Attention! Agent background check

Rooster009 · #1 08-02-2010, 10:10 AM

So my band has been aproached by an agent named JD Stewart. Does anyone have any dealings with him? Good/bad? He is offering alot of promise but so far we haven't seen the contract between his agency and us, so we are just wondering what to expect.

Phalex · #2 08-02-2010, 05:41 PM

It might help if you'd give some geographical info in your profile. Never heard of him around here.......

chump stain · #3 08-02-2010, 06:03 PM

What kind of agent is he?

I do have personal opinions on booking agents. Like, contracts suck. I wouldn't sign a contract with a booking agent for anything more then 1 gig at a time. A gig by gig agreement. I personally know booking agents that do not have the best intrest of the artist in mind, but rather how much money they can milk from you.

Drop-the-One · #4 08-02-2010, 06:04 PM

usually I google the person's name and the city... can usually find a thing or two on stuff like Facebook, linkedIn and maybe an old cached site or something...

... but you gotta give us some deets. What's the agency's name? Where are they located? Did they mention any bands they've worked with?

bluewine · #5 08-02-2010, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chump stain

What kind of agent is he?

I do have personal opinions on booking agents. Like, contracts suck. I wouldn't sign a contract with a booking agent for anything more then 1 gig at a time. A gig by gig agreement. I personally know booking agents that do not have the best intrest of the artist in mind, but rather how much money they can milk from you.

Isn't this whole business built on what you can milk out of people?

fdeck · #6 08-02-2010, 06:52 PM

There's an agent in my locale who calls me for occasional gigs when he needs a bassist. He splits the money so he gets the same split as each player gets, e.g., 20% on a quartet gig. He always pays well, and his gigs are easy-in-easy-out. I've never signed a contract with him. My only regret is that he doesn't call me more often.

Rooster009 · #7 08-02-2010, 10:17 PM

Thanks guy's. JDS Management is the agency, out of Dennis Kansas. Yep I did google but thought maybe someone here had done bussiness with them before.

chump stain · #8 08-02-2010, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluewine

Isn't this whole business built on what you can milk out of people?

Exactly. That's why I refuse to play that game. I'm not signing any exclusive contract, unless it's gauranteed money, and we all know that doesn't exist.

jeffbrown · #9 08-04-2010, 07:08 PM

Be VERY careful before you sign ANYTHING. Make sure its in your best interest, NOT his specifically. If he's asking for exclusivity, be doubly careful! Ditto, chump stain!

GET A LAWYER, preferably one experienced in contract law, and even better, one who has experience in THIS business.

tom once dead · #10 08-04-2010, 07:20 PM

Also, if you see a post in this thread claiming how amazing the guy is etc. Check out the posters profile for join date and number of posts. A lot of the time when these threads get posted someone will chime in saying how great the agent is and normally its someone who signed up to TB to post that.

MistaMarko · #11 08-04-2010, 08:49 PM

I mean, simply check his credentials, and what reputation he has. Blatantly ask that, don't be afraid to be terse either!

Rooster009 · #12 08-05-2010, 10:31 AM

Thanks guy's. So far i have found absolutely nothing on the net about his company. There is a jds managment but it is out of france i believe. So far some things aren't lining up.

Spraeg · #13 08-06-2010, 02:27 PM

As everyone has said, the best thing you can do is just do your homework, and do so thoroughly. Make sure he is legitimate, if he presents himself as a buisness or corporation, check for a buisness liscence or corporate documentation (I know in IL it can be done through the Secretary of State's office, dunno about KS). If he offers you a contract, have an entertainment lawyer look it over (it can be expensive, but it's worth it if you end up making a decent amount of money- lots of musicians throughout the years have been screwed over by their manager/agent/friend). Always get everything in writing, keep all of your correspondance and records- no matter how inane or small- intact and safely in your posession. Overall, trust your instincts, don't get blinded by the "OMG we got an offer from an agent". If it looks sketchy or too good to be true, it probably is. There's alot of shady **********ers out there trying to capitalize on musicians.

chump stain · #14 08-06-2010, 03:37 PM

My partner is a booking agent. She worked for an agency that was all about exclusive contracts. Needless to say, nobody wanted to sign. She learned a lot about what not to do working there, and now does bookings on a gig by gig bases.

I don't know why these people think that there's a ton of money to be had, everyone knows most musicians don't make squat. Especially in these times.

A bad contract is not that hard to spot, just look it over really good. 15-20% is fair for bookings.

dalconthenovice · #15 08-06-2010, 03:39 PM

i had a recent experience with a production agency

my recommendation is tread with extreme caution!

read the contract carefully and make a copy of it and type it up here (you have the right to do so) and get everybody's honest opinions

alembicguy · #16 08-06-2010, 03:41 PM

Gladly I have been able to avoid contact with agents for almost 30 years of gigging. I do have a friend who uses a agent and they travel all over the states and they make next to nothing where my band can stay within a hundred miles of home and do very well.