Madalyn's Blog

This seems perfectly reasonably, but lets shine it up further...what do you want to give the record company up front? You're taking away an endless supply of Turkish Delight for the record company, what is the equal return?

I run a small (290 seat) destination concert venue in a mid-size midwestern city (meaning, people come to see bands, not to hang out and drink). Some of the time, the bands that play at our place are lucky to go out with a meal that we provide and money for gas and they'll probably have to sleep at our house. When a band has a good following and has promoted their CD in advance, shown up for their on-air and with local radio has kept up their website, they'll sleep at the hotel that night, recone their Vox cabinet maybe, send money for rent, have money for gas and maybe order IMO's pizza. Point being, either way, touring is a lot of work and on the first, second or third album on small labels, it ain't a glamorous life.

However, it isn't all gloom and doom. A few savvy bands at this level trade on good critical press, former national status or college radio buzz to produce and sell their own merchandise (CDs t-shirts, etc.) and receive 2 or 3 times the profits from merch that they do from ticket sales. No, they aren't going for national Clearchannel radio fame this way, but they are building a solid grassroots base, calling their own shots, sending their kids to college, and living in relative comfort, and don't have to deal with the devil.

something to think about