down Boulevard a few months back. Both him but his band saw themselves as massive rock stars because of his past.

It was in a complete dive of a club, really run down area of East London. Directly in between a scrap yard and a police car pound!. First thing, he (Stratton) opens the "backstage" (ie the
store room!) door and cracks me right in the back of the head, no apology or anything.
Being a Maiden fan I brushed it off and tried to say hello, which was in no way acknowledged.

I then offered my bass rig to their bassist as we had already soundchecked and it was set-up, ready to go. Not even a polite "No thanks", just "that's gonna have to move when we go on".
It got worse in the "backstage"/storeroom area. Sitting there drinking a beer from the fridge the venue had stocked for us (none of this is in any way against the venue, who actually treated us really well) the guitarist comes in. Tells me I want to get rid of our manager for how he does things. I'm still not entirely sure what he meant by that as our manager booked us the gig, sorted us a rider and sorted out the payment, all good things IMO!
He then went on to give me the whole "In this business, you've either got it or you aint" schtick, which a 50+ y/o, balding, obese guy obviously doesn't seeing as he's on the same bill with a band of 20-23 year old guys, touring on a shoe-string budget, in an ex-school van to 50 people in the most run down area we've ever played!. Our conversation was capped off by him telling us everyone the club was only there to see them because of who was in the band, like we totally didn't matter!

Just another example of uncalled for arrogance and self-importance, all because they are in a band with a guy who kicked out of Iron Maiden over 25 years ago!

(Sorry for the essay of a post, i just find the entire situation laughable and wanted to get it over ina as much of the ridiculous detail possible!)

[Rick in Dixie]

Country Group " Restless Heart " through out 1988, wow, some of you are to young to remember those guys, also worked with country artist "Sylvia" in the early 80's . On the Southern Gospel circuit , I was playing with the Headliners, way too many to even mention.