Blood, Sweat, Tears and No Contract

I get asked many questions about the music industry on a regular basis and it’s not always from just the bands. Many times, it’s from new managers who ask me for a copy of my “management contract” to use as a guide. I automatically get the “deer in headlights” look when I state “I don’t have one.” Let me tell you a story.

Years ago when I was working with local bands, I realized the time had come to spread my wings and take on a new challenge – “breaking a band”. I didn’t have the contacts like I do now, but I had the drive! With my strong background of managerial experience as well as marketing, I wanted nothing more and set sail on my mission.

After months of listening to countless demos and seeing show after show, I started to believe that my perfect group would never emerge. So, on the recommendation of a friend, I flew down to Florida to see a group that he felt was the next BIG thing. When I arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had a great stage presence and catchy music, however, the first thing that came to mind was “current bands that sounded just like them”. (Which is the industry’s kiss of death.) When they came to me after their show for feedback, I started explaining my thoughts when suddenly, I stopped in mid-sentence. I slowly turned around because there was something I couldn’t ignore. The headlining band was only about 35 seconds into their first song when I found myself transformed into a trance-like state. I slowly walked away from what I was doing, completely glued. Wow! These guys had it all! The look, the sound, the energy! Not only did they have the entire package but over 1800 local cheering fans. DING DING DING, Ladies and Gentleman – We have a Winner! I immediately fought through the sea of local groupies like a kid at Fat Camp hearing the dinner bell. These guys were gonna need someone and that someone was going to be ME!

After approximately a week of meetings, we became a perfect team – well, Almost. The only thing standing in the way of our perfect bliss was their record label. The small label was run by a wealthy man who had deep pockets and no qualifications. He even had a fancy contract binding them for two years and since he financed their CD’s and merch, they felt obligated. They had no booking agent, no management, no distribution, no promotion, no “anything” outside of what they had already done on their own. When I asked what they DID have, they smiled brightly and said “We have 2000+ CD’s and a few really cool T-shirts!” Oh, YAY! Nothing spells success like 100% pure cotton!

Even though my band had been sucked into this bogus deal, I knew they were going to be huge and I wanted it so bad, I could taste it. I immediately started out revamping their press kits and making club contacts. I needed to expose them outside of the Orlando area so I booked them in Atlanta, GA at the Velvet Room @ the Hard Rock. (They had never played outside of their home state previously.) The show went rather well though we didn’t have the draw they were used to in FL; but we made new fans and that was what we needed. I will never forget the lead singer thanking me after that show and stating “You have already done more in a few weeks than our label has done in 14 months!” Talk about an ego boost! Over the next few months, I worked feverishly making multiple industry contacts. I was successful in getting them into rotation on College Airways as well as some of the top radio stations. Within 8 months, I had booked their (and my) first East Coast Tour complete with minimum guarantees of 500+ dollars and all the beer they could drink per show. (I had NO clue at the time that this was almost unheard of in the Industry to achieve with a no-name band.) All I knew was – we were on our way! (Well, one of us was…)

Shortly thereafter, I received a call from MTV. They had heard about my band through mutual contacts and wanted to use one of our songs on the Laguna Beach soundtrack! I was so excited I could barely move. As the tour approached, I was able to lock down 3 other TV and soundtrack deals as well as securing Major Label A&R (Atlantic Records and Universal) to attend our NYC Showcase at CBGB’s. With only 13 more days left under the label’s strong hold, they set out on tour.

The tour started out great! They would call me after each show and tell me how “awesome” of a time they were having but there was a problem. Not only was their pockets growing with a little bit of cash, but so was their heads. Somewhere between night 7-8, they decided they were HUGE Rockstar’s and they became disrespectful to the venue owners. The band began demanding free liquor to be delivered to them backstage and the owner said NO! (Now, I have seen clubs do this but you usually need to draw MORE than 9 people in order for them to oblige.) Out of cockiness, the band retaliated by posting a photo on their website of them flipping off the venue even though the man let them stay to perform and paid them $550.00 for it. Needless to say, the talent buyer called me at 2am stating that he hoped this wasn’t a “reflection of the talent I represented”. OUCH!

My tour slowly became about “damage control” and in order to save my own name, I joined the tour in Philly. I had to remind them constantly that this was a JOB and NOT a vacation. They even would refuse to play shows in order to go “shopping” in select cities. (Yeah, you heard me – Shopping!) By the time the showcase rolled around at CBGB’s, their voices were shot from hollering and raising hell in the City. My lead singer cracked and strained through the first song as my A&R reps listened and cringed. How could they blow this? I worked SO hard and THIS is what they give me? I then went to the bar for some therapeutic alcohol. As I waited for my drink, their sleazy label guy came wandering through the doors at CBGB’s with his wealthy posse and a huge smile. Part of me perked up. I knew their contract had expired at this point and I felt the need to rub it in but he beat me to it. “Corie!” He said, with a huge smile, “I want to thank you for what you have done for my boys!” He then threw a 100 bill on the bar and told the bartender to give me whatever I wanted all night and there was more where that came from! He then told me something that my band had hid from me throughout the tour. My heart sunk right down to my ankles as he told me that the band resigned for another year with him before they left FL. I wanted to cry. How could they? After they were done performing, I questioned the band. Their response was “If we can do THIS good with YOU, imagine how good we can do with a REAL manager!”

That day was the worst day of my life or so I thought. I ended up going back home to West Virginia only to have the biggest awakening ever. My phone rang and it was a pretty heavy hitter in the music industry. He was calling to say that I had caused a huge stir up the East Coast and it wasn’t because of my band. He went on to tell me how impressed he was of my determination and success to get radio airplay, large booking guarantees and MTV contracts without any previous knowledge and that he wanted me to work with him. He then added, “If you can do all of that with a crappy band, imagine how good you’re gonna do with a Great Band!”

I had been so focused on what my band was doing, that I never realized the Industry was watching ME! It was a few days later when Mark Willis, the President of the Recording Academy in the Atlanta Chapter, called to talk to me. He made it clear that it wasn’t the band who wanted it, but it was ME who wanted it MORE than the band. I told him that I wished I would’ve had a contract though and he told me something that I would become my career philosophy. “Any contract can be broken in a court of law. Why hold yourself to a contract working with people that you may not want to work with and vice-versa?” He was right. If I needed to hold my band to a contract, then something was off balance. I then looked at him and asked if he held management contracts with any of his National Bands and he stated “not since my first breaking band told me that they couldn’t wait to have a REAL manager!”

From that day on, I have run Anziano Enterprises on the Honor-System. I work just as hard as my bands – no more, no less! And to tell you the truth, I couldn’t be happier! The only contracts I keep are for booking and label deals but none for management. Everyday I smile for two reasons – (1) Because I know that blood, sweat and tears DOES pay off. (2) The knowledge that my first band never played outside of Florida ever again with their “Real Manager”. (insert evil laugh here)

Bottom line: Whether you are a band, manager, booking agent and/or promoter, you must remember one thing – SOMEONE IS ALWAYS WATCHING. So play like the label guy is in the audience, book as if you have a National and promote like it’s the last show ever! Doing the work will get you noticed faster than talking about it and you never know – You just might find yourself at the top before you know it!

Corie L. Anziano