Anyone used "bread and circuses" music for tour booking / promo?

Hmmm...i can see the appeal...I'd be curious to know too if folks here have used them before.

 

Well, their company name doesn't inspire much confidence, I have to say.

 

We have a recent e-mail from them looking for local bands to support (open for) their touring band at a date they booked in our town. Maybe you can ask their client how the agent is doing: www.thosedamneyesofficial.com

 

Hear anything back yet @BossOnBass ? They've contacted us about joining an out-of-town band at a local venue. As always, I'm searching for more info before we reply.

 

I’ve got something to say about them. My band had a super horrible experience with them. They reached out to my band in April of this year to play a thursday gig for a touring band in August. They sent us a stock email basically and I responded that we'd be down. I then spoke with a Bill there that said that he had found us online, etc. and wanted a number to call and day/time to call. Gave him my cell and said look forward to speaking with them. I asked about possible management options and he said he'd have someone reach out.

Month and a half later, we get another stock style email saying that that band had to drop off the gig but "dont worry, we have another touring band to play the show". I respond back saying we're absolutely still onboard, but no one ever reached out to me about anything. Management, show details, etc. I get another stock email from them saying that they were glad we were still onboard and to provide my number, date/time to call, AGAIN. So I ask if they're blindly sending out emails or are you actually reading them cause I emailed 3x times with no actual response. They respond back with another "We would like to schedule a 10 min call" & "I don know what you exactly mean by you've still been waiting on someone to reach out to us as far as management is concerned."

I then explain I've responded to all emails, and only now got an actual response. I get ANOTHER email trying to schedule a call, but saying I didnt provide availability and that their A & R team were extremely busy.THEN 30 minutes later I get an email from them saying "Sorry we couldnt work something out within my timeline and cant do business together and that they were finding a replacement for my band. I ask what is going on and explain a heavy communications issue is taking place. And I get a condescending response back from Kendrick again about them not being able to speak with a "sales team" in a timely fashion and this where they feel the need to explain that they book over 50 shows a month and work with tons of artists and all of them are "easy to work with..."

At this point, I explain in thorough detail how this is insanity. Then I decide to call them. I ask to speak with Bill Collins there who was the initial guy I had spoken with that found us and was told he cant talk and I can speak with Ken. Transfer to Ken, who then after I start explaining whats going on, cuts me off and says "whoa whoa whoa, did you call me just to yell at me?!" And I respond with "Hey bud, I'm not yelling at you, I have you ran through my Car and I have to speak up for you to hear me." So we go back and forth and he expresses in the most condescending tone I have ever experienced with a booking agent that they've decided to move on with out our band. And when I ask why, he says that there just hasnt been great communication with us.

Infuriated at this point, I decide to end the call and will be reaching out to the booker at the venue that I do know personally and that I have worked with in the past successfully to explain my frustration and see what can be done. I've worked with tons of agents. These guys. %^*(@-ing suck. They dont read, and importantly, they dont listen. Which is exactly what touring and performing artists need. Spend your money elsewhere.

 

You should email them a link to this page.

 

I doubt that would do any good. Most of the last half happened today

 

The headlining band seems a pretty good fit. It's at a pretty small bar 4 months from now. We've played there before and enjoy it enough.
They don't seem to be trying to sell us on a promotion package or anything.
That's terrible about @James Murray 's experience.

 

99.999999% chance it is a scam. "help bands organize tours, promote the shows in each city, get people in the door" Do you have any idea how time consuming it is to do this right? Exactly how are they going to promote you? Advertising is expensive. How will they get people in the door? They'll get people to come to a club to see an out of town band that they've never heard of?

Good luck, but in the future I expect we'll be seeing a post from you entitled "How I got scammed by Bread and Circus."

I'd love to be proved wrong, but in 45+ years of playing, every single one of these opportunities I've seen or heard about has been a scam in one way or another with the band getting screwed.

 

based on the name alone I would pass them by.

that being said, sounds like a scam to me

 

They must be pretty new. Couldn't find much about them using an Internet search. That makes me suspicious all by itself. that being said, found this article which might be of help when looking at any "band promotion/tour support" service

7 Red Flags That a Music Promotion Service Isn't Legit

 

My band just got out of a contract with these guys. Don't waste your time, it's not worth the headache.

 

Sending you a pm