Hey bob. Gen z tour manager here. My thoughts
Is this guy joking ?
“Often, with tour routes that we have helped to create (many times with those 'big' promoters), we include additional and useful 'sell off' shows. We also act as a buffer between the Manager/Artist and the Promoter. There are often difficult decisions to be made on logistics, local compliance rules, movement of equipment, local tax issues, currency fluctuations, insurance for pandemics and much more to make a tour run smoothly.”
-No, this is what the Tour manager does. You ask an agent for this, good luck getting a response
“We also check the books (although vanishingly few promoters are dishonest, as you suggest).”
-on the most rarest occasion have I had an agent settle a show with me
“We have geographical understanding gained from years of experience. Local 'on the ground' issues are informed and resolved by a wealth of knowledge about locality, culture, company, client, that we have accumulated over time.”
- Give me a break
The roadies and tour managers are more well traveled then these guys. Seriously?
“We store fundamental information such as how long it takes to overnight from A-B (drive times), the network of ferry links, transport restrictions, crew swaps, air-freight of equipment, charter flights and the many behind-the-scenes activities that collectively make a tour work (we do all this in association with artist production managers and transport companies)”
-YES ITS CALLED GOOGLE! And the 20 years plus experience we have all over the world. Are you kidding? You want 10-15% for that?
“Sure you can leave much to promoters but an AGENT fighting for the artist in their corner provides a crucial and significant service. We're a vital cog in the overall process. As well as handling regular fee negotiations, much else of what is done by the agent maximises earnings for the artist. At a basic level, your premise that the manager just calls Michael Rapino and makes the global deal (thereby cutting out the agent) could be perceived as short term saving. But believe me, in the longer term, this 'by-passing' of our role and function would be more costly because of the reservoir of accumulated knowledge and pivotal insight an agent is able to bring to the party.”
-As an artist manager and tour manager. I will fight 10 times harder for the artist then the agent. Please......
“The holistic nature of the agent's relationship with an artist/manager means we're always there for them, supporting, protecting, nurturing through thick and thin. Our agency representation list and enduring artist bonds speaks for itself.”
-Thanks mom, if we need that support will call home. Next time it’s pouring down rain during the cross load at Red rocks, will you be available for a call?
“You can’t blame Rapino for trying to close the gaps. He is a caring and intuitive man who has given up his own salary for the cause.”
-and the classic agents meaningless kiss ass sign off to the promoter rapino
Stay safe bob,
William Bracey
-gen z tour manager
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And that ladies and gentlemen is why Rod MacSween and Barry Dickins and ITB have been a key agency since they began!
Bill Siddons
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Very well said and well-written. He probably could have circulated it among a whole bunch of major agents and gotten them all to sign it.
Toby Mamis
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Virtually all of what Rod is saying sounds to me like the functions of a tour manager, not a booking agent. While I’m sure a good agent can and does perform those functions too, logistics (which essentially encompasses almost everything he detailed) I would generally want a tour manager to take care of, preferably the same person who stays with the tour to ensure that the plans run smoothly. Who better to execute the plan than the person who drafted it?
Also, LOL at “insurance for pandemics”. I hope that was a self-aware joke since we’ve seen this year just how many events carried no such insurance.
-Brandon Zemel
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As an artist manager, this is the kind of person I would want on my team!!!! Carol ross
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Ha! Peter Grosslight God rest his legendary innovating - pioneering soul could say this statement 15-20+ years ago. But no agent in 2020 who is educated on the real world (and studies trades outside the concert business) on futurism, automation, technology, AI, and the 21st century global economy can say this statement with a straight face. Who are you lying to? Artist will have very streamlined admin for 1% not 10% and tour managers will always be employed because they are the real empathetic ones. Doctors will be obsolete, Nurses will not! Get the comparison y’all?
Jeremiah Younossi
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Rod is 100% correct- agents are needed.
The fact that a lot of the industry don’t know the full job of an agent is what has led to this misguided confidence but I promise that most promoters and artists realise an agent’s importance when they no longer have it.
Danielle Douglas
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Rod makes some good points but he does not address a key and very real point in your original piece - agents will go to bat (or advocate for or protect) promoters/buyers before artists. They’re incented to do so.
I see this happen all the time with the talent I manage. Agents don’t want to disrupt their relationship with the promoter/buyer because they have the money. I have no problem with that except they should get paid from the promoter/buyer and not take a percentage of the fee from talent they’re not going to bat for.
Tony D'Amelio
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Thanks Bob. As a manager of several acts that tour globally, I do agree with many of Rod’s points here. A good, hands-on agent is an essential part of the Artist / manager team. The best Agents are indeed those that really are deeply vested in the Artists’ long term growth and success and , to me, are often a trusted team player that weights in on strategy and the overall gameplay for any given market.
Best,
Edo van Duijn
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God bless the middle man. If you look at every value provided they will be replaced by an algorithm in a smart phone in the next 2-3 years.
Michael A. Becker
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BS.
Love, a highly successful 4 wall company
BOBBY EKIZIAN GENERAL MANAGER. J&R ADVENTURES, LLC
JBONAMASSA.COM
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Bob: What Rob is saying is quite true. Touring acts in foreign territories is fraught with negative possibilities.I have never taken an act to Europe without engaging ITB. Back then Barry Dickens saved my ass on a Crosby-Nash tour. Their L.A. agent had given the tour to John Reed who laid off the continental dates to the right promoters. Reed booked the U.K. venues but did zero promotion. I was only the manager for two days before we arrived in London. I called Barry to inform him that we had arrived. He said, Great, but why are you here?" I said for the Crosby-Nash tour." He said, There's a Crosby-Nash tour? "Yes" I replied, "we are two weeks on the continent and have the U.K. dates to follow." I ripped Reed a new one and gave the dates to Dickens. When we got back they were all sold out. We fired the L.A. agent and gave the act to Tom Ross at ICM. John Hartmann
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Some fair points, but need to call out that this line is the biggest load of shit:
“We help break talent by assisting younger acts to get a leg up.”
Ask any agent how many artists they’ve booked a run, gotten a support slot etc prior to said artist being signed or some other catalyst that has already occurred in their career. Agents are typically the last to come on board.
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Hey Bob
Quick background for context because I've no doubt you have no idea who I am, nor should you....
I started as an artist and then managed a creative collaborating friend (Nano Stern, Chile) growing his audience from busking to 5000 tickets a night without the involvement of the top line music industry. And let's be clear that this was possible because of his insane talent and commitment, and his ability to get a standing ovation at almost every concert. Note here that my co-manager Juan Carlos Olivares & I booked everything direct, globally. We were also wise enough to get out of the way of the music and not to steal his money. For me those two are probably the most important things a manager can do.
Then from 2016 to 2019, I ran management for Imogen Heap and had the joy of dealing with the very lovely and hugely capable and effective Jenna Adler from CAA in LA. You probably know her or know of her. She is living proof of how valuable an agent can really be.
To this day, I mentor many young acts, which I really love doing. They want management but I know only too well the total commitment required and offer rather to teach them to manage themselves, to start off with, at least. So they can not only build their value as long as they can but also learn everything that's involved at a grass roots level so when they do start doing deals, they come to that from a point of empowerment, knowledge and experience.
What's become clear over the years is that a great agent that is really and truly invested in a young act is arguably the most important member in their business team, adding often-times the most value to growing their audience strategically. Rod is on the money with his explanations in his email to you.
But ... and it's a very big but....the other side of this coin is that the ideal scenario he articulates is extremely rare. What we see so much more at the grassroots level are agents that sign way too many acts and as a result cannot give the attention and energy that's needed to any more than a select handful. For the acts not getting that attention, the effect is significantly negative. The relationship with the agent is almost always exclusive so the act is stuck with relying totally on the agent for shows. The agents do not push them strategically and mostly just bundle them into mass mail outs to festivals and promoters... little more than spam. A waste of time. LIke buying a lottery ticket.
Bottom line I see is that the wrong agent will slow an act down and send them backwards... even with the best intention. We all know the road to hell can be paved with good intention.
I encourage acts to be clear on deliverables with any new potential agent ... some examples include:
- if the agent wants to take over and commission shows that the act has sourced themselves to date and developed relationships for, then the agent should take a reduced %, ie 5%
- on the flip side, new shows that the agent brings in can attract a higher %, ie 15%.
- that the agent should demonstrate that they can handle the load of the acts they already have and be clear about how they will increase their work capacity if they sign more acts.
- that the agent should present a clear strategic plan to the act including how they intend to build the act; including hard numbers like shows sought, shows booked, the trajectory of average fees, etc.
We are at the end of the era of the opaque music business. "Best efforts" is no longer acceptable in any deal. Transparency and accountability is everything.
Sending all love and respect to the great agents and promoters out there. After the artists and their music, these people are the engine room of the industry.
Yours in music
Brian Dubb
P.S. Does the reality of the grassroots artists even interest you? I guess I'll find out if you reply. Feel free not to of course. I'm sure you get a ton of mail.
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Hahahah agents know how long it takes to get from City A to City B on a bus tour. What a joke.
Dave Weisz
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