Conference marvin::uk_music

    Last night I saw the excellent Reading band Chuck at the Cellar Bar in
    Bracknell. Formed from the ashes of International Resque (some of the
    old timers might remember them), they play short bright pop! songs with
    harmonies etc. They are currently being managed by the old Wonder Stuff
    manager and are being courted by major record companies whose
    representatives turned up and watched last night. Great Gig.
    Playing at the Purple Turtle next Tuesday are Slow Down Faster, another
    excellent local band with an ex-(International) Resque person in.
    Also worth watching out for are Clunge (not my cup of tea entirely),
    and the amazing Ampersand!
    (:^'
      

    Local(ish) band Ampersand have been offered a record deal by Golf
    records, home of the Offspring in the UK, on the back of loads of gigs
    and 2 demo tapes..Good luck to 'em...
    
    Remember people in bands, it does happen, don't stop doing what you're
    doing

    re:
    >Remember people in bands, it does happen, don't stop doing what you're
    doing.
    
    May be it does but so what,  having a deal just causes heart ache and
    pain and is not all it's cracked up to be!  I've been there three times
    and the record industry in the UK really stinks!   If you check out the
    indie top 40 you will see a single in there called "Tell me what you
    taste" by Morgans. Well to cut a long story short I wrote and recorded
    that song (originally called "Come into our house.") for and with the
    band.  (that I was a founder member of.) I also co-wrote the third
    track on it called Joyrider Boy.  After a big bust up with the
    management co.  I found myself on the dole queue with the rest of the
    band stabbing my back to save their jobs.  
    
    Upon hearing that the single had now been released I rushed in to
    Virgin to buy it to check out where I stood.  Low and behold I see that
    the songwriting credit for both songs instead of erading (Barker/Le
    Fay) now reads (Pay/Le Fay).  I'm already onto the case with a lawyer
    as I know that this has received airplay and the video has been
    screened about five times (I have heard that it is feautured in the
    final credits for Tank Girl,  but I haven't seen it yet so I don't
    know)  but I hold out no hope what so ever as I never got to the
    signing of the publishing deal (I was ousted a day before that!!!)
    
    I urge you not to buy this single.  if you want a copy I will do a tape
    of it for you but don't put money into the hands of theives!!  If any
    of you have bought it then get some crayon and write my name on it!
    
    P.S. the band is completely manufactured anyway and they are signed to
    the same management co that own Slamm (PWL's answer to Take That) That
    is why I was pissed off,  'cos all the marketing and image was the idea
    of George Kimpton Howe,  Also responsible for Jason and Kylie in the
    eighties!!!!!
    
    Nigel B (which is more of a credit than I get on the e.p. where it is
    only down as Special thanks to Nigel)

    Ah, so you've found out what the "business" in the term "Music
    business" means, the hard way ;-)
    
    Don't give up, I guess next time you'll be a bit better prepared for
    what can happen.
    
    regards,
    tmp

    I have witnessed how the music industry screws people around, two of my
    friends are/were managers of bands that have recently been dropped form
    major record labels, however my friends band have signed up with a
    small label so they can record and release records more or less part
    time, the advance is very small, but they are guarenteed excellent
    distribution, and good name bands to support, how far you plunge
    yourself in, is the problem.

    I think that the problem was that I was treating it like a business. 
    This didn't go down well as when I wanted to see the accounts (which I
    was entitled to do under the terms of my contract)  the issue was
    dodged. Then all of the things that I had said in confidence to the
    Manager (again part of his job) got back to the relevant people (you
    know the usual gripes that you have to get off your chest like "Why is
    it that Russell can get away with never paying for anything and never
    turning up on time etc etc.).  Life stopped being fun and within days
    of recording the e.p. I was looking for employment (you know the rest)
    
    It is my opinion that if these people in positions of power were any
    good at their job then the industry would be one,  as it is it is a
    bunch of sycophantic penises (sorry) with nothing better to do than
    snort charlie and act like four year olds.
    
    
    Yours 
    
    Angry of reading 
    

    From the lowly heights of a gigging local band :-
    
    I've been playing bass guitar / saxaphone for odd bands since school
    (Strewth, I'm old, just realised that it's 12 years since my first paid
    gig !).  At this ripe age in life (NOT !) I've come to the conclusion 
    that the enjoyment of playing live can be very easily overruled by the
    pain of putting up with over-ambitious band members, getting too
    involved in making any money from it etc. unless everyone has exactly
    the same goal :-  
    
    A good case is the current
    band I play in,  have been doing a gig every 6-8 weeks on average for
    18 months, great fun, we go down well, no pressure.  4 of the 7 band
    members have now 'decided' that we start gigging a lot more, one is
    particularly keen as he's planning on setting up as a band agent,
    providing bands to a pub/club circuit in the Bristol area. So, come
    September, 4 gigs in 5 weekends, 3 of which are paying well.  Pressure
    is now building up nicely, the back-biting has started, we've suddenly
    become important to the guy setting up business as he's earning part of
    his living based on comission from our gigs, and whoops, it's suddenly
    no fun anymore. (2 of the gigs are weddings, please, Noooohh!)
    Me,  I'm probably going to jack it in, I get enough
    stress in life without this, I've been in bands before where similar
    things have happened and now avoid it like the plague.
    
    	Sorry, rambling on again.  Point I'm trying to get at is that yes,
    the music biz. is corrupt, loads of people around to shaft you etc. but
    at a local band level it doesn't have to be  that way if you play to
    your own rules, forget them (which our band just has) and you're
    heading for trouble.  A united band will play better, get along getter,
    be more successful and probably enjoy it more than a band with any
    dis-unity.   
    
    	2 cents,
    
    		Euan

    Not exactly a local band,  but a currently unsigned one.
    
    Come and find out for yourself whether they're crap or not.
    
    
    ****************************************************************************
    				HIPJAM
    
    	BORDERLINE CLUB (WEST END)  WEDNESDAY 23rd AUGUST
    
    
    Features members of J-Pac,  Mock Turtles,  Perfect World.
    
    
    Doing a showcase for Rick Rubin and Channel Four.  
    
    Anyone that can come then it would be lovely to see you.  Let me know
    and I'll leave some Tickets on the door (let's you get in cheaper not
    free unfortunatel
    
    Mail me or just reply here.  (Mail address is Nigel P Barker @ REO)  
    
    Cheers then 
    
    See ya there (hopefully!)
    
    
    Nigel 
    
    
    

>>> Come and find out for yourself whether they're crap or not.

Do you work in marketing?

"Digital Hinote ultra;  It may be crap...why don't you find out?"

    	Tonight....Alleycat Live, Reading
    
    	Charity concert for Dunblane, featuring local bands, including
    	Ampersand, who no one who reads this conference has probably seen, or
    	cares a flying one about, amongst other bands of similar stature.
    
    	dickie.

    
    Also amongst the bands playing are Vitamin Collins, featuring my
    mate Francesca.
    
    Leonie.

    Last night's chariddy bash was fairly successful, the venue was packed,
    even Reading FC chairman John Madjeski was there, the quality of bands
    varied somewhat. Ampersand were OK but nowhere near the heights they
    are capable of playing. Pallet, were forced to withdraw due to the
    hospitalisation of one band member (rock and roll!) so Roger and Mark
    ex of Resque (old timers will remember them) played a few songs
    together, which was v good. Metro went all prima donna and insisted on
    being shuffled up the bill (wankers) apparently they had to play later
    because of a technical hitch (yeah, right). Lowlight of the evening was
    a band from Henley, I only know this because one of the guitarists
    said, "Here's a song recorded in our studio in Henley". Horrible,
    grating, soft metal,in a hey! here's a concept, a set consisting of
    horrible AOR ballads done by a band with no charisma style. I didn't
    see Vitamin Collins because I was busy networking in the bar (i.e.
    getting sloshed)
    
    dickie. 

    Ampersand, who I go on about sometimes, have had their debut album, Mug
    of Mischief, released on Golf Records. It's good if you like a bit of
    punked up hardcore sort of stuff.
    
    dickie.

    Local band Bennett made a less than spectacular dent on the lower
    reaches of the top 40, despite massive airplay.
    
    dickie.