1 00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 1: Welcome back to the Bob Leftsett's podcast. My guest today 2 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:19,520 Speaker 1: is longtime agent Wayne Quorte. Wayne, you emailed me that 3 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:23,680 Speaker 1: it was the fifth anniversary of NIDO, the National Independent 4 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 1: Talent Organization. Tell me what NIDO is. 5 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 2: NIDO is an advocacy group formed during COVID right at 6 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 2: the outset actually, which is now about one hundred and 7 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:47,559 Speaker 2: forty members of independent managers and independent talent agents, so 8 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:49,599 Speaker 2: basically talent representatives. 9 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 1: Okay, And how did it get started and what does 10 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:53,720 Speaker 1: it do? 11 00:00:55,480 --> 00:01:00,120 Speaker 2: So just as COVID set in, I should say, ar 12 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 2: who was a twenty twenty I guess in April, maybe 13 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:07,640 Speaker 2: second or third week in April, when I guess most 14 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 2: of us realized that we're going to be home for 15 00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:14,160 Speaker 2: more than two weeks. Frank Riley from High Road Touring 16 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:18,319 Speaker 2: sent an email out to a whole bunch of agents. 17 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 2: You know. Copied on the email and asked he said, 18 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 2: I said, actually that he had had some conversations with 19 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:31,240 Speaker 2: some of the large promoters. He was involved with a 20 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 2: call conference call possibly and they were, you know, discussing 21 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 2: what was going to happen, you know, what what could 22 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:42,920 Speaker 2: be done? What was you know, the you know, the visions, 23 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 2: the idea, what was ahead of us, you know, that 24 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 2: kind of thing, things that we were thinking about at 25 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 2: home individually, all on our own, and asked if we 26 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:54,800 Speaker 2: were interested to have a conference call to discuss it, 27 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 2: which everybody immediately said yes, because we all had no 28 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:00,240 Speaker 2: idea what was coming up and how we were going 29 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 2: to stay open and how we were going to stay 30 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:07,240 Speaker 2: in business. So we had one or two calls, you know, 31 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:09,080 Speaker 2: like a check in, and then we checked in like 32 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:11,560 Speaker 2: a week or so later, and you know, maybe on 33 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 2: the third call or so, somebody said, hey, maybe we 34 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:20,880 Speaker 2: should form an organization, and which was interesting because we 35 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:26,840 Speaker 2: were really at the time about sixteen sixteen or so 36 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:30,440 Speaker 2: agencies at the time. Let me back up a second, 37 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 2: So these were all agencies at that point, so about 38 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 2: sixteen of us roughly agencies, and I think there were 39 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:39,960 Speaker 2: nineteen people because a couple of them had two people 40 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 2: on the call. We were all competitors day to day, 41 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:50,160 Speaker 2: competitors spoke to you know, maybe a couple of us 42 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:53,040 Speaker 2: spoke to each other, but really, you know, didn't spend 43 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:55,079 Speaker 2: any time together, didn't really you know, didn't go out 44 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 2: to dinner and hang out, so to speak. You know 45 00:02:57,880 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 2: some of us, some of us were friendly, but I'd 46 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 2: say sixteen we weren't necessarily and what had happened was 47 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:07,680 Speaker 2: due to this you know pandemic. We all realize that 48 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 2: we're in the same box or the same boat, and 49 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 2: all of a sudden it became kind of a brotherhood. 50 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:21,000 Speaker 1: Okay, it's independent. Who is independent and who does not 51 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:22,760 Speaker 1: qualify as being independent? 52 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 2: So the independent definition is you know, a little bit loose, 53 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:33,720 Speaker 2: but not at the same time. So it's no, no 54 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 2: internationally owned you know agency, So not like an agency 55 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 2: here that's owned or controlled by a group in London 56 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:48,160 Speaker 2: or Canada. Let's say, no corporates, you know. No, it 57 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 2: has to be at least fifty one percent minimum fifty 58 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:56,040 Speaker 2: one percent owned and operated. So it can't be you know, 59 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 2: something where it's just a you know, an adjunct or 60 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:01,760 Speaker 2: a you know, a subdivision or whatever you want to 61 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 2: call it of a corporate. We can't be controlled or 62 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:11,760 Speaker 2: financed by a fund or a bank. We can't be 63 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:12,560 Speaker 2: a public company. 64 00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:17,080 Speaker 1: Okay. Of the one hundred and forty members today, how 65 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 1: many agencies. 66 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 2: Is that roughly half? So what happened from the initial 67 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:25,919 Speaker 2: start was as we when we decided to form a 68 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 2: you know, let's form an organization. We immediately discussed bringing 69 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:38,280 Speaker 2: other people in. Initially we talked about bringing managers in, 70 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:43,800 Speaker 2: tour managers, artists, basically all or any independence that were 71 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:46,080 Speaker 2: kind of out there, you know, they needed a lifeboat, 72 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:47,960 Speaker 2: so to speak, because at this point we were in 73 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:51,719 Speaker 2: survival mode. We weren't looking to thrive, we were just 74 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:56,599 Speaker 2: looking to survive. So we started by you know, picking 75 00:04:56,640 --> 00:04:58,719 Speaker 2: up all these people that you know around us that 76 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:01,039 Speaker 2: we did business. But at as we defined it to 77 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:05,520 Speaker 2: become an organization, and as we set our sites to 78 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 2: jump in with other organizations to start lobbying our representatives 79 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 2: for financial help for aid, we brought on lobbyists. 80 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:21,719 Speaker 1: Well, well, well, let's low down a little bit. You 81 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:24,800 Speaker 1: formed the organization's lobbyists costs money? 82 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:25,760 Speaker 2: Correct? 83 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:29,680 Speaker 1: How organized was NIDO and where did the money come from? 84 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:32,480 Speaker 2: So yeah, and I am jumping ahead because it's all 85 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:35,240 Speaker 2: it's all kind of an entangled ball, you know, like 86 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 2: a bullus spring bull, a string that's all tangled. So 87 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 2: when we decided to form an organization, we decided that 88 00:05:41,839 --> 00:05:45,880 Speaker 2: we'd be a nonprofit. We knew we'd had to, you know, 89 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 2: form a nonprofit entity. We'd have to hire an attorney. 90 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 2: This is even before we decided to go into the 91 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:58,400 Speaker 2: lobbyist mode. So what we did was each of us, 92 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 2: each of the companies, threw in fourth thousand dollars out 93 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:06,280 Speaker 2: of our own pockets at the time, and we took 94 00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:09,920 Speaker 2: that sixteen whatever it was times for is what sixty 95 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:13,039 Speaker 2: sixty four thousand dollars. We took that, and then we 96 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:15,560 Speaker 2: hired an attorney. We knew were eventually we're gonna have 97 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:18,919 Speaker 2: to have an accountant. We started, uh, you know, we 98 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:24,960 Speaker 2: came up with a name, we started to organize, putting 99 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:33,560 Speaker 2: together a nonprofit organization, nonprofit corporation. We also set out 100 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:37,120 Speaker 2: to form you know, set up bylaws, so we had 101 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:38,920 Speaker 2: to have an attorney to do that. So that's where that 102 00:06:38,960 --> 00:06:43,120 Speaker 2: funding came from. And then not too far after that, 103 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:46,800 Speaker 2: or too soon after that, I should say, we realized that, 104 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:50,159 Speaker 2: you know, the only way we were going to really 105 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:53,720 Speaker 2: be able to move forward, if the pandemic was going 106 00:06:53,760 --> 00:06:55,359 Speaker 2: to extend for a long period of time, which in 107 00:06:55,360 --> 00:07:00,080 Speaker 2: fact it did, we would have to start talking to 108 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:03,919 Speaker 2: representatives about some kind of you know, some kind of 109 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:06,960 Speaker 2: financial funding to be able to keep our staff together, 110 00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:10,120 Speaker 2: to be able to keep our businesses together, and we 111 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:12,200 Speaker 2: joined and I don't want to jump too far ahead, 112 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:15,320 Speaker 2: but we ended up joining up with other organizations. The 113 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:20,440 Speaker 2: main one was NEVA, the National Independent Venue Association, who 114 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:25,600 Speaker 2: had already been speaking to Amy Klobachar and she was 115 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:30,920 Speaker 2: speaking to Senator Cornyn down in Texas. And those were 116 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:35,400 Speaker 2: the two that you know, really carried the flag for 117 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:39,280 Speaker 2: the bill that later became s VOG, which started out, 118 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:43,520 Speaker 2: as you know, as something else and again jumping ahead, 119 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:45,520 Speaker 2: but so we started that when we when we realized 120 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:47,040 Speaker 2: that we had to get into that kind of a game, 121 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:50,520 Speaker 2: we knew that we'd have to get lobbyists. We couldn't 122 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:52,320 Speaker 2: do it ourselves. And you know, we couldn't get on 123 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 2: a train and go to DC. Nobody was going anywhere, 124 00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:56,280 Speaker 2: so it was all gonna have to be virtual, and 125 00:07:56,320 --> 00:07:58,560 Speaker 2: we didn't frankly, didn't know where to start. So we 126 00:07:58,640 --> 00:08:02,040 Speaker 2: reached out and we interviewed three different lobbying you know, companies, 127 00:08:02,760 --> 00:08:08,240 Speaker 2: organizations basically law firms, and we hired a lobbyist. So 128 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:11,960 Speaker 2: we had some funds to begin, but we knew that 129 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:14,680 Speaker 2: we couldn't at the burn rate of you know, a 130 00:08:14,680 --> 00:08:20,720 Speaker 2: monthly lobbying fee or consulting fee, if you like. We 131 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:24,680 Speaker 2: knew that we couldn't sustain. So what we did was 132 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 2: we jumped into fundraising mode. And actually so I at 133 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:34,360 Speaker 2: the time, we also you know, elected officers elected him 134 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:35,920 Speaker 2: by just saying you're so and so, you're going to 135 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:37,720 Speaker 2: be so, and you're going to be so and so so. 136 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 2: Frank Riley, who put the whole thing together, really spearheaded. 137 00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:46,400 Speaker 2: It was the president. We had three vice presidents, people 138 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:49,240 Speaker 2: that were you know, actively doing a lot of things. 139 00:08:49,679 --> 00:08:54,920 Speaker 2: I became secretary and Tom Chauncey became treasurer, and that 140 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:57,920 Speaker 2: was our executive committee, and we met almost every day. 141 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:03,920 Speaker 2: We did zooms when I said meet, we met by zoom. 142 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:07,840 Speaker 2: We did at least once a day. We we did 143 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:11,920 Speaker 2: the Board of Directors, which the Board of Directors became 144 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:17,040 Speaker 2: the original sixteen. We met at least three times a week. 145 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:18,240 Speaker 2: I have to go back to my notes and look 146 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:21,760 Speaker 2: bit at least and sometimes executive committee we're meeting twice 147 00:09:21,760 --> 00:09:23,640 Speaker 2: a day. But we also then broke up into committees 148 00:09:23,679 --> 00:09:26,120 Speaker 2: because we had to. There were people talking to the lobbyists, 149 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:29,080 Speaker 2: there were people that were talking to the other organizations. 150 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:32,520 Speaker 2: So we you know, we doled out the responsibilities and 151 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:37,439 Speaker 2: off we went UH and I became, by whatever happened 152 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:41,080 Speaker 2: stance and timing, I became the head of the fundraising committee. 153 00:09:41,280 --> 00:09:44,320 Speaker 2: And so we set out to raise funds. And what 154 00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:46,480 Speaker 2: we did to initially raise funds was we did an 155 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:51,680 Speaker 2: instrument auction. We went out to managers and artists and 156 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:57,600 Speaker 2: we you know, got UH signed instruments and you know, 157 00:09:58,160 --> 00:10:01,160 Speaker 2: something that was laying into closets, something special they never used. 158 00:10:01,559 --> 00:10:06,360 Speaker 2: And we did a but three. We did it in November, 159 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:09,040 Speaker 2: I think late November, so we had enough to get 160 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:11,280 Speaker 2: through the end of the year. We raised of that 161 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:15,400 Speaker 2: year twenty twenty, we raised money, raised about one hundred 162 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:17,400 Speaker 2: and thirty thousand dollars. I think we were so one 163 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:19,959 Speaker 2: hundred twenty hundred thirty. We need probably around one hundred. 164 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:24,079 Speaker 2: So once we did that, we figured we had enough 165 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:26,240 Speaker 2: to go for the next year, you know, at least 166 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:28,040 Speaker 2: a year. We didn't Again, we didn't know how long 167 00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:30,079 Speaker 2: it was going to take. So it was really a 168 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:32,880 Speaker 2: step by step process, and honestly, it was shooting from 169 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:36,440 Speaker 2: the hip, and you know, meeting challenges every day and 170 00:10:36,720 --> 00:10:39,000 Speaker 2: things that we you know, I never did, I never 171 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:43,240 Speaker 2: petitioned lobby you know, we were on the phone at 172 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:45,960 Speaker 2: least two or three times a week with senators, congressmen, 173 00:10:47,360 --> 00:10:50,959 Speaker 2: you know, their staffs, you know, giving them the giving 174 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:54,440 Speaker 2: them the pitch, basically just explaining to him what what 175 00:10:54,559 --> 00:10:58,800 Speaker 2: it meant to have the you know, the talent not 176 00:10:58,800 --> 00:11:01,440 Speaker 2: not around if the agent, the independent agencies weren't around 177 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:04,200 Speaker 2: the independent venues. You know, they both needed each other 178 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:07,480 Speaker 2: to survive. And the independent venues you know in a 179 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:11,360 Speaker 2: lot of markets or a cornerstone, you know, in their 180 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:15,600 Speaker 2: main street or downtown area. We did, you know, we 181 00:11:15,600 --> 00:11:18,920 Speaker 2: did a lot of research. We found a study that 182 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:24,559 Speaker 2: said that for every dollar spent on a ticket or entertainment, 183 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:27,800 Speaker 2: it was twelve dollars in the local community. So we 184 00:11:27,840 --> 00:11:32,160 Speaker 2: immediately calculated the numbers and you know, figured out, you 185 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:35,480 Speaker 2: know what on an annualized basis. You know, we've just 186 00:11:35,559 --> 00:11:38,560 Speaker 2: looked at you did quick you know, math, what what 187 00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:42,480 Speaker 2: the agencies generated, with the artists generated and multiplied by twelve. 188 00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:45,120 Speaker 2: Came up with some big numbers that the venue association 189 00:11:45,240 --> 00:11:47,679 Speaker 2: did the same. And then there were other groups too. 190 00:11:47,679 --> 00:11:50,560 Speaker 2: There were the you know, there was the theaters, and 191 00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:56,840 Speaker 2: then later there was you know, the the museums. Once 192 00:11:56,880 --> 00:11:59,520 Speaker 2: the thing started rolling. You know, Schumer got involved, Centator 193 00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:03,959 Speaker 2: Schumer and there was I think eight stakeholders at the 194 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:05,800 Speaker 2: end of the day, and the eight of them all 195 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:10,320 Speaker 2: had their own lobbyists and all worked you know, in tandem, 196 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:14,880 Speaker 2: even though independently to get the word out. And you know, 197 00:12:14,880 --> 00:12:18,760 Speaker 2: the Venue organization they had about twelve hundred and fifteen 198 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:20,520 Speaker 2: maybe back in those days a thousand, but they have 199 00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:23,840 Speaker 2: almost fifteen hundred members now, and so they had because 200 00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:26,960 Speaker 2: they had so many members, they were able to do 201 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:29,480 Speaker 2: like localized things, you know. They had you know, like 202 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:34,000 Speaker 2: state committees and you know, regional things and they'd reach out, 203 00:12:34,120 --> 00:12:36,120 Speaker 2: they'd have people reaching out in each state. Obviously we 204 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:39,600 Speaker 2: had less you know, members, but we tried to get 205 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:41,360 Speaker 2: our members to reach out in their states as well. 206 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:43,640 Speaker 2: We tried to get some of our artists involved, and 207 00:12:43,640 --> 00:12:45,360 Speaker 2: we were lucky to do that that, you know, some 208 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:48,160 Speaker 2: of them were willing to step up and speak on 209 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:53,160 Speaker 2: behalf of the whole movement. And then backing up a 210 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:55,640 Speaker 2: few steps. As we were rolling along, we decided to 211 00:12:55,640 --> 00:12:59,600 Speaker 2: bring members into the organization, sorry, managers into the organization 212 00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:02,559 Speaker 2: for the boards. Then we started we brought in two 213 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:05,960 Speaker 2: or three managers today we have about half and half 214 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:08,400 Speaker 2: on the board. Then we had mostly agents, so had 215 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:11,280 Speaker 2: half and half and membership wise an answer to your question, 216 00:13:11,679 --> 00:13:13,880 Speaker 2: roughly half and half. But a lot of them are 217 00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:18,119 Speaker 2: small operators, you know, one person, two people, small offices. 218 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:20,560 Speaker 2: You know, they're not all big companies. It goes from 219 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:25,080 Speaker 2: red light at the top to one solo operator at 220 00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:28,800 Speaker 2: the bottom. So it really covers the span of independence. Really. 221 00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:33,440 Speaker 1: Okay, let's go back to the beginning. It's easily understood 222 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:38,760 Speaker 1: the costs and the losses of a venue as an agent. 223 00:13:39,480 --> 00:13:41,600 Speaker 1: And as you were on the phone with these people 224 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:46,240 Speaker 1: beginning in April, how hurt were the agents? The perception 225 00:13:46,320 --> 00:13:50,920 Speaker 1: would be your percentage operators. Okay, your costs or overhead 226 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:52,800 Speaker 1: is not that high. What was it like to be 227 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:55,240 Speaker 1: an agent when everything was shut down? 228 00:13:56,800 --> 00:13:59,800 Speaker 2: Well, immediately you think about and you're right, your percentage 229 00:13:59,840 --> 00:14:02,880 Speaker 2: a percentage operator. But we're a percentage operator that operates, 230 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:05,280 Speaker 2: you know, day to day. I don't want to say 231 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:07,640 Speaker 2: hand to mouth, but hand to mouth, like you earn 232 00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:10,439 Speaker 2: you put out, you earn you put out. If you're 233 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 2: in a major you know, if you're if you're in 234 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:17,120 Speaker 2: a major agency situation or a larger business, management company, agency, whatever. 235 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:21,000 Speaker 2: You know, maybe you generate enough that you have a 236 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:24,040 Speaker 2: huge turnover and you have enough to operate and take 237 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:27,320 Speaker 2: out a huge profit when you're independent. You know, even 238 00:14:27,520 --> 00:14:31,720 Speaker 2: even the larger independence if they're a larger company generating 239 00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:34,560 Speaker 2: more money, but they have a lot more people. So 240 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:36,960 Speaker 2: you know, in my position, I may have four or 241 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:40,240 Speaker 2: five people. A larger agency may have forty. So even 242 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:43,360 Speaker 2: though they're generating a larger amount of money, their payrolls 243 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:45,440 Speaker 2: a lot higher, their office space is a lot higher, 244 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:48,120 Speaker 2: their travel is a lot higher. So obviously during COVID, 245 00:14:48,160 --> 00:14:51,120 Speaker 2: we had no travel, so that knocked that out. There 246 00:14:51,200 --> 00:14:53,960 Speaker 2: was no you know, no t and so that was that. 247 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:57,240 Speaker 2: But I still had salaries to pay. I still had 248 00:14:57,360 --> 00:14:59,240 Speaker 2: at the time, I had my office space. I was 249 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:01,360 Speaker 2: trying to negotiate my landlord. He would not give me 250 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:04,960 Speaker 2: a break. I was paying the rent every month, and 251 00:15:05,040 --> 00:15:07,360 Speaker 2: you're paying your phone bill unless you cut your phones off. 252 00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:10,080 Speaker 2: But you know, we ended up forwarding our numbers to 253 00:15:11,520 --> 00:15:14,560 Speaker 2: individually to each of the people who worked with me 254 00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:19,800 Speaker 2: to their cell phones, so you know, those costs were ongoing. 255 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:21,800 Speaker 2: So it got to a point. I mean, there was 256 00:15:21,840 --> 00:15:23,720 Speaker 2: some localized stuff, you know, there was like, you know, 257 00:15:23,840 --> 00:15:26,200 Speaker 2: New York State had something, New York City had a 258 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:29,520 Speaker 2: little something. There was the you know, there was the 259 00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:32,200 Speaker 2: initial thing where you could file for you know a 260 00:15:32,200 --> 00:15:35,280 Speaker 2: certain amount of money. You had to get a bank 261 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:38,920 Speaker 2: to to approve it. The government you know, uh over 262 00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:43,840 Speaker 2: oversaw the or backed up the loan. Uh. There was 263 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:46,840 Speaker 2: you know, emergency loans you could apply for. I did. 264 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:50,200 Speaker 2: I got an emergency loan. It helped for some of it. 265 00:15:50,240 --> 00:15:54,840 Speaker 2: I'm still paying it off. But you know, you look, 266 00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:56,760 Speaker 2: you're sitting there and you're looking and you're thinking, Okay, 267 00:15:56,760 --> 00:15:58,880 Speaker 2: who do I have to lay off? Well? Who who 268 00:15:58,960 --> 00:16:01,800 Speaker 2: do I have to cut back? What I did was 269 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:05,120 Speaker 2: I stopped taking you know, obviously not obviously I stopped 270 00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:08,640 Speaker 2: taking anything. I immediately stopped taking any draw whatsoever. I 271 00:16:08,680 --> 00:16:13,520 Speaker 2: just was living on my savings, and I kept continue 272 00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:16,560 Speaker 2: to pay my staff, you know, as long as I could. 273 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:18,360 Speaker 2: I figured I'd pay them as long as I could, 274 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:21,480 Speaker 2: and then i'd I'd give them the opportunity to do Listen, 275 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:23,720 Speaker 2: if you need to go try something else because I 276 00:16:23,720 --> 00:16:25,880 Speaker 2: can't pay you anymore, go ahead, if you want to 277 00:16:25,880 --> 00:16:27,480 Speaker 2: stick around, that's fine. So I didn't have to get 278 00:16:27,520 --> 00:16:30,240 Speaker 2: to that point, luckily, but that's what I was looking at, 279 00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:33,920 Speaker 2: and all of us were, you know, in the same position, 280 00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:37,560 Speaker 2: unless any of us were independently wealthy and could just 281 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:39,720 Speaker 2: keep floating the whole thing. But you're still at that 282 00:16:39,760 --> 00:16:41,720 Speaker 2: point in time. You don't know how long it's going 283 00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:45,000 Speaker 2: to last. Six months, six years. I mean, honestly, we 284 00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:47,920 Speaker 2: all thought it was three weeks and then maybe six months. 285 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:51,440 Speaker 2: And then at the same time of doing all this stuff, 286 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:54,400 Speaker 2: for instance, we were rebooking tours. I rebooked the tours 287 00:16:54,400 --> 00:16:57,120 Speaker 2: that I had booked three times during that period because 288 00:16:57,120 --> 00:16:58,920 Speaker 2: every time we thought, okay, it's going to be six months, Oh, 289 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:01,400 Speaker 2: it's going to be a year. And I remember when 290 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:03,440 Speaker 2: I said, okay, it's going to be next year. I 291 00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:07,000 Speaker 2: remember calling my managers and saying, I'm going to rebook 292 00:17:07,040 --> 00:17:09,479 Speaker 2: it for next year. But honestly, I just have this 293 00:17:09,560 --> 00:17:12,199 Speaker 2: feeling that it's not going to be next year. I 294 00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:14,399 Speaker 2: think it might be two years. So I'm going to 295 00:17:14,440 --> 00:17:16,560 Speaker 2: book next year and I'm going to hold the year after, 296 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:19,440 Speaker 2: which is what I did. And I had to roll 297 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:22,280 Speaker 2: into that third one. And then I had one client 298 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:25,960 Speaker 2: who when COVID was kind of over over here or 299 00:17:26,040 --> 00:17:29,359 Speaker 2: just starting to Wane, No, unintended. He didn't want to 300 00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:32,720 Speaker 2: go overseas and I had an overseas tour. He said, 301 00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:34,360 Speaker 2: I don't want to be in Europe, and if there's 302 00:17:34,359 --> 00:17:36,760 Speaker 2: an issue, I have to shut down and I have 303 00:17:36,800 --> 00:17:39,719 Speaker 2: to ship everything back and pay everybody and you know, 304 00:17:39,880 --> 00:17:43,800 Speaker 2: pay deposits on things. He said, I really don't feel comfortable. 305 00:17:44,200 --> 00:17:46,720 Speaker 2: So I had to rebook that one the fourth time. 306 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:50,080 Speaker 2: That was the toughest one because it wasn't There wasn't 307 00:17:50,119 --> 00:17:52,560 Speaker 2: an easy out on that one. Everybody wasn't Yeah, okay, fine, 308 00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:55,520 Speaker 2: they were like, really, there's other people touring. But the 309 00:17:55,520 --> 00:17:57,160 Speaker 2: fact of the matter is we didn't know. It could 310 00:17:57,160 --> 00:17:58,640 Speaker 2: have sparked back up at any time. 311 00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:12,080 Speaker 1: Okay, So you form the organization degrees, you know, four 312 00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:17,160 Speaker 1: k from each individual. What is the goal? What is 313 00:18:17,320 --> 00:18:20,480 Speaker 1: the agenda? When do you say and what do you say? 314 00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:23,600 Speaker 1: Do you say, Hey, our main agenda is getting money 315 00:18:23,640 --> 00:18:26,679 Speaker 1: for the people working for us and for agencies. We 316 00:18:26,800 --> 00:18:29,760 Speaker 1: need to get it from the federal government. Walk me 317 00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:31,360 Speaker 1: through what the thoughts were then. 318 00:18:33,040 --> 00:18:35,000 Speaker 2: Well, the initial thought was we need to get money 319 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:39,239 Speaker 2: for everybody. That's everybody in the ecosystem. So we were 320 00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:41,320 Speaker 2: again we were working along. At the time, we were 321 00:18:41,359 --> 00:18:45,280 Speaker 2: working very closely with NIVA. That's before we officially join 322 00:18:45,359 --> 00:18:47,800 Speaker 2: the if you want to call it the consortium or whatever, 323 00:18:47,880 --> 00:18:50,840 Speaker 2: right the stakeholders as they called it. We were working 324 00:18:50,840 --> 00:18:53,600 Speaker 2: with them, and there was other organizations working as well, 325 00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:56,080 Speaker 2: and there was a there was a larger bill that 326 00:18:56,200 --> 00:18:59,359 Speaker 2: was truck that was being that was put out, that 327 00:18:59,480 --> 00:19:01,879 Speaker 2: was trying to that they were trying to, you know, 328 00:19:02,119 --> 00:19:05,679 Speaker 2: get through that would have covered a lot of the people, 329 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:09,679 Speaker 2: right the workers backstage and the artists and the and 330 00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:12,879 Speaker 2: the crews and all those people. So initially we were 331 00:19:12,920 --> 00:19:16,320 Speaker 2: pushing for that. We were pushing it and then and 332 00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:17,919 Speaker 2: I guess this is one of the reasons why you 333 00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:21,000 Speaker 2: have lobbyists, well two reasons. The first reason is to 334 00:19:21,119 --> 00:19:23,280 Speaker 2: be where you can't be, which is Washington, d C. 335 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:25,960 Speaker 2: Or wherever it is. You need to be right talking 336 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:28,320 Speaker 2: to whomever needs to be spoken to. Also, they have 337 00:19:28,359 --> 00:19:30,840 Speaker 2: the relationships just as we would if somebody wants a 338 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:32,920 Speaker 2: tour they call an agent because we have the relationships. 339 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:36,840 Speaker 2: They have those relationships. So in talking to them and 340 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:39,200 Speaker 2: discussing it and pushing for it, you know, the feed 341 00:19:39,359 --> 00:19:42,080 Speaker 2: what happens is an interesting process. You know, the feedback comes, 342 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:44,880 Speaker 2: and somebody will say, and again, I wasn't directly speaking 343 00:19:44,920 --> 00:19:50,520 Speaker 2: to the to the to the congressional people's staffs on 344 00:19:50,640 --> 00:19:53,520 Speaker 2: the hill, although we did have you know, our interview 345 00:19:53,720 --> 00:19:55,960 Speaker 2: whatever you want to call them, our interviews or our 346 00:19:56,000 --> 00:20:00,280 Speaker 2: conversations with them individually set up, you know, strategic to 347 00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:02,480 Speaker 2: push certain areas that we needed to push people that 348 00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:04,560 Speaker 2: weren't in favor, to try to talk them into it 349 00:20:04,640 --> 00:20:08,199 Speaker 2: or explain why they should back it, that it wasn't 350 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:10,480 Speaker 2: just to give money away, but that it was actually 351 00:20:10,560 --> 00:20:13,720 Speaker 2: going to help you know, their constituents and their cities 352 00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:16,920 Speaker 2: and their areas, because they depended a lot of these 353 00:20:17,160 --> 00:20:18,960 Speaker 2: you know a lot of these I'm getting to a 354 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:21,199 Speaker 2: sidebar for a sec but a lot. And I just 355 00:20:21,240 --> 00:20:23,240 Speaker 2: had this. I just came back from a conference. It 356 00:20:23,359 --> 00:20:25,000 Speaker 2: was there Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. It was out in 357 00:20:25,040 --> 00:20:27,600 Speaker 2: mil Milwaukee, and we were talking to some you know 358 00:20:27,640 --> 00:20:29,920 Speaker 2: people there and they'll tell you themselves, you know, people 359 00:20:29,920 --> 00:20:34,040 Speaker 2: that own restaurants and hotels when when these events happen, 360 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:36,920 Speaker 2: When these concerts happen. Obviously the bigger ones are even 361 00:20:37,119 --> 00:20:40,000 Speaker 2: more important, but even the smaller ones. People come into 362 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:42,640 Speaker 2: town from out of town, you know, from the suburbs, 363 00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:44,760 Speaker 2: or from at fly in from out of town, depending 364 00:20:44,800 --> 00:20:47,120 Speaker 2: on how big it is. They stay at hotels, they eat, 365 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:51,480 Speaker 2: they take taxis, they park cars, they pay babysitters, They 366 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:54,280 Speaker 2: go to the local pharmacy, they go to CV, you know, 367 00:20:54,280 --> 00:20:57,399 Speaker 2: whatever it is. They they're there spending money, you know, 368 00:20:57,560 --> 00:21:01,040 Speaker 2: because this thing's happening. Take away them movie theater, which 369 00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:02,960 Speaker 2: was also going to go down the tube. That was 370 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:05,920 Speaker 2: one of the other stakeholders. Take away the movie theater 371 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:09,560 Speaker 2: and take away the concert venue, the theater or the club. 372 00:21:09,680 --> 00:21:11,080 Speaker 2: Let's say it's a theater in a club and a 373 00:21:11,080 --> 00:21:13,320 Speaker 2: movie theater. Take those out of the system. And what 374 00:21:13,359 --> 00:21:16,800 Speaker 2: are they going downtown for? To shop? To a restaurant? 375 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:19,520 Speaker 2: But they go to restaurants when they go to shows. Right, 376 00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:21,919 Speaker 2: A lot of people, not everybody, but they're going out 377 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:24,200 Speaker 2: because they're going out, you know. They're parking in garages 378 00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:25,960 Speaker 2: because they're coming in to do that. Yes, some people 379 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:29,320 Speaker 2: come into park to go shopping. But they may come 380 00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:31,840 Speaker 2: in and go shopping. They may come in and see 381 00:21:31,880 --> 00:21:33,639 Speaker 2: one of the concerts. They may stay over the weekend 382 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:35,160 Speaker 2: and go to a theater. You go to the theater 383 00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:37,840 Speaker 2: one night and the Broadway Theater groups were in on 384 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:40,760 Speaker 2: it too. They were one of the stakeholders. So, you know, 385 00:21:40,800 --> 00:21:44,320 Speaker 2: getting back to your question, we were trying to get 386 00:21:44,359 --> 00:21:47,040 Speaker 2: more of a broad thing going, but word came back 387 00:21:47,080 --> 00:21:49,320 Speaker 2: to us that it wasn't going to go through. That 388 00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:51,359 Speaker 2: was the word from the hill. They said, you can 389 00:21:51,359 --> 00:21:52,960 Speaker 2: spend your time doing it if you want, but it's 390 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:55,200 Speaker 2: not going to pass. They said, there's this other bill 391 00:21:55,240 --> 00:21:57,520 Speaker 2: that looks like it's going to pass. It it's more focused, 392 00:21:57,760 --> 00:22:01,280 Speaker 2: it's more on the you know, the venue use specifically 393 00:22:01,359 --> 00:22:03,879 Speaker 2: because of the reason I just explained to you. You know, 394 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:06,480 Speaker 2: you take all those venues away, and in some towns, 395 00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:08,800 Speaker 2: you know Sixth Street in Austin, Texas, what happens if 396 00:22:08,800 --> 00:22:10,520 Speaker 2: all those clubs are out of business? There is no 397 00:22:10,560 --> 00:22:13,840 Speaker 2: Sixth Street, right, You take some of these you know 398 00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:18,040 Speaker 2: clubs out of business, you know the Greenwich Village, right, 399 00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:21,879 Speaker 2: all those clubs go out. You get some pizza places 400 00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:23,720 Speaker 2: and some restaurants down there. But what else you're gonna 401 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:26,879 Speaker 2: do down there? No jazz, no pop, no you know, 402 00:22:26,960 --> 00:22:30,320 Speaker 2: in indie music or whatever. So so that bill was 403 00:22:30,359 --> 00:22:32,919 Speaker 2: seemed to be that, Yeah, that one bill seemed to 404 00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:35,480 Speaker 2: be or thought of a bill. Proposal of a bill 405 00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:40,320 Speaker 2: seemed to be gaining traction, so we focused ourselves on that. 406 00:22:40,920 --> 00:22:44,440 Speaker 2: We figured, we've got to cover something, you know, we've 407 00:22:44,440 --> 00:22:47,800 Speaker 2: got to be able to keep this thing going as 408 00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:50,080 Speaker 2: best we can, because at the end of the day, 409 00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:53,920 Speaker 2: if there are no tours, those other people and there 410 00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:56,720 Speaker 2: are no venues the other people were trying to help 411 00:22:57,160 --> 00:23:00,480 Speaker 2: aren't gonna have jobs anyway. They're gonna be looking for 412 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:04,439 Speaker 2: other work. So this at least keeps them in a 413 00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:07,000 Speaker 2: place where they can have a job, you know, the 414 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:10,040 Speaker 2: potential of having a job. So we decided to jump 415 00:23:10,080 --> 00:23:13,720 Speaker 2: on that bandwagon. And that's where the you know, where 416 00:23:14,119 --> 00:23:17,199 Speaker 2: as I said, these eight major stakeholders started focusing was 417 00:23:17,240 --> 00:23:19,200 Speaker 2: to try to get this through and then the you know, 418 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:20,280 Speaker 2: in the end it did go through. 419 00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:23,159 Speaker 1: Okay, you talk about the consolat ship and you talk 420 00:23:23,200 --> 00:23:27,960 Speaker 1: about the stakeholders. There's NEVA, there's NITO, who else, if anybody. 421 00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:30,600 Speaker 2: There was an organization I think called NATO, which was 422 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:33,680 Speaker 2: the I think National Association of Theater Owners, right and 423 00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:36,960 Speaker 2: that and that was I think movie theaters. Uh, there 424 00:23:37,119 --> 00:23:40,199 Speaker 2: was the Broadway League or a Broadway group. Right, there 425 00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:43,880 Speaker 2: were Broadway theaters right there with that group. Later on 426 00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:48,119 Speaker 2: there was the museums and the aquariums. I don't know 427 00:23:48,160 --> 00:23:50,120 Speaker 2: if they had a specific group, but there was that. 428 00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:53,720 Speaker 2: That was a that was a Senator Schumer thing for sure. 429 00:23:55,359 --> 00:23:56,720 Speaker 2: I'm trying to think there was eight of them. I 430 00:23:56,720 --> 00:23:57,880 Speaker 2: don't remember them all off hand. 431 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:01,240 Speaker 1: So in a perfect world there we kum bay ah. 432 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:05,120 Speaker 1: But certainly Broadway tends to look down on certain things. 433 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:09,080 Speaker 1: Certain things generate more money as agents. How big a 434 00:24:09,119 --> 00:24:11,040 Speaker 1: seat did you have at the table? Into what degree 435 00:24:11,119 --> 00:24:11,760 Speaker 1: we listened to? 436 00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:15,960 Speaker 2: Well that was the interesting thing, Bob. So how big 437 00:24:15,960 --> 00:24:17,800 Speaker 2: a steed I don't know, But the reality is we 438 00:24:17,840 --> 00:24:20,600 Speaker 2: had a seat, and we never did and even if 439 00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:22,399 Speaker 2: it was a small seat, we had a seat, and 440 00:24:22,440 --> 00:24:25,520 Speaker 2: we had a voice, and it was listened to. And 441 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:28,240 Speaker 2: we had to just not sit back and let the 442 00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:31,080 Speaker 2: lobbyists do the talking because really they have the seat 443 00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:35,200 Speaker 2: right at the table on the hill. But we got 444 00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:37,399 Speaker 2: you know, as I said, we were on the phones, 445 00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:40,119 Speaker 2: and we were when we broke up into groups. You know, 446 00:24:40,200 --> 00:24:41,880 Speaker 2: our people from New York would get on the phone 447 00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:44,159 Speaker 2: with the New York representatives, people from Nashville would get 448 00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:47,280 Speaker 2: on the phones with the Tennessee representatives. I live in Connecticut, 449 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:49,600 Speaker 2: That's where my home is. I was on the phone 450 00:24:49,640 --> 00:24:52,480 Speaker 2: with the Connecticut people right and on the call. I 451 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:56,000 Speaker 2: arranged the call, and I had a couple of theater people, 452 00:24:56,040 --> 00:24:59,080 Speaker 2: I had a promoter or two I had myself. So 453 00:24:59,119 --> 00:25:01,680 Speaker 2: the idea was to bring you know, the different groups 454 00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:04,000 Speaker 2: together so they could hear from all of us. They 455 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:05,720 Speaker 2: could hear from the theater directly, they could hear from 456 00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:07,600 Speaker 2: the promoter directly. They can hear from the agent. Oh, 457 00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:09,800 Speaker 2: and they had a manager. So we tried to have 458 00:25:10,080 --> 00:25:12,080 Speaker 2: as many you know, people as we could on the 459 00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:16,240 Speaker 2: on the phones and they listened, so we had a voice. Yes, 460 00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:17,159 Speaker 2: we did have a voice. 461 00:25:17,240 --> 00:25:21,280 Speaker 1: Okay. When the bill was ultimately passed, where were the 462 00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:24,000 Speaker 1: agencies in this and how did it ultimately play out 463 00:25:24,040 --> 00:25:24,600 Speaker 1: with the money? 464 00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:28,200 Speaker 2: Where were the agencies? What do you mean by where 465 00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:28,920 Speaker 2: were the agencies? 466 00:25:28,920 --> 00:25:32,080 Speaker 1: Okay, there was a pool of money. You had to 467 00:25:32,160 --> 00:25:36,040 Speaker 1: apply for the money. Correct, there were all these stories. 468 00:25:36,119 --> 00:25:38,720 Speaker 1: You heard for sure, they're going to run out of money. 469 00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:41,560 Speaker 1: Then you heard that not enough people were applying at 470 00:25:41,640 --> 00:25:43,880 Speaker 1: the end of the day. How did it work out 471 00:25:43,920 --> 00:25:44,880 Speaker 1: for the agencies? 472 00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:48,760 Speaker 2: So the agencies and the managers, Okay, the talent, let's 473 00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:51,160 Speaker 2: call it talent representatives. Okay, let me step back one 474 00:25:51,160 --> 00:25:54,639 Speaker 2: more step, just to clarify or whatever add to the story. 475 00:25:55,280 --> 00:25:59,119 Speaker 2: So when we focused in on talent representatives, agents and 476 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:03,000 Speaker 2: managers did so when we set up the organization because 477 00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:07,760 Speaker 2: our lobbyists suggested to us that when you're dealing with 478 00:26:07,800 --> 00:26:10,280 Speaker 2: the hill, you need to be again, you need to 479 00:26:10,320 --> 00:26:17,520 Speaker 2: be focused. So talent representatives, agents and managers, no matter 480 00:26:17,560 --> 00:26:22,159 Speaker 2: what sports music wouldever have the same NASIS code, okay, 481 00:26:22,200 --> 00:26:24,720 Speaker 2: which is the code that you use your company or 482 00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:28,040 Speaker 2: yourself use on your tax return. So my company, a 483 00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:32,000 Speaker 2: management company, whatever, sports agent, et cetera, we all use 484 00:26:32,040 --> 00:26:34,439 Speaker 2: the same NASIS code. So we went by that code. 485 00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:37,920 Speaker 2: Anyone with that code can join our organization basically, and 486 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:42,760 Speaker 2: so we formed it based on that and it became, 487 00:26:43,119 --> 00:26:46,320 Speaker 2: as I said, talent representative. So theoretically we could have 488 00:26:46,359 --> 00:26:49,840 Speaker 2: sports agents and managers joined too, because we're a talent 489 00:26:50,400 --> 00:26:55,840 Speaker 2: representative or talent organization, international organization. So for the talent organization, 490 00:26:57,480 --> 00:27:03,040 Speaker 2: roughly there was sixteen billion in the bill, okay at 491 00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:07,000 Speaker 2: the end of the day. Initially they had a number 492 00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:09,880 Speaker 2: they were looking at and they were there was going 493 00:27:09,880 --> 00:27:13,119 Speaker 2: back and forth and the conversations were is it enough money? 494 00:27:13,359 --> 00:27:17,040 Speaker 2: You know? And the initial number that they came up 495 00:27:17,080 --> 00:27:20,480 Speaker 2: with is what you're discussing or alluding to the original 496 00:27:20,560 --> 00:27:22,720 Speaker 2: number that they came up was thought to not be enough. 497 00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:25,760 Speaker 2: What they asked for was each of the organizations to say, 498 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:30,280 Speaker 2: how much do you think you need okay for you know, 499 00:27:30,359 --> 00:27:35,320 Speaker 2: to repay and to stay open for whatever period two years, 500 00:27:35,359 --> 00:27:36,919 Speaker 2: whatever that period was, I don't remember off the top 501 00:27:36,920 --> 00:27:38,879 Speaker 2: of my head, but you know, for this period and 502 00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:41,480 Speaker 2: they and they were periods. It was set up with 503 00:27:41,560 --> 00:27:44,119 Speaker 2: the SBA overseeing it, and there was like these this 504 00:27:44,240 --> 00:27:46,760 Speaker 2: period that you had to apply for within that periods 505 00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:49,440 Speaker 2: certain income and it had to reflect you know, going 506 00:27:49,480 --> 00:27:52,119 Speaker 2: back I think two or three years or something some 507 00:27:52,440 --> 00:27:54,440 Speaker 2: an average and I have to pull out my notes 508 00:27:54,480 --> 00:27:55,760 Speaker 2: to see what the thing was. It was. There was 509 00:27:56,200 --> 00:27:58,480 Speaker 2: a lot of calculating going on and you had to 510 00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:02,239 Speaker 2: go through you know, a uh request, you know uh 511 00:28:03,600 --> 00:28:06,280 Speaker 2: uh process. They set up a website for it, which 512 00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:11,400 Speaker 2: crashed initially, by the way, and everybody's freaking out because 513 00:28:11,640 --> 00:28:15,520 Speaker 2: you had the time period within to register. Uh. So 514 00:28:15,680 --> 00:28:17,600 Speaker 2: there was so at the end of the day they 515 00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:20,199 Speaker 2: did they estimated, re estimated and estimated again, they came 516 00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:22,199 Speaker 2: up with the number of six billion. That was for 517 00:28:22,320 --> 00:28:29,000 Speaker 2: all of these different scenarios. Okay, the talent representatives ended 518 00:28:29,040 --> 00:28:32,960 Speaker 2: up with around nine hundred million dollars the independence. Okay, 519 00:28:33,080 --> 00:28:36,600 Speaker 2: roughly that was our share, so just under a billion. 520 00:28:38,240 --> 00:28:39,560 Speaker 2: The rest of the money, I couldn't tell you where 521 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:42,040 Speaker 2: it went, but you know it was all those different scenarios. 522 00:28:42,280 --> 00:28:47,360 Speaker 2: The theaters, the quariums, the museums, the movie theaters, you know, 523 00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:48,080 Speaker 2: all those things. 524 00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:49,080 Speaker 1: Uh, you know. 525 00:28:49,080 --> 00:28:55,200 Speaker 2: Broadway, That's where all the money went. You applied for it, 526 00:28:55,640 --> 00:28:58,760 Speaker 2: you got the you got the grant if they if 527 00:28:58,800 --> 00:29:02,920 Speaker 2: you were approved. And then what they did was they 528 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:07,440 Speaker 2: had additional funds available. They did after everyone applied, which 529 00:29:07,440 --> 00:29:12,680 Speaker 2: again is probably what you're referring to. It's almost like 530 00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:14,400 Speaker 2: we had too much. But maybe it's because some people 531 00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:17,560 Speaker 2: didn't apply, maybe their numbers didn't work out, or maybe 532 00:29:17,560 --> 00:29:21,080 Speaker 2: their calculations were overestimated. I mean mine were pretty tight 533 00:29:22,240 --> 00:29:26,440 Speaker 2: and what they weren't questioned, thank god. And I got 534 00:29:26,440 --> 00:29:30,880 Speaker 2: what I you know, what I applied for. And so 535 00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:33,400 Speaker 2: they did a second round. After that, there was like 536 00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:37,680 Speaker 2: a supplemental phase you could apply for and you know, 537 00:29:37,960 --> 00:29:39,280 Speaker 2: at the end of the day. I'm not sure exactly 538 00:29:39,320 --> 00:29:41,320 Speaker 2: how much was used out of the sixteen billion. But 539 00:29:41,400 --> 00:29:44,160 Speaker 2: there's also something I learned, you know, in the whole 540 00:29:44,160 --> 00:29:50,040 Speaker 2: government process, like once they they approved something and they 541 00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:52,640 Speaker 2: decided that's the number, they don't want to give it back. 542 00:29:53,600 --> 00:29:55,440 Speaker 2: They didn't want to say, oop here, put it back 543 00:29:55,480 --> 00:29:58,600 Speaker 2: over here, which I think is ridiculous. But hopefully nobody 544 00:29:58,600 --> 00:30:01,080 Speaker 2: shoots me for saying that on this but I think, 545 00:30:01,120 --> 00:30:03,640 Speaker 2: you know, honestly, I think it's ridiculous. But so it's like, Okay, 546 00:30:03,640 --> 00:30:05,719 Speaker 2: we have too much, you can have some more, but 547 00:30:05,760 --> 00:30:07,400 Speaker 2: you know, it goes according to you know, what it 548 00:30:07,440 --> 00:30:08,920 Speaker 2: was you applied for. So it wasn't like you got 549 00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:11,000 Speaker 2: double your money. You got like a little bit extra 550 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:14,720 Speaker 2: over here. But you know, I, you know, I got mine. 551 00:30:14,760 --> 00:30:16,440 Speaker 2: And before you even asked the question, and I don't 552 00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:17,760 Speaker 2: know if you're going to I'm going to answer it. 553 00:30:18,600 --> 00:30:20,720 Speaker 2: I had gotten to a point when I realized this 554 00:30:20,760 --> 00:30:21,920 Speaker 2: thing was going to go for a long time. I 555 00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:24,239 Speaker 2: had a conversation with my staff and I said, I'm 556 00:30:24,240 --> 00:30:26,560 Speaker 2: not going to lay anybody off, but I'm going to 557 00:30:26,640 --> 00:30:28,920 Speaker 2: have to cut back for right now because I've got 558 00:30:28,960 --> 00:30:31,680 Speaker 2: to try to work within my means, I'm not going 559 00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:34,960 Speaker 2: to take anything, but I'll need everybody to reduce like 560 00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:37,520 Speaker 2: twenty five percent of something. Is that okay? And everybody 561 00:30:37,560 --> 00:30:41,479 Speaker 2: said yes, that was fine. So I did that and 562 00:30:41,560 --> 00:30:43,920 Speaker 2: we went along our merry way. Everybody got paid, but 563 00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:47,760 Speaker 2: they got paid at a lesser, lesser rate. And then 564 00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:50,040 Speaker 2: when I did get the money, I sent checks to 565 00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:52,640 Speaker 2: everybody or wires and I paid them back for the 566 00:30:52,640 --> 00:30:56,480 Speaker 2: money that they didn't they didn't get. And I had 567 00:30:56,480 --> 00:30:58,600 Speaker 2: one of my one of my employees who actually called 568 00:30:58,640 --> 00:31:00,280 Speaker 2: me and said, why are you sending me this money? 569 00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:02,120 Speaker 2: I said, because I owe it to you, And I said, no, 570 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:04,200 Speaker 2: you don't. I said, yes, I do. I owe it 571 00:31:04,240 --> 00:31:05,760 Speaker 2: to you, so keep it. Do something. I don't care 572 00:31:05,800 --> 00:31:06,400 Speaker 2: what you do with it. 573 00:31:07,680 --> 00:31:11,280 Speaker 1: So essentially everybody was made whole. 574 00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:13,040 Speaker 2: More or less. 575 00:31:13,120 --> 00:31:18,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, let's shift gears a little bit. Neither. The 576 00:31:19,040 --> 00:31:23,040 Speaker 1: Venue Association just had a conference and they put out 577 00:31:23,040 --> 00:31:27,200 Speaker 1: a report. I believe the number was sixty four percent 578 00:31:27,320 --> 00:31:31,479 Speaker 1: of venues don't make money. How the hell is it 579 00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:33,640 Speaker 1: a sustaining business? 580 00:31:34,920 --> 00:31:37,320 Speaker 2: Well, they're saying I was at that conference, by the way, 581 00:31:37,560 --> 00:31:40,640 Speaker 2: that's where I was this week. They're saying that that 582 00:31:40,680 --> 00:31:43,880 Speaker 2: it's not a sustaining business for them, and that you know, 583 00:31:45,280 --> 00:31:48,080 Speaker 2: twenty five or thirty percent of their members are going 584 00:31:48,120 --> 00:31:50,800 Speaker 2: to go out of business at the rate or something 585 00:31:50,840 --> 00:31:52,040 Speaker 2: like that. I don't want to be quoted on it, 586 00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:55,080 Speaker 2: but that's around that number, which is not just similar 587 00:31:55,160 --> 00:31:58,920 Speaker 2: to what was happening overseas in the UK. They lost 588 00:31:58,960 --> 00:32:02,080 Speaker 2: a you know, a a good portion of the bottom 589 00:32:02,160 --> 00:32:06,560 Speaker 2: segment of the business. And you know of the of 590 00:32:06,640 --> 00:32:10,400 Speaker 2: the small clubs and you know, small small, even small festivals. 591 00:32:10,440 --> 00:32:13,480 Speaker 2: I mean they've had a number of them just shut down, 592 00:32:13,600 --> 00:32:18,080 Speaker 2: go out of business. In reality, it see the problem 593 00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:19,800 Speaker 2: and I'm not going to defend it because I'm not 594 00:32:19,840 --> 00:32:21,440 Speaker 2: in that business, so I can't defend it, you know, 595 00:32:21,440 --> 00:32:23,320 Speaker 2: I can't say, yeah, it's true, they're you know, they're 596 00:32:23,360 --> 00:32:26,680 Speaker 2: all sixty five percent not maybe they're not operating properly, 597 00:32:26,720 --> 00:32:30,520 Speaker 2: but but it's not. It's a it's a difficult business 598 00:32:30,560 --> 00:32:34,280 Speaker 2: to sustain for a whole number of reasons. People are 599 00:32:34,360 --> 00:32:38,600 Speaker 2: drinking less, that's the reality, especially the younger generation, so 600 00:32:39,200 --> 00:32:43,520 Speaker 2: they for a long time depended on bar sales. One 601 00:32:43,520 --> 00:32:45,760 Speaker 2: of the arguments that the ACT, and I'll just say 602 00:32:45,760 --> 00:32:47,720 Speaker 2: this as a talent represented one of the arguments is 603 00:32:47,760 --> 00:32:51,360 Speaker 2: that the acts charged too much. Okay, the deals are 604 00:32:51,440 --> 00:32:55,120 Speaker 2: what the deals are. If a venue or a promoter 605 00:32:55,160 --> 00:32:58,040 Speaker 2: doesn't want the act, they can say no. The artist, 606 00:32:58,320 --> 00:33:01,400 Speaker 2: you know, either needs or or commands a certain amount. 607 00:33:02,360 --> 00:33:04,760 Speaker 2: A young artist on the road today and I said 608 00:33:04,760 --> 00:33:06,840 Speaker 2: this at the conference too, in a meeting that I 609 00:33:06,880 --> 00:33:09,760 Speaker 2: had with a bunch of their people, I said, if 610 00:33:09,800 --> 00:33:12,200 Speaker 2: you don't realize, and maybe you don't, a young artist 611 00:33:12,200 --> 00:33:16,000 Speaker 2: today on the road needs about a minimum roughly of 612 00:33:16,040 --> 00:33:18,960 Speaker 2: about twenty five thousand dollars a night. And I'm talking 613 00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:21,560 Speaker 2: on low level, not on a even a medium level. 614 00:33:21,800 --> 00:33:23,800 Speaker 2: You need about twenty five thousand dollars a night just 615 00:33:23,920 --> 00:33:27,120 Speaker 2: to sustain and that's making no profit, that's just paying 616 00:33:27,160 --> 00:33:30,000 Speaker 2: to be on the road. Back in the day, as 617 00:33:30,080 --> 00:33:34,040 Speaker 2: we call it, the old days, labels subsidized that for 618 00:33:34,120 --> 00:33:37,480 Speaker 2: new artists and for the ones that had new albums out, 619 00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:39,840 Speaker 2: they got some subsidy as well. But these artists today 620 00:33:39,840 --> 00:33:41,880 Speaker 2: that are going out and there's really no record label 621 00:33:41,880 --> 00:33:43,400 Speaker 2: to subsiden I mean there are record labs, but not 622 00:33:43,480 --> 00:33:46,760 Speaker 2: subsidizing anything. These guys are subsidizing it on their own. 623 00:33:46,840 --> 00:33:49,160 Speaker 2: So where are they making their money, making their money 624 00:33:49,160 --> 00:33:52,080 Speaker 2: on merch sales like that's and when I say making money, 625 00:33:52,880 --> 00:33:54,600 Speaker 2: maybe they make a profit. I had a client on 626 00:33:54,600 --> 00:33:56,520 Speaker 2: the road recently and their profit was all in their 627 00:33:56,520 --> 00:33:59,600 Speaker 2: merchandise sales. That's where their profit was. They made nothing 628 00:33:59,720 --> 00:34:01,720 Speaker 2: at the end of the day from what they took 629 00:34:01,760 --> 00:34:05,520 Speaker 2: on the road. So the whole segment of the business 630 00:34:06,160 --> 00:34:09,200 Speaker 2: is difficult to sustain, not just theirs. But I can 631 00:34:09,320 --> 00:34:13,279 Speaker 2: understand it because people either aren't going out as much. 632 00:34:13,800 --> 00:34:16,040 Speaker 2: They also stay a lot of them, not all of them, 633 00:34:16,080 --> 00:34:18,600 Speaker 2: stay open multiple nights a week because they you know, 634 00:34:18,640 --> 00:34:20,640 Speaker 2: they want to be open, they want to continue the business, 635 00:34:20,800 --> 00:34:22,960 Speaker 2: but their bar seals being down, and then they're increasing 636 00:34:22,960 --> 00:34:24,880 Speaker 2: their price on drinks to make up the difference, and 637 00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:27,400 Speaker 2: then people are buying less. They may be drinking, but 638 00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:30,160 Speaker 2: they're buying less because beers were ten bucks, maybe now 639 00:34:30,160 --> 00:34:32,960 Speaker 2: they're twenty so or whatever fifteen and so maybe instead 640 00:34:32,960 --> 00:34:34,600 Speaker 2: of three they buy two, or maybe instead of two 641 00:34:34,680 --> 00:34:39,200 Speaker 2: day buy one. So there's that issue. Rents are going up, 642 00:34:39,840 --> 00:34:43,880 Speaker 2: insurance is going up. You know, their fees just continue 643 00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:47,760 Speaker 2: to increase, and there's only a certain amount they can increase. Tickets. 644 00:34:48,080 --> 00:34:49,839 Speaker 2: I'm talking about the smaller level. I'm not talking about 645 00:34:49,840 --> 00:34:52,239 Speaker 2: the high end, talking about the bottom end. I mean, 646 00:34:52,280 --> 00:34:54,120 Speaker 2: they can increase them, but this is a certain point 647 00:34:54,160 --> 00:34:57,520 Speaker 2: which is which it becomes the diminishing returns. Right, keep 648 00:34:57,520 --> 00:35:00,239 Speaker 2: increasing ticket prices, then you get lesson less people, and 649 00:35:00,280 --> 00:35:02,080 Speaker 2: then they're back in the same boat that they were before. 650 00:35:02,160 --> 00:35:04,839 Speaker 2: So it's a listen, it's a business I wouldn't want 651 00:35:04,880 --> 00:35:07,200 Speaker 2: to be in. I can tell you that it's a 652 00:35:07,200 --> 00:35:07,880 Speaker 2: tough business. 653 00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:12,720 Speaker 1: Okay, let's go back. The act has to get paid 654 00:35:12,800 --> 00:35:15,440 Speaker 1: twenty five thousand dollars a night. 655 00:35:16,200 --> 00:35:18,000 Speaker 2: No, no, a week, a week a week. 656 00:35:18,080 --> 00:35:18,400 Speaker 1: Okay. 657 00:35:18,480 --> 00:35:21,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's just to cover costs. I'm talking about small. 658 00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:25,680 Speaker 1: Okay, So let's just flesh it out a little bit. Yeah, 659 00:35:25,760 --> 00:35:28,800 Speaker 1: if it's twenty five k a week, how many people 660 00:35:28,840 --> 00:35:32,680 Speaker 1: in the bands? How much infrastructure, how much you know, equipment? 661 00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:35,720 Speaker 1: What are we talking about If it's a being outfit 662 00:35:35,800 --> 00:35:37,000 Speaker 1: for twenty five k a week? 663 00:35:37,040 --> 00:35:38,880 Speaker 2: Okay, I'm talking about it again. I'm talking about a 664 00:35:38,920 --> 00:35:41,759 Speaker 2: starting act because as they get a little bigger, it's 665 00:35:41,880 --> 00:35:44,319 Speaker 2: more expensive obviously for things that you're saying right now 666 00:35:44,640 --> 00:35:48,080 Speaker 2: are alluding to. So let's just take you know, an example. 667 00:35:48,120 --> 00:35:51,759 Speaker 2: So you got a five piece band, you got two 668 00:35:51,840 --> 00:35:55,719 Speaker 2: people with them on a road. So that's seven okay, crew, 669 00:35:55,719 --> 00:35:58,080 Speaker 2: that's tour manager crew. Merged that like all and two 670 00:35:58,120 --> 00:36:02,399 Speaker 2: people are doing everything van. They're driving around a sprinter van. 671 00:36:02,800 --> 00:36:04,960 Speaker 2: Their gear is either being pulled in a in a 672 00:36:05,040 --> 00:36:08,320 Speaker 2: van or it's in the sprinter but probably most probably 673 00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:10,399 Speaker 2: in a van. So it's not there's not a lot 674 00:36:10,440 --> 00:36:12,960 Speaker 2: of gear. It's a drum kit. Let's say, there's keyboards, 675 00:36:12,960 --> 00:36:16,120 Speaker 2: there's three amps, there's some guitars, not a lot of stuff. 676 00:36:17,160 --> 00:36:20,360 Speaker 2: They're doubling up in hotels mostly right, they're not in singles. 677 00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:22,600 Speaker 2: I mean I could, as I said to them when 678 00:36:22,600 --> 00:36:24,120 Speaker 2: I was talking to a bunch of the you know, 679 00:36:24,160 --> 00:36:26,160 Speaker 2: club people, I was saying, look, they could sleep six 680 00:36:26,200 --> 00:36:28,480 Speaker 2: in a room and driving a funky old van that 681 00:36:28,520 --> 00:36:31,240 Speaker 2: breaks down all the time. But you know that's not practical. 682 00:36:31,320 --> 00:36:33,279 Speaker 2: So so they you know, they're paying a little bit 683 00:36:33,280 --> 00:36:34,960 Speaker 2: more for let's say a sprintter van, a little bit 684 00:36:34,960 --> 00:36:36,560 Speaker 2: more room. But some of them, some of them are 685 00:36:36,560 --> 00:36:39,799 Speaker 2: in just a nice van, but it's a van and 686 00:36:39,840 --> 00:36:42,960 Speaker 2: they're driving around, and you know, between paying for gas 687 00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:45,320 Speaker 2: and paying they got to pay salaries, you know, unless 688 00:36:45,320 --> 00:36:48,000 Speaker 2: it's a band splitting, what's left which was one of 689 00:36:48,040 --> 00:36:50,120 Speaker 2: the clients I had. And at the end, as I said, 690 00:36:50,120 --> 00:36:53,040 Speaker 2: they only split the merchandise. They didn't make a profit on, 691 00:36:53,239 --> 00:36:56,000 Speaker 2: you know, from ticket sales. So they're driving around, they're 692 00:36:56,040 --> 00:36:57,560 Speaker 2: doing gigs, and if you think about it, they're working 693 00:36:57,600 --> 00:36:59,479 Speaker 2: five nights a week. They're driving two hundred and fifty 694 00:36:59,480 --> 00:37:01,919 Speaker 2: to three hundred miles you know, between gigs. Maybe more, 695 00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:04,440 Speaker 2: but probably not because they're not in a tour bus. 696 00:37:06,280 --> 00:37:09,040 Speaker 2: You know, they've got to be paid basically five thousand 697 00:37:09,080 --> 00:37:10,719 Speaker 2: dollars a night, and a lot of these bands are 698 00:37:10,719 --> 00:37:13,000 Speaker 2: getting the grand. Like what about an opening act, it's 699 00:37:13,000 --> 00:37:15,759 Speaker 2: getting five hundred bucks. Okay, maybe it's not twenty five. 700 00:37:16,040 --> 00:37:18,200 Speaker 2: Maybe it's seventeen to five for them because they're sleeping 701 00:37:18,239 --> 00:37:20,560 Speaker 2: six in a room, but still get paid five hundred 702 00:37:20,600 --> 00:37:23,919 Speaker 2: bucks two hundred and fifty. How are they making it work? 703 00:37:24,440 --> 00:37:28,600 Speaker 2: They're not. They're not. They're barely living. They want to 704 00:37:28,600 --> 00:37:29,960 Speaker 2: do it because they want to do it, but you 705 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:32,439 Speaker 2: know they're they're not living. You know, it's tough. 706 00:37:40,160 --> 00:37:42,880 Speaker 1: Okay, there are many multiple levels here. Let's start with 707 00:37:42,920 --> 00:37:48,600 Speaker 1: the beginning. You are a talent representative. The acts you're 708 00:37:48,640 --> 00:37:51,200 Speaker 1: talking about, it takes twenty five k you have a 709 00:37:51,280 --> 00:37:54,239 Speaker 1: number of issues. You have the band wants to do 710 00:37:54,320 --> 00:37:57,120 Speaker 1: it because it is hard work, you have to find 711 00:37:57,160 --> 00:37:59,799 Speaker 1: somebody who's going to pay for it. And then you 712 00:38:00,120 --> 00:38:04,799 Speaker 1: have the venue saying we're in the red. So how 713 00:38:04,800 --> 00:38:08,239 Speaker 1: does this play out? 714 00:38:08,840 --> 00:38:12,799 Speaker 2: Well, this is this is what happens every day. So 715 00:38:12,920 --> 00:38:15,080 Speaker 2: they're not saying every day, every single day, oh, we're 716 00:38:15,080 --> 00:38:17,200 Speaker 2: not making any money. We don't do it. They obviously 717 00:38:17,280 --> 00:38:19,680 Speaker 2: need the talent, they need to have shows, They need 718 00:38:19,719 --> 00:38:23,520 Speaker 2: to have performances because they need to keep people coming in. 719 00:38:23,960 --> 00:38:29,680 Speaker 2: So they do. However, you know, you can only use 720 00:38:29,800 --> 00:38:31,400 Speaker 2: lack of a better term, you can only squeeze so 721 00:38:31,440 --> 00:38:34,439 Speaker 2: much blood from a stone. So you know what they're 722 00:38:34,480 --> 00:38:36,440 Speaker 2: saying at this point. Why they put that report out, 723 00:38:36,480 --> 00:38:37,879 Speaker 2: or one of the reasons they put that report out 724 00:38:37,960 --> 00:38:42,640 Speaker 2: is you know, to show that they're not you know, 725 00:38:42,640 --> 00:38:45,000 Speaker 2: they're not making bank over there. You know they're not. 726 00:38:45,080 --> 00:38:46,920 Speaker 2: Oh man, we're all you know, we're going on holiday, 727 00:38:46,920 --> 00:38:48,680 Speaker 2: we're going to Aruba. Was shutting down for a month. 728 00:38:48,719 --> 00:38:51,160 Speaker 2: You know, we're doing great. Some of them are probably 729 00:38:51,200 --> 00:38:53,720 Speaker 2: doing great, right and some of them are doing terrible. 730 00:38:53,760 --> 00:38:56,440 Speaker 2: But the ones in between are probably just making it, 731 00:38:56,520 --> 00:38:59,560 Speaker 2: you know, because it's tough. So how does it play out? 732 00:39:00,440 --> 00:39:02,600 Speaker 2: It's you know, like every day, you know, it's like 733 00:39:03,000 --> 00:39:06,000 Speaker 2: people go to the store, they buy food, they come home. 734 00:39:06,640 --> 00:39:08,880 Speaker 2: When they get home, you know, depending on what kind 735 00:39:08,920 --> 00:39:10,359 Speaker 2: of job they have, they have to decide what kind 736 00:39:10,360 --> 00:39:11,600 Speaker 2: of food do I want to buy? How much do 737 00:39:11,640 --> 00:39:13,200 Speaker 2: I want to spend? Do I buy an extra this? 738 00:39:13,280 --> 00:39:14,799 Speaker 2: Do I go it out to a dinner more than 739 00:39:14,840 --> 00:39:16,239 Speaker 2: once a week? Do I? You know what I mean. 740 00:39:16,280 --> 00:39:18,919 Speaker 2: It's like budgeting. But they still have to keep doing things. 741 00:39:18,960 --> 00:39:21,400 Speaker 2: They got to get to work. And when you know, 742 00:39:21,480 --> 00:39:23,200 Speaker 2: the and you're living in New York City and they 743 00:39:23,200 --> 00:39:25,160 Speaker 2: decide that they're going to increase you know, the metro 744 00:39:25,280 --> 00:39:28,719 Speaker 2: card or the you know, the metro system from you 745 00:39:28,719 --> 00:39:30,920 Speaker 2: know two ninety to three fifty, and they're going to 746 00:39:31,320 --> 00:39:33,480 Speaker 2: increase you know, the George Washington Bridge from you know 747 00:39:33,520 --> 00:39:35,520 Speaker 2: whatever it is now ten bucks or nine to fifty 748 00:39:35,600 --> 00:39:39,120 Speaker 2: or whatever it is to cross to you know, fifteen dollars. 749 00:39:39,280 --> 00:39:43,359 Speaker 2: Or they have the you know two fifty surcharge now 750 00:39:43,360 --> 00:39:47,160 Speaker 2: for driving below sixty fourth Street in Manhattan. All these 751 00:39:47,200 --> 00:39:50,600 Speaker 2: little things for many people don't matter, but for the 752 00:39:50,640 --> 00:39:55,320 Speaker 2: working guy, working woman, that's a big hit. Very similar 753 00:39:55,360 --> 00:39:57,680 Speaker 2: in the clubs, very similar for the acts. So so 754 00:39:57,760 --> 00:39:59,319 Speaker 2: we do the business. They're going to you know, I 755 00:39:59,320 --> 00:40:01,040 Speaker 2: just said they're going to work. They're doing their thing. 756 00:40:01,080 --> 00:40:03,000 Speaker 2: But you know, maybe they skip a lunch, maybe they 757 00:40:03,200 --> 00:40:05,200 Speaker 2: have less to eat. You know, who knows. They go 758 00:40:05,280 --> 00:40:08,600 Speaker 2: out less. One thing always affects the next, and so 759 00:40:08,600 --> 00:40:10,719 Speaker 2: they going out less obviously probably affects the clubs, the 760 00:40:10,760 --> 00:40:14,400 Speaker 2: movies and whatever. But we play out, you know, we're 761 00:40:14,520 --> 00:40:17,200 Speaker 2: talking and making deals all day long. The fact of 762 00:40:17,200 --> 00:40:20,239 Speaker 2: the matter is at the end of the day, they're 763 00:40:20,280 --> 00:40:21,799 Speaker 2: having to do things to make up for it. As 764 00:40:21,840 --> 00:40:26,040 Speaker 2: I said, I probably charging more for drinks or increasing 765 00:40:26,040 --> 00:40:29,520 Speaker 2: the fee, increasing the ticket price. The point is they 766 00:40:29,520 --> 00:40:33,640 Speaker 2: have to do something. So how it plays out is 767 00:40:33,640 --> 00:40:38,480 Speaker 2: is a constant negotiation back and forth. They're not going 768 00:40:38,560 --> 00:40:40,640 Speaker 2: to not buy talent because they won't be open if 769 00:40:40,680 --> 00:40:42,839 Speaker 2: they do that. But maybe they buy different talent, or 770 00:40:42,880 --> 00:40:44,560 Speaker 2: they just say I can't afford it, I'm not taking 771 00:40:44,600 --> 00:40:47,720 Speaker 2: this act, or yeah, And what happens when those things happen, 772 00:40:47,719 --> 00:40:51,120 Speaker 2: Bob is a lot of developmental acts are the ones 773 00:40:51,160 --> 00:40:55,359 Speaker 2: that suffer, right because they now either have to go 774 00:40:55,920 --> 00:40:59,640 Speaker 2: to smaller places locally, and maybe they don't get any guarantee. 775 00:40:59,640 --> 00:41:01,560 Speaker 2: They just to play for the door, which a lot 776 00:41:01,560 --> 00:41:05,600 Speaker 2: of brand new bands do anyway, and it starts to 777 00:41:05,960 --> 00:41:08,640 Speaker 2: kind of warp the system, you know, instead of being 778 00:41:08,640 --> 00:41:11,359 Speaker 2: able to build it up. You know, play this place, 779 00:41:11,440 --> 00:41:13,439 Speaker 2: in this place, in this place, in this place. Makes 780 00:41:13,440 --> 00:41:14,920 Speaker 2: it a little bit more difficult if the ones in 781 00:41:14,920 --> 00:41:17,160 Speaker 2: the middle are getting really choosy about what they buy, 782 00:41:17,640 --> 00:41:18,719 Speaker 2: and it's like, you know, I don't want to take 783 00:41:18,719 --> 00:41:20,240 Speaker 2: a shot on this. I don't want to take a gamble, 784 00:41:20,280 --> 00:41:22,280 Speaker 2: you know, I can't afford to lose money. That starts 785 00:41:22,320 --> 00:41:25,759 Speaker 2: to affect it. So it how it plays out is 786 00:41:25,800 --> 00:41:29,319 Speaker 2: it does affect the system. It kind of sets it off, 787 00:41:29,440 --> 00:41:32,800 Speaker 2: you know, off rhythm if you like, it's still happening, 788 00:41:32,840 --> 00:41:34,680 Speaker 2: but it's not happening exactly like it was. 789 00:41:34,920 --> 00:41:38,960 Speaker 1: Okay in the old pre Live Nation days, if you 790 00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:42,120 Speaker 1: were an agent and you booked a tour and the 791 00:41:42,160 --> 00:41:46,240 Speaker 1: promoter got hurt, you would give money back for two reasons. 792 00:41:46,280 --> 00:41:49,120 Speaker 1: A to keep the promoter in business. Sometimes these people 793 00:41:49,120 --> 00:41:52,719 Speaker 1: were teetering. Also when you came back through, they would 794 00:41:52,760 --> 00:41:55,960 Speaker 1: book you. So to what degree does that occur with 795 00:41:56,080 --> 00:41:59,080 Speaker 1: independent venues? You're all independence In this case, there's no 796 00:41:59,200 --> 00:42:03,080 Speaker 1: big backstone. So you have an act, it goes in there. 797 00:42:03,239 --> 00:42:07,000 Speaker 1: You need your twenty five k a week, but they 798 00:42:07,080 --> 00:42:10,399 Speaker 1: draw a fifteen or twenty percent crowd. What do you do? 799 00:42:13,320 --> 00:42:18,280 Speaker 2: Well, that's a loaded question, but I have to unpack 800 00:42:18,320 --> 00:42:21,320 Speaker 2: it piece by piece. So back in the day, preleb 801 00:42:21,440 --> 00:42:23,960 Speaker 2: Nation days, it's not that everybody that lost money got money, 802 00:42:23,960 --> 00:42:25,719 Speaker 2: but I could. It all came down to relationships, and 803 00:42:25,719 --> 00:42:27,120 Speaker 2: a lot of it was with the act and the 804 00:42:27,160 --> 00:42:31,440 Speaker 2: manager right, not necessarily specifically and strictly with the agent. 805 00:42:31,560 --> 00:42:34,640 Speaker 2: Although yes, there were some of those relationships where agents 806 00:42:34,680 --> 00:42:37,120 Speaker 2: might have gone back and said, hey, give them some 807 00:42:37,239 --> 00:42:39,000 Speaker 2: give them, you know, give a second thought to this 808 00:42:39,040 --> 00:42:41,279 Speaker 2: because they got really hurt. But usually it was that 809 00:42:41,320 --> 00:42:43,880 Speaker 2: they really got hit and that was you know, that 810 00:42:43,920 --> 00:42:45,879 Speaker 2: could have been anything, that could have been, you know, 811 00:42:46,080 --> 00:42:47,880 Speaker 2: a storm. I mean today's world, we have it all 812 00:42:47,920 --> 00:42:50,520 Speaker 2: the time now, but a really bad storm came through 813 00:42:50,520 --> 00:42:51,960 Speaker 2: and everybody thought it was gonna be great, but in 814 00:42:52,400 --> 00:42:55,280 Speaker 2: fact there was torrential downpour unless people showed up than normal. 815 00:42:55,560 --> 00:42:57,120 Speaker 2: But it wasn't just a club venue. It was like 816 00:42:57,160 --> 00:42:59,239 Speaker 2: a big place and there was like big money on 817 00:42:59,280 --> 00:43:04,239 Speaker 2: the line, and so you know, they would get helped out. Sometimes, 818 00:43:04,360 --> 00:43:09,560 Speaker 2: not all the time, but sometimes in today's world, I'm 819 00:43:09,600 --> 00:43:13,239 Speaker 2: sure those things happen, but not so much for me. 820 00:43:13,480 --> 00:43:16,239 Speaker 2: I can't speak specifically, I because when I'm making the 821 00:43:16,280 --> 00:43:18,640 Speaker 2: deal I try to make I try to make certain 822 00:43:19,000 --> 00:43:23,800 Speaker 2: that it makes sense for everybody. Am I one hundred percent? No, 823 00:43:23,800 --> 00:43:26,440 Speaker 2: nobody is, But I try to make sense. And I 824 00:43:26,440 --> 00:43:28,759 Speaker 2: think some of the independence, if not all of them 825 00:43:29,400 --> 00:43:32,279 Speaker 2: I'm talking about the talent representatives, have the same sort 826 00:43:32,320 --> 00:43:32,680 Speaker 2: of thought. 827 00:43:33,480 --> 00:43:33,680 Speaker 1: Right. 828 00:43:33,760 --> 00:43:36,560 Speaker 2: It's not about how much can I get at the 829 00:43:36,640 --> 00:43:38,080 Speaker 2: end of the day. Yes, we'd like to get as 830 00:43:38,160 --> 00:43:39,560 Speaker 2: much as we can, but it's not just about Okay, 831 00:43:39,600 --> 00:43:40,919 Speaker 2: let me get as much as I can't worry about 832 00:43:40,960 --> 00:43:43,520 Speaker 2: the rest of later. It's about, you know, does it 833 00:43:43,560 --> 00:43:45,200 Speaker 2: make sense if I'm going to get this, is it 834 00:43:45,239 --> 00:43:47,799 Speaker 2: going to make sense or not? And yes, there's going 835 00:43:47,840 --> 00:43:51,040 Speaker 2: to be a time when you have something that happens 836 00:43:51,040 --> 00:43:53,480 Speaker 2: that you can't anticipate. You know, no different than booking 837 00:43:53,480 --> 00:43:54,960 Speaker 2: a tour and than a hurricane comes through and you 838 00:43:55,040 --> 00:43:56,799 Speaker 2: lose three shows. You know, it's nothing you can do 839 00:43:56,840 --> 00:44:01,560 Speaker 2: about it. You know, weather's weather, So in this instance, 840 00:44:01,960 --> 00:44:04,320 Speaker 2: you just try to be cognizant of it. At least. 841 00:44:04,320 --> 00:44:06,200 Speaker 2: That's that's what I try to do. I try to 842 00:44:06,200 --> 00:44:07,719 Speaker 2: be cognizant. I try to set the deals up to 843 00:44:07,760 --> 00:44:10,319 Speaker 2: they make sense. And at the end of the day, 844 00:44:10,480 --> 00:44:13,040 Speaker 2: if you can, if the one of the managers that 845 00:44:13,160 --> 00:44:14,880 Speaker 2: one of the meetings that we had this week actually 846 00:44:14,880 --> 00:44:17,560 Speaker 2: put it in a in a very good way, and 847 00:44:17,640 --> 00:44:21,359 Speaker 2: he said, as long as I can make for lack, 848 00:44:21,480 --> 00:44:23,759 Speaker 2: I'll just use an example, he said, if I can, 849 00:44:23,920 --> 00:44:25,760 Speaker 2: you know, if I can, if I can earn seventy 850 00:44:25,800 --> 00:44:29,160 Speaker 2: percent of the door, at the end of the day, 851 00:44:29,280 --> 00:44:32,920 Speaker 2: I don't care how I get there. I don't need 852 00:44:32,960 --> 00:44:37,439 Speaker 2: it all up front. Okay, as there are people that don't, 853 00:44:37,640 --> 00:44:39,759 Speaker 2: that don't think that, don't believe that, and don't go 854 00:44:39,800 --> 00:44:41,759 Speaker 2: by that. But but he put it out, you know, 855 00:44:42,040 --> 00:44:44,319 Speaker 2: in a way that made sense, which is it doesn't care. 856 00:44:44,719 --> 00:44:46,560 Speaker 2: As long as he's making what he's got to make 857 00:44:47,440 --> 00:44:48,800 Speaker 2: and what he needs to make and what he'd like 858 00:44:48,880 --> 00:44:53,600 Speaker 2: to make for his client, he's happy. You know, whichever 859 00:44:53,640 --> 00:44:56,160 Speaker 2: way we get there, whichever street leads down to there, 860 00:44:56,520 --> 00:44:58,000 Speaker 2: go around the corner and come back, you know what 861 00:44:58,000 --> 00:45:01,480 Speaker 2: I mean. So does it happen yet, I'm sure it does. 862 00:45:02,120 --> 00:45:06,080 Speaker 2: I try to I try to avoid it if I can't, 863 00:45:06,239 --> 00:45:07,479 Speaker 2: you know, I try to avoid it. 864 00:45:07,680 --> 00:45:11,440 Speaker 1: Okay. So we referenced the old days where the labels 865 00:45:11,800 --> 00:45:16,400 Speaker 1: gave tour support, they bought drinks. It venues today. In 866 00:45:16,480 --> 00:45:21,640 Speaker 1: the old days, pre internet days, a all the action 867 00:45:21,880 --> 00:45:24,400 Speaker 1: was outside the house. You needed to go to the 868 00:45:24,520 --> 00:45:28,920 Speaker 1: club to socialize. Okay, you want it to be out 869 00:45:28,960 --> 00:45:33,320 Speaker 1: amongst people. You don't need to do that today. In addition, 870 00:45:33,920 --> 00:45:36,800 Speaker 1: on a developing act, we would hear about an act 871 00:45:37,160 --> 00:45:39,160 Speaker 1: and he went to the club. The price might be 872 00:45:39,320 --> 00:45:42,359 Speaker 1: cheap ten dollars back in the day, because you heard 873 00:45:42,400 --> 00:45:45,440 Speaker 1: about the act, you wanted to see it. That was 874 00:45:45,520 --> 00:45:48,760 Speaker 1: the only way to see it. Maybe there was one 875 00:45:48,800 --> 00:45:52,520 Speaker 1: song on the radio, whereas today we have Spotify, we 876 00:45:52,719 --> 00:45:56,960 Speaker 1: have YouTube. Is there a future and what is in 877 00:45:57,000 --> 00:46:00,960 Speaker 1: the future of developing acts for them? The bottom up? 878 00:46:02,840 --> 00:46:06,440 Speaker 2: Well, this is and yeah, that's that's a good point 879 00:46:06,880 --> 00:46:10,399 Speaker 2: and a good statement and actually kind of reverts back 880 00:46:10,400 --> 00:46:11,960 Speaker 2: to what we were talking about a little while ago. 881 00:46:12,120 --> 00:46:16,319 Speaker 2: That's another thing that's affecting these clubs. You know, it's 882 00:46:16,360 --> 00:46:19,279 Speaker 2: not the same, you know, the two things rather and 883 00:46:19,320 --> 00:46:21,080 Speaker 2: it's been years now, so it's not like it's just 884 00:46:21,120 --> 00:46:23,400 Speaker 2: doing it this, you know, like the next last two years. 885 00:46:23,400 --> 00:46:26,040 Speaker 2: But the whole record company thing that probably happened towards 886 00:46:26,040 --> 00:46:28,279 Speaker 2: the end of the or mid nineties, probably, I would think. 887 00:46:29,360 --> 00:46:32,759 Speaker 2: But you're right. And back in the old days, the 888 00:46:32,840 --> 00:46:36,360 Speaker 2: labels bought seats, they bought drinks, right, they bought tickets, right. 889 00:46:36,360 --> 00:46:39,359 Speaker 2: They didn't ask for comps. Starting probably in the early 890 00:46:39,400 --> 00:46:41,279 Speaker 2: the mid nineties, they started asking for comps, like they 891 00:46:41,280 --> 00:46:43,319 Speaker 2: didn't want to buy tickets anymore. Right, that's when all 892 00:46:43,320 --> 00:46:45,320 Speaker 2: the artist development stuff kind of went out the window. 893 00:46:46,239 --> 00:46:48,040 Speaker 2: In today's world, I don't know that they do anything. 894 00:46:48,200 --> 00:46:50,359 Speaker 2: I see them occasionally putting tickets on hold. They don't 895 00:46:50,360 --> 00:46:52,160 Speaker 2: even pick them up, you know, they put them on 896 00:46:52,200 --> 00:46:54,239 Speaker 2: hold to buy, but they don't pick them up. So 897 00:46:54,400 --> 00:46:56,399 Speaker 2: there's not that support. So when you take that out 898 00:46:56,400 --> 00:46:59,200 Speaker 2: of the you know, out of the out of the system, 899 00:46:59,280 --> 00:47:01,279 Speaker 2: you know, that affects you know, these clubs as well. 900 00:47:01,600 --> 00:47:07,239 Speaker 2: So uh and and you're right, Uh, the urgency so 901 00:47:07,400 --> 00:47:09,759 Speaker 2: you know, going back to our time, you and me, 902 00:47:10,480 --> 00:47:12,799 Speaker 2: the urgency was like you heard about it, you heard 903 00:47:12,800 --> 00:47:15,320 Speaker 2: a track at your friend's house, right, like I got it. 904 00:47:15,600 --> 00:47:17,160 Speaker 2: I got to see this band, we gotta go see 905 00:47:18,880 --> 00:47:20,480 Speaker 2: we gotta go see them? Did you see. By the way, 906 00:47:20,640 --> 00:47:24,600 Speaker 2: did you see the uh you saw the led Zeppelin doc? Right, Yeah, 907 00:47:24,640 --> 00:47:26,399 Speaker 2: I'm sure you did. Okay, So I was a big fan. 908 00:47:26,840 --> 00:47:29,600 Speaker 2: I remember hearing them that. Somebody played the track and 909 00:47:29,640 --> 00:47:30,960 Speaker 2: I was like, oh my god, this is you know, 910 00:47:31,000 --> 00:47:32,520 Speaker 2: it's just what we're talking about. It's like, you have 911 00:47:32,560 --> 00:47:33,920 Speaker 2: to go out and get the album, you gotta go 912 00:47:33,920 --> 00:47:38,080 Speaker 2: see him. Not so much now, yes, but some of 913 00:47:38,120 --> 00:47:40,719 Speaker 2: that's going on. I at this conference there was a 914 00:47:40,760 --> 00:47:44,440 Speaker 2: young woman I think she was she was involved with 915 00:47:44,440 --> 00:47:45,880 Speaker 2: the club. I think she might have been involved with 916 00:47:45,880 --> 00:47:48,480 Speaker 2: the club, and she was, you know, saying, oh, I 917 00:47:48,880 --> 00:47:51,160 Speaker 2: heard this new act and you got to check them out, 918 00:47:51,160 --> 00:47:53,360 Speaker 2: and it's really good. I just overheard her having a conversation. 919 00:47:53,600 --> 00:47:55,279 Speaker 2: They're really great, and I'm going to go out and 920 00:47:55,280 --> 00:47:57,400 Speaker 2: see him. I mean, there's still some of that, but 921 00:47:57,400 --> 00:47:59,480 Speaker 2: but not at the level that there was, because you're right, 922 00:47:59,520 --> 00:48:02,480 Speaker 2: there's alter aternative stuff. There's a lot of people that 923 00:48:03,760 --> 00:48:06,040 Speaker 2: and my daughters did this when they were in high 924 00:48:06,040 --> 00:48:08,040 Speaker 2: school too. You know, when it's ticket sale at ticket 925 00:48:08,040 --> 00:48:10,960 Speaker 2: prices went up, you know, and started getting you know, 926 00:48:11,160 --> 00:48:15,040 Speaker 2: higher and higher. They started on the movies more because 927 00:48:15,080 --> 00:48:16,719 Speaker 2: it was cheaper back in those days, they were probably 928 00:48:16,760 --> 00:48:19,880 Speaker 2: seven fifty you know whatever, the fifteen bucks now. But 929 00:48:19,960 --> 00:48:21,040 Speaker 2: you know, there's a lot of people that I know 930 00:48:21,080 --> 00:48:22,680 Speaker 2: that have movie passes, right, so they can go as 931 00:48:22,680 --> 00:48:25,359 Speaker 2: many as they want. They buy them monthly. So yeah, 932 00:48:25,400 --> 00:48:27,239 Speaker 2: there's a lot of alternative stuff. Plus, you know, there's 933 00:48:27,280 --> 00:48:30,040 Speaker 2: TikTok and there's you know, Netflix, and there's you know, 934 00:48:30,160 --> 00:48:32,640 Speaker 2: zooming with people and whatever. So there is a lot 935 00:48:32,680 --> 00:48:37,400 Speaker 2: of competition for that, you know, for entertainment. So in 936 00:48:37,840 --> 00:48:41,040 Speaker 2: answer to the question, it it's really difficult. I can 937 00:48:41,080 --> 00:48:45,319 Speaker 2: tell you it's difficult to establish an act and quote 938 00:48:45,360 --> 00:48:46,880 Speaker 2: unquote break it, as we used to say in the 939 00:48:46,920 --> 00:48:48,319 Speaker 2: old days, you know, get them to a point where 940 00:48:48,320 --> 00:48:50,360 Speaker 2: you can build an audience for them because there's so 941 00:48:50,440 --> 00:48:54,360 Speaker 2: much else going on. There's so much distraction. And some 942 00:48:54,520 --> 00:48:57,880 Speaker 2: of them, depending on the music, you know, what genre 943 00:48:57,960 --> 00:49:02,240 Speaker 2: they're in, it happens for talk, you know, those girly 944 00:49:02,239 --> 00:49:04,680 Speaker 2: pop singers, right, the female pop singers, right. A lot 945 00:49:04,680 --> 00:49:08,040 Speaker 2: of that's TikTok driven and all of a sudden boom, 946 00:49:08,080 --> 00:49:10,880 Speaker 2: they have a huge crowd. And some of it's not 947 00:49:11,200 --> 00:49:13,800 Speaker 2: you know, just happened yesterday. Obviously, some of them were Disney, 948 00:49:14,160 --> 00:49:16,520 Speaker 2: you know, people, and they came up and you know, 949 00:49:16,560 --> 00:49:18,840 Speaker 2: the kids were watching them on TV for five years, 950 00:49:18,480 --> 00:49:21,239 Speaker 2: so there's that base. But if you think about it, 951 00:49:22,080 --> 00:49:25,040 Speaker 2: that's the same system, only it's different now, right that 952 00:49:25,160 --> 00:49:27,600 Speaker 2: was our system, like they built. They built it from 953 00:49:27,600 --> 00:49:30,680 Speaker 2: the ground. They saw them on TV. You know, they 954 00:49:30,760 --> 00:49:32,120 Speaker 2: lived with them, they grew up with them, and all 955 00:49:32,120 --> 00:49:34,520 Speaker 2: of a sudden, now they're on stage at Madison Square Gardens, 956 00:49:34,560 --> 00:49:36,960 Speaker 2: so they've known them for years. It's not an overnight 957 00:49:37,040 --> 00:49:41,720 Speaker 2: suc sensation. So in trying to build it from ground 958 00:49:41,840 --> 00:49:48,000 Speaker 2: zero with none of that happening is extremely difficult, extremely difficult, 959 00:49:48,160 --> 00:49:51,360 Speaker 2: And for that reason, there's not a lot of headline 960 00:49:51,360 --> 00:49:54,600 Speaker 2: new headliners coming through. There are headline obviously headliners coming through, 961 00:49:54,800 --> 00:49:56,959 Speaker 2: but not a lot of new ones, not a lot, 962 00:49:57,160 --> 00:50:00,799 Speaker 2: not multitudes like they're used to be. There seems to 963 00:50:00,800 --> 00:50:02,800 Speaker 2: be a lot in the middle, and there's a whole 964 00:50:02,800 --> 00:50:05,600 Speaker 2: lot at the bottom that are trying to get up 965 00:50:06,239 --> 00:50:08,120 Speaker 2: and break the ceiling or whatever you want to call it. 966 00:50:08,840 --> 00:50:10,840 Speaker 2: You know, those waves that we had, except you know, 967 00:50:10,920 --> 00:50:12,919 Speaker 2: again putting the pop thing over to the side, because 968 00:50:12,960 --> 00:50:15,759 Speaker 2: that's its own entity now, which is interesting because when 969 00:50:15,760 --> 00:50:17,800 Speaker 2: I started in the business, or actually before I started 970 00:50:17,800 --> 00:50:19,920 Speaker 2: the busines when I was a kid, then when you 971 00:50:19,960 --> 00:50:21,759 Speaker 2: were a kid. But that was the thing, right, the 972 00:50:21,800 --> 00:50:23,560 Speaker 2: pop thing. I wasn't a pop guy. I was more 973 00:50:23,560 --> 00:50:26,360 Speaker 2: into the album tracks, but you know that was the 974 00:50:26,360 --> 00:50:27,960 Speaker 2: pop thing. Oh one single, I gotta go out and 975 00:50:27,960 --> 00:50:30,040 Speaker 2: see them, you know, blah blah blah. So that's what's 976 00:50:30,080 --> 00:50:34,480 Speaker 2: happening now. So growing, it's a real process. It's on 977 00:50:34,520 --> 00:50:38,319 Speaker 2: the road because there's really no record action happening. You've 978 00:50:38,320 --> 00:50:41,160 Speaker 2: written about a lot of this. Bob. It's working it 979 00:50:41,320 --> 00:50:43,279 Speaker 2: and is trying to build an audience and it's you 980 00:50:43,320 --> 00:50:46,120 Speaker 2: know and literally building them because you just don't find 981 00:50:46,120 --> 00:50:48,120 Speaker 2: them by accident. You don't roll into town and all 982 00:50:48,120 --> 00:50:50,359 Speaker 2: of a sudden there's a thousand people that come see 983 00:50:50,360 --> 00:50:53,160 Speaker 2: you. You know. It's not like it was you know that 984 00:50:53,239 --> 00:50:54,839 Speaker 2: happened to hear it on the radio and you didn't 985 00:50:54,840 --> 00:50:57,640 Speaker 2: even know they were there. You know, so much different. 986 00:50:57,640 --> 00:51:00,200 Speaker 2: It's a it's a much more grueling game, and you 987 00:51:00,239 --> 00:51:02,600 Speaker 2: have to you have to take time. There's a lot 988 00:51:02,600 --> 00:51:06,040 Speaker 2: of hit and miss, you know, and there's a lot 989 00:51:06,080 --> 00:51:09,359 Speaker 2: of for me anyway, I have to spend a lot 990 00:51:09,400 --> 00:51:11,719 Speaker 2: of time, you know, thinking about it, like are they 991 00:51:11,719 --> 00:51:13,279 Speaker 2: going to work over here or not. Do I really 992 00:51:13,280 --> 00:51:15,400 Speaker 2: need to go out to the Midwest and spend and 993 00:51:15,440 --> 00:51:17,359 Speaker 2: have the act spending twenty five let's say, if it's 994 00:51:17,400 --> 00:51:20,279 Speaker 2: a new young act, twenty five grand a week to 995 00:51:20,360 --> 00:51:22,319 Speaker 2: work out there for we're not going back for two years. 996 00:51:22,400 --> 00:51:24,440 Speaker 2: Or do I better off working over here near where 997 00:51:24,480 --> 00:51:27,640 Speaker 2: they live, you know, doing it regionalized. So I think 998 00:51:27,680 --> 00:51:30,120 Speaker 2: there's more of a you know, I think this has 999 00:51:30,160 --> 00:51:31,239 Speaker 2: to be more thought behind it. 1000 00:51:32,320 --> 00:51:35,839 Speaker 1: Okay, let's say you're booking clubs, independent clubs. In terms 1001 00:51:35,880 --> 00:51:40,800 Speaker 1: of the negotiation. How much negotiation is there? Is it like, okay, 1002 00:51:41,080 --> 00:51:46,040 Speaker 1: here's the fee, and then what percentage of merch they take? 1003 00:51:47,080 --> 00:51:49,920 Speaker 1: When you're negotiating with an independent venue. What are the 1004 00:51:49,960 --> 00:51:51,000 Speaker 1: deal points? 1005 00:51:51,640 --> 00:51:53,720 Speaker 2: Well, those are Those are a lot of the points 1006 00:51:53,719 --> 00:51:56,640 Speaker 2: that we were discussing actually at the conference, which is, 1007 00:51:57,280 --> 00:51:59,640 Speaker 2: you know, there's a couple of ways. There's multiple ways 1008 00:51:59,640 --> 00:52:00,879 Speaker 2: you do it. You can go in and say, hey, 1009 00:52:00,920 --> 00:52:02,520 Speaker 2: this is the feed, take it or leave it, and 1010 00:52:02,680 --> 00:52:04,000 Speaker 2: you know, I just I just want this and I 1011 00:52:04,040 --> 00:52:06,279 Speaker 2: don't care about anything else. Or you can go in 1012 00:52:06,320 --> 00:52:08,520 Speaker 2: and you know you can you can build it from 1013 00:52:08,520 --> 00:52:11,000 Speaker 2: I need a minimum of this, and then I need 1014 00:52:11,040 --> 00:52:12,360 Speaker 2: to be able to make this at the end, so 1015 00:52:12,480 --> 00:52:15,239 Speaker 2: and structure it, you know, on a basis where you 1016 00:52:15,239 --> 00:52:18,759 Speaker 2: can earn it if you if you if you draw 1017 00:52:18,800 --> 00:52:21,200 Speaker 2: the people right, you earn it if you earn it, 1018 00:52:21,239 --> 00:52:25,200 Speaker 2: so to speak. The merchandise is again one of these 1019 00:52:25,719 --> 00:52:29,879 Speaker 2: tricky areas because the venue wants to have a piece 1020 00:52:29,920 --> 00:52:32,520 Speaker 2: of the merch You know, back in the day, the 1021 00:52:32,640 --> 00:52:34,839 Speaker 2: artists rolled in and they had a guy that walked 1022 00:52:34,840 --> 00:52:36,920 Speaker 2: around selling shirts and it was like, okay, we sold 1023 00:52:36,960 --> 00:52:38,440 Speaker 2: some shirts, you made some money. Or maybe it was 1024 00:52:38,480 --> 00:52:40,759 Speaker 2: as the kids were leaving with the fans, they'd sell 1025 00:52:40,760 --> 00:52:43,080 Speaker 2: it to them on the way out right, not the bootleggers, 1026 00:52:43,080 --> 00:52:45,840 Speaker 2: but actually the artists people, right, they'd be selling them. 1027 00:52:46,160 --> 00:52:48,680 Speaker 2: And then merch merchandise became a thing. I mean now 1028 00:52:48,680 --> 00:52:50,960 Speaker 2: there's merchandise companies. Back then it was just then printing 1029 00:52:51,000 --> 00:52:54,560 Speaker 2: their own shirts up. So you know Whi's been for 1030 00:52:54,560 --> 00:52:58,280 Speaker 2: a long time. But you know now big conglomerate merchandise companies. 1031 00:52:58,680 --> 00:53:01,840 Speaker 2: So the merchandise can be as I said to you, 1032 00:53:01,880 --> 00:53:04,040 Speaker 2: for the younger at it's really important. As I always 1033 00:53:04,080 --> 00:53:07,120 Speaker 2: saying to some of these you know, venue operators, the 1034 00:53:07,239 --> 00:53:11,960 Speaker 2: merchandise could be profit and loss you know, that could 1035 00:53:12,000 --> 00:53:14,399 Speaker 2: be the difference in them making any profit. But even 1036 00:53:14,440 --> 00:53:16,960 Speaker 2: more than that, some of these acts, especially if like 1037 00:53:17,000 --> 00:53:19,400 Speaker 2: I said earlier, these opening acts that are getting paid nothing, 1038 00:53:19,520 --> 00:53:22,680 Speaker 2: that's how they pay for hotels and fuel. Like if 1039 00:53:22,680 --> 00:53:25,160 Speaker 2: they if they're giving up merchandise or a large percentage 1040 00:53:25,200 --> 00:53:27,520 Speaker 2: of it, that's that's money they need to operate. They're 1041 00:53:27,560 --> 00:53:30,560 Speaker 2: not making a they're not making a profit. They're they're 1042 00:53:30,719 --> 00:53:32,399 Speaker 2: on the road because they want to be or they 1043 00:53:32,400 --> 00:53:35,000 Speaker 2: think they're going to be successful. Want to be successful, right, 1044 00:53:35,120 --> 00:53:38,600 Speaker 2: or they just love playing music. They're they're using that 1045 00:53:39,480 --> 00:53:43,280 Speaker 2: to help them sustain themselves. Like maybe they can stop 1046 00:53:43,320 --> 00:53:45,799 Speaker 2: in at Burger King instead of skipping a meal because 1047 00:53:45,840 --> 00:53:49,040 Speaker 2: they have merchandists. I'm not trying to pull anybody's you 1048 00:53:49,040 --> 00:53:51,080 Speaker 2: know what, do you get the tears rolling here? But 1049 00:53:51,120 --> 00:53:53,040 Speaker 2: that's the reality. Some of these guys are like, oh shit, 1050 00:53:53,480 --> 00:53:56,560 Speaker 2: if I you know, if we can sell some merch uh, 1051 00:53:56,640 --> 00:53:58,360 Speaker 2: you know, we're good. Because the fuel in a hotel, 1052 00:53:58,360 --> 00:53:59,600 Speaker 2: all right, maybe we're gonna have to stay all in 1053 00:53:59,600 --> 00:54:01,640 Speaker 2: one room. Sel sub merch maybe can have two rooms, 1054 00:54:01,680 --> 00:54:05,120 Speaker 2: you know. For the smaller acts, that's the level it's at. Frankly, 1055 00:54:05,360 --> 00:54:07,520 Speaker 2: for larger acts. You know, again, we want to talk 1056 00:54:07,520 --> 00:54:09,880 Speaker 2: about the top ten percent. That's a whole different story. 1057 00:54:10,960 --> 00:54:14,920 Speaker 2: You know, that's a corporate, you know, profit game. That's different. 1058 00:54:22,480 --> 00:54:26,960 Speaker 1: Okay, let's stay with the small venues. It's in the 1059 00:54:27,080 --> 00:54:32,879 Speaker 1: smaller venues that the ticket fee looks outrageous. If there's 1060 00:54:32,920 --> 00:54:36,840 Speaker 1: a twenty five dollar fee on one hundred dollars ticket, 1061 00:54:37,120 --> 00:54:39,920 Speaker 1: you don't like it. If there's a twenty or twenty 1062 00:54:39,960 --> 00:54:46,719 Speaker 1: five dollars fee on a twenty five dollars ticket, everybody's unhappy. 1063 00:54:46,800 --> 00:54:47,799 Speaker 1: So talk about that. 1064 00:54:49,600 --> 00:54:52,319 Speaker 2: Well, yes, and something that we've been talking about lot. 1065 00:54:53,360 --> 00:54:57,400 Speaker 2: The reality is, you know, from our perspective, fees have 1066 00:54:57,400 --> 00:55:00,160 Speaker 2: gotten out of hand. It used to be there was 1067 00:55:00,200 --> 00:55:04,560 Speaker 2: a fee, a handling fee, right, There was a ticket 1068 00:55:04,560 --> 00:55:07,839 Speaker 2: fee because they had to print it out and you know, 1069 00:55:08,040 --> 00:55:09,560 Speaker 2: sit mail it to you or whatever. So there was 1070 00:55:09,600 --> 00:55:11,960 Speaker 2: a handling fee, there was a printing charge and whatever, 1071 00:55:12,560 --> 00:55:14,319 Speaker 2: and then the fee became you know whatever, it was 1072 00:55:14,320 --> 00:55:17,400 Speaker 2: a dollar. I think it's actually going back. There was 1073 00:55:17,480 --> 00:55:19,799 Speaker 2: there was no fees to the to the fan. The 1074 00:55:19,840 --> 00:55:23,440 Speaker 2: fees in the old days, the fees were charged to 1075 00:55:23,520 --> 00:55:26,880 Speaker 2: the show. You paid. I don't remember the number of 1076 00:55:26,960 --> 00:55:29,279 Speaker 2: fans ten cents whatever. It was a ticket and it 1077 00:55:29,360 --> 00:55:31,800 Speaker 2: was charged to the show as a show cost. Okay, 1078 00:55:32,400 --> 00:55:36,479 Speaker 2: and then Fred Rosen came along. You know the story. 1079 00:55:36,480 --> 00:55:37,640 Speaker 2: I don't even have to tell you, but I'll tell 1080 00:55:37,680 --> 00:55:40,279 Speaker 2: it on the podcast. Fred Rosen came along, and I'll 1081 00:55:40,320 --> 00:55:43,120 Speaker 2: and I'll I won't say I made it happen, but 1082 00:55:43,160 --> 00:55:45,200 Speaker 2: I will take some of the hit for this. He 1083 00:55:45,280 --> 00:55:48,880 Speaker 2: called me on a particular tour of one of my clients. Actually, 1084 00:55:49,040 --> 00:55:52,600 Speaker 2: somebody had him call me the client that I had. 1085 00:55:52,640 --> 00:55:56,520 Speaker 2: We were we were going on tour and ticket Tron 1086 00:55:56,760 --> 00:55:59,080 Speaker 2: was doing it. Remember ticket Tron of course, so ticket 1087 00:55:59,239 --> 00:56:01,920 Speaker 2: ticket Tron was doing the you know the ticketing back then, 1088 00:56:01,960 --> 00:56:04,720 Speaker 2: the computerized if you want to call it that whatever, 1089 00:56:05,280 --> 00:56:09,719 Speaker 2: you know, mechanical ticket issuing or whatever. If you didn't 1090 00:56:09,760 --> 00:56:11,520 Speaker 2: go to like your local record shop or you didn't 1091 00:56:11,520 --> 00:56:13,600 Speaker 2: go to the box office or whatever. They were handling 1092 00:56:13,600 --> 00:56:17,719 Speaker 2: it a lot of them. And somebody called me and said, hey, 1093 00:56:17,719 --> 00:56:19,920 Speaker 2: you got to talk to this new company. It's called Ticketmaster. 1094 00:56:20,000 --> 00:56:21,760 Speaker 2: They can do it better, they can do it faster, 1095 00:56:21,840 --> 00:56:24,400 Speaker 2: blah blah blah blah. I said, okay, right, so I 1096 00:56:24,480 --> 00:56:30,399 Speaker 2: talked to I talked to uh Fred. I quote Fred 1097 00:56:30,480 --> 00:56:32,279 Speaker 2: up when we had a conversation and he said, you know, 1098 00:56:32,280 --> 00:56:33,640 Speaker 2: I want to do I want to handle I'd like 1099 00:56:33,640 --> 00:56:35,200 Speaker 2: to do all the tickets for the whole tour. And 1100 00:56:35,239 --> 00:56:37,480 Speaker 2: I said okay, but I said, I don't want to 1101 00:56:37,480 --> 00:56:38,719 Speaker 2: have to pay a fee. I don't want to tour 1102 00:56:38,760 --> 00:56:41,440 Speaker 2: to pay a fee for it. He said, okay, don't 1103 00:56:41,440 --> 00:56:43,400 Speaker 2: worry about I'll take care of it. I said, how 1104 00:56:43,400 --> 00:56:44,520 Speaker 2: are you going to take care of it? He says, 1105 00:56:44,840 --> 00:56:48,600 Speaker 2: I'll charge the buyer. I said, oh, that's a good concept. 1106 00:56:48,640 --> 00:56:50,319 Speaker 2: I never heard of that concept. He goes, yeah, charge 1107 00:56:50,320 --> 00:56:52,680 Speaker 2: I don't know, it's twenty five cents or something or 1108 00:56:52,719 --> 00:56:55,799 Speaker 2: ten cents or something. I said, okay, that sounds great. 1109 00:56:57,239 --> 00:57:00,399 Speaker 2: And so that happened there. So you know, the next 1110 00:57:00,440 --> 00:57:02,640 Speaker 2: time I had a actually I had a conversation with 1111 00:57:02,719 --> 00:57:03,800 Speaker 2: him a bunch of time. But the next time I 1112 00:57:03,800 --> 00:57:05,279 Speaker 2: got on the phone to talk about ticketing, I was 1113 00:57:05,280 --> 00:57:06,920 Speaker 2: trying to get him to reduce his fee that he 1114 00:57:06,960 --> 00:57:10,080 Speaker 2: was charging for the buyers. And this was probably two 1115 00:57:10,239 --> 00:57:12,520 Speaker 2: or three years later, and he hung up on me 1116 00:57:12,600 --> 00:57:16,000 Speaker 2: basically because he was like, screw you, find somebody else 1117 00:57:16,040 --> 00:57:17,280 Speaker 2: to do your tickets. And I went, wow, that was 1118 00:57:17,280 --> 00:57:20,440 Speaker 2: a quick turnaround for it. But that was just you know, 1119 00:57:20,480 --> 00:57:22,520 Speaker 2: then it just went from there, right, it escalated. So 1120 00:57:22,920 --> 00:57:25,080 Speaker 2: in today's world, what does it cost to actually issu 1121 00:57:25,080 --> 00:57:28,600 Speaker 2: your ticket? Eighty five cents? Maybe? Okay, so when you're 1122 00:57:28,640 --> 00:57:31,360 Speaker 2: charging fifteen dollars at thirty five or a hunt or 1123 00:57:31,560 --> 00:57:34,080 Speaker 2: probably doesn't go higher than that. But fifty yeah, okay 1124 00:57:34,080 --> 00:57:36,440 Speaker 2: if it's on a really huge ticket, I guess, I 1125 00:57:36,440 --> 00:57:39,400 Speaker 2: mean it doesn't matter. But the conversations we've been having 1126 00:57:39,440 --> 00:57:44,320 Speaker 2: with with you know, with promoters and buyer and venue buyers, 1127 00:57:44,400 --> 00:57:47,240 Speaker 2: is why don't we just why are we doing this? 1128 00:57:48,040 --> 00:57:51,000 Speaker 2: If it's twenty five bucks for the ticket and thirteen 1129 00:57:51,080 --> 00:57:54,320 Speaker 2: for the fees you know, ticketing fees, venue fees, whatever, 1130 00:57:54,800 --> 00:57:56,919 Speaker 2: so it's thirty eight dollars, why don't we just put 1131 00:57:56,920 --> 00:57:58,600 Speaker 2: thirty eight dollars down to figure out how to split 1132 00:57:58,600 --> 00:58:01,880 Speaker 2: it up? I want to do fifty to fifty, I mean, 1133 00:58:01,920 --> 00:58:05,040 Speaker 2: like what makes sense. Like let's at least engage the conversation. 1134 00:58:05,280 --> 00:58:07,040 Speaker 2: Because back in the day before it was all the 1135 00:58:07,080 --> 00:58:09,160 Speaker 2: expenses and ticketing fees and all the rest of it, 1136 00:58:10,040 --> 00:58:12,040 Speaker 2: you know, it was the deals were simple. It was 1137 00:58:12,600 --> 00:58:15,640 Speaker 2: X amount of dollars guaranteed versus fifty percent, and it 1138 00:58:15,680 --> 00:58:17,760 Speaker 2: went to sixty at a point and maybe seventy at 1139 00:58:17,760 --> 00:58:19,200 Speaker 2: a point. And that was like later on when everybody 1140 00:58:19,280 --> 00:58:20,919 Speaker 2: figured out there might be more money to be made. 1141 00:58:21,360 --> 00:58:24,840 Speaker 2: And it was simple. There was no you didn't have 1142 00:58:24,880 --> 00:58:26,280 Speaker 2: to have accountants on a road, you didn't have to 1143 00:58:26,280 --> 00:58:27,640 Speaker 2: do any of it. It's like, okay, this is what 1144 00:58:27,640 --> 00:58:29,800 Speaker 2: we're going to do. So you know, and I know 1145 00:58:29,840 --> 00:58:31,920 Speaker 2: for the larger tours, just still otive accounts. But I'm 1146 00:58:31,960 --> 00:58:33,920 Speaker 2: talking about for the workingman's band if you want to 1147 00:58:33,960 --> 00:58:36,320 Speaker 2: call it that, or a workingman's group. So that's some 1148 00:58:36,360 --> 00:58:38,920 Speaker 2: of the conversations we've had. We've been having because you know, 1149 00:58:38,960 --> 00:58:40,640 Speaker 2: it is kind of out of hand. It's it's really 1150 00:58:40,720 --> 00:58:42,760 Speaker 2: like I have this over here, and then you can 1151 00:58:42,760 --> 00:58:46,840 Speaker 2: split this and so then what then we as agents 1152 00:58:46,920 --> 00:58:49,000 Speaker 2: or managers have to go back and go, okay, then 1153 00:58:49,120 --> 00:58:51,320 Speaker 2: we'll do this, but we're going to keep this over here. 1154 00:58:51,360 --> 00:58:53,360 Speaker 2: You know. It's like, let's just put it all here 1155 00:58:54,040 --> 00:58:55,720 Speaker 2: and figure out what it is. You have the venue, 1156 00:58:55,760 --> 00:58:58,240 Speaker 2: we have the act. If the act didn't come into 1157 00:58:58,280 --> 00:59:02,560 Speaker 2: the venue, there'd be nobody there, very few people. Okay, 1158 00:59:02,600 --> 00:59:05,280 Speaker 2: not every venue, but some or most they're not coming 1159 00:59:05,320 --> 00:59:07,320 Speaker 2: down to hang out at an empty venue and drink 1160 00:59:07,360 --> 00:59:09,920 Speaker 2: beer or drink drinks at the bar if nothing's happening. 1161 00:59:10,800 --> 00:59:12,880 Speaker 2: Unless it's a bar, you know that they have talent 1162 00:59:12,960 --> 00:59:15,680 Speaker 2: in but it's also a hangout bar. But if it's 1163 00:59:15,680 --> 00:59:18,880 Speaker 2: a place that's actually a showcase for talent, they're not. 1164 00:59:18,960 --> 00:59:21,360 Speaker 2: Nobody's coming down to hang out without talent. So there's 1165 00:59:21,360 --> 00:59:24,600 Speaker 2: a reason people are in there. So why can't we 1166 00:59:25,240 --> 00:59:27,880 Speaker 2: take it from that position? You know, you've got the bar, 1167 00:59:28,040 --> 00:59:31,000 Speaker 2: you got you know this, you just just make it easier, 1168 00:59:31,080 --> 00:59:34,400 Speaker 2: make it simpler. It's it's kind of I was sitting 1169 00:59:34,400 --> 00:59:36,480 Speaker 2: at the meeting we were having conversations about at Milwaukee, 1170 00:59:36,560 --> 00:59:38,640 Speaker 2: and I was sitting there thinking, this is like two 1171 00:59:38,720 --> 00:59:45,280 Speaker 2: countries with you know, uh military, you know weapons, right, 1172 00:59:45,760 --> 00:59:47,720 Speaker 2: you're going to have you know, dis missile. Then I'm 1173 00:59:47,720 --> 00:59:49,320 Speaker 2: going to make this bomb. You're going to do this. 1174 00:59:49,440 --> 00:59:51,280 Speaker 2: I'm going to do this. It's just like, can we 1175 00:59:51,400 --> 00:59:55,120 Speaker 2: just cut it all out and just have nothing? We 1176 00:59:55,160 --> 00:59:57,240 Speaker 2: won't attack you, you don't attack us. How about that? I mean, 1177 00:59:57,280 --> 01:00:00,120 Speaker 2: I know that's unrealistic, but uh that's the way I 1178 01:00:00,120 --> 01:00:00,680 Speaker 2: feel something. 1179 01:00:01,240 --> 01:00:06,240 Speaker 1: Okay, ticket Master, when we're talking about Areena's large values 1180 01:00:06,280 --> 01:00:12,240 Speaker 1: that are they pay these advances. They rationalize the fees. 1181 01:00:12,920 --> 01:00:16,840 Speaker 1: Let's just talk about that conceptually. We'll get into details. Leader. 1182 01:00:17,400 --> 01:00:22,200 Speaker 1: When you have an independent club, how they rationalizing these 1183 01:00:22,320 --> 01:00:23,080 Speaker 1: large fees. 1184 01:00:28,400 --> 01:00:32,080 Speaker 2: Cost of operation is one. They need this guarantee to 1185 01:00:32,120 --> 01:00:34,120 Speaker 2: their bottom line, you know what I mean. So it's 1186 01:00:34,120 --> 01:00:36,400 Speaker 2: again it's like, okay, this parts are so we know 1187 01:00:36,480 --> 01:00:39,120 Speaker 2: we have that we're gonna sell x amount of tickets 1188 01:00:39,160 --> 01:00:41,960 Speaker 2: all year or you know, average right on a year, 1189 01:00:42,080 --> 01:00:43,640 Speaker 2: so we know we have this much coming in. So 1190 01:00:43,680 --> 01:00:46,560 Speaker 2: that's one reason. And some of them, honestly, I don't 1191 01:00:46,600 --> 01:00:48,480 Speaker 2: know for sure, but maybe some of them get advances 1192 01:00:48,480 --> 01:00:51,400 Speaker 2: from the ticketing companies. I'm sure they do. It's probably 1193 01:00:51,400 --> 01:00:53,800 Speaker 2: the same thing, just in a smaller, smaller way, right, 1194 01:00:54,480 --> 01:00:56,720 Speaker 2: because they're not all ticketmaster venus. I mean, there are 1195 01:00:56,960 --> 01:00:59,680 Speaker 2: a lot of independent, you know, small ticketing companies, although 1196 01:00:59,720 --> 01:01:03,640 Speaker 2: a lot of those are being bought up, so you know, 1197 01:01:03,760 --> 01:01:07,440 Speaker 2: and I'm sure they go, if they're smart enough, they 1198 01:01:07,480 --> 01:01:10,120 Speaker 2: go and get advances on their ticket money to operate. 1199 01:01:11,040 --> 01:01:13,080 Speaker 2: And so they're doing the same thing that the larger 1200 01:01:13,120 --> 01:01:15,000 Speaker 2: places are doing. They you know, it's already in there. 1201 01:01:15,000 --> 01:01:17,800 Speaker 2: So they're charging the fee because they've you know, they've 1202 01:01:17,840 --> 01:01:20,520 Speaker 2: taken this money. They're charging the fee. They're legitimizing it 1203 01:01:20,520 --> 01:01:23,240 Speaker 2: because they've got to repay the ticketing company and they 1204 01:01:23,280 --> 01:01:25,560 Speaker 2: also want to make a profit. So the fee. I'm 1205 01:01:25,600 --> 01:01:27,200 Speaker 2: not saying it's all going to Ticke company, but part 1206 01:01:27,240 --> 01:01:28,919 Speaker 2: of it probably is, and then some of it's coming 1207 01:01:28,920 --> 01:01:30,840 Speaker 2: to them, and some of it maybe's going to promoter. 1208 01:01:30,960 --> 01:01:32,960 Speaker 2: I mean, I don't know what their venue deal is, 1209 01:01:33,160 --> 01:01:36,000 Speaker 2: you know, for every date, every show, but they may 1210 01:01:36,160 --> 01:01:37,520 Speaker 2: they may have a deal like that. You know, you 1211 01:01:37,560 --> 01:01:39,040 Speaker 2: come in, your partner with us, will give you a 1212 01:01:39,040 --> 01:01:39,760 Speaker 2: piece of the ticketing. 1213 01:01:41,200 --> 01:01:43,720 Speaker 1: Okay, let's flip the script a little bit. Let's talk 1214 01:01:43,720 --> 01:01:49,080 Speaker 1: about Titesky Trucks. You're the agent. They're playing bigger venues 1215 01:01:50,040 --> 01:01:53,040 Speaker 1: now at this point in time. You know, we'll go 1216 01:01:53,200 --> 01:01:56,440 Speaker 1: back in time. But they have an overall deal with Live. 1217 01:01:56,320 --> 01:01:58,680 Speaker 2: Nation right now. 1218 01:01:58,720 --> 01:02:03,440 Speaker 1: They do, yes, Okay, So what are your feelings about 1219 01:02:03,440 --> 01:02:05,240 Speaker 1: overall deals, touring deals? 1220 01:02:07,040 --> 01:02:09,200 Speaker 2: You know, it really depends on the situation, and it 1221 01:02:09,280 --> 01:02:12,560 Speaker 2: depends on the you know, who's doing it and what 1222 01:02:12,600 --> 01:02:16,520 Speaker 2: they're capable of doing. There's other than Ticketmaster sorry, Live Nation. 1223 01:02:18,440 --> 01:02:20,560 Speaker 2: There are other people out there trying to do these 1224 01:02:20,640 --> 01:02:22,640 Speaker 2: kinds of deals, right. I mean, Age obviously has been 1225 01:02:22,640 --> 01:02:25,640 Speaker 2: doing it for a while. We'll take Louisina out of 1226 01:02:25,640 --> 01:02:28,280 Speaker 2: it for a second, because that's kind of a different scenario. 1227 01:02:29,480 --> 01:02:31,640 Speaker 2: But you know there's other people doing it. There's you know, 1228 01:02:31,640 --> 01:02:33,400 Speaker 2: a venom now in America is trying to do the 1229 01:02:33,440 --> 01:02:36,880 Speaker 2: same thing, right, the ticketing company from Germany. There's been 1230 01:02:37,000 --> 01:02:41,440 Speaker 2: promoters that, you know, independent promoters that have tried to 1231 01:02:41,720 --> 01:02:44,520 Speaker 2: do a similar thing. Some of them now are backed, 1232 01:02:44,680 --> 01:02:47,040 Speaker 2: you know, by bigger money to do a similar thing. 1233 01:02:47,480 --> 01:02:51,640 Speaker 2: So my question always is as an agent is excuse me, 1234 01:02:52,600 --> 01:02:55,480 Speaker 2: can they can they take the place of the local person, 1235 01:02:55,720 --> 01:02:59,040 Speaker 2: you know, the local promoter or and or you know, 1236 01:02:59,080 --> 01:03:02,040 Speaker 2: the local marketing piece people like if they're living in 1237 01:03:03,080 --> 01:03:05,160 Speaker 2: I don't know, a city to Buke, Iowa. Let's say 1238 01:03:05,200 --> 01:03:07,280 Speaker 2: the promoter's living which probably isn't the case, but let's 1239 01:03:07,280 --> 01:03:09,080 Speaker 2: say they are. Are they going to know what's happening 1240 01:03:09,120 --> 01:03:14,200 Speaker 2: in Newark, New Jersey? Probably not. You can in today's world, 1241 01:03:14,200 --> 01:03:19,000 Speaker 2: you can do marketing the social media obviously, if you 1242 01:03:19,000 --> 01:03:21,200 Speaker 2: can do it anywhere in the world, right, that's not 1243 01:03:21,520 --> 01:03:23,600 Speaker 2: a surprise. I mean, you could even buy time on 1244 01:03:23,720 --> 01:03:26,440 Speaker 2: radio from anywhere. Really, if you want, although there's little 1245 01:03:26,440 --> 01:03:28,479 Speaker 2: of that being done. There's not so much print being done, 1246 01:03:28,480 --> 01:03:30,680 Speaker 2: so it's not a matter of doing that. But when 1247 01:03:30,720 --> 01:03:33,080 Speaker 2: and where? When when that was still happening and there 1248 01:03:33,160 --> 01:03:35,320 Speaker 2: was these kind of national things going on, I always 1249 01:03:35,400 --> 01:03:37,960 Speaker 2: question are they getting the right deal? You know, do 1250 01:03:38,000 --> 01:03:40,360 Speaker 2: they have a deal where the local guy might do 1251 01:03:40,400 --> 01:03:42,480 Speaker 2: they know all the ins and outs locally? Do they 1252 01:03:42,480 --> 01:03:44,360 Speaker 2: have do they know the jocks at the station, or 1253 01:03:44,360 --> 01:03:47,200 Speaker 2: are they're just calling up sales and you know, ordering spots. 1254 01:03:47,720 --> 01:03:51,160 Speaker 2: So to me, there's something about having the person in 1255 01:03:51,200 --> 01:03:54,760 Speaker 2: the market, especially when you're developing an act. So maybe 1256 01:03:54,760 --> 01:03:56,520 Speaker 2: when an act gets to a certain level, it's just 1257 01:03:56,560 --> 01:03:59,480 Speaker 2: all right, we're putting the show on. Okay, there's still 1258 01:03:59,520 --> 01:04:01,520 Speaker 2: things that happen to be done, and there's still probably 1259 01:04:01,520 --> 01:04:03,720 Speaker 2: marketing it needs to be done as well to make 1260 01:04:03,760 --> 01:04:05,800 Speaker 2: sure that you're doing the business or increase the business. 1261 01:04:06,440 --> 01:04:08,360 Speaker 2: But you know, as you're coming up, are they going 1262 01:04:08,440 --> 01:04:12,440 Speaker 2: to have the same wherewithal Now from a live nation perspective, 1263 01:04:13,000 --> 01:04:15,360 Speaker 2: they do have offices in virtually older major cities, so 1264 01:04:15,720 --> 01:04:18,080 Speaker 2: you can say that they have their localized people right, 1265 01:04:18,160 --> 01:04:22,240 Speaker 2: So maybe that makes you know, that makes more sense 1266 01:04:22,280 --> 01:04:24,400 Speaker 2: than somebody that's doing it, that just says, oh, yeah, 1267 01:04:24,400 --> 01:04:26,520 Speaker 2: I'm going to call you know, I'm gonna call the Beacon, 1268 01:04:26,600 --> 01:04:28,400 Speaker 2: or I'm gonna call Madison Square Garden and book the 1269 01:04:28,400 --> 01:04:30,680 Speaker 2: Beacon and I'm going to do a show there. But 1270 01:04:30,720 --> 01:04:33,680 Speaker 2: I live in Minnesota and there's people doing it all 1271 01:04:33,720 --> 01:04:35,680 Speaker 2: the time because it's easy enough to do these days. 1272 01:04:35,880 --> 01:04:37,920 Speaker 2: You know, it's not like it was in the old days, right, 1273 01:04:38,400 --> 01:04:40,080 Speaker 2: And you know, they'll fly in if they have to, 1274 01:04:40,160 --> 01:04:41,760 Speaker 2: or they'll hire somebody to go cover the date. It's 1275 01:04:41,760 --> 01:04:43,400 Speaker 2: a lot of these guys that are people around there 1276 01:04:43,440 --> 01:04:46,400 Speaker 2: that are doing and there's not lots and lots of them, 1277 01:04:46,400 --> 01:04:48,400 Speaker 2: but there's quite a few now that are doing like 1278 01:04:48,480 --> 01:04:51,520 Speaker 2: these tour deals or whatever. You know, they're hiring somebody 1279 01:04:51,520 --> 01:04:54,080 Speaker 2: to be like the tour manager. So and they're on 1280 01:04:54,160 --> 01:04:57,480 Speaker 2: the road, you know, covering the shows because they you know, 1281 01:04:57,560 --> 01:04:59,600 Speaker 2: the promoter's doing other stuff too, so he's not going 1282 01:04:59,680 --> 01:05:01,200 Speaker 2: to be able to cover all the shows. I mean, 1283 01:05:01,520 --> 01:05:04,320 Speaker 2: back in the day, you know, there was Larry Magott 1284 01:05:04,320 --> 01:05:06,560 Speaker 2: and Philly. There was Don Law in Boston. There was 1285 01:05:06,640 --> 01:05:08,960 Speaker 2: Ron dels Are in New York. Right, your guy had 1286 01:05:08,960 --> 01:05:12,680 Speaker 2: the city wired, he had all the stuff locally wored 1287 01:05:12,720 --> 01:05:16,240 Speaker 2: and maybe that's part of why the developmental thing isn't 1288 01:05:16,240 --> 01:05:17,880 Speaker 2: as strong as it was. Maybe that's a little bit 1289 01:05:18,000 --> 01:05:19,560 Speaker 2: part of it. I mean, there's other reasons obviously the 1290 01:05:19,960 --> 01:05:23,240 Speaker 2: radio stations, record companies, et cetera. But maybe it's because 1291 01:05:23,240 --> 01:05:27,200 Speaker 2: it's gotten so nationalized. We're losing out on that, you know, 1292 01:05:27,240 --> 01:05:30,480 Speaker 2: we're losing out on the guy or person that's developing 1293 01:05:30,520 --> 01:05:33,040 Speaker 2: that act, you know, for that region like you know, 1294 01:05:33,160 --> 01:05:36,320 Speaker 2: Philly around the Philly area or Pennsylvania or whatever, you know, 1295 01:05:36,480 --> 01:05:38,720 Speaker 2: whatever you want to call it, the metro New York 1296 01:05:38,760 --> 01:05:42,880 Speaker 2: City area or you know Syracuse and Rochester, New York, 1297 01:05:43,760 --> 01:05:46,120 Speaker 2: where before you had somebody working on because they wanted 1298 01:05:46,120 --> 01:05:50,880 Speaker 2: to develop business. So the independent you know venues now 1299 01:05:51,640 --> 01:05:55,040 Speaker 2: have kind of taken over that role, only they don't 1300 01:05:55,040 --> 01:05:59,600 Speaker 2: all have that wherewithal you know, financially as well, some 1301 01:05:59,640 --> 01:06:02,440 Speaker 2: of them, but not all of them. And they also 1302 01:06:02,560 --> 01:06:05,520 Speaker 2: if they're running five six nights a week or more, 1303 01:06:05,600 --> 01:06:08,040 Speaker 2: some of them run seven. If you're running five or 1304 01:06:08,040 --> 01:06:10,680 Speaker 2: six nights a week, that's that's really difficult to do. 1305 01:06:11,080 --> 01:06:13,040 Speaker 2: You know. Back again, back in the day, they were 1306 01:06:13,040 --> 01:06:16,320 Speaker 2: doing maybe a show a week, maybe a couple of month, 1307 01:06:16,480 --> 01:06:18,960 Speaker 2: you know, and then eventually they had multiples and they 1308 01:06:19,000 --> 01:06:21,440 Speaker 2: had to hire other people. But still they weren't doing 1309 01:06:21,760 --> 01:06:23,560 Speaker 2: you know, they weren't doing three hundred and sixty five 1310 01:06:23,640 --> 01:06:27,120 Speaker 2: shows a lot of them. Right these venues now are 1311 01:06:27,200 --> 01:06:29,920 Speaker 2: you know they're running They're doing two hundred and eighty 1312 01:06:30,080 --> 01:06:33,000 Speaker 2: or whatever. You know, I mean, I know one venue 1313 01:06:33,840 --> 01:06:35,360 Speaker 2: close to where I live that there's one hundred and 1314 01:06:35,440 --> 01:06:39,520 Speaker 2: thirty seven okay, small theater, right, so that's a lot 1315 01:06:39,520 --> 01:06:41,919 Speaker 2: of shows. If they were trying to do the rest 1316 01:06:41,960 --> 01:06:43,800 Speaker 2: of the country, how would they you know what I mean, 1317 01:06:43,800 --> 01:06:46,320 Speaker 2: how would they concentrate on what they're doing locally? So 1318 01:06:46,400 --> 01:06:48,760 Speaker 2: that's that's my general feeling on that. Okay. 1319 01:06:48,800 --> 01:06:55,440 Speaker 1: The old logic was if I go independently, the promoter 1320 01:06:55,560 --> 01:06:58,440 Speaker 1: has a relationship. If I have I'm a good draw, 1321 01:06:59,200 --> 01:07:02,560 Speaker 1: I can make more money. But I could have a 1322 01:07:02,600 --> 01:07:05,480 Speaker 1: bad date for whatever reason, turns out I'm soft in 1323 01:07:05,520 --> 01:07:08,680 Speaker 1: the market, it's weather whatever, blah blah blah. Whereas I 1324 01:07:08,760 --> 01:07:13,280 Speaker 1: made an overall deal, my money was guaranteed. Then you 1325 01:07:13,400 --> 01:07:17,840 Speaker 1: have the Michael Cole paradigm. What he started was I'll 1326 01:07:17,880 --> 01:07:21,320 Speaker 1: pay you the money, don't ask me how I make 1327 01:07:21,600 --> 01:07:29,360 Speaker 1: my money. Okay, And so if there's an overall tour 1328 01:07:29,480 --> 01:07:33,200 Speaker 1: deal today. I mean Arthur Fowell works there at Live Nation. 1329 01:07:33,360 --> 01:07:35,720 Speaker 1: Michael Cole is not a part of that. To what 1330 01:07:35,840 --> 01:07:39,200 Speaker 1: de do you just say, Okay, I negotiate the biggest 1331 01:07:39,280 --> 01:07:41,520 Speaker 1: number I can and I just leave the rest of 1332 01:07:41,560 --> 01:07:46,040 Speaker 1: the air. And to what degree can you control them? 1333 01:07:46,200 --> 01:07:52,160 Speaker 2: Well? Okay, so again a lot to unback. I guess 1334 01:07:52,240 --> 01:07:54,880 Speaker 2: when you get to a certain level, it's like, okay, 1335 01:07:55,200 --> 01:08:01,560 Speaker 2: I'll just I'll give you a a an example, but 1336 01:08:01,720 --> 01:08:03,320 Speaker 2: not in the business, not necessarily for that. And then 1337 01:08:03,320 --> 01:08:05,560 Speaker 2: I'll answer the question. If you have a business, you 1338 01:08:05,600 --> 01:08:08,080 Speaker 2: build it up. You're an independent and you know you're 1339 01:08:08,120 --> 01:08:10,320 Speaker 2: a businessman. Rather you start your own business or an entrepreneur. 1340 01:08:10,400 --> 01:08:13,280 Speaker 2: You build your business up and you get along, you know, 1341 01:08:13,400 --> 01:08:17,840 Speaker 2: later in life, and you decide, you know what I 1342 01:08:18,120 --> 01:08:20,880 Speaker 2: need to I'm working like crazy. I'm banging my head 1343 01:08:20,880 --> 01:08:26,439 Speaker 2: against the wall making sure everything happens properly. Somebody comes 1344 01:08:26,479 --> 01:08:28,280 Speaker 2: along and goes, hey, you know what, I like your business. 1345 01:08:28,280 --> 01:08:30,040 Speaker 2: I'm going to give you, you know, ten million dollars 1346 01:08:30,040 --> 01:08:32,439 Speaker 2: for it. You think, yeah, but this is like my family, 1347 01:08:32,479 --> 01:08:34,439 Speaker 2: blah blah blah. Then you think, okay, how long do 1348 01:08:34,479 --> 01:08:38,240 Speaker 2: I have left Okay, I'll take the money, and then 1349 01:08:38,439 --> 01:08:40,160 Speaker 2: you know, you've got to be on for whatever it is, 1350 01:08:40,160 --> 01:08:41,679 Speaker 2: three to five years, and then you can do whatever 1351 01:08:41,680 --> 01:08:44,600 Speaker 2: you want. Maybe you stay, maybe you don't. So I 1352 01:08:44,640 --> 01:08:48,840 Speaker 2: think with with not everybody, with certain situations in this 1353 01:08:48,880 --> 01:08:50,960 Speaker 2: business as well, you know, you get to a point 1354 01:08:51,000 --> 01:08:56,400 Speaker 2: where it's something that I was mentioning before. So I 1355 01:08:56,439 --> 01:08:58,320 Speaker 2: had a client, as I said that, you know overseas, 1356 01:08:58,479 --> 01:09:00,800 Speaker 2: was concerned that, you know, during COVID, that they'd be 1357 01:09:00,880 --> 01:09:03,280 Speaker 2: over there, COVID would come, everything would shut down and 1358 01:09:03,280 --> 01:09:05,519 Speaker 2: he'd be stuck on an island and have to pay 1359 01:09:05,560 --> 01:09:08,519 Speaker 2: everybody and pay to get everything back and whatever, and 1360 01:09:08,560 --> 01:09:11,240 Speaker 2: basically lose his ass right because there would be no shows. 1361 01:09:11,280 --> 01:09:13,600 Speaker 2: He was concerned with that. So when you're operating that 1362 01:09:13,680 --> 01:09:15,360 Speaker 2: way with some of these acts, and a lot of 1363 01:09:15,400 --> 01:09:19,680 Speaker 2: them do, even if they're larger, and you and you 1364 01:09:19,720 --> 01:09:23,559 Speaker 2: can realize that, or you realize that if I make 1365 01:09:23,640 --> 01:09:27,000 Speaker 2: this deal, I could just take care of I don't 1366 01:09:27,000 --> 01:09:30,960 Speaker 2: have to worry about that. I'll take the money, and 1367 01:09:31,080 --> 01:09:32,360 Speaker 2: you know, I don't have to worry about anything else. 1368 01:09:32,360 --> 01:09:35,000 Speaker 2: I don't have to deal with anything. It sounds easy, right, 1369 01:09:35,040 --> 01:09:38,559 Speaker 2: but sometimes it's not that easy. It's not always that easy, 1370 01:09:38,560 --> 01:09:40,960 Speaker 2: but it seems that easy. But for them, maybe it 1371 01:09:41,000 --> 01:09:44,240 Speaker 2: makes sense. You know, let me take the check and 1372 01:09:44,320 --> 01:09:47,360 Speaker 2: you worry about it. They still have to do their 1373 01:09:47,400 --> 01:09:49,479 Speaker 2: show and do all the rest of that stuff. But 1374 01:09:49,520 --> 01:09:51,200 Speaker 2: maybe they're thinking, I don't have to worry about anything 1375 01:09:51,200 --> 01:09:53,400 Speaker 2: else now they deal with it. But as you alluded to, 1376 01:09:54,600 --> 01:09:58,360 Speaker 2: most of those deals are yep, don't ask me what 1377 01:09:58,439 --> 01:10:01,479 Speaker 2: I'm doing, because I'm gonna do whatever I have to 1378 01:10:01,520 --> 01:10:03,360 Speaker 2: do to make it up. I mean, that's the reality. 1379 01:10:03,439 --> 01:10:05,840 Speaker 2: I do the same thing. I just gave you ten million. 1380 01:10:06,120 --> 01:10:07,800 Speaker 2: Don't ask me how I'm gonna get it back. I'm 1381 01:10:07,800 --> 01:10:10,120 Speaker 2: gonna do whatever I have to do to get it back. Now, 1382 01:10:11,200 --> 01:10:14,680 Speaker 2: different for me than some is I just don't have 1383 01:10:14,760 --> 01:10:16,800 Speaker 2: it in me to do whatever it takes to get 1384 01:10:16,800 --> 01:10:18,240 Speaker 2: it back. I'm going to try to do it. You know, 1385 01:10:18,280 --> 01:10:20,880 Speaker 2: the way I feel is right, But that's just because 1386 01:10:20,880 --> 01:10:25,000 Speaker 2: of who I am. But it's still leaving it out 1387 01:10:25,000 --> 01:10:28,240 Speaker 2: there because you even if you think you have controlled, 1388 01:10:28,280 --> 01:10:31,040 Speaker 2: you don't have one hundred percent of control. You know, 1389 01:10:31,080 --> 01:10:33,599 Speaker 2: you have to give something up. It's why I gave 1390 01:10:33,600 --> 01:10:36,880 Speaker 2: you that example of the business, because even though you 1391 01:10:36,920 --> 01:10:39,240 Speaker 2: see I'm taking a Timley, and they say to you, 1392 01:10:39,240 --> 01:10:40,680 Speaker 2: you can run it the way you want. You can 1393 01:10:40,680 --> 01:10:42,920 Speaker 2: do whatever you want. Don't worry about it ain't gonna happen. 1394 01:10:43,000 --> 01:10:44,760 Speaker 2: You think it is not going to happen. I just 1395 01:10:44,760 --> 01:10:47,360 Speaker 2: told some friends of mine a couple of years ago 1396 01:10:47,360 --> 01:10:51,120 Speaker 2: who were out looking for money to you know, invest 1397 01:10:51,160 --> 01:10:53,120 Speaker 2: in their business, and they go, we're gonna get this, 1398 01:10:53,120 --> 01:10:54,360 Speaker 2: We're gonna get that. And I said, let me let 1399 01:10:54,400 --> 01:10:57,960 Speaker 2: me say something to you. You think that that's going 1400 01:10:58,040 --> 01:11:00,240 Speaker 2: to answer all your problems and answer every you know, 1401 01:11:00,280 --> 01:11:01,880 Speaker 2: the questions for you, and you think you're going to 1402 01:11:01,960 --> 01:11:05,439 Speaker 2: have control. But if somebody gives you ten million dollars 1403 01:11:05,560 --> 01:11:09,479 Speaker 2: or twenty million dollars, they are going to want control. 1404 01:11:09,800 --> 01:11:12,439 Speaker 2: They are not giving up control. I'll give it. I 1405 01:11:12,479 --> 01:11:14,639 Speaker 2: don't care what they say. I don't care what when 1406 01:11:14,640 --> 01:11:17,520 Speaker 2: they put that agreement together, you better read it really carefully. 1407 01:11:17,760 --> 01:11:21,640 Speaker 2: Now I speak from experience because my business prior to 1408 01:11:21,680 --> 01:11:25,200 Speaker 2: this was a partnership with you know, with an agent 1409 01:11:25,240 --> 01:11:27,519 Speaker 2: that we you know, started the business together very much 1410 01:11:27,560 --> 01:11:29,719 Speaker 2: the same as I did this one, very small, built 1411 01:11:29,720 --> 01:11:32,679 Speaker 2: it up. It was very successful. We made a joint 1412 01:11:32,760 --> 01:11:38,000 Speaker 2: venture and it was great, and we expanded and we 1413 01:11:38,040 --> 01:11:40,000 Speaker 2: did a lot of great things and whatever, and for 1414 01:11:40,040 --> 01:11:42,400 Speaker 2: the most part, we were we did what we wanted 1415 01:11:42,439 --> 01:11:44,360 Speaker 2: to do. We still had to ask because it was 1416 01:11:44,400 --> 01:11:47,760 Speaker 2: a fifty to fifty joint venture, but they agreed until 1417 01:11:49,320 --> 01:11:54,040 Speaker 2: the administration changed and then it was like, what are 1418 01:11:54,040 --> 01:11:57,040 Speaker 2: you guys doing? We don't understand. Why are you doing this? Why? 1419 01:11:58,400 --> 01:12:00,280 Speaker 2: And then it was like, okay, we have to do 1420 01:12:00,439 --> 01:12:02,080 Speaker 2: this over here to expand, and we're going to need 1421 01:12:02,080 --> 01:12:04,360 Speaker 2: this much money. Well, I don't know if we want 1422 01:12:04,360 --> 01:12:06,640 Speaker 2: to give you that money to do that, you know. 1423 01:12:06,720 --> 01:12:11,400 Speaker 2: And then things changed overnight and I was sitting thinking, Okay, now, 1424 01:12:11,439 --> 01:12:16,280 Speaker 2: what how do I get myself into this? So it 1425 01:12:16,400 --> 01:12:20,679 Speaker 2: sounds good from the outset, but if you take the check, 1426 01:12:20,880 --> 01:12:21,920 Speaker 2: you're giving up control. 1427 01:12:29,600 --> 01:12:34,240 Speaker 1: Okay, let's go. When a step before, before there was 1428 01:12:34,280 --> 01:12:38,360 Speaker 1: an overall deal for Tedesky trucks, what would be the 1429 01:12:38,400 --> 01:12:41,240 Speaker 1: negotiations and what were those tours like? 1430 01:12:42,840 --> 01:12:47,160 Speaker 2: Well, see, so the Tedesky trucks are or however, you 1431 01:12:47,160 --> 01:12:49,320 Speaker 2: know whatever, It doesn't matter who the act is. But 1432 01:12:49,600 --> 01:12:53,639 Speaker 2: in my you know, theory, not just my personal theory, 1433 01:12:54,080 --> 01:13:02,679 Speaker 2: you can you can probably do the same either way, 1434 01:13:02,840 --> 01:13:04,880 Speaker 2: you know what I mean, You can do the same 1435 01:13:04,920 --> 01:13:07,960 Speaker 2: sort of things and probably have basically the same business 1436 01:13:08,080 --> 01:13:11,000 Speaker 2: either way. But as I said it, maybe it may 1437 01:13:11,040 --> 01:13:14,240 Speaker 2: look easier to do this right because you either have 1438 01:13:14,280 --> 01:13:16,599 Speaker 2: to do less work, you have less risk, and that's 1439 01:13:16,600 --> 01:13:19,000 Speaker 2: a lot of it is the risk. So you do 1440 01:13:19,080 --> 01:13:22,960 Speaker 2: this and there's less risk, and maybe you just end 1441 01:13:23,080 --> 01:13:24,400 Speaker 2: up at the same place at the end, you know, 1442 01:13:24,600 --> 01:13:26,240 Speaker 2: or close, or maybe you're a little bit ahead. So 1443 01:13:26,280 --> 01:13:28,880 Speaker 2: that's good, you know, Is it twice as far ahead? 1444 01:13:28,920 --> 01:13:31,519 Speaker 2: I don't know, you know, it's still to be seen. 1445 01:13:32,400 --> 01:13:34,240 Speaker 2: I think a lot of those big tours and I'm 1446 01:13:34,280 --> 01:13:37,640 Speaker 2: not avoiding the answer the question. Rather, I'm trying to 1447 01:13:38,240 --> 01:13:39,920 Speaker 2: I'm trying to give you more of a full answer. 1448 01:13:39,960 --> 01:13:41,880 Speaker 2: Like a lot of those tours that are you know, 1449 01:13:41,920 --> 01:13:44,840 Speaker 2: the what do you call it, you know, the tour deals, right, 1450 01:13:44,880 --> 01:13:48,880 Speaker 2: the big packages. We're done for a lot of different reasons. 1451 01:13:48,920 --> 01:13:50,439 Speaker 2: One of them, you know, one of them maybe was 1452 01:13:50,479 --> 01:13:53,599 Speaker 2: on creativity, you know, based on creativity, because they felt 1453 01:13:53,640 --> 01:13:56,400 Speaker 2: like if they made this deal and somebody was producing 1454 01:13:56,439 --> 01:13:59,040 Speaker 2: the whole tour, they had more control on the creative 1455 01:13:59,080 --> 01:14:01,760 Speaker 2: side because then they could roll in with whatever they 1456 01:14:01,800 --> 01:14:04,040 Speaker 2: wanted and basically just do what they want. Well, it 1457 01:14:04,040 --> 01:14:08,120 Speaker 2: doesn't not necessarily, but maybe closer, you know, and maybe yes, 1458 01:14:08,160 --> 01:14:09,439 Speaker 2: maybe at the end of the day you'll get almost 1459 01:14:09,479 --> 01:14:13,440 Speaker 2: as much, sorry, almost one hundred percent of whatever you want. 1460 01:14:13,800 --> 01:14:16,040 Speaker 2: And then another reason again was risk. You know, you 1461 01:14:16,080 --> 01:14:19,439 Speaker 2: want to somebody wants to take on a situation and 1462 01:14:19,439 --> 01:14:22,479 Speaker 2: they want to have, you know, put out a bigger show. 1463 01:14:23,040 --> 01:14:26,559 Speaker 2: There's a huge risk in that, you know, a risk 1464 01:14:26,560 --> 01:14:29,559 Speaker 2: getting into it, and then you probably come out okay, 1465 01:14:29,600 --> 01:14:31,240 Speaker 2: but you're still risking coming in because you've got to 1466 01:14:31,240 --> 01:14:33,840 Speaker 2: you got to finance it. So maybe that's the other 1467 01:14:33,840 --> 01:14:35,880 Speaker 2: reason is the risk, as I said earlier, so risk 1468 01:14:36,000 --> 01:14:38,640 Speaker 2: is a big thing as well. Now, so the question was, 1469 01:14:38,640 --> 01:14:40,920 Speaker 2: you know, how of the negotiations go. Well, when when 1470 01:14:40,960 --> 01:14:45,360 Speaker 2: you're dealing on forty or fifty shows independently, you're dealing 1471 01:14:45,400 --> 01:14:48,559 Speaker 2: with you know, each promoter office, it's a little different 1472 01:14:48,600 --> 01:14:51,320 Speaker 2: than you know, having a tour deal, so some of 1473 01:14:51,360 --> 01:14:54,400 Speaker 2: them may be the same places that you're playing, but 1474 01:14:54,640 --> 01:14:57,040 Speaker 2: it's coming in as you know, an overall tour deal, 1475 01:14:57,120 --> 01:15:00,280 Speaker 2: so you're not necessarily negotiating each of the to the 1476 01:15:00,360 --> 01:15:03,280 Speaker 2: dates individually. At the end of the day, the shows 1477 01:15:03,280 --> 01:15:07,200 Speaker 2: will be the same, you know, the earnings may be 1478 01:15:07,320 --> 01:15:11,960 Speaker 2: higher maybe or may be the same, but again the 1479 01:15:12,080 --> 01:15:16,920 Speaker 2: risk is out the ability to coordinate things from one 1480 01:15:16,960 --> 01:15:20,000 Speaker 2: place who is attractive to some people. The show is 1481 01:15:20,040 --> 01:15:24,000 Speaker 2: still being done virtually the same way. I mean, it 1482 01:15:24,040 --> 01:15:26,600 Speaker 2: may change in certain people's cases. As I said, you know, 1483 01:15:26,640 --> 01:15:28,840 Speaker 2: it may be that they're out on the road and 1484 01:15:28,840 --> 01:15:30,000 Speaker 2: they want it. You know, Like I had a client 1485 01:15:30,000 --> 01:15:31,880 Speaker 2: the other day that said, oh, if I only had 1486 01:15:31,920 --> 01:15:36,520 Speaker 2: somebody that would finance the whole tour, I bring screens 1487 01:15:36,600 --> 01:15:38,360 Speaker 2: and I'd do this, and I do that. So there's 1488 01:15:38,400 --> 01:15:41,160 Speaker 2: a reason why they would do it because they want 1489 01:15:41,160 --> 01:15:43,320 Speaker 2: to put on a bigger show. You know. I don't 1490 01:15:43,320 --> 01:15:44,840 Speaker 2: even know if they're thinking about at the end of 1491 01:15:44,880 --> 01:15:46,760 Speaker 2: they making more money. They might be, but I think 1492 01:15:46,760 --> 01:15:50,880 Speaker 2: they're thinking about presenting a bigger show and the investment 1493 01:15:50,920 --> 01:15:54,439 Speaker 2: it takes to do that, you know, up front. So 1494 01:15:54,479 --> 01:15:55,880 Speaker 2: I think that may be a lot of the reasons. 1495 01:15:55,960 --> 01:15:59,160 Speaker 1: Well, let me let me be clearer. Okay, Yeah, prior 1496 01:15:59,200 --> 01:16:01,200 Speaker 1: to making a little we're all deal with Live Nation 1497 01:16:01,640 --> 01:16:05,439 Speaker 1: with Tedesky Trucks. Let's take that off the table. If 1498 01:16:05,479 --> 01:16:09,639 Speaker 1: there were fifty dates, did you work with fifty different 1499 01:16:09,640 --> 01:16:16,320 Speaker 1: promoters and have to negotiate fifty different deals? Yes, Now, 1500 01:16:16,400 --> 01:16:19,200 Speaker 1: when you're making a deal. I have literally sat with 1501 01:16:19,320 --> 01:16:22,400 Speaker 1: the promoter where they have the computer, and they show 1502 01:16:22,439 --> 01:16:25,880 Speaker 1: me the two sets of books. There's the one they 1503 01:16:25,960 --> 01:16:28,880 Speaker 1: send to the act and the one for them. So 1504 01:16:28,960 --> 01:16:30,680 Speaker 1: the one that goes to the acts as they're in 1505 01:16:30,720 --> 01:16:34,080 Speaker 1: the red, the one that's in the black, theirs, which 1506 01:16:34,080 --> 01:16:37,160 Speaker 1: they don't show the actions that they made money. So 1507 01:16:37,880 --> 01:16:41,360 Speaker 1: from beginning to end, how do you get I mean, 1508 01:16:41,400 --> 01:16:45,680 Speaker 1: it's constant war between agents and promoters. How do you 1509 01:16:45,800 --> 01:16:49,599 Speaker 1: make sure you get the most money and don't get screwed? 1510 01:16:51,800 --> 01:16:59,520 Speaker 2: How do you make some Well, if I'm gonna just trust, 1511 01:17:00,320 --> 01:17:03,240 Speaker 2: there's no way to make sure. Bob, how do you 1512 01:17:03,280 --> 01:17:05,200 Speaker 2: know your bank's not stealing from you right now? You 1513 01:17:05,240 --> 01:17:05,880 Speaker 2: have no idea? 1514 01:17:07,160 --> 01:17:10,240 Speaker 1: Well, you know, as you talk about changes in the business, 1515 01:17:10,320 --> 01:17:15,200 Speaker 1: they sent out these two accountants whatever who were more 1516 01:17:15,560 --> 01:17:19,720 Speaker 1: line by line, and we're arguing it more as opposed 1517 01:17:19,760 --> 01:17:22,600 Speaker 1: to trust. Now you have to pay that person and 1518 01:17:22,640 --> 01:17:25,800 Speaker 1: sometimes there's not enough money or else the advance is 1519 01:17:25,840 --> 01:17:28,200 Speaker 1: so big, you know they have to steal from you 1520 01:17:28,240 --> 01:17:29,479 Speaker 1: in order to make it work. 1521 01:17:29,600 --> 01:17:32,760 Speaker 2: But even if you're going line by line, okay, okay, 1522 01:17:34,560 --> 01:17:36,639 Speaker 2: if you're if you're in a settlement, and you're going 1523 01:17:36,680 --> 01:17:39,160 Speaker 2: line by line, they go, the advertising costs this much, 1524 01:17:39,280 --> 01:17:41,439 Speaker 2: and then they go, here are the receipts. Well, how 1525 01:17:41,479 --> 01:17:43,439 Speaker 2: do you know you're going to call every radio station, 1526 01:17:43,760 --> 01:17:47,280 Speaker 2: you're going to call every newspaper. Well, first of all, 1527 01:17:47,320 --> 01:17:49,800 Speaker 2: this is going back pre today. Let's say, you know, 1528 01:17:49,840 --> 01:17:53,160 Speaker 2: going back ten years, fifteen years, whatever. The local guy 1529 01:17:53,160 --> 01:17:55,160 Speaker 2: has a deal with all those people. Why because he's 1530 01:17:55,200 --> 01:17:58,519 Speaker 2: doing volume right today. It's in the agreements, right, it 1531 01:17:58,560 --> 01:18:02,040 Speaker 2: says any disc count afforded to us does not go 1532 01:18:02,120 --> 01:18:04,000 Speaker 2: in the deal. It's right there in black and white. 1533 01:18:04,640 --> 01:18:07,280 Speaker 2: So that immediately admits that there has always been discounts, 1534 01:18:08,600 --> 01:18:12,640 Speaker 2: but we suspected that anyway. Of course there's discounts. And 1535 01:18:12,840 --> 01:18:16,080 Speaker 2: those re seats like are they real or did they 1536 01:18:16,120 --> 01:18:18,479 Speaker 2: get are they computer generated? Or? I mean today we 1537 01:18:18,479 --> 01:18:19,679 Speaker 2: can make anything on a computer. 1538 01:18:19,800 --> 01:18:19,960 Speaker 1: Right. 1539 01:18:20,320 --> 01:18:22,760 Speaker 2: So that's why I say this trust involved. Because you 1540 01:18:22,800 --> 01:18:24,559 Speaker 2: look at it and you could go line by line 1541 01:18:24,560 --> 01:18:26,960 Speaker 2: by line, that doesn't mean the reality. I remember back 1542 01:18:27,200 --> 01:18:29,439 Speaker 2: when the tour account started going out, they were counting 1543 01:18:29,479 --> 01:18:33,120 Speaker 2: seats and venues, right Literally, it'd go around counting the 1544 01:18:33,120 --> 01:18:35,040 Speaker 2: seats to make sure you know, blah blah blah blah 1545 01:18:35,080 --> 01:18:36,920 Speaker 2: blah to make sure the seats were there, and then 1546 01:18:36,960 --> 01:18:40,080 Speaker 2: they'd say, oh, there's five more seats. Well, okay, so 1547 01:18:40,160 --> 01:18:42,360 Speaker 2: you caught them for five seats, but what else is 1548 01:18:42,400 --> 01:18:44,880 Speaker 2: going on? Like, you can't, you can't, you're not in 1549 01:18:44,920 --> 01:18:47,680 Speaker 2: the box office. You don't know what's really going on. 1550 01:18:47,760 --> 01:18:50,280 Speaker 2: It looks good, and yes, you know at a certain 1551 01:18:50,400 --> 01:18:52,200 Speaker 2: level you do need somebody out there doing that. You 1552 01:18:52,200 --> 01:18:54,880 Speaker 2: don't want to just blindly go through it. But there 1553 01:18:54,960 --> 01:18:58,360 Speaker 2: is a large amount of trust involved in the meantime. 1554 01:18:58,640 --> 01:19:01,599 Speaker 2: What you're saying about the double books is funny because 1555 01:19:01,600 --> 01:19:02,880 Speaker 2: I brought that up in one of the meetings I 1556 01:19:02,920 --> 01:19:04,680 Speaker 2: was having this past week, and it was like, and 1557 01:19:04,680 --> 01:19:05,760 Speaker 2: they were shocked, what do you mean? 1558 01:19:06,479 --> 01:19:06,680 Speaker 1: You know? 1559 01:19:07,640 --> 01:19:10,559 Speaker 2: You know it happens. I know it happens. But also 1560 01:19:10,600 --> 01:19:12,639 Speaker 2: if you own it, see so part of the differences 1561 01:19:12,760 --> 01:19:14,400 Speaker 2: I think, I think, but I didn't see the books. 1562 01:19:14,439 --> 01:19:16,639 Speaker 2: You saw. You know what you saw. If you own 1563 01:19:16,680 --> 01:19:22,200 Speaker 2: a venue, right, or you control a venue, you can 1564 01:19:22,280 --> 01:19:28,719 Speaker 2: show the actual show, maybe losing money, right, the selling 1565 01:19:28,760 --> 01:19:32,439 Speaker 2: the tickets, people coming in and sitting okay, But then 1566 01:19:32,479 --> 01:19:34,880 Speaker 2: the question becomes, all right, but what else is there? 1567 01:19:35,600 --> 01:19:38,400 Speaker 2: So that's in the red and that's what normally we 1568 01:19:38,439 --> 01:19:40,880 Speaker 2: see but what about you know, again, depending on the venue, 1569 01:19:40,880 --> 01:19:43,200 Speaker 2: it's like the sports venues or you know, the arenas today, 1570 01:19:43,560 --> 01:19:45,120 Speaker 2: you go in there and none none of the boxes 1571 01:19:45,160 --> 01:19:49,040 Speaker 2: are in the manifest, right, none of the special you know, 1572 01:19:49,080 --> 01:19:52,960 Speaker 2: annual deals they do are in the manifest. You know, 1573 01:19:53,040 --> 01:19:55,240 Speaker 2: there's all of that. So so that could be part 1574 01:19:55,280 --> 01:19:57,160 Speaker 2: of it. Right, They go, Okay, we're making money because 1575 01:19:57,160 --> 01:19:59,160 Speaker 2: we've got you know, parking, and we've got the bar, 1576 01:19:59,360 --> 01:20:01,320 Speaker 2: and we've got this, and we've got the ticketing feed, 1577 01:20:01,360 --> 01:20:03,640 Speaker 2: and we've got the venue fee, and we've got you know, 1578 01:20:03,720 --> 01:20:06,439 Speaker 2: our club seats, and we've got our members and all 1579 01:20:06,479 --> 01:20:09,000 Speaker 2: the rest of it. So you know, they look at 1580 01:20:09,000 --> 01:20:10,120 Speaker 2: that and they go, okay, we made money, but we 1581 01:20:10,200 --> 01:20:12,880 Speaker 2: lost money here. But you know, that's but that's part 1582 01:20:12,920 --> 01:20:15,240 Speaker 2: of that model, and it's been developed, and that's why 1583 01:20:15,360 --> 01:20:17,599 Speaker 2: you know, there's certain entities that you know that are 1584 01:20:17,800 --> 01:20:21,200 Speaker 2: out you know, building venues and making venues and and 1585 01:20:21,520 --> 01:20:25,360 Speaker 2: you know, some of these club the larger club guys 1586 01:20:25,600 --> 01:20:29,640 Speaker 2: control multiple rooms. What we see as a settlement on 1587 01:20:29,680 --> 01:20:32,280 Speaker 2: the show, we don't see the settlement on the business, Like, 1588 01:20:32,320 --> 01:20:34,679 Speaker 2: what's the real settlement on the business. We never see 1589 01:20:34,680 --> 01:20:38,200 Speaker 2: that really you know Jake Gold of course, right, So 1590 01:20:38,320 --> 01:20:39,840 Speaker 2: Jake told me a story and I know you love 1591 01:20:39,880 --> 01:20:42,439 Speaker 2: this because you love Jake as I do so Jay. 1592 01:20:42,479 --> 01:20:46,400 Speaker 2: When I was representing the Tragically Hippy years ago and 1593 01:20:46,439 --> 01:20:53,240 Speaker 2: I started to represent them in Canada, Jake used to 1594 01:20:53,280 --> 01:20:55,120 Speaker 2: tell me stories about when they went out on the 1595 01:20:55,200 --> 01:20:57,960 Speaker 2: road and sometimes and I told this story actually to 1596 01:20:58,000 --> 01:21:00,599 Speaker 2: somebody this weekend at the not this this week because 1597 01:21:00,600 --> 01:21:02,880 Speaker 2: it was Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday at the conference, because they 1598 01:21:02,880 --> 01:21:04,840 Speaker 2: were talking about the bar and the tickets and whatever. 1599 01:21:04,960 --> 01:21:06,640 Speaker 2: So Jake used to say to me, you know, if 1600 01:21:06,640 --> 01:21:08,439 Speaker 2: a club owner doesn't want didn't want the act in 1601 01:21:08,479 --> 01:21:11,120 Speaker 2: the early days, I'd tell them, you can have the 1602 01:21:11,160 --> 01:21:13,679 Speaker 2: act for free, give me the bar, because I knew 1603 01:21:13,680 --> 01:21:17,479 Speaker 2: people were going to drink. And I'd say yeah, and 1604 01:21:17,479 --> 01:21:19,000 Speaker 2: then you know, I remember going to the shows and 1605 01:21:19,000 --> 01:21:21,559 Speaker 2: I'm thinking, Jesus Christ, they do drink, you know. And 1606 01:21:21,640 --> 01:21:23,120 Speaker 2: so he was willing to trade the door for the 1607 01:21:23,160 --> 01:21:24,960 Speaker 2: bar because he knew that they were making more money 1608 01:21:24,960 --> 01:21:26,360 Speaker 2: in the bar than he was making at the door. 1609 01:21:27,800 --> 01:21:31,120 Speaker 2: So you know that's my point, like, well, he knew 1610 01:21:31,160 --> 01:21:33,760 Speaker 2: because you know, Jake is Jake, and he probably you know, 1611 01:21:33,800 --> 01:21:35,439 Speaker 2: went in there and you know figured it out. He 1612 01:21:35,479 --> 01:21:37,639 Speaker 2: probably counted the people and how many drinks they had. 1613 01:21:38,120 --> 01:21:41,400 Speaker 2: But you know, we don't know what the business is doing. 1614 01:21:41,439 --> 01:21:44,120 Speaker 2: We just know what we're seeing, you know, we're seeing 1615 01:21:44,320 --> 01:21:46,000 Speaker 2: It's like the airlines. You know, they go, well, we're 1616 01:21:46,000 --> 01:21:48,160 Speaker 2: losing not anymore today because they weren't making money, but 1617 01:21:48,160 --> 01:21:50,639 Speaker 2: we're losing money. Well, why you lose money? Well, fuels, this, 1618 01:21:50,640 --> 01:21:53,400 Speaker 2: this is this, this is the so now they're charging, 1619 01:21:53,439 --> 01:21:55,160 Speaker 2: you know, for baggage. You want to sit over here, 1620 01:21:55,160 --> 01:21:56,400 Speaker 2: you got to pay this. You want an upgrade, you 1621 01:21:56,439 --> 01:21:57,519 Speaker 2: want to pay this. You want to get on early, 1622 01:21:57,560 --> 01:21:59,320 Speaker 2: you pay this. They figured out it's the same sort 1623 01:21:59,360 --> 01:22:04,800 Speaker 2: of model. It's the same model. Hey for extras, let's 1624 01:22:04,800 --> 01:22:06,960 Speaker 2: do upgrades. Let's do all of this, right, you got 1625 01:22:07,040 --> 01:22:08,880 Speaker 2: your normal guy. How many people want to sit in 1626 01:22:08,880 --> 01:22:11,479 Speaker 2: the very back and be the basic economy? Not many, 1627 01:22:12,080 --> 01:22:14,160 Speaker 2: So they say, here's basic economy. It's not bad. You 1628 01:22:14,160 --> 01:22:17,639 Speaker 2: can fly to Chicago for three hundred bucks, but bags 1629 01:22:17,680 --> 01:22:21,639 Speaker 2: fifty dollars early. You know, on the plane twenty five bucks. 1630 01:22:22,680 --> 01:22:24,240 Speaker 2: Sit in a seat where you can actually put your 1631 01:22:24,320 --> 01:22:27,200 Speaker 2: legs out right, that's another fifty bucks. And just keep 1632 01:22:27,200 --> 01:22:28,720 Speaker 2: doing that. It's all add ons. 1633 01:22:29,880 --> 01:22:35,840 Speaker 1: Okay, in these larger venues, you know there's a law 1634 01:22:35,960 --> 01:22:39,080 Speaker 1: now you have to show the overall price. But as 1635 01:22:39,120 --> 01:22:42,479 Speaker 1: an agent, what about negotiating in terms of the ticket 1636 01:22:42,520 --> 01:22:45,760 Speaker 1: prices and the add ons on these bigger buildings. 1637 01:22:48,960 --> 01:22:52,360 Speaker 2: Ah, that's ticketing things. You know, there's a never ending 1638 01:22:52,400 --> 01:22:56,720 Speaker 2: conversation or battle. Honestly. First of first of all, the 1639 01:22:56,720 --> 01:23:01,320 Speaker 2: the all end price was a good concept and principle, 1640 01:23:02,479 --> 01:23:08,000 Speaker 2: but I don't think it is in the actual everyday usage. 1641 01:23:08,160 --> 01:23:10,880 Speaker 2: I had a manager that called me the other day 1642 01:23:10,960 --> 01:23:13,920 Speaker 2: and when it took effect in New York, and he 1643 01:23:14,040 --> 01:23:17,880 Speaker 2: said he got a something from a fan that they 1644 01:23:17,880 --> 01:23:20,160 Speaker 2: were playing somewhere. It was like the ticket was fifty bucks. 1645 01:23:20,280 --> 01:23:23,160 Speaker 2: I think it was fifty five something like that, and 1646 01:23:24,720 --> 01:23:28,000 Speaker 2: they flipped it to all in pricing. So the fifty 1647 01:23:28,000 --> 01:23:31,080 Speaker 2: five dollars ticket became sixty eight. So the fan was 1648 01:23:31,120 --> 01:23:33,600 Speaker 2: emailing saying, I was going to buy a ticket, but 1649 01:23:33,720 --> 01:23:37,200 Speaker 2: you increased the price to sixty eight. Well, the artist 1650 01:23:37,200 --> 01:23:39,840 Speaker 2: didn't increase the price. Price is the same. The fees 1651 01:23:39,840 --> 01:23:41,799 Speaker 2: increased the price and it went to all in ticketing. 1652 01:23:42,040 --> 01:23:44,800 Speaker 2: And depending on what platform you're on. And he was 1653 01:23:44,840 --> 01:23:46,760 Speaker 2: explaining to me on the particular platform he was on. 1654 01:23:46,840 --> 01:23:48,680 Speaker 2: It doesn't show you that until you check out. It 1655 01:23:48,720 --> 01:23:50,840 Speaker 2: does give you all the fees when you check out, 1656 01:23:51,160 --> 01:23:53,120 Speaker 2: but not until you check out. There is I understand. 1657 01:23:53,160 --> 01:23:55,439 Speaker 2: I haven't been on all the platforms, and this was 1658 01:23:55,479 --> 01:23:59,479 Speaker 2: a big conversation in Milwaukee, and on one of the 1659 01:23:59,479 --> 01:24:02,519 Speaker 2: platforms it shows you upfront what the fees are. I 1660 01:24:02,600 --> 01:24:07,120 Speaker 2: still don't think that the public really understands that, nor 1661 01:24:07,160 --> 01:24:09,000 Speaker 2: do I think we could really make them understand it 1662 01:24:09,080 --> 01:24:11,040 Speaker 2: or get them to understand what it is, because they 1663 01:24:11,439 --> 01:24:15,600 Speaker 2: think it's the artist, and the artists in the you know, 1664 01:24:15,680 --> 01:24:20,599 Speaker 2: in the larger scenarios maybe be maybe controlling the overall. Right, 1665 01:24:20,960 --> 01:24:22,840 Speaker 2: they may be able to say, and I'm talking about 1666 01:24:22,880 --> 01:24:26,080 Speaker 2: the big one percent or top ten, whatever you want 1667 01:24:26,080 --> 01:24:27,880 Speaker 2: to call it. They may be able to say, here's 1668 01:24:27,920 --> 01:24:29,479 Speaker 2: what I want the ticket to be, and the fee 1669 01:24:29,520 --> 01:24:31,120 Speaker 2: has to be no more than this and this and this. 1670 01:24:31,240 --> 01:24:33,240 Speaker 2: They can control that because honestly, you want that tour, 1671 01:24:33,280 --> 01:24:35,080 Speaker 2: that's what you do, or you don't get it. So 1672 01:24:35,160 --> 01:24:38,439 Speaker 2: they probably do control that. But for the you know, 1673 01:24:38,520 --> 01:24:41,520 Speaker 2: working man's act or the working act, as I say, 1674 01:24:41,320 --> 01:24:44,400 Speaker 2: then they can't control that. So you know, they decide 1675 01:24:44,400 --> 01:24:45,920 Speaker 2: they want a twenty five dollars the ticket it ends 1676 01:24:46,000 --> 01:24:48,439 Speaker 2: up being thirty five. You know, it's probably more than 1677 01:24:48,479 --> 01:24:53,400 Speaker 2: they should charge for that particular act. And there's no 1678 01:24:53,439 --> 01:24:55,120 Speaker 2: real way to control it because you got the you know, 1679 01:24:55,120 --> 01:24:56,599 Speaker 2: you got the fees for the building, get the fees 1680 01:24:56,640 --> 01:24:59,400 Speaker 2: for the ticketing company. And we just went through why. 1681 01:24:59,479 --> 01:25:02,120 Speaker 2: You know, it's advances, it's splitting it with somebody, it's 1682 01:25:02,160 --> 01:25:04,600 Speaker 2: whatever it is. It doesn't even matter anymore. It's the 1683 01:25:04,680 --> 01:25:07,519 Speaker 2: fact that they're there. So all In was supposed to 1684 01:25:07,800 --> 01:25:10,120 Speaker 2: quote unquote solve it. All it does is just lump 1685 01:25:10,120 --> 01:25:12,800 Speaker 2: in one lump sum. And so the good part about 1686 01:25:12,800 --> 01:25:13,920 Speaker 2: it is you can see what the price is and 1687 01:25:13,960 --> 01:25:15,320 Speaker 2: you go, you know what, that's too high. I'm not 1688 01:25:15,360 --> 01:25:19,439 Speaker 2: buying it. Whereas before maybe if it stated, you know, whatever, 1689 01:25:19,439 --> 01:25:21,240 Speaker 2: it was fifty five dollars or if it was a 1690 01:25:21,320 --> 01:25:23,760 Speaker 2: seventy five or whatever it was, and not like ninety eight, 1691 01:25:24,360 --> 01:25:25,920 Speaker 2: you look at it and go, okay, I'll buy that. 1692 01:25:25,960 --> 01:25:27,960 Speaker 2: Oh there's these fees and that's like tax. It's like, 1693 01:25:28,000 --> 01:25:30,720 Speaker 2: oh shit, okay, you know, okay, I'll have to pay 1694 01:25:30,720 --> 01:25:32,880 Speaker 2: that at the end. But you see them. The argument was, 1695 01:25:33,240 --> 01:25:35,840 Speaker 2: or at least from our standpoint, is a talent representative. 1696 01:25:36,479 --> 01:25:39,639 Speaker 2: We wanted everybody to see the price, to be aware 1697 01:25:39,680 --> 01:25:42,920 Speaker 2: what you're paying and what the fees are for. We 1698 01:25:42,960 --> 01:25:45,800 Speaker 2: wanted them to know the artist is charging this and 1699 01:25:45,880 --> 01:25:49,040 Speaker 2: these are the fees, so you're paying that because of that. 1700 01:25:50,040 --> 01:25:54,360 Speaker 1: Okay, what's your view on authorized resale? Ticket Master says 1701 01:25:54,720 --> 01:25:57,200 Speaker 1: the ACT has the right to turn that off R on. 1702 01:25:57,520 --> 01:26:01,320 Speaker 1: I've heard, you know, not my personal experience. I've heard 1703 01:26:01,320 --> 01:26:05,160 Speaker 1: from some agents that ticket Master turned it on. They 1704 01:26:05,160 --> 01:26:07,479 Speaker 1: weren't aware of it. They had to call them to 1705 01:26:07,560 --> 01:26:10,000 Speaker 1: them to turn it off. What's your philosophy and what's 1706 01:26:10,040 --> 01:26:10,800 Speaker 1: your experience? 1707 01:26:11,880 --> 01:26:13,960 Speaker 2: Experience is very similar to what you say. I've had it, 1708 01:26:14,040 --> 01:26:17,760 Speaker 2: you know, turned on without without knowing, and then you 1709 01:26:17,840 --> 01:26:20,120 Speaker 2: call it turn it off, and I haven't. It hasn't 1710 01:26:20,120 --> 01:26:24,280 Speaker 2: happened recently. But when it started to have out, they 1711 01:26:24,320 --> 01:26:26,760 Speaker 2: turned it off initially and then later said no, we're 1712 01:26:26,760 --> 01:26:29,720 Speaker 2: not going to turn it off, and they they reverted 1713 01:26:29,760 --> 01:26:32,599 Speaker 2: to we'll keep it off until it gets to ninety 1714 01:26:32,600 --> 01:26:35,360 Speaker 2: eight percent, then we're turning it on or some percentage 1715 01:26:35,360 --> 01:26:37,120 Speaker 2: I don't remember off the top of my head, and 1716 01:26:37,160 --> 01:26:39,519 Speaker 2: then we're turning it on automatically. The thing is that 1717 01:26:39,560 --> 01:26:41,479 Speaker 2: Once you get to that percentage and it turns on, 1718 01:26:41,920 --> 01:26:44,280 Speaker 2: that just opens up the floodgate because then everybody has 1719 01:26:44,320 --> 01:26:46,000 Speaker 2: tickets can put them up on resale, and if the 1720 01:26:46,000 --> 01:26:48,400 Speaker 2: bots have them, and if whoever has them, all of 1721 01:26:48,439 --> 01:26:51,800 Speaker 2: a sudden boom, there they go. So my philosophy on 1722 01:26:51,840 --> 01:26:56,080 Speaker 2: resale is I okay, my personal philosophy. My personal philosophy 1723 01:26:56,120 --> 01:26:58,080 Speaker 2: is resale is fine. It should be at face value 1724 01:26:58,080 --> 01:27:01,240 Speaker 2: with a minimal up charge whatever whatever you want to 1725 01:27:01,280 --> 01:27:04,040 Speaker 2: call it. You got a ticket for one hundred bucks 1726 01:27:04,160 --> 01:27:06,360 Speaker 2: or let's say one hundred bucks, two tickets to go 1727 01:27:06,439 --> 01:27:08,240 Speaker 2: somewhere your friend can't go, you're going on your own. 1728 01:27:08,240 --> 01:27:10,400 Speaker 2: You want to resell it, resell it for one hundred, 1729 01:27:10,400 --> 01:27:12,759 Speaker 2: maybe you get one hundred and ten or whatever. Okay, 1730 01:27:12,920 --> 01:27:15,720 Speaker 2: to me, that's fair. But when you have it and 1731 01:27:15,760 --> 01:27:19,360 Speaker 2: you're reselling it, you're getting two fifty for it, that's 1732 01:27:19,400 --> 01:27:22,200 Speaker 2: not fair. But the other side of the argument is 1733 01:27:22,240 --> 01:27:25,280 Speaker 2: the act should to charge two fifty to begin with. Well, okay, 1734 01:27:25,600 --> 01:27:27,920 Speaker 2: there's always two sides to an argument, and yes, some 1735 01:27:27,960 --> 01:27:30,080 Speaker 2: of the acts are charging more for tickets. But again 1736 01:27:30,120 --> 01:27:34,200 Speaker 2: I get back to the my statement about you know 1737 01:27:34,240 --> 01:27:40,479 Speaker 2: it feels like you know two countries with war weapons. Right, Okay, 1738 01:27:40,479 --> 01:27:42,320 Speaker 2: now we're going to charge two fifty for the ticket, 1739 01:27:42,360 --> 01:27:44,839 Speaker 2: and now it's three seventy five on the resale market 1740 01:27:45,040 --> 01:27:47,639 Speaker 2: because it just goes up again. Right, it doesn't stop 1741 01:27:47,840 --> 01:27:48,400 Speaker 2: if we change. 1742 01:27:49,240 --> 01:27:52,320 Speaker 1: We've experienced with Beyonce and a couple of other acts 1743 01:27:52,360 --> 01:27:56,160 Speaker 1: now where the reseller's secondary market got killed. 1744 01:27:57,120 --> 01:27:59,400 Speaker 2: Well, they did because they overbought, right, overbought. 1745 01:27:59,560 --> 01:28:03,120 Speaker 1: So there is a price like the Stones. The Stones 1746 01:28:03,160 --> 01:28:07,880 Speaker 1: go out, they charge the most. There's really no secondary market, Okay, 1747 01:28:08,000 --> 01:28:11,960 Speaker 1: because the tickets are so expensive, they flex price them, etc. 1748 01:28:12,880 --> 01:28:19,080 Speaker 1: The viewpoint from the artist has historically been that it 1749 01:28:19,200 --> 01:28:23,760 Speaker 1: is bad for us if the ticket is expensive. As 1750 01:28:23,800 --> 01:28:27,160 Speaker 1: you say, there's two sides the argument. Yeah, you say 1751 01:28:27,200 --> 01:28:31,720 Speaker 1: that tickets under price, secondary market gets the uplift. Do 1752 01:28:31,760 --> 01:28:36,280 Speaker 1: you think at this late date, where as they say, 1753 01:28:36,720 --> 01:28:40,960 Speaker 1: the level of sophistication is complicated, the public will never 1754 01:28:41,120 --> 01:28:45,080 Speaker 1: understand the fees, but the public understands what the value 1755 01:28:45,120 --> 01:28:49,120 Speaker 1: of the ticket is. There's always somebody who says, I've 1756 01:28:49,120 --> 01:28:51,679 Speaker 1: been listening to this band for twenty years, I should 1757 01:28:51,680 --> 01:28:53,719 Speaker 1: be able to sit in the front row for fifty bucks, 1758 01:28:54,000 --> 01:28:57,639 Speaker 1: And they're all over complaining it's like you know, when 1759 01:28:57,800 --> 01:29:00,679 Speaker 1: Springsteen went over more than one hundred dollars, all those 1760 01:29:00,720 --> 01:29:03,519 Speaker 1: people complained. Meanwhile, they go to dinner for more than 1761 01:29:03,560 --> 01:29:06,920 Speaker 1: one hundred dollars a person before the damn show. Once 1762 01:29:07,000 --> 01:29:10,519 Speaker 1: the show played, nobody cared, not to mention not every 1763 01:29:10,600 --> 01:29:13,880 Speaker 1: venue was clean, major markets were clean, whatever, blah blah blah. 1764 01:29:13,880 --> 01:29:17,320 Speaker 1: No at this laid date, is it really going to 1765 01:29:17,400 --> 01:29:19,679 Speaker 1: hurt the act if you charge what the ticket is worth? 1766 01:29:24,920 --> 01:29:29,280 Speaker 2: Yes, I mean I think so, But again, let me so, 1767 01:29:29,520 --> 01:29:33,760 Speaker 2: there's two different conversations or two different I don't want 1768 01:29:33,800 --> 01:29:36,719 Speaker 2: to say arguments, but there's there's two different scenarios here. 1769 01:29:37,439 --> 01:29:40,720 Speaker 2: For the top level acts. You're absolutely right you can 1770 01:29:40,800 --> 01:29:44,559 Speaker 2: charge more and maybe they should. Okay, when you again, 1771 01:29:44,600 --> 01:29:47,320 Speaker 2: when you get back down to like the working bands, 1772 01:29:47,960 --> 01:29:51,320 Speaker 2: that's where it is, that's where it's more most effective 1773 01:29:51,360 --> 01:29:54,000 Speaker 2: against them, Right, that's where it hurts the most because 1774 01:29:54,520 --> 01:29:56,599 Speaker 2: if they're let's you know, let's call it a fifty 1775 01:29:56,600 --> 01:29:58,680 Speaker 2: dollars ticket. When it's a fifty dollars ticket, it's on 1776 01:29:58,760 --> 01:30:00,640 Speaker 2: resale for when twenty five s they have charged one 1777 01:30:00,680 --> 01:30:03,880 Speaker 2: twenty five, Well, if they did, the resale would be higher. Again, 1778 01:30:03,960 --> 01:30:06,240 Speaker 2: now they're not going to be thousands of them on there, 1779 01:30:06,600 --> 01:30:08,679 Speaker 2: but there might be you know, two or three dozen, 1780 01:30:08,800 --> 01:30:10,639 Speaker 2: or there could be hundreds, depending on the size venue 1781 01:30:10,640 --> 01:30:13,680 Speaker 2: they're playing. And yes, maybe it'll get overbought as well, 1782 01:30:13,680 --> 01:30:16,639 Speaker 2: and that happens, but see when that happens, that also 1783 01:30:16,640 --> 01:30:21,240 Speaker 2: affects the acts because when the when the resellers or 1784 01:30:21,280 --> 01:30:24,840 Speaker 2: the bots whatever buy up a lot, a huge lot 1785 01:30:25,160 --> 01:30:27,240 Speaker 2: like that, and they put it up for resale for 1786 01:30:27,760 --> 01:30:31,000 Speaker 2: again higher than whatever's being charged, and they don't sell them, 1787 01:30:31,200 --> 01:30:33,120 Speaker 2: then they drop the price to get rid of them, 1788 01:30:33,120 --> 01:30:34,720 Speaker 2: because at that point they just want to dump them. 1789 01:30:35,000 --> 01:30:37,639 Speaker 2: And then all of a sudden, you know, you're charging 1790 01:30:37,680 --> 01:30:40,280 Speaker 2: seventy five bucks per ticket. It's on resale for one 1791 01:30:40,320 --> 01:30:42,240 Speaker 2: point fifty, right, and then all of a sudden they're 1792 01:30:42,240 --> 01:30:45,559 Speaker 2: available for thirty five and then you know, and it's like, oh, 1793 01:30:45,560 --> 01:30:47,120 Speaker 2: I got a ticket for thirty five. You know, it's 1794 01:30:47,160 --> 01:30:50,599 Speaker 2: like that doesn't help us, that doesn't help the artist. 1795 01:30:51,320 --> 01:30:54,240 Speaker 2: So you know, that's another argument too, because that's just resellers. 1796 01:30:54,320 --> 01:30:56,280 Speaker 2: But and there's not going to be any way to 1797 01:30:56,280 --> 01:30:58,639 Speaker 2: control this, I know that because they have more money 1798 01:30:58,680 --> 01:31:01,759 Speaker 2: than anybody has as far as you don't talk about lobbying, 1799 01:31:01,800 --> 01:31:04,920 Speaker 2: they spend a fortune lobbying. They're everywhere, you know, the 1800 01:31:04,960 --> 01:31:08,439 Speaker 2: resellers are everywhere, lobbying everywhere. The only the only place 1801 01:31:08,479 --> 01:31:11,680 Speaker 2: where they got semi defeated was in Maine recently with 1802 01:31:11,760 --> 01:31:13,200 Speaker 2: that main bill that went through. 1803 01:31:20,840 --> 01:31:23,519 Speaker 1: Okay, let's talk about the main bill, because this affects 1804 01:31:23,520 --> 01:31:28,800 Speaker 1: certain congressional stuff. The laws on the books. Okay, ye 1805 01:31:29,320 --> 01:31:32,720 Speaker 1: means obviously a small state, but they have Portland Real 1806 01:31:32,760 --> 01:31:36,360 Speaker 1: Augustus premate line or market. Yeah, but how the hell 1807 01:31:36,360 --> 01:31:38,040 Speaker 1: are you gonna enforce it? And they're not going to 1808 01:31:38,080 --> 01:31:40,360 Speaker 1: put it, give any money to enforce it. So it's 1809 01:31:40,400 --> 01:31:42,880 Speaker 1: a victory exactly. 1810 01:31:43,720 --> 01:31:45,880 Speaker 2: The enforcement's the important thing. Look, we got there's a 1811 01:31:45,920 --> 01:31:47,599 Speaker 2: law in the books not as good as the main 1812 01:31:47,680 --> 01:31:50,200 Speaker 2: law in New York State, and it's not enforced a time, 1813 01:31:50,320 --> 01:31:54,559 Speaker 2: right or maybe a lot of the time. You're right, 1814 01:31:54,640 --> 01:31:56,599 Speaker 2: it's the enforcement. So we were talking again, we were 1815 01:31:56,600 --> 01:31:59,360 Speaker 2: talking about this in Milwaukee's It's one thing to actually 1816 01:31:59,360 --> 01:32:02,719 Speaker 2: get a law asked. But what seems like they don't 1817 01:32:02,760 --> 01:32:04,840 Speaker 2: do is they don't set up the enforcement, you know, 1818 01:32:04,920 --> 01:32:06,920 Speaker 2: like in advance. And if you do this, it's this, 1819 01:32:07,160 --> 01:32:08,720 Speaker 2: you know, and it's going to cost this. And even 1820 01:32:08,760 --> 01:32:10,559 Speaker 2: if they say, okay, if you do this, you're going 1821 01:32:10,600 --> 01:32:12,200 Speaker 2: to be fine. One hundred and fifty grand, Like who's 1822 01:32:12,240 --> 01:32:14,439 Speaker 2: going out there looking for it and who's doing It's 1823 01:32:14,479 --> 01:32:16,920 Speaker 2: not gonna be that high, but you know, a thousand dollars, 1824 01:32:17,120 --> 01:32:19,280 Speaker 2: you know, an incident or whatever, who's going out there 1825 01:32:19,280 --> 01:32:24,840 Speaker 2: doing it. If they do do that, then these laws 1826 01:32:24,880 --> 01:32:27,360 Speaker 2: have teeth. You know, then maybe some of the stops, 1827 01:32:28,200 --> 01:32:30,920 Speaker 2: but it's a matter of them doing it. And that's 1828 01:32:31,040 --> 01:32:33,160 Speaker 2: something that we're working on. That's part of what we're 1829 01:32:33,160 --> 01:32:36,479 Speaker 2: working on. Part of our advocacy is trying to see, 1830 01:32:36,600 --> 01:32:38,679 Speaker 2: you know, trying to get some of these things enforced, 1831 01:32:38,760 --> 01:32:42,040 Speaker 2: trying to change the laws a little bit, you know, 1832 01:32:42,080 --> 01:32:44,400 Speaker 2: trying to trying to angle them a little bit more 1833 01:32:44,400 --> 01:32:47,160 Speaker 2: towards you know, in pavor of the Act. And we 1834 01:32:47,240 --> 01:32:49,519 Speaker 2: have to do the same thing with those people, you know, 1835 01:32:49,560 --> 01:32:53,000 Speaker 2: the representatives that we do when we're when you know, 1836 01:32:53,040 --> 01:32:55,160 Speaker 2: when we're talking in general, while I'm talking to you, 1837 01:32:55,160 --> 01:32:58,200 Speaker 2: we have to qualify, yeah, the top one percent or 1838 01:32:58,240 --> 01:33:01,519 Speaker 2: over here, and they do that and that's okay because 1839 01:33:01,560 --> 01:33:04,240 Speaker 2: for them, you know, it's play money. But for the 1840 01:33:04,280 --> 01:33:07,479 Speaker 2: working band, this is important. This really hurts them, and 1841 01:33:07,920 --> 01:33:10,440 Speaker 2: it's it's hard to get some of those guys to focus. 1842 01:33:10,600 --> 01:33:13,960 Speaker 2: I mean, let me tell you a little side story 1843 01:33:14,000 --> 01:33:18,439 Speaker 2: on this one too, in two different situations. I won't 1844 01:33:18,439 --> 01:33:19,840 Speaker 2: say where and who because I don't want to get 1845 01:33:19,840 --> 01:33:22,240 Speaker 2: anybody in trouble. But so I had a promoter that 1846 01:33:22,280 --> 01:33:24,559 Speaker 2: I spoke to in a major market in a state 1847 01:33:25,280 --> 01:33:27,320 Speaker 2: that doesn't have a law you know, about this stuff, 1848 01:33:27,439 --> 01:33:29,479 Speaker 2: or doesn't have a good law. And I was trying 1849 01:33:29,479 --> 01:33:32,360 Speaker 2: to see if I could get him interested in, you know, 1850 01:33:32,400 --> 01:33:34,680 Speaker 2: in doing something about it. So I called him up 1851 01:33:35,080 --> 01:33:37,400 Speaker 2: and it was somebody who one of the people who 1852 01:33:37,479 --> 01:33:39,639 Speaker 2: worked for him had told me that on one show 1853 01:33:39,680 --> 01:33:42,240 Speaker 2: that they had sixty percent of the house was bought 1854 01:33:42,240 --> 01:33:46,559 Speaker 2: by the resale market. Wow. Right, yeah, exactly, that's what 1855 01:33:46,640 --> 01:33:50,200 Speaker 2: I said. And when the show played, half the place 1856 01:33:50,240 --> 01:33:53,840 Speaker 2: was empty, right because they didn't all show up because 1857 01:33:53,880 --> 01:33:56,960 Speaker 2: as you say, they probably ought, were you intimated before 1858 01:33:56,960 --> 01:34:01,400 Speaker 2: they overbought and they didn't show up. So, uh, I 1859 01:34:01,439 --> 01:34:03,200 Speaker 2: was talking about it, and he said to me, I 1860 01:34:03,200 --> 01:34:04,680 Speaker 2: have to talk to these guys, you know, because he 1861 01:34:04,720 --> 01:34:06,559 Speaker 2: knows some of these people. Obviously most of the major 1862 01:34:06,560 --> 01:34:10,040 Speaker 2: promoters do. He said, Uh, I've talked to these guys, 1863 01:34:10,120 --> 01:34:12,280 Speaker 2: but the one guy you know, the one key guy 1864 01:34:12,560 --> 01:34:15,960 Speaker 2: like the resellers, his buddy, Like, that's where he gets 1865 01:34:16,000 --> 01:34:17,920 Speaker 2: his sports tickets. And when he wants to go see 1866 01:34:17,960 --> 01:34:20,160 Speaker 2: you know, Taylor Swift or Beyonce or whatever, that's where 1867 01:34:20,160 --> 01:34:21,920 Speaker 2: he goes to get his tickets. He doesn't want to 1868 01:34:21,920 --> 01:34:23,600 Speaker 2: have to go online and buy his tickets. He just 1869 01:34:23,640 --> 01:34:26,559 Speaker 2: calls up gets his tickets. He considers him a mom 1870 01:34:26,560 --> 01:34:32,599 Speaker 2: and pop business. And I'm like, seriously, So that's that one. 1871 01:34:33,000 --> 01:34:35,479 Speaker 2: And then we had a similar thing in another state 1872 01:34:35,520 --> 01:34:38,400 Speaker 2: that we were working on where one of the guys, 1873 01:34:38,880 --> 01:34:41,920 Speaker 2: uh that was that we were that that two of 1874 01:34:41,920 --> 01:34:44,400 Speaker 2: our members were going to to you know, to try 1875 01:34:44,400 --> 01:34:46,720 Speaker 2: to lobby. He was like, no, I think you know, no, 1876 01:34:46,840 --> 01:34:49,439 Speaker 2: they're fine, They're okay. You know, they're not bad people. 1877 01:34:49,600 --> 01:34:52,360 Speaker 2: And you know, because he gets his tickets there, like, 1878 01:34:53,240 --> 01:34:54,800 Speaker 2: and that's what they do. I mean, they know how 1879 01:34:54,840 --> 01:34:57,160 Speaker 2: to feed the monster, right. They take care of them. 1880 01:34:57,479 --> 01:34:59,120 Speaker 2: They take care of them so that they get taken 1881 01:34:59,120 --> 01:35:02,840 Speaker 2: care of. So something that we probably will never solve, 1882 01:35:03,640 --> 01:35:04,920 Speaker 2: but we continue to work on it. 1883 01:35:05,280 --> 01:35:07,680 Speaker 1: Okay, let's talk to Desky Trucks. You've been involved with 1884 01:35:07,760 --> 01:35:11,320 Speaker 1: Derek Trucks from day one. Derek was a phenom he 1885 01:35:11,400 --> 01:35:15,080 Speaker 1: played with the Almond Brothers, ultimately gets married to susanho 1886 01:35:15,080 --> 01:35:17,040 Speaker 1: has her own career. They've been going out as the 1887 01:35:17,080 --> 01:35:20,200 Speaker 1: Tedsky Trucks being certainly in excess. 1888 01:35:19,840 --> 01:35:20,720 Speaker 2: Of a decade. 1889 01:35:21,160 --> 01:35:26,439 Speaker 1: In the all days, the pre internet days, the goal 1890 01:35:26,560 --> 01:35:29,920 Speaker 1: would be to get a record company deal. As you said, 1891 01:35:29,960 --> 01:35:33,800 Speaker 1: the company would support you as long as you continue 1892 01:35:33,800 --> 01:35:35,680 Speaker 1: to stay look like you were going to be in 1893 01:35:35,720 --> 01:35:41,200 Speaker 1: the black and you would have a breakthrough track. It's 1894 01:35:41,200 --> 01:35:43,719 Speaker 1: a little different in the late sixties and early seventies, 1895 01:35:43,760 --> 01:35:46,200 Speaker 1: but certainly the eighties they're waiting for you to cut 1896 01:35:46,240 --> 01:35:48,479 Speaker 1: that one track that's going to make it all work 1897 01:35:48,560 --> 01:35:53,280 Speaker 1: for them. Okay, even the biggest tracks on the Spotify 1898 01:35:53,320 --> 01:35:56,720 Speaker 1: Top fifty today are not known by most people. So 1899 01:35:56,840 --> 01:36:03,360 Speaker 1: the paradigm is done. So like Tedsky Trucks. A is 1900 01:36:03,400 --> 01:36:08,639 Speaker 1: it growing? B what is the potential upside? See? What 1901 01:36:08,760 --> 01:36:10,880 Speaker 1: is the goal? D? What might get you there? 1902 01:36:13,800 --> 01:36:20,880 Speaker 2: Oh boy, another deep suitcase to unpack? Okay, so yeah, 1903 01:36:20,880 --> 01:36:26,840 Speaker 2: Tedesky Truck. So it's fifteen years, Bob, fifteen years almost two, well, 1904 01:36:27,160 --> 01:36:28,680 Speaker 2: fifteen years to the day, probably at the end of 1905 01:36:28,720 --> 01:36:30,280 Speaker 2: the month, at the end of the year, but fifteen 1906 01:36:30,360 --> 01:36:35,840 Speaker 2: years and when we started out, and I'll guess I'll 1907 01:36:35,840 --> 01:36:39,679 Speaker 2: start there, wave at me or whatever if I'm getting 1908 01:36:39,800 --> 01:36:42,520 Speaker 2: too lost in the weeds. But when we started out, 1909 01:36:42,600 --> 01:36:45,439 Speaker 2: we had an eight piece band. It's twelve pieces now 1910 01:36:46,360 --> 01:36:48,120 Speaker 2: we had an eighth piece ban That was the concept 1911 01:36:48,120 --> 01:36:50,120 Speaker 2: they wanted to do. They wanted to take out a band, 1912 01:36:50,200 --> 01:36:52,960 Speaker 2: you know, full band, double drummers, you know whatever, didn't 1913 01:36:52,960 --> 01:36:57,760 Speaker 2: have horns in those days, and had two singers now 1914 01:36:57,800 --> 01:37:01,080 Speaker 2: at three so apiece, and so it was going to 1915 01:37:01,080 --> 01:37:04,200 Speaker 2: be expensive from the outset. And there was no record 1916 01:37:04,240 --> 01:37:06,280 Speaker 2: because there was a brand new band they just put together. 1917 01:37:07,120 --> 01:37:09,600 Speaker 2: And this certainly was no hit record, no hit single, right, 1918 01:37:09,640 --> 01:37:13,840 Speaker 2: there's none of that yet. So the the thing was, 1919 01:37:13,960 --> 01:37:17,240 Speaker 2: and it was something that I was chomping at the 1920 01:37:17,280 --> 01:37:19,960 Speaker 2: bit to do for a number of years actually, was 1921 01:37:21,000 --> 01:37:23,360 Speaker 2: to have them get together. Would be like I thought, 1922 01:37:23,360 --> 01:37:26,320 Speaker 2: this could be it, right, and I think it has been. 1923 01:37:26,320 --> 01:37:30,080 Speaker 2: But anyway, but as a backup, so I had to 1924 01:37:30,200 --> 01:37:32,360 Speaker 2: and there was you know, no record company support, right 1925 01:37:32,439 --> 01:37:34,719 Speaker 2: as you said, I mean there was a record company. 1926 01:37:34,760 --> 01:37:36,760 Speaker 2: There was Derek's record company who actually put out I 1927 01:37:36,760 --> 01:37:39,760 Speaker 2: think their first album, and then they moved, you know 1928 01:37:39,840 --> 01:37:41,800 Speaker 2: after I think after the first album they moved to 1929 01:37:41,800 --> 01:37:44,400 Speaker 2: another label, but certainly no labels are going to do 1930 01:37:44,439 --> 01:37:46,120 Speaker 2: what has what used to be done right in the 1931 01:37:46,120 --> 01:37:47,840 Speaker 2: old days, like we were talking about earlier. Right, they 1932 01:37:47,880 --> 01:37:49,920 Speaker 2: would have been a couple of one hundred grand for 1933 01:37:50,000 --> 01:37:51,760 Speaker 2: the tour. They would have been a market, they've been 1934 01:37:51,760 --> 01:37:54,040 Speaker 2: a big party, they would have dropped the record. It 1935 01:37:54,040 --> 01:37:56,920 Speaker 2: would have been like a you know, pr blitz, like 1936 01:37:56,960 --> 01:37:58,880 Speaker 2: the whole thing. Okay, So none of that. So this 1937 01:37:58,960 --> 01:38:00,560 Speaker 2: had to be worked from the ground which in a 1938 01:38:00,600 --> 01:38:02,800 Speaker 2: way was kind of a godsend because it wasn't going 1939 01:38:02,840 --> 01:38:05,160 Speaker 2: to be a hype and it could be built, you know, 1940 01:38:05,200 --> 01:38:07,240 Speaker 2: from from the ground up. Both of them had a base, 1941 01:38:07,680 --> 01:38:09,639 Speaker 2: and it was just a matter of building a beer base. 1942 01:38:10,560 --> 01:38:13,880 Speaker 2: So I went to people that I thought would be 1943 01:38:13,880 --> 01:38:19,559 Speaker 2: interested promoters, people who I happened to speak to right 1944 01:38:19,600 --> 01:38:21,559 Speaker 2: after they decided they were going to do this, who 1945 01:38:21,600 --> 01:38:23,599 Speaker 2: were hey, what's new? And I said, oh, I got this. 1946 01:38:23,840 --> 01:38:25,320 Speaker 2: You want to know something new, I got something new. 1947 01:38:25,320 --> 01:38:27,920 Speaker 2: The problem is, honestly, you're not going to make any 1948 01:38:27,960 --> 01:38:30,679 Speaker 2: money for three years, and truthfully that was my line. 1949 01:38:31,040 --> 01:38:33,040 Speaker 2: You are not making money for three years if you 1950 01:38:33,120 --> 01:38:35,640 Speaker 2: do this. Well, why is that? Because I need a 1951 01:38:35,640 --> 01:38:37,160 Speaker 2: certain amount of money to keep them on the road. 1952 01:38:37,880 --> 01:38:39,679 Speaker 2: They have to have a certain amount of money each night. 1953 01:38:40,880 --> 01:38:42,800 Speaker 2: If not, they're not going to work. So it's one 1954 01:38:42,840 --> 01:38:44,479 Speaker 2: of the others. So if you're in, you're in. If 1955 01:38:44,479 --> 01:38:47,160 Speaker 2: you're out, you're out. It's okay, you know whatever. And 1956 01:38:47,200 --> 01:38:49,559 Speaker 2: so I had, you know, probably two or three people 1957 01:38:49,640 --> 01:38:52,080 Speaker 2: that were okay, yeah, I like that, let's do it. 1958 01:38:52,160 --> 01:38:54,559 Speaker 2: So we started out doing that, so, you know, and 1959 01:38:54,640 --> 01:38:56,400 Speaker 2: we went out and built it up. I'll skip all 1960 01:38:56,400 --> 01:38:58,200 Speaker 2: the middle part, but basically we did a bunch of 1961 01:38:58,240 --> 01:39:03,040 Speaker 2: work the band through over time fairly quickly. They played 1962 01:39:03,040 --> 01:39:04,760 Speaker 2: a date in New York. I think it was in 1963 01:39:04,760 --> 01:39:06,840 Speaker 2: New York and they invited some horns to come and 1964 01:39:06,880 --> 01:39:09,360 Speaker 2: sit in and it was pretty good. And I remember 1965 01:39:09,400 --> 01:39:11,120 Speaker 2: asking Derek after the show. I said, hey, what'd you 1966 01:39:11,120 --> 01:39:13,320 Speaker 2: think of the horns? He goes they were cool. I said, yeah, 1967 01:39:13,320 --> 01:39:14,840 Speaker 2: they are, he goes, maybe we should add them. And 1968 01:39:14,880 --> 01:39:16,679 Speaker 2: I kind of shook my head. I was like, okay, 1969 01:39:16,760 --> 01:39:18,519 Speaker 2: I mean nod my head. I was like, yeah, that'sund 1970 01:39:18,520 --> 01:39:20,320 Speaker 2: like a good idea. And so then all of a 1971 01:39:20,320 --> 01:39:22,880 Speaker 2: sudden they were horns and it became a twelve piece 1972 01:39:23,120 --> 01:39:26,719 Speaker 2: so and it did, and those early promoters to get involved. 1973 01:39:26,800 --> 01:39:29,360 Speaker 2: Probably I'm sure they didn't really make any money. Maybe 1974 01:39:29,360 --> 01:39:31,479 Speaker 2: they broke even maybe they didn't, but they were in 1975 01:39:31,520 --> 01:39:33,720 Speaker 2: for the beginning, you know, and they stayed in there. 1976 01:39:34,160 --> 01:39:36,880 Speaker 2: So it was built from that level. And it never 1977 01:39:37,040 --> 01:39:39,679 Speaker 2: was built on records. It was built on touring, which 1978 01:39:39,720 --> 01:39:43,439 Speaker 2: is basically what's happening now anyway, but strictly built on touring. 1979 01:39:43,920 --> 01:39:46,000 Speaker 2: And how big could it be? Well, at the beginning, 1980 01:39:46,080 --> 01:39:48,080 Speaker 2: I remember people saying to me, I can't believe you're 1981 01:39:48,080 --> 01:39:49,960 Speaker 2: doing this. There's no way this is going to work. 1982 01:39:50,479 --> 01:39:52,720 Speaker 2: Get eight people. Even in the early days, you got 1983 01:39:52,760 --> 01:39:54,360 Speaker 2: eight people, because don't forget you get eight people plus 1984 01:39:54,400 --> 01:39:57,479 Speaker 2: the crew. So maybe there was fourteen or fifteen, you 1985 01:39:57,479 --> 01:40:00,680 Speaker 2: know whatever, maybe fourteen. You got fourteen people on the road. 1986 01:40:00,680 --> 01:40:02,240 Speaker 2: How are you going to keep you know, two buses 1987 01:40:02,360 --> 01:40:04,120 Speaker 2: and how are you going to keep that going? I said, well, 1988 01:40:04,120 --> 01:40:06,840 Speaker 2: we'll do it until we can't, and you know, we 1989 01:40:06,920 --> 01:40:08,680 Speaker 2: did it, and it built up little by little, and 1990 01:40:08,720 --> 01:40:10,040 Speaker 2: it was a matter of it was a matter of 1991 01:40:10,160 --> 01:40:12,439 Speaker 2: doing what I said earlier. It was a matter of knowing, 1992 01:40:13,920 --> 01:40:17,960 Speaker 2: feeling where to go, taking some shots, seeing where it worked, 1993 01:40:17,960 --> 01:40:20,240 Speaker 2: and it didn't knowing that if it worked over here, 1994 01:40:20,240 --> 01:40:22,960 Speaker 2: it could probably work over here, and then just kind 1995 01:40:23,000 --> 01:40:24,439 Speaker 2: of building it up and building it up to the 1996 01:40:24,479 --> 01:40:28,000 Speaker 2: point where you know, now everybody can you know, everybody 1997 01:40:28,000 --> 01:40:29,920 Speaker 2: being fans or whatever in the business can walk around 1998 01:40:29,920 --> 01:40:32,880 Speaker 2: and go, oh, yeah, of course Today'skee trucks. Well yeah, 1999 01:40:32,880 --> 01:40:35,800 Speaker 2: of course, but you know, it's fifteen years. It took 2000 01:40:35,840 --> 01:40:38,160 Speaker 2: about I had told them when we sat down with 2001 01:40:38,280 --> 01:40:41,720 Speaker 2: the you know, the then manager, it would take I 2002 01:40:41,720 --> 01:40:45,639 Speaker 2: remember saying to what we had lunch, I said, I'm 2003 01:40:46,520 --> 01:40:49,960 Speaker 2: in for penny, in for a pound on this. I 2004 01:40:49,960 --> 01:40:51,840 Speaker 2: think it's going to take three to five years. If 2005 01:40:51,880 --> 01:40:55,599 Speaker 2: you're willing to invest yourself time in three to five years, 2006 01:40:56,080 --> 01:40:58,400 Speaker 2: I'm in. But it's probably going to take that because 2007 01:40:58,400 --> 01:40:59,960 Speaker 2: I knew, you know, unless we had a hit record, 2008 01:41:00,040 --> 01:41:02,280 Speaker 2: it's going to take time to build it. And we 2009 01:41:02,400 --> 01:41:07,880 Speaker 2: really started, it really started, you know, uh, whatever you 2010 01:41:07,960 --> 01:41:10,920 Speaker 2: want to call it, like, you know, gliding on its 2011 01:41:10,960 --> 01:41:13,960 Speaker 2: own if you want to call it that. Probably year seven, 2012 01:41:14,400 --> 01:41:18,639 Speaker 2: you know, where it was like okay, we're here, you know, three, yes, five, yes, 2013 01:41:18,720 --> 01:41:23,280 Speaker 2: but seven was like yep, we're here, and you know, 2014 01:41:23,320 --> 01:41:25,439 Speaker 2: from then, where can you go? So people said, well, 2015 01:41:25,439 --> 01:41:26,880 Speaker 2: maybe it's never going to get out of here. So 2016 01:41:27,120 --> 01:41:32,120 Speaker 2: eventually they played Madison Square Garden, you know, and we did. 2017 01:41:32,520 --> 01:41:34,680 Speaker 2: We didn't do the full venue, but we did the 2018 01:41:34,840 --> 01:41:36,599 Speaker 2: you know whatever. It is a twelve five setup, which 2019 01:41:36,640 --> 01:41:39,760 Speaker 2: is what most people do right front and sides, and 2020 01:41:39,800 --> 01:41:41,880 Speaker 2: we did, you know, phenomenal and it was like there 2021 01:41:41,920 --> 01:41:44,800 Speaker 2: was terrent I remember there was torrential rain that day. 2022 01:41:45,080 --> 01:41:48,400 Speaker 2: The subways were flooded, the tunnels were flooded. I thought 2023 01:41:48,400 --> 01:41:51,920 Speaker 2: we were gonna have to cancel the show. In the end, 2024 01:41:52,360 --> 01:41:55,120 Speaker 2: uh we you know, we played it and people came, 2025 01:41:55,360 --> 01:41:57,960 Speaker 2: which was a rain stopped in the afternoon, luckily, but 2026 01:41:58,000 --> 01:42:01,000 Speaker 2: it was torrential. It was you know, it was everywhere. 2027 01:42:01,080 --> 01:42:04,560 Speaker 2: It was shutting things down. It was so bad. And 2028 01:42:04,680 --> 01:42:06,000 Speaker 2: you know, we played it and there was you know, 2029 01:42:06,080 --> 01:42:08,040 Speaker 2: more no shows than we would would have liked. But 2030 01:42:08,080 --> 01:42:11,040 Speaker 2: still the place was full and it was phenomenal. And 2031 01:42:11,120 --> 01:42:12,919 Speaker 2: so that was a step that was just to say, 2032 01:42:13,080 --> 01:42:15,519 Speaker 2: you know, or said to us, rather, Okay, we're here now, 2033 01:42:15,520 --> 01:42:16,960 Speaker 2: we can do whatever we want. We can go back 2034 01:42:16,960 --> 01:42:19,880 Speaker 2: to what we're doing. But you know, earlier on we 2035 01:42:19,920 --> 01:42:23,640 Speaker 2: started doing the amphitheaters, you know, in the summertime. We 2036 01:42:23,680 --> 01:42:26,360 Speaker 2: did the theaters in the in the winter and or 2037 01:42:26,760 --> 01:42:29,360 Speaker 2: fall and spring and in the winter actually because they 2038 01:42:29,840 --> 01:42:32,240 Speaker 2: used to work. At one point they were working, you know, 2039 01:42:32,280 --> 01:42:34,880 Speaker 2: anywhere from seventy to eighty, maybe ninety shows a year. 2040 01:42:34,920 --> 01:42:36,880 Speaker 2: One year they hit one hundred and ten I think, 2041 01:42:37,160 --> 01:42:39,000 Speaker 2: which was probably their biggest year. But that's a lot 2042 01:42:39,000 --> 01:42:43,080 Speaker 2: of work, you know, playing on the road. And they 2043 01:42:43,080 --> 01:42:45,519 Speaker 2: had kids too, so that that did that didn't help. 2044 01:42:46,640 --> 01:42:48,559 Speaker 2: But you know, it built up and it got too 2045 01:42:48,560 --> 01:42:50,559 Speaker 2: a place where now so your question, one of your 2046 01:42:50,600 --> 01:42:52,360 Speaker 2: questions is like where does it go from here? I'm 2047 01:42:52,400 --> 01:42:54,320 Speaker 2: not sure where it goes, but but it's in a 2048 01:42:54,360 --> 01:42:58,120 Speaker 2: place where it's not an overdrive but kind of like 2049 01:42:58,360 --> 01:43:03,559 Speaker 2: you know, there's there's a fan base. It's still growing. Okay, 2050 01:43:03,600 --> 01:43:06,360 Speaker 2: it's not it's not really diminishing. I mean I watched 2051 01:43:06,400 --> 01:43:08,840 Speaker 2: the shows. Uh you know whenever I'm out, you know 2052 01:43:08,880 --> 01:43:11,040 Speaker 2: there and I see the people, and I don't see 2053 01:43:11,040 --> 01:43:14,040 Speaker 2: people getting up and leaving, you know what I mean. Well, 2054 01:43:14,120 --> 01:43:15,760 Speaker 2: when a lot of shows it's like, okay, I've seen 2055 01:43:15,760 --> 01:43:17,439 Speaker 2: half of it. I'm going now when they do there 2056 01:43:17,640 --> 01:43:21,800 Speaker 2: like you know, uh evening with and I have the 2057 01:43:21,800 --> 01:43:24,240 Speaker 2: break in the middle. Sometimes you see that with other acts, 2058 01:43:24,280 --> 01:43:26,200 Speaker 2: people start leaving during the break. Now they don't. They 2059 01:43:26,200 --> 01:43:28,080 Speaker 2: go out, they buy beer, they buy whatever, they buy 2060 01:43:28,720 --> 01:43:31,960 Speaker 2: you know, snacks, whatever, and they come back in buy merchandise. Uh, 2061 01:43:32,000 --> 01:43:34,479 Speaker 2: they come back in, so uh, you know it's there. 2062 01:43:34,560 --> 01:43:37,160 Speaker 2: So so then now the next thing is, you know, 2063 01:43:39,240 --> 01:43:41,360 Speaker 2: which is one of the things you know that they did, 2064 01:43:41,479 --> 01:43:43,280 Speaker 2: you know, beginning a few years ago, is they started 2065 01:43:43,280 --> 01:43:46,080 Speaker 2: beefing up the production a little bit because because it 2066 01:43:46,640 --> 01:43:49,840 Speaker 2: really has been and it still is but has been 2067 01:43:50,240 --> 01:43:53,240 Speaker 2: uh since the beginning. You know, a musical act and 2068 01:43:53,320 --> 01:43:55,040 Speaker 2: you've seen them, so I think you know what I mean. 2069 01:43:55,080 --> 01:43:56,559 Speaker 2: But it's an act that you go there and you 2070 01:43:56,600 --> 01:43:58,519 Speaker 2: look and you go out. These guys can play, all 2071 01:43:58,560 --> 01:44:00,519 Speaker 2: of them, any one of them. It's it's almost like 2072 01:44:00,560 --> 01:44:02,920 Speaker 2: any one of them without doing a pitch on the band. 2073 01:44:03,280 --> 01:44:04,760 Speaker 2: It's almost like any one of them could have their 2074 01:44:04,800 --> 01:44:07,400 Speaker 2: own band. It might not be a big band, but 2075 01:44:07,400 --> 01:44:08,720 Speaker 2: any one of them can have their own band. And 2076 01:44:08,720 --> 01:44:10,680 Speaker 2: in fact, most of the guys up there have their 2077 01:44:10,680 --> 01:44:14,120 Speaker 2: own bands, you know, their side projects, right so, you know, 2078 01:44:14,160 --> 01:44:19,280 Speaker 2: because they're really accomplished musicians. So the music and all 2079 01:44:19,400 --> 01:44:22,519 Speaker 2: that's solid, you know, the sets, the shows, whatever. So 2080 01:44:22,600 --> 01:44:24,280 Speaker 2: then they started doing the next thing, which is they 2081 01:44:24,600 --> 01:44:27,960 Speaker 2: they've over the last three four years, they've started beefing 2082 01:44:28,000 --> 01:44:30,240 Speaker 2: up the production a little bit, adding a little bit 2083 01:44:30,240 --> 01:44:35,120 Speaker 2: more production value, entertainment value, you know, packaging. We did 2084 01:44:35,280 --> 01:44:39,000 Speaker 2: this summer. They're doing you know, shows package with larger 2085 01:44:39,000 --> 01:44:42,519 Speaker 2: acts where it's more of a co bill, trying to 2086 01:44:42,840 --> 01:44:45,599 Speaker 2: you know, trying to present themselves to a larger audience 2087 01:44:45,880 --> 01:44:49,720 Speaker 2: if possible. They've done festivals. You know, they don't live 2088 01:44:49,760 --> 01:44:52,000 Speaker 2: on festivals, but they've done them. I don't know, this 2089 01:44:52,040 --> 01:44:53,439 Speaker 2: is a personal thing we won't get into, but I 2090 01:44:53,439 --> 01:44:55,000 Speaker 2: don't know the festivals they add that much to you 2091 01:44:55,080 --> 01:44:55,920 Speaker 2: unless maybe you're. 2092 01:44:55,920 --> 01:44:58,680 Speaker 1: Well that was going to be my next question, but continue. 2093 01:44:58,320 --> 01:45:02,479 Speaker 2: Okay, well we'll hold it then for then a hold 2094 01:45:02,520 --> 01:45:06,240 Speaker 2: that one. But yeah, so, yeah, it is growing, you know, 2095 01:45:06,680 --> 01:45:09,320 Speaker 2: it's like it's like anything else, though it goes in spurts. 2096 01:45:09,320 --> 01:45:11,040 Speaker 2: So there was a point where we were doing this little, 2097 01:45:11,040 --> 01:45:12,439 Speaker 2: you know, this thing at the beginning, and then we 2098 01:45:12,800 --> 01:45:15,840 Speaker 2: leaped like around year three or so, right, and then 2099 01:45:15,840 --> 01:45:17,920 Speaker 2: were all of a sudden we started doing multiple theaters, 2100 01:45:18,680 --> 01:45:20,960 Speaker 2: which was a plan. And the plan was to have 2101 01:45:21,000 --> 01:45:22,599 Speaker 2: them because they were doing a lot of shows a year, 2102 01:45:22,720 --> 01:45:25,639 Speaker 2: was to have them traveling less but doing the same 2103 01:45:25,640 --> 01:45:28,519 Speaker 2: amount of business and being able to generate the income 2104 01:45:28,520 --> 01:45:31,160 Speaker 2: they needed to keep the band going. So we started 2105 01:45:31,160 --> 01:45:33,800 Speaker 2: doing multiples and then you know, then there was a 2106 01:45:33,840 --> 01:45:35,519 Speaker 2: thing where kind of set there, and then we jumped 2107 01:45:35,600 --> 01:45:38,120 Speaker 2: up and did more multiples in certain places, added some 2108 01:45:38,160 --> 01:45:40,160 Speaker 2: more cities, and we started doing the outdoor thing, you know, 2109 01:45:40,200 --> 01:45:42,479 Speaker 2: in the summertime, and they did that as a as 2110 01:45:42,479 --> 01:45:46,439 Speaker 2: a scenario, and then and tried to play different markets, 2111 01:45:46,600 --> 01:45:50,559 Speaker 2: so you know, we're getting to different people and you know, 2112 01:45:50,640 --> 01:45:53,040 Speaker 2: so and then so then maybe it settled in for 2113 01:45:53,080 --> 01:45:55,160 Speaker 2: a little bit and then now there's going to probably 2114 01:45:55,200 --> 01:45:58,120 Speaker 2: be another spurt coming up, so it grows in spurts. 2115 01:45:58,320 --> 01:46:03,240 Speaker 2: It not every act, every live act or artist goes like, 2116 01:46:03,320 --> 01:46:05,440 Speaker 2: you know, straight up. It's not a straight up trajectory. 2117 01:46:05,520 --> 01:46:08,080 Speaker 2: Usually if it is, then it starts coming down quicker, 2118 01:46:08,280 --> 01:46:10,640 Speaker 2: I think. I mean, there's exceptions to every rule, but 2119 01:46:10,960 --> 01:46:13,360 Speaker 2: then usually there's a down, you know, coming down over here. 2120 01:46:13,439 --> 01:46:15,120 Speaker 2: Now it may go back up again at some point, 2121 01:46:15,120 --> 01:46:19,240 Speaker 2: but it could also just crash back. So slower trajectory 2122 01:46:19,280 --> 01:46:23,240 Speaker 2: is better. And you know, I think there's you know, 2123 01:46:23,400 --> 01:46:25,200 Speaker 2: they can they can tour as long as they want 2124 01:46:25,240 --> 01:46:27,200 Speaker 2: to or not I mean it don't have the tour, 2125 01:46:27,280 --> 01:46:29,439 Speaker 2: but I mean they do to give the band together, 2126 01:46:29,479 --> 01:46:31,200 Speaker 2: but they can tour as long as they want. 2127 01:46:31,600 --> 01:46:36,760 Speaker 1: Well, is the question here, especially today's major market, is 2128 01:46:36,840 --> 01:46:42,240 Speaker 1: there a limited audience or is there a growth potential 2129 01:46:42,320 --> 01:46:45,040 Speaker 1: from people who just haven't been exposed to it. 2130 01:46:46,360 --> 01:46:49,680 Speaker 2: There's there's a growth potential to people that haven't been 2131 01:46:49,680 --> 01:46:52,360 Speaker 2: exposed to it. And what we find is what we 2132 01:46:52,479 --> 01:46:55,439 Speaker 2: have found over time over the course of the career 2133 01:46:55,560 --> 01:46:59,640 Speaker 2: so far, and initially the manager and I will when 2134 01:46:59,640 --> 01:47:02,000 Speaker 2: at first started out, we had a we had an etho, 2135 01:47:02,120 --> 01:47:04,720 Speaker 2: but the two of us had an ethos. We just 2136 01:47:04,760 --> 01:47:08,040 Speaker 2: got to get into a town and play. People will 2137 01:47:08,040 --> 01:47:10,439 Speaker 2: see us and they'll come back and bring a friend. 2138 01:47:12,040 --> 01:47:14,640 Speaker 2: And it almost worked like that everywhere right first time 2139 01:47:14,640 --> 01:47:15,960 Speaker 2: we played in New York? Who played one day at 2140 01:47:15,960 --> 01:47:20,679 Speaker 2: the Beacon, which was a shot. Okay. When I tried 2141 01:47:20,680 --> 01:47:24,040 Speaker 2: to get the Beacon Theater date together, I called, I 2142 01:47:24,080 --> 01:47:27,800 Speaker 2: spoke to three different promoters, none of which wanted to 2143 01:47:27,840 --> 01:47:31,840 Speaker 2: do it, and I finally John Cher said he would 2144 01:47:32,000 --> 01:47:34,519 Speaker 2: raise his hand and I said, okay, Well, he said, 2145 01:47:34,560 --> 01:47:35,600 Speaker 2: what do you want to do in New York? And 2146 01:47:35,640 --> 01:47:37,240 Speaker 2: I said, I The first show in New York. By 2147 01:47:37,280 --> 01:47:39,120 Speaker 2: the way, they hadn't played here yet as that band. 2148 01:47:39,120 --> 01:47:41,160 Speaker 2: I said, I want to either be in Central Park 2149 01:47:41,160 --> 01:47:43,080 Speaker 2: in the summer. I want to play the Beacon Theater headlining. 2150 01:47:44,400 --> 01:47:48,280 Speaker 2: And he said, what's the deal, And I said, there 2151 01:47:48,320 --> 01:47:50,080 Speaker 2: is no deal. This I shouldn't tell you, Bob, but 2152 01:47:50,120 --> 01:47:52,120 Speaker 2: I'm going to tell you because it's you. I said, 2153 01:47:52,120 --> 01:47:54,679 Speaker 2: there is no deal. Forget the deal. I want the Beacon. 2154 01:47:54,840 --> 01:47:56,759 Speaker 2: Give me, give me a weekend night in the fall 2155 01:47:57,560 --> 01:48:01,080 Speaker 2: and it's your show. And he got it Saturday night. 2156 01:48:01,120 --> 01:48:02,280 Speaker 2: I don't know how he got it, but he got 2157 01:48:02,280 --> 01:48:04,680 Speaker 2: it because it's hard to get the Beacon. Uh. And 2158 01:48:04,720 --> 01:48:06,760 Speaker 2: I put the date together and we didn't have a guarantee. 2159 01:48:07,280 --> 01:48:10,680 Speaker 2: We did a straight percentage of the door. Okay, we 2160 01:48:11,040 --> 01:48:13,160 Speaker 2: sold it and we sold out. Well, we finish your story. 2161 01:48:13,520 --> 01:48:17,360 Speaker 2: So we sold out. Everybody made money. And then the 2162 01:48:17,400 --> 01:48:19,280 Speaker 2: next time, you know, we came around. He goes, Okay, 2163 01:48:19,320 --> 01:48:20,760 Speaker 2: we're going to do it again next year and I said, no, 2164 01:48:20,800 --> 01:48:23,960 Speaker 2: next year, we're doing two. And he was going, well, 2165 01:48:24,040 --> 01:48:26,000 Speaker 2: you're crazy, blah blah, and I said no, we're doing too. 2166 01:48:26,040 --> 01:48:28,599 Speaker 2: Because again, our theory was everyone's going to bring a friend, 2167 01:48:29,920 --> 01:48:34,160 Speaker 2: so let's try it out, and we did, and we 2168 01:48:34,200 --> 01:48:38,240 Speaker 2: did a weekend. Okay, honest truth, we didn't sell it 2169 01:48:38,280 --> 01:48:40,240 Speaker 2: to the rafter. You know, we didn't sell every seat 2170 01:48:40,240 --> 01:48:42,360 Speaker 2: in the house, but we fucking basically sold it out. 2171 01:48:42,400 --> 01:48:44,599 Speaker 2: I mean it was. It was a great two nights. 2172 01:48:45,200 --> 01:48:47,080 Speaker 2: And that's when I went upstairs to the back of 2173 01:48:47,080 --> 01:48:48,600 Speaker 2: the house and I looked, and I thought, we're not 2174 01:48:48,640 --> 01:48:51,960 Speaker 2: selling any seats upstairs. What can we do about that? 2175 01:48:52,320 --> 01:48:54,560 Speaker 2: And I thought, let's try this. And I talked to 2176 01:48:54,600 --> 01:48:56,280 Speaker 2: the manager and I said, let's make the back of 2177 01:48:56,320 --> 01:48:59,439 Speaker 2: the house really inexpensive. Think the upstate had been to 2178 01:48:59,520 --> 01:49:02,959 Speaker 2: the Beacon, so you know the you know the upstairs 2179 01:49:02,960 --> 01:49:04,679 Speaker 2: balcony at the way back, I mean, you're up there. 2180 01:49:05,000 --> 01:49:07,360 Speaker 2: They call the nosebleads, but actually they're good seats. But 2181 01:49:07,479 --> 01:49:09,320 Speaker 2: you know they call the nosebleeds for the Beacon, you know, 2182 01:49:09,360 --> 01:49:11,439 Speaker 2: for anywhere else, they'd be good seats, really good seats. 2183 01:49:12,280 --> 01:49:15,840 Speaker 2: So we did a situation where we charged Okay, so 2184 01:49:15,920 --> 01:49:19,439 Speaker 2: this is interesting, okay, I think for you. So I 2185 01:49:19,560 --> 01:49:22,759 Speaker 2: made a deal with between the promoter and the venue. 2186 01:49:22,840 --> 01:49:27,080 Speaker 2: I got them to agree to do an all in price. Okay, 2187 01:49:27,160 --> 01:49:35,320 Speaker 2: this is ten years ago, all in thirty bucks next 2188 01:49:35,320 --> 01:49:37,920 Speaker 2: time we played the venue, we sold all the seats 2189 01:49:39,400 --> 01:49:41,479 Speaker 2: and I walked up there to see who is going 2190 01:49:41,520 --> 01:49:43,240 Speaker 2: to be up there, and so some of the argument was, 2191 01:49:43,240 --> 01:49:46,360 Speaker 2: you're just gonna you're gonna, you're gonna cannibalize, you know, 2192 01:49:46,439 --> 01:49:48,160 Speaker 2: the other seats you're selling. I said, I don't think so. 2193 01:49:48,320 --> 01:49:50,439 Speaker 2: I think they're fans. Even though we've only done it 2194 01:49:50,439 --> 01:49:53,240 Speaker 2: in a couple of years, I think they're fans, or 2195 01:49:53,280 --> 01:49:55,200 Speaker 2: maybe it was three years before we did that. I 2196 01:49:55,240 --> 01:49:58,439 Speaker 2: think their fans are going to want to sit close. 2197 01:49:58,760 --> 01:50:01,040 Speaker 2: That's what they want. They want to be comfortable and close. 2198 01:50:01,080 --> 01:50:03,960 Speaker 2: That's who their fans are. I think up here we're 2199 01:50:04,000 --> 01:50:07,800 Speaker 2: going to have people that want to see them but 2200 01:50:07,840 --> 01:50:10,720 Speaker 2: don't want to pay seventy five dollars or sixty nine 2201 01:50:10,800 --> 01:50:13,720 Speaker 2: or whatever the present. So we kept that for a 2202 01:50:13,720 --> 01:50:15,519 Speaker 2: lot of years, and I used to go up there 2203 01:50:15,520 --> 01:50:18,000 Speaker 2: and check at every show and you'd see you'd see 2204 01:50:18,120 --> 01:50:20,479 Speaker 2: the face is not the particular people, but you could 2205 01:50:20,479 --> 01:50:23,320 Speaker 2: tell those people haven't been here before, or those people 2206 01:50:23,439 --> 01:50:25,080 Speaker 2: or there were young couples. I went to a young 2207 01:50:25,120 --> 01:50:27,160 Speaker 2: couple and I said, hey, how you doing. You ever 2208 01:50:27,400 --> 01:50:28,880 Speaker 2: seen the band before? And they go, oh, yeah, we 2209 01:50:28,920 --> 01:50:32,240 Speaker 2: saw them once we love them. They said oh. I said, 2210 01:50:32,280 --> 01:50:34,960 Speaker 2: oh great, and they said yeah, in fact, we came 2211 01:50:35,000 --> 01:50:38,440 Speaker 2: tonight because we just got engaged. I said, oh, that's awesome, congratulations. 2212 01:50:38,479 --> 01:50:41,439 Speaker 2: So they were there because obviously they wanted to pay 2213 01:50:41,439 --> 01:50:43,479 Speaker 2: sixty bucks and not have to pay like one hundred 2214 01:50:43,479 --> 01:50:45,360 Speaker 2: and twenty or whatever it was. And fine, it probably 2215 01:50:45,360 --> 01:50:47,280 Speaker 2: really couldn't afford it, but they wanted to see the band. 2216 01:50:47,760 --> 01:50:49,800 Speaker 2: The other thing that happens up there, or did happen 2217 01:50:49,880 --> 01:50:51,280 Speaker 2: up there, is you get when we started doing the 2218 01:50:51,360 --> 01:50:53,599 Speaker 2: multiple nights, right, you get people that want to come 2219 01:50:53,600 --> 01:50:55,160 Speaker 2: back but don't want to pay one hundred and twenty five. 2220 01:50:56,080 --> 01:50:58,240 Speaker 2: So they'll you know, one hundred twenty five one night 2221 01:50:58,240 --> 01:51:00,600 Speaker 2: and they'll go sit upstairs, you know, for sixty for 2222 01:51:00,760 --> 01:51:02,320 Speaker 2: two of them or whatever, you know, two people or 2223 01:51:02,360 --> 01:51:05,160 Speaker 2: whatever or a group will go sit up there. So 2224 01:51:05,360 --> 01:51:08,800 Speaker 2: we use that anyway. So from the two days, the 2225 01:51:08,800 --> 01:51:14,160 Speaker 2: next time we played, I said, let's do three, and 2226 01:51:15,040 --> 01:51:16,680 Speaker 2: John said, you're out of your mind. I said, no, 2227 01:51:16,720 --> 01:51:20,639 Speaker 2: it'd be fine. We'll do Thursday, Friday, Saturday. So that's 2228 01:51:20,640 --> 01:51:22,639 Speaker 2: what we did and we oh, no, sorry, we did. 2229 01:51:22,920 --> 01:51:24,280 Speaker 2: We were actually going to do four. We're going to 2230 01:51:24,320 --> 01:51:27,559 Speaker 2: do Friday Saturday, Friday Saturday, which he really freaked out about. 2231 01:51:27,560 --> 01:51:30,639 Speaker 2: But we ended up doing three for other reasons because 2232 01:51:30,640 --> 01:51:32,439 Speaker 2: we had there was another show that they played with 2233 01:51:32,479 --> 01:51:34,360 Speaker 2: somebody else and it was kind of in conflict, but 2234 01:51:34,400 --> 01:51:35,960 Speaker 2: they had the dates on hold already, so we only 2235 01:51:35,960 --> 01:51:37,960 Speaker 2: did three instead of four, and we did great business, 2236 01:51:37,960 --> 01:51:40,080 Speaker 2: and then the time after we did four, So it 2237 01:51:40,120 --> 01:51:42,719 Speaker 2: was a matter of and so I think the theory 2238 01:51:42,800 --> 01:51:45,880 Speaker 2: held true. Also, we had people that would come multiple nights, 2239 01:51:45,920 --> 01:51:48,800 Speaker 2: but not as big as most people. Most people thought. 2240 01:51:48,920 --> 01:51:51,160 Speaker 2: Most people thought, oh, yeah, they're you know, the fans 2241 01:51:51,160 --> 01:51:53,400 Speaker 2: are just buying tickets again. Now I used to look 2242 01:51:53,439 --> 01:51:55,599 Speaker 2: at the you know, the ticketing reports. We were doing 2243 01:51:55,640 --> 01:51:58,680 Speaker 2: about thirteen percent repeats. It wasn't that high. You know, 2244 01:51:58,680 --> 01:52:01,160 Speaker 2: it's probably more now, but you know, because now they'll 2245 01:52:01,200 --> 01:52:04,120 Speaker 2: do six days or seven days or whatever. But you know, 2246 01:52:04,160 --> 01:52:05,920 Speaker 2: it wasn't as high as people thought. People thought, you know, 2247 01:52:05,960 --> 01:52:08,559 Speaker 2: we were doing fifty percent repeats or whatever, thirty percent. 2248 01:52:08,600 --> 01:52:11,840 Speaker 2: We weren't doing it. It was thirteen. Maybe some people 2249 01:52:11,880 --> 01:52:13,960 Speaker 2: did come back twice, or they came back again and 2250 01:52:14,000 --> 01:52:23,040 Speaker 2: brought a different friend with them. 2251 01:52:23,240 --> 01:52:26,880 Speaker 1: Okay, we've touched on festivals in the old days. Yeah. 2252 01:52:26,920 --> 01:52:30,679 Speaker 1: Up until very recently, you know, you played at twelve 2253 01:52:30,840 --> 01:52:33,559 Speaker 1: or one, no one saw you. It was more to 2254 01:52:33,600 --> 01:52:36,759 Speaker 1: put on your website. We played d lollaplues or whatever. 2255 01:52:37,800 --> 01:52:42,080 Speaker 1: But now it's so hard to get noticed. Some acts 2256 01:52:42,120 --> 01:52:46,080 Speaker 1: will play every festival and it seems like there is 2257 01:52:46,320 --> 01:52:49,120 Speaker 1: some traction. What do you say to that. 2258 01:52:51,800 --> 01:52:54,439 Speaker 2: There is? I mean, there's some, but it's hard. Again, 2259 01:52:54,600 --> 01:52:57,599 Speaker 2: if you're talking about the upper ten or twenty percent 2260 01:52:57,600 --> 01:53:01,960 Speaker 2: of the acts, yes, maybe, yes, maybe, But when you 2261 01:53:02,000 --> 01:53:04,439 Speaker 2: get down the line right when you're an up and 2262 01:53:04,479 --> 01:53:06,719 Speaker 2: coming actor, when you're kind of one of those middle acts, 2263 01:53:07,360 --> 01:53:08,800 Speaker 2: you know, when you're on at three o'clock in the 2264 01:53:08,840 --> 01:53:12,640 Speaker 2: afternoon on the main stage, or even if you're on 2265 01:53:12,680 --> 01:53:15,280 Speaker 2: like at five o'clock on that third or second or 2266 01:53:15,320 --> 01:53:18,200 Speaker 2: third stage, like, who's seeing you? I mean, I've been 2267 01:53:18,200 --> 01:53:19,960 Speaker 2: to some of these festivals. You go out at you know, 2268 01:53:20,080 --> 01:53:23,680 Speaker 2: even three o'clock, who's there? Three thousand people? You know, 2269 01:53:23,840 --> 01:53:26,160 Speaker 2: at eight o'clock at night is thirty thousand, At ten 2270 01:53:26,200 --> 01:53:28,200 Speaker 2: o'clock is forty thousand. You know what I mean. It's 2271 01:53:28,200 --> 01:53:29,960 Speaker 2: like if you get the right and I tell us 2272 01:53:29,960 --> 01:53:32,080 Speaker 2: to ax all the time, but they but they want 2273 01:53:32,160 --> 01:53:34,320 Speaker 2: it for the reason you opened up with Bob. They 2274 01:53:34,320 --> 01:53:36,840 Speaker 2: want it on their resume. That's what they say. I 2275 01:53:36,960 --> 01:53:39,760 Speaker 2: just want to say that I did it, I said, Okay, 2276 01:53:39,840 --> 01:53:42,000 Speaker 2: I mean then I lose the argument because my argument 2277 01:53:42,040 --> 01:53:44,960 Speaker 2: to them is why bother? You know, you have to 2278 01:53:44,960 --> 01:53:47,640 Speaker 2: stick it in somewhere where it doesn't fit. You have 2279 01:53:47,720 --> 01:53:49,960 Speaker 2: to try to surround it because you just don't want 2280 01:53:49,960 --> 01:53:51,760 Speaker 2: to fly out and do it. You can't afford to, 2281 01:53:52,240 --> 01:53:54,519 Speaker 2: and you're not making much money, and where are you playing. 2282 01:53:54,680 --> 01:53:58,120 Speaker 2: You know you're planning to nobody. It's a shame. But yeah, 2283 01:53:58,120 --> 01:54:00,000 Speaker 2: there can be some traction. And every once in a while, 2284 01:54:00,040 --> 01:54:02,320 Speaker 2: well you know, an act comes out of the festival 2285 01:54:02,439 --> 01:54:05,000 Speaker 2: season or something or two or three and everybody goes, oh, 2286 01:54:05,000 --> 01:54:07,280 Speaker 2: that's how to do it. There's no magic bullet in 2287 01:54:07,320 --> 01:54:10,639 Speaker 2: this business. There is no magic bullet. Now, if there 2288 01:54:10,680 --> 01:54:16,120 Speaker 2: was an absolute brand new led Zeppelin today, only because 2289 01:54:16,200 --> 01:54:19,640 Speaker 2: they're one of my favorite bands, or Jimmy Hendrix, I 2290 01:54:19,680 --> 01:54:22,120 Speaker 2: think they did a couple of festival blow people away, 2291 01:54:22,120 --> 01:54:23,479 Speaker 2: and yes it would happen, but if they did it 2292 01:54:23,479 --> 01:54:26,160 Speaker 2: at one o'clock in the afternoon, nobody would frickin know. 2293 01:54:27,840 --> 01:54:32,400 Speaker 1: Okay, Another one of your long term clients is Joe Satriani. 2294 01:54:33,360 --> 01:54:36,880 Speaker 1: Sometimes he works with other people. You know, it could 2295 01:54:36,880 --> 01:54:39,480 Speaker 1: be too active, could be part of Sammy Hagar's being. 2296 01:54:40,120 --> 01:54:42,800 Speaker 1: Is that just a lifelong career or is there any 2297 01:54:42,920 --> 01:54:45,800 Speaker 1: upside in the touring of someone like Satriani. 2298 01:54:47,480 --> 01:54:50,720 Speaker 2: It's a lifelong career, really, I mean there's an upside 2299 01:54:50,720 --> 01:54:52,680 Speaker 2: obviously he you know, he makes money or he wouldn't 2300 01:54:52,680 --> 01:54:55,400 Speaker 2: do it. But it's a lifelong career. It's not like 2301 01:54:55,440 --> 01:54:57,120 Speaker 2: you do it for you know, I don't think any 2302 01:54:57,200 --> 01:54:59,080 Speaker 2: a lot of these extra five for five years and 2303 01:54:59,120 --> 01:55:01,320 Speaker 2: you retire or ten years or whatever. But so I've 2304 01:55:01,320 --> 01:55:03,680 Speaker 2: represented Joe for I don't even know how long, thirty 2305 01:55:03,680 --> 01:55:09,320 Speaker 2: five years, long time, my probably longest client. He's on 2306 01:55:09,320 --> 01:55:12,000 Speaker 2: the road. So what we've done, when I say, way 2307 01:55:12,040 --> 01:55:14,880 Speaker 2: the former manager who passed away a few years ago unfortunately, 2308 01:55:14,960 --> 01:55:18,960 Speaker 2: you know, terrible accident, what we would do with Joe 2309 01:55:19,120 --> 01:55:21,480 Speaker 2: is we would just try to change it up because 2310 01:55:21,520 --> 01:55:24,520 Speaker 2: again we had an artist or not again. But you know, 2311 01:55:25,040 --> 01:55:27,760 Speaker 2: no record company, no radio stations after the mid nineties, right, 2312 01:55:27,800 --> 01:55:31,200 Speaker 2: the AARs were dead early early to mid nineties, like 2313 01:55:31,240 --> 01:55:34,200 Speaker 2: they just went away. And that's when his career started. 2314 01:55:34,960 --> 01:55:37,560 Speaker 2: You know, when I career sorry, his business, not his career, 2315 01:55:37,560 --> 01:55:39,960 Speaker 2: but his business started waning a bit, no pun intended. 2316 01:55:40,680 --> 01:55:42,840 Speaker 2: And we had conversations on the phone about it, and 2317 01:55:43,080 --> 01:55:45,240 Speaker 2: and I, you know, gave it some thought. We got 2318 01:55:45,280 --> 01:55:47,200 Speaker 2: to do something, you know. And it's not about just 2319 01:55:47,240 --> 01:55:50,560 Speaker 2: going to smaller venues, because with an artist, some of them, 2320 01:55:50,800 --> 01:55:52,360 Speaker 2: some of them will accept that if they want to 2321 01:55:52,400 --> 01:55:54,040 Speaker 2: just be you know, if they just want to work, 2322 01:55:54,120 --> 01:55:55,520 Speaker 2: you know, I just want to go play my music, 2323 01:55:55,560 --> 01:55:57,800 Speaker 2: I'm okay. But if if they have a you know, 2324 01:55:57,840 --> 01:56:02,440 Speaker 2: if they have a like an artistic you know, feeling. 2325 01:56:02,480 --> 01:56:05,000 Speaker 2: And we all have egos. All of us have egos, 2326 01:56:05,120 --> 01:56:06,800 Speaker 2: big ones, little ones. It doesn't matter. We all have 2327 01:56:06,880 --> 01:56:09,600 Speaker 2: to have an ego. I think we're not most of 2328 01:56:09,640 --> 01:56:11,680 Speaker 2: us have egos. I shouldn't say, oh, maybe some people don't, 2329 01:56:11,680 --> 01:56:13,960 Speaker 2: but most of us have some kind of an ego. 2330 01:56:14,040 --> 01:56:15,480 Speaker 2: So as an artist, you want to be able to 2331 01:56:15,520 --> 01:56:17,640 Speaker 2: present yourself. You don't want to just keep going smaller 2332 01:56:17,680 --> 01:56:20,880 Speaker 2: and smaller venues. So I knew that that wasn't the answer, 2333 01:56:21,120 --> 01:56:25,160 Speaker 2: you know. So we sat where I sat. We talked 2334 01:56:25,200 --> 01:56:26,880 Speaker 2: on the phone, but I sat and I thought about 2335 01:56:26,880 --> 01:56:28,000 Speaker 2: it and thought about it, and I thought, okay, we 2336 01:56:28,080 --> 01:56:33,960 Speaker 2: gotta do something different. So I actually call the manager. 2337 01:56:34,080 --> 01:56:36,040 Speaker 2: I said, I have an idea. So I'm a as 2338 01:56:36,040 --> 01:56:39,040 Speaker 2: you may already know or not with the names i've 2339 01:56:39,080 --> 01:56:42,840 Speaker 2: been thrown out, I'm a lifelong guitar freak, right, guitar 2340 01:56:42,880 --> 01:56:45,960 Speaker 2: player freak like that's been my thing. So I've represented 2341 01:56:45,920 --> 01:56:47,920 Speaker 2: a lot of guitar players over the years, bands with 2342 01:56:48,280 --> 01:56:51,480 Speaker 2: you know, heavy guitar players, whatever, stand out guitar players 2343 01:56:51,600 --> 01:56:55,560 Speaker 2: even now, even now, So I thought about it. I thought, 2344 01:56:55,560 --> 01:56:59,520 Speaker 2: what would those fans, especially those guitar nerds, right the gearheads, 2345 01:56:59,520 --> 01:57:00,760 Speaker 2: what do they want? I want to see? They want 2346 01:57:00,760 --> 01:57:03,000 Speaker 2: to see they want to see guitar players. What's the 2347 01:57:03,040 --> 01:57:07,600 Speaker 2: most exciting thing for me? When I, you know, was 2348 01:57:07,640 --> 01:57:10,280 Speaker 2: in college and I went to a show and I 2349 01:57:10,320 --> 01:57:12,280 Speaker 2: wanted to see a show. What was exciting. What was 2350 01:57:12,280 --> 01:57:14,560 Speaker 2: exciting is when the guitar player from one band got 2351 01:57:14,600 --> 01:57:16,200 Speaker 2: on stage with the guitar player from the other band. 2352 01:57:16,240 --> 01:57:19,960 Speaker 2: They jammed for a while. So I called the manager 2353 01:57:19,960 --> 01:57:21,320 Speaker 2: one day and I said, okay, I have an idea. 2354 01:57:22,120 --> 01:57:24,600 Speaker 2: I said, what if we get three guitar players or 2355 01:57:24,600 --> 01:57:26,880 Speaker 2: four guitar players and put them on stage with one 2356 01:57:26,960 --> 01:57:31,360 Speaker 2: band and we do like the whole fucking shows almost 2357 01:57:31,400 --> 01:57:33,720 Speaker 2: a jam like, you know, they play each of their 2358 01:57:33,760 --> 01:57:36,000 Speaker 2: own songs or whatever. Then they jam some songs and 2359 01:57:36,040 --> 01:57:38,760 Speaker 2: they do all this. And I said, basically, it's an 2360 01:57:38,800 --> 01:57:42,440 Speaker 2: indoor festival. And he said, I don't know. Let me 2361 01:57:42,440 --> 01:57:44,320 Speaker 2: think about it, all right, So he goes back, right, 2362 01:57:44,320 --> 01:57:46,240 Speaker 2: and he calls me back. He goes. I spoke to Joe. 2363 01:57:46,360 --> 01:57:49,200 Speaker 2: It's it's not a great idea, he said. There's some 2364 01:57:49,240 --> 01:57:50,880 Speaker 2: problems with him. He said. One of them is, you know, 2365 01:57:50,880 --> 01:57:53,120 Speaker 2: they have to learn his material. He has to learn theirs. 2366 01:57:53,160 --> 01:57:54,840 Speaker 2: The other guys have to learn that, you know, blah blah. 2367 01:57:54,880 --> 01:57:57,280 Speaker 2: He said. It's there's a logistical thing here. And again 2368 01:57:57,320 --> 01:58:00,680 Speaker 2: we're not talking about you know, three chord blues, right 2369 01:58:00,760 --> 01:58:03,520 Speaker 2: or whatever, three bard blues. We're talking about technique and 2370 01:58:03,560 --> 01:58:07,040 Speaker 2: technical you know stuff. So I thought, okay, I understand, 2371 01:58:07,040 --> 01:58:10,000 Speaker 2: you're right, he said, but how about this? He said, 2372 01:58:10,000 --> 01:58:13,160 Speaker 2: what if we have three bands and the three bands 2373 01:58:13,200 --> 01:58:15,200 Speaker 2: play each their own set, and then at the end 2374 01:58:15,240 --> 01:58:18,200 Speaker 2: they jammed for half an hour. I said, that's a 2375 01:58:18,200 --> 01:58:21,120 Speaker 2: great fucking idea. Let's do that. So that became G 2376 01:58:21,280 --> 01:58:24,720 Speaker 2: three and the idea was to give him another platform, 2377 01:58:24,720 --> 01:58:26,720 Speaker 2: to give him something, you know, he had spoken to 2378 01:58:26,760 --> 01:58:28,120 Speaker 2: Joe and they had come up with that idea of 2379 01:58:28,160 --> 01:58:29,800 Speaker 2: let's do the three bands with the three whatever and 2380 01:58:29,840 --> 01:58:31,560 Speaker 2: then and then we had to come up with a name, 2381 01:58:32,200 --> 01:58:34,680 Speaker 2: and he and Joe came up with G three, and 2382 01:58:34,720 --> 01:58:37,120 Speaker 2: so G three was formed and that was basically three 2383 01:58:37,360 --> 01:58:41,920 Speaker 2: bands led by guitar players on stage playing and then 2384 01:58:41,960 --> 01:58:45,200 Speaker 2: they jammed at the end. And to this day, especially overseas, 2385 01:58:45,400 --> 01:58:48,520 Speaker 2: everyone thinks it's a band. They always called me, I 2386 01:58:48,520 --> 01:58:50,320 Speaker 2: want to book the G three band, you know whatever, 2387 01:58:50,320 --> 01:58:52,240 Speaker 2: and I go, it's not a band, it's a concept. 2388 01:58:52,480 --> 01:58:55,640 Speaker 2: So we did that for you know, many we did that. Alternately, 2389 01:58:55,840 --> 01:58:57,960 Speaker 2: Joe would go on tour with an album and then 2390 01:58:58,360 --> 01:59:00,200 Speaker 2: when he didn't have an album, we do G three 2391 01:59:00,320 --> 01:59:02,320 Speaker 2: and we just, you know, we weren't like that. And 2392 01:59:02,360 --> 01:59:05,200 Speaker 2: then what happens eventually is you run out of guitar players. 2393 01:59:05,960 --> 01:59:08,200 Speaker 2: You know, unless you can get Brian May or Jeff 2394 01:59:08,280 --> 01:59:10,240 Speaker 2: Beck or you know, Jimmy Page to be in it, 2395 01:59:10,240 --> 01:59:12,960 Speaker 2: you start running out of guitar players that have teeth. Now, 2396 01:59:13,000 --> 01:59:15,320 Speaker 2: there's some good guitar players out there, but what we 2397 01:59:15,440 --> 01:59:17,640 Speaker 2: found is I'm probably going deeper than you want, Bob, 2398 01:59:17,680 --> 01:59:20,120 Speaker 2: But let me know if I am no matter who 2399 01:59:20,120 --> 01:59:22,120 Speaker 2: we put on. After about the first four or five, 2400 01:59:22,640 --> 01:59:25,520 Speaker 2: the business got no better than Joe on his own 2401 01:59:26,080 --> 01:59:28,680 Speaker 2: because it virtually was the same audience because none of 2402 01:59:28,720 --> 01:59:30,880 Speaker 2: the other guitar players really had teeth. The best show 2403 01:59:30,960 --> 01:59:34,040 Speaker 2: was the first one the business rather again because it 2404 01:59:34,080 --> 01:59:36,640 Speaker 2: was probably the first one that was Joe Eric Johnson, 2405 01:59:36,640 --> 01:59:39,000 Speaker 2: who I represented at the time, and Steve I was 2406 01:59:39,000 --> 01:59:41,760 Speaker 2: the opening act, and Steve and Joe grew up together, 2407 01:59:42,040 --> 01:59:45,080 Speaker 2: but they never played on stage together anywhere, so that 2408 01:59:45,200 --> 01:59:47,000 Speaker 2: was like the first time they were kind of playing 2409 01:59:47,000 --> 01:59:49,640 Speaker 2: together on stage, right. And then we did one again 2410 01:59:49,680 --> 01:59:54,360 Speaker 2: the next time with Joe, Steve and Kenny Wayne Sheppard, 2411 01:59:55,240 --> 01:59:57,240 Speaker 2: and we had Robert Fripp playing on the side of 2412 01:59:57,240 --> 01:59:59,640 Speaker 2: the stage opening the show, but he didn't want to 2413 01:59:59,680 --> 02:00:02,080 Speaker 2: be visit and he played what he called airport music, 2414 02:00:02,640 --> 02:00:05,240 Speaker 2: but we advertised him on the bill, and he wouldn't 2415 02:00:05,240 --> 02:00:06,880 Speaker 2: come out and jam with him because didn't want anybody 2416 02:00:06,880 --> 02:00:10,600 Speaker 2: to see him for whatever reason. He's a lovely guy, 2417 02:00:10,600 --> 02:00:12,600 Speaker 2: but he's not into the spotlight basically, you know, he's 2418 02:00:12,640 --> 02:00:15,160 Speaker 2: not into being in the spotlight. Uh. And then the 2419 02:00:15,240 --> 02:00:17,920 Speaker 2: next one that did the second best ever, I think 2420 02:00:17,920 --> 02:00:19,840 Speaker 2: it was a third or fourth one was with Ingvey 2421 02:00:19,880 --> 02:00:24,760 Speaker 2: Malmstein and that did really good business as well, because 2422 02:00:24,800 --> 02:00:27,600 Speaker 2: again Ingvey had real teeth, right, And then we did 2423 02:00:27,640 --> 02:00:29,560 Speaker 2: a bunch of other ones which were great, but then 2424 02:00:29,600 --> 02:00:31,560 Speaker 2: it was you know, it didn't when you talk about growing, 2425 02:00:31,600 --> 02:00:33,880 Speaker 2: it didn't really grow. So he kind of put it 2426 02:00:33,920 --> 02:00:35,720 Speaker 2: and we did it overseas. We did in Australia, we 2427 02:00:35,720 --> 02:00:39,160 Speaker 2: did in Europe, we did it in South America. So 2428 02:00:39,240 --> 02:00:41,160 Speaker 2: we kind of put it on hiatus for a long 2429 02:00:41,160 --> 02:00:43,600 Speaker 2: period of time. And actually the old manager and I, 2430 02:00:43,680 --> 02:00:45,680 Speaker 2: you know, at one point thought, I don't know, let's 2431 02:00:45,720 --> 02:00:48,480 Speaker 2: just or actually I recommended it to him, but he agreed. 2432 02:00:48,520 --> 02:00:50,600 Speaker 2: I said, let's just let's just not do it right now. 2433 02:00:50,920 --> 02:00:52,800 Speaker 2: It was a good brand. Let's not kill it, let's 2434 02:00:52,840 --> 02:00:54,800 Speaker 2: not let it die, Let's let it be something. Let's 2435 02:00:54,840 --> 02:00:58,360 Speaker 2: let people remember, you know. And so we let that go. 2436 02:00:58,480 --> 02:01:02,240 Speaker 2: So then what happened last was it last year? Yeah? 2437 02:01:02,400 --> 02:01:04,120 Speaker 2: I think it was last year the beginning of last year. 2438 02:01:04,160 --> 02:01:08,240 Speaker 2: So last year was like the we call it the 2439 02:01:08,240 --> 02:01:10,240 Speaker 2: twenty fifth anniversary, but I think it was actually like 2440 02:01:10,240 --> 02:01:13,160 Speaker 2: the twenty seventh really of G three. We put the 2441 02:01:13,200 --> 02:01:16,880 Speaker 2: original lineup back together in the original way, you know, 2442 02:01:16,920 --> 02:01:18,720 Speaker 2: that we did it. Oh, no, we did it, but 2443 02:01:18,760 --> 02:01:20,920 Speaker 2: I think Eric open this time. We put the lineup 2444 02:01:20,960 --> 02:01:22,880 Speaker 2: back together and we just did a west coast run, 2445 02:01:23,520 --> 02:01:26,880 Speaker 2: you know, north to south, because Joe wanted to do 2446 02:01:26,960 --> 02:01:30,120 Speaker 2: a documentary on G three and he wanted to film 2447 02:01:30,160 --> 02:01:31,960 Speaker 2: some live stuff and he wanted the guys back together. 2448 02:01:32,000 --> 02:01:34,720 Speaker 2: He wanted to do it then and now, which they did. 2449 02:01:34,760 --> 02:01:37,000 Speaker 2: They did that. So I put a run of dates together. 2450 02:01:37,560 --> 02:01:39,960 Speaker 2: You know, that would pay for itself, make the guys 2451 02:01:40,000 --> 02:01:43,160 Speaker 2: a few bucks, you know, you know that we're playing. 2452 02:01:43,480 --> 02:01:45,840 Speaker 2: And so Joe could put a documentary together, which was 2453 02:01:45,960 --> 02:01:47,800 Speaker 2: actually done by his son who went to film school. 2454 02:01:47,840 --> 02:01:50,440 Speaker 2: He's the director. And it was great. The business was great. 2455 02:01:50,480 --> 02:01:52,960 Speaker 2: The business was like the first time, it was amazing. Actually, 2456 02:01:53,240 --> 02:01:55,680 Speaker 2: so it still has you know, it still has something, 2457 02:01:55,720 --> 02:01:59,360 Speaker 2: it still has, you know, appeal. And then following that, 2458 02:02:00,160 --> 02:02:02,040 Speaker 2: for the rest of the country. I had planned this 2459 02:02:02,120 --> 02:02:06,160 Speaker 2: in advance. We did a Joe Satriiny band Steve Vaiband tour, 2460 02:02:06,520 --> 02:02:09,480 Speaker 2: which we had never done before, with the two of 2461 02:02:09,520 --> 02:02:11,600 Speaker 2: them playing, each with their own band, and then again 2462 02:02:11,640 --> 02:02:14,360 Speaker 2: they jammed at the end and that did really, really well. 2463 02:02:15,560 --> 02:02:21,960 Speaker 2: And then the manager talked to Joe and said, you 2464 02:02:22,000 --> 02:02:23,720 Speaker 2: know what would be great because he and I had 2465 02:02:23,760 --> 02:02:25,200 Speaker 2: talked and I said, you know, it would be great 2466 02:02:25,680 --> 02:02:27,920 Speaker 2: if the two of them played together in a band. 2467 02:02:28,040 --> 02:02:30,560 Speaker 2: That would be freaking amazing. And so he talked to 2468 02:02:30,640 --> 02:02:33,120 Speaker 2: Joe and they talked to Joe and Steve talk together, 2469 02:02:33,160 --> 02:02:35,560 Speaker 2: and so they put a band together. They actually went 2470 02:02:35,560 --> 02:02:37,600 Speaker 2: in a studio and recorded an album, which they'd never 2471 02:02:37,640 --> 02:02:41,160 Speaker 2: done before. Album comes out I think in September. They're 2472 02:02:41,200 --> 02:02:43,160 Speaker 2: in Europe now doing the tour. Unfortunately, the album was 2473 02:02:43,200 --> 02:02:45,800 Speaker 2: held up because of the LA fires, but they put 2474 02:02:45,800 --> 02:02:47,920 Speaker 2: out a couple of tracks, so they're doing a tour 2475 02:02:47,960 --> 02:02:51,560 Speaker 2: in Europe. The reviews were phenomenal, the UK dates were phenomenal, 2476 02:02:53,000 --> 02:02:55,560 Speaker 2: and we're planning a tour here yet next year. So 2477 02:02:56,440 --> 02:02:57,840 Speaker 2: I'm not trying to do a pitch for the tour, 2478 02:02:57,880 --> 02:02:59,800 Speaker 2: but we're planning and doing that tour here next year. 2479 02:03:00,120 --> 02:03:04,280 Speaker 2: Is called the setch V Band SVB be the first 2480 02:03:04,280 --> 02:03:06,320 Speaker 2: time that you know in America that they play in 2481 02:03:06,360 --> 02:03:08,920 Speaker 2: the same band and there's a guy that sings some songs, 2482 02:03:08,920 --> 02:03:12,960 Speaker 2: so actually there'll be some vocals and it's just again 2483 02:03:13,000 --> 02:03:14,880 Speaker 2: it's a new take. It's what you're asking about, what 2484 02:03:14,880 --> 02:03:17,200 Speaker 2: do you do so it's a career, but you just 2485 02:03:17,320 --> 02:03:20,080 Speaker 2: change it up, you know, you keep them excited, you 2486 02:03:20,200 --> 02:03:22,040 Speaker 2: keep the audience excited. I mean, that's all part of it. 2487 02:03:22,120 --> 02:03:23,880 Speaker 2: I just got an email from Steve I today going, 2488 02:03:24,080 --> 02:03:27,160 Speaker 2: this is so exciting. I can't wait for the US dates. 2489 02:03:27,240 --> 02:03:29,360 Speaker 2: I mean, that's what I do it for. 2490 02:03:30,400 --> 02:03:35,120 Speaker 1: Okay, let's go back to Niedo now that COVID is over. Yeah, 2491 02:03:35,440 --> 02:03:37,560 Speaker 1: how active and what's the agenda of Needo? 2492 02:03:39,400 --> 02:03:42,720 Speaker 2: Sonito's very active. We just hired an executive director full 2493 02:03:42,840 --> 02:03:47,960 Speaker 2: time starting this January. This at the end of last year, 2494 02:03:48,080 --> 02:03:51,720 Speaker 2: I was elected president for this year, so I'm sort 2495 02:03:51,720 --> 02:03:53,240 Speaker 2: of in the driver's seat, I guess if you want 2496 02:03:53,240 --> 02:03:54,400 Speaker 2: to call it that. But we have a board of 2497 02:03:54,440 --> 02:03:58,320 Speaker 2: directors which are probably probably half of the originals or 2498 02:03:58,360 --> 02:04:00,640 Speaker 2: a little less than half the original guy as people. 2499 02:04:01,680 --> 02:04:03,640 Speaker 2: And then we have some you know, new members that 2500 02:04:03,640 --> 02:04:06,160 Speaker 2: we've had new members coming in over the years. Some 2501 02:04:06,160 --> 02:04:10,080 Speaker 2: some people step down off the board, but we you know, 2502 02:04:10,120 --> 02:04:13,280 Speaker 2: we're fighting to fight on the tickets that we just 2503 02:04:13,320 --> 02:04:15,400 Speaker 2: talked about, and you know, the ticketing and the fees 2504 02:04:15,480 --> 02:04:20,560 Speaker 2: and whatever. We had a joint board meeting in Milwaukee 2505 02:04:20,560 --> 02:04:23,720 Speaker 2: with NEVA to see what it is they would like 2506 02:04:23,800 --> 02:04:27,800 Speaker 2: to see what they their problems, what they would hope 2507 02:04:27,800 --> 02:04:31,240 Speaker 2: to have happened. We gave them some of the things 2508 02:04:31,240 --> 02:04:33,120 Speaker 2: that we think we would like to see for us, 2509 02:04:33,160 --> 02:04:35,920 Speaker 2: for our clients. Uh So it was a good two 2510 02:04:36,000 --> 02:04:39,600 Speaker 2: hour discussion that we had. Aside from you know, individually talking, 2511 02:04:39,600 --> 02:04:42,920 Speaker 2: that was like a sit down joint board meeting. We 2512 02:04:43,000 --> 02:04:48,080 Speaker 2: had a before that they're turning over their president. They 2513 02:04:48,080 --> 02:04:50,520 Speaker 2: have a new president coming in July one. So we 2514 02:04:50,640 --> 02:04:54,760 Speaker 2: met with you know, two presidents and the executive director. 2515 02:04:54,880 --> 02:04:57,520 Speaker 2: Myself and two of the officers are our executive director 2516 02:04:57,560 --> 02:04:59,520 Speaker 2: had a baby, had a baby two and a half 2517 02:04:59,560 --> 02:05:01,600 Speaker 2: weeks ago, so he couldn't make the trip. He didn't 2518 02:05:01,600 --> 02:05:02,960 Speaker 2: have a baby. He and his wife had a baby. 2519 02:05:03,160 --> 02:05:05,400 Speaker 2: They couldn't make the trip. So he couldn't make the trip. 2520 02:05:05,400 --> 02:05:07,920 Speaker 2: He didn't want to leave home for three or four days. 2521 02:05:08,440 --> 02:05:11,200 Speaker 2: Uh So we we filled in for him on that. 2522 02:05:11,320 --> 02:05:16,240 Speaker 2: In that meeting, we're you know, we are talking to 2523 02:05:16,280 --> 02:05:20,120 Speaker 2: the p ros, the performing rights organizations about I don't 2524 02:05:20,120 --> 02:05:22,000 Speaker 2: want to get into a long conversation because that could 2525 02:05:22,040 --> 02:05:24,680 Speaker 2: last another hour, but you know, basically performing rights for 2526 02:05:24,720 --> 02:05:27,320 Speaker 2: people I don't realize, and the fans and audience aren't 2527 02:05:27,320 --> 02:05:29,320 Speaker 2: really going to care about this, but managers and artists 2528 02:05:29,320 --> 02:05:32,280 Speaker 2: care about it most of all. You know, the p 2529 02:05:32,400 --> 02:05:35,640 Speaker 2: r os, four of them right now. They collect you know, 2530 02:05:36,040 --> 02:05:38,839 Speaker 2: a fee on every show in most of every venue. 2531 02:05:38,920 --> 02:05:41,520 Speaker 2: Right some venues maybe they don't have a deal with yet, 2532 02:05:41,520 --> 02:05:45,240 Speaker 2: but mostly most of the venues, and that all goes 2533 02:05:45,280 --> 02:05:48,080 Speaker 2: into a pool. And one of the managers are speaking 2534 02:05:48,080 --> 02:05:50,800 Speaker 2: this weekend and this week sorry I keep saying this weekend, 2535 02:05:50,800 --> 02:05:53,840 Speaker 2: this week and saying that they had an artist that 2536 02:05:53,920 --> 02:05:56,880 Speaker 2: agreed to So what happens is you pay the four 2537 02:05:56,920 --> 02:06:00,960 Speaker 2: performing rights organizations okay, no matter what you sing or play, 2538 02:06:01,000 --> 02:06:03,880 Speaker 2: but you may only be licensed or have a deal 2539 02:06:03,920 --> 02:06:08,240 Speaker 2: with one of them. Okay, most people have with one 2540 02:06:08,320 --> 02:06:10,320 Speaker 2: or two. And if you're doing a lot of cover 2541 02:06:10,440 --> 02:06:13,160 Speaker 2: songs or other people's material, it could be that they're 2542 02:06:13,160 --> 02:06:15,839 Speaker 2: all four, right, But somebody that does their own material, 2543 02:06:16,160 --> 02:06:17,960 Speaker 2: if they have a deal with BMI, it's only BMI, 2544 02:06:18,040 --> 02:06:22,640 Speaker 2: not ASCA, for instance, or CSAK or GMR. So you're 2545 02:06:22,640 --> 02:06:26,480 Speaker 2: paying into a pool. And this one act said, Okay, 2546 02:06:26,640 --> 02:06:29,440 Speaker 2: I'll make a list of all the songs I'm playing 2547 02:06:29,440 --> 02:06:32,400 Speaker 2: and I'll submit it so that I can get paid 2548 02:06:32,400 --> 02:06:34,360 Speaker 2: on what to perform. So he did his whole tour 2549 02:06:34,560 --> 02:06:38,240 Speaker 2: and did that and on the money that was drawn 2550 02:06:38,280 --> 02:06:39,800 Speaker 2: on one of the shows. And I'm just this is 2551 02:06:39,880 --> 02:06:41,600 Speaker 2: third party, so I don't know this for a fact. 2552 02:06:43,000 --> 02:06:44,920 Speaker 2: One of the shows that he joined, I'm not sure 2553 02:06:44,920 --> 02:06:46,600 Speaker 2: what was paid in. It could be as much as 2554 02:06:47,240 --> 02:06:48,880 Speaker 2: three to six It could be like eight hundred bucks, 2555 02:06:48,920 --> 02:06:51,440 Speaker 2: seven hundred and fifty bucks. Let's say in a theater 2556 02:06:51,560 --> 02:06:55,280 Speaker 2: venue or something, you pay in it's actually a fixed 2557 02:06:55,320 --> 02:06:58,600 Speaker 2: fee versus a percentage of the sales most of the time. Okay, 2558 02:06:59,080 --> 02:07:01,120 Speaker 2: so let's say seven one hundred to one thousand he 2559 02:07:01,160 --> 02:07:04,760 Speaker 2: paid in, he got twenty eight bucks. So where the 2560 02:07:04,800 --> 02:07:07,880 Speaker 2: rest of the money go. So that's what we're looking into. 2561 02:07:07,920 --> 02:07:10,600 Speaker 2: Now take that to a stadium level, and could you imagine. 2562 02:07:10,680 --> 02:07:12,680 Speaker 2: I had a conversation with an attorney for one of 2563 02:07:12,720 --> 02:07:16,960 Speaker 2: the major for a number of major stadium acts, and 2564 02:07:17,000 --> 02:07:18,480 Speaker 2: I said, hey, if you ever looked at the pros? 2565 02:07:18,520 --> 02:07:19,680 Speaker 2: And he goes, what are you talking about? I said, 2566 02:07:19,680 --> 02:07:21,160 Speaker 2: do you ever see a settlement sheet? He said no. 2567 02:07:21,240 --> 02:07:23,200 Speaker 2: I said, let me send you a copy. I got 2568 02:07:23,200 --> 02:07:24,480 Speaker 2: on the phone with him a couple of days later. 2569 02:07:24,480 --> 02:07:26,400 Speaker 2: I said, have a look at this. I said, look 2570 02:07:26,400 --> 02:07:29,000 Speaker 2: at how much it's being paid out. How much you 2571 02:07:29,120 --> 02:07:31,640 Speaker 2: get how much do you realize you realize how much 2572 02:07:31,640 --> 02:07:32,760 Speaker 2: money that is on a tour if you do in 2573 02:07:32,800 --> 02:07:35,320 Speaker 2: all stadiums, I'm sure you're not getting that back. And 2574 02:07:35,320 --> 02:07:37,840 Speaker 2: he was like, holy shit, that's a lot of money. 2575 02:07:37,600 --> 02:07:39,600 Speaker 2: So we're trying to deal with that. Where are we 2576 02:07:39,640 --> 02:07:41,600 Speaker 2: going to get We don't know. We're advocating, you know, 2577 02:07:41,640 --> 02:07:45,960 Speaker 2: we're advocating for tickets. We did something again the normal 2578 02:07:46,280 --> 02:07:49,200 Speaker 2: Joe's not going to care about. We negotiated a you know, 2579 02:07:49,240 --> 02:07:55,040 Speaker 2: a terms and conditions attachment for contracts with Live Nation 2580 02:07:55,200 --> 02:07:58,720 Speaker 2: individually and AEG individually, and we're working with Neva to 2581 02:07:59,080 --> 02:08:01,720 Speaker 2: get something that they could recommend to their venues so 2582 02:08:01,760 --> 02:08:05,280 Speaker 2: that instead of them getting every from every agency for 2583 02:08:05,360 --> 02:08:08,040 Speaker 2: every act, a different set of terms and conditions. That's 2584 02:08:08,080 --> 02:08:11,480 Speaker 2: the add ons to the contract, like you know, no photography, 2585 02:08:11,920 --> 02:08:13,840 Speaker 2: you know, if it rains, this happens, you know, all 2586 02:08:13,880 --> 02:08:15,840 Speaker 2: the extra crap, you've got to have two million dollars 2587 02:08:15,880 --> 02:08:18,080 Speaker 2: in insurance, you know all that stuff. We're trying to 2588 02:08:18,120 --> 02:08:20,040 Speaker 2: pre negotiate all that so you can just do your 2589 02:08:20,080 --> 02:08:23,360 Speaker 2: basic contract, attach it which has already approved, send it, 2590 02:08:23,520 --> 02:08:27,000 Speaker 2: no argument. We all agreed it already, so we're trying 2591 02:08:27,000 --> 02:08:29,440 Speaker 2: to do that just to make the whole process of 2592 02:08:29,480 --> 02:08:33,000 Speaker 2: the contracting a lot easier and less tense and argumentative. 2593 02:08:33,080 --> 02:08:35,160 Speaker 2: So there's that that doesn't seem like a lot, but 2594 02:08:35,600 --> 02:08:39,440 Speaker 2: it is for a day to day scenario. We're you know, 2595 02:08:39,480 --> 02:08:44,120 Speaker 2: we negotiated an insurance policy for the younger acts to 2596 02:08:44,160 --> 02:08:47,720 Speaker 2: have a you know that need bottom line insurance for 2597 02:08:47,840 --> 02:08:51,040 Speaker 2: touring that can't afford a lot of insurance. So we 2598 02:08:51,120 --> 02:08:55,360 Speaker 2: negotiated with an organization needle members get a discount, and 2599 02:08:55,680 --> 02:08:58,280 Speaker 2: there's like a low level for the band starting out 2600 02:08:58,320 --> 02:09:00,600 Speaker 2: to make sure their equipment's covered. You know, they've got 2601 02:09:00,880 --> 02:09:03,400 Speaker 2: you know, you know, liability like that kind of stuff. 2602 02:09:03,440 --> 02:09:07,000 Speaker 2: So so we've negotiated that. At one point, we we know, 2603 02:09:07,120 --> 02:09:11,920 Speaker 2: we negotiate, sorry, we negotiated with Peter when Peter was 2604 02:09:11,920 --> 02:09:15,839 Speaker 2: still at a hub. We negotiated a festival and outdoor 2605 02:09:15,960 --> 02:09:20,480 Speaker 2: show weather contract or or deal for neat lower level 2606 02:09:20,560 --> 02:09:23,800 Speaker 2: Needo acts, right, they can't afford you know, not what 2607 02:09:23,840 --> 02:09:27,600 Speaker 2: do you call it weather insurance? Right, cancelation insurance. So 2608 02:09:27,600 --> 02:09:29,200 Speaker 2: so we you know, we did that. So some of 2609 02:09:29,200 --> 02:09:31,360 Speaker 2: the stuff we're doing is kind of boring and mundane 2610 02:09:31,440 --> 02:09:33,800 Speaker 2: to everybody else, but it's you know, it's for our members. 2611 02:09:35,040 --> 02:09:38,160 Speaker 2: You know, there's there's other things, uh, that we've been 2612 02:09:38,160 --> 02:09:40,320 Speaker 2: working on. You know, the ticketing things is a really 2613 02:09:40,320 --> 02:09:42,280 Speaker 2: big one because we've been involved in Maryland, we were 2614 02:09:42,320 --> 02:09:44,840 Speaker 2: involved in Maine, we were involved in New York State, 2615 02:09:45,080 --> 02:09:48,640 Speaker 2: We're involved in California. You know, we're involved in in 2616 02:09:49,040 --> 02:09:51,320 Speaker 2: a lot of different states because really at state by 2617 02:09:51,320 --> 02:09:54,520 Speaker 2: state over here, and and then there's things that that 2618 02:09:54,640 --> 02:09:56,880 Speaker 2: come up that you know, that that members say they 2619 02:09:56,880 --> 02:09:59,040 Speaker 2: need that we you know that we get involved with. 2620 02:10:00,040 --> 02:10:02,920 Speaker 2: So that's what we're here for. We do we run 2621 02:10:04,080 --> 02:10:07,800 Speaker 2: we're starting to run weekly, sorry not weekly, monthly webinars 2622 02:10:07,840 --> 02:10:09,720 Speaker 2: indoor town halls. So we used to do them once 2623 02:10:09,760 --> 02:10:11,920 Speaker 2: in a while. We do zooms for our members, so 2624 02:10:11,960 --> 02:10:13,920 Speaker 2: we've been this year we decided to get you know, 2625 02:10:14,000 --> 02:10:15,680 Speaker 2: serious about it, so we're doing one. So we did 2626 02:10:15,720 --> 02:10:19,360 Speaker 2: one on marketing and PR where we brought marketing people 2627 02:10:19,400 --> 02:10:22,760 Speaker 2: in and PR people you know, from a couple of firms, 2628 02:10:23,000 --> 02:10:25,920 Speaker 2: from a couple of promoters, independent marketers to do with 2629 02:10:26,120 --> 02:10:28,720 Speaker 2: session for members that wanted to to discuss marketing and 2630 02:10:29,480 --> 02:10:35,240 Speaker 2: public relations. We did one on visas Carnes and something else. 2631 02:10:35,280 --> 02:10:38,520 Speaker 2: There was like three topics on it. Boring for most people, 2632 02:10:38,640 --> 02:10:42,400 Speaker 2: but for people, especially managers that are touring, they need 2633 02:10:42,440 --> 02:10:44,200 Speaker 2: to know about that stuff. They need to know what 2634 02:10:44,240 --> 02:10:46,840 Speaker 2: their options are, what their issues, what the issues are. 2635 02:10:47,120 --> 02:10:49,320 Speaker 2: You know, country by country you can change, especially now 2636 02:10:49,360 --> 02:10:51,320 Speaker 2: that you know the UK is not in the EU anymore. 2637 02:10:51,320 --> 02:10:53,000 Speaker 2: It was easy to get from you know, the UK 2638 02:10:53,080 --> 02:10:55,680 Speaker 2: into Europe and tour, but now that they're not part 2639 02:10:55,680 --> 02:10:57,400 Speaker 2: of the EU, there's a whole thing of the trucking 2640 02:10:57,520 --> 02:10:59,640 Speaker 2: go in and out of the UK back to Europe. 2641 02:11:00,520 --> 02:11:03,640 Speaker 2: Things that you know, most people generally don't know about. 2642 02:11:04,600 --> 02:11:06,400 Speaker 2: We did what we're going to We did one on 2643 02:11:06,920 --> 02:11:09,680 Speaker 2: mental health on the road the other day, which was 2644 02:11:09,720 --> 02:11:11,040 Speaker 2: a really good one. We had a lot of people 2645 02:11:11,040 --> 02:11:14,760 Speaker 2: attend that one, and that's important because that's happening. Issues 2646 02:11:14,760 --> 02:11:16,600 Speaker 2: are happening more and more, you know, when you're out 2647 02:11:16,600 --> 02:11:20,040 Speaker 2: on the road, especially for these crew people right there. 2648 02:11:20,680 --> 02:11:23,000 Speaker 2: So an artist goes on the road for you know what, 2649 02:11:23,600 --> 02:11:27,480 Speaker 2: sixty or eighty days, maybe ninety days. Maybe maybe it's 2650 02:11:27,520 --> 02:11:29,560 Speaker 2: one hundred and twenty, you know, but not that many shows, 2651 02:11:29,560 --> 02:11:31,640 Speaker 2: but maybe it's over a period. Some of these crew 2652 02:11:31,680 --> 02:11:34,680 Speaker 2: guys are working all year long and they don't think 2653 02:11:34,720 --> 02:11:37,760 Speaker 2: about it. The burnout rates really high mentally I'm talking 2654 02:11:37,800 --> 02:11:41,120 Speaker 2: about physically also, so you know, there are a lot 2655 02:11:41,160 --> 02:11:42,640 Speaker 2: of issues. So we're just trying to we're trying to 2656 02:11:42,640 --> 02:11:44,920 Speaker 2: help with that, so you know, those are the kinds 2657 02:11:44,920 --> 02:11:45,560 Speaker 2: of things that we do. 2658 02:11:46,240 --> 02:11:51,200 Speaker 1: Okay, Finally, why should someone hire you as an agent 2659 02:11:51,400 --> 02:11:56,280 Speaker 1: as opposed to anybody else? And implicit in that question 2660 02:11:56,440 --> 02:11:59,960 Speaker 1: is to what degree should acts hire and independent age 2661 02:12:00,720 --> 02:12:03,960 Speaker 1: as opposed to one of these corporate own full sort 2662 02:12:03,960 --> 02:12:05,000 Speaker 1: of agencies. 2663 02:12:07,280 --> 02:12:10,680 Speaker 2: I'll just say this to the on the immediately to 2664 02:12:10,920 --> 02:12:12,800 Speaker 2: get it out of the way before I actually say 2665 02:12:12,800 --> 02:12:15,800 Speaker 2: why they should hire me personally, it really depends on 2666 02:12:15,840 --> 02:12:17,760 Speaker 2: what an acts looking for. If they want to be 2667 02:12:17,760 --> 02:12:20,760 Speaker 2: a TV film star, I'm not the place to come, Okay. 2668 02:12:21,120 --> 02:12:24,400 Speaker 2: I doubt whether the regular Joe act is going to 2669 02:12:24,440 --> 02:12:26,560 Speaker 2: be a film or TV store. Anyway, it's a great pitch. 2670 02:12:26,840 --> 02:12:28,400 Speaker 2: I've had a couple of acts over the years that 2671 02:12:28,640 --> 02:12:30,200 Speaker 2: left me because they thought they were going to get 2672 02:12:30,200 --> 02:12:32,280 Speaker 2: a film score or they were going to be in 2673 02:12:32,320 --> 02:12:34,800 Speaker 2: a movie or a TV thing. And I'm still waiting 2674 02:12:34,840 --> 02:12:37,280 Speaker 2: to see and hear all of the above. Okay, So 2675 02:12:37,640 --> 02:12:40,320 Speaker 2: that's number one. It depends on what you want. If 2676 02:12:40,360 --> 02:12:42,560 Speaker 2: you want somebody that's going to help you and give 2677 02:12:42,600 --> 02:12:45,440 Speaker 2: good advice, if you want somebody that's gonna really care, 2678 02:12:45,960 --> 02:12:47,400 Speaker 2: and if you're gonna want somebody and I hate to 2679 02:12:47,400 --> 02:12:50,320 Speaker 2: say this because my daughters think I'm I'm crazy and 2680 02:12:50,320 --> 02:12:52,080 Speaker 2: I should get out of business already, is if you 2681 02:12:52,120 --> 02:12:54,440 Speaker 2: want somebody that's gonna lose sleep over your fricking tour 2682 02:12:55,320 --> 02:12:58,280 Speaker 2: and literally wake up at five o'clock in the morning 2683 02:12:58,600 --> 02:13:01,360 Speaker 2: with an idea that they think is going to help 2684 02:13:01,480 --> 02:13:05,280 Speaker 2: you do something different that will help your career, or 2685 02:13:05,320 --> 02:13:08,280 Speaker 2: an idea. I've actually texted you know, promoters at six 2686 02:13:08,320 --> 02:13:10,600 Speaker 2: o'clock in the morning when I came up with something 2687 02:13:10,600 --> 02:13:12,160 Speaker 2: to save a date that I thought was going to 2688 02:13:12,240 --> 02:13:17,240 Speaker 2: go down. And you want some good advice on like 2689 02:13:17,360 --> 02:13:22,320 Speaker 2: building and maintaining your career, I'm the guy, but I'm again, 2690 02:13:22,360 --> 02:13:27,480 Speaker 2: I'm not for everybody. I say what I mean Sometimes 2691 02:13:27,520 --> 02:13:32,240 Speaker 2: I shouldn't, but I do. I'm basically honest as far 2692 02:13:32,280 --> 02:13:34,840 Speaker 2: as and I don't mean in a financial way. I'm 2693 02:13:34,880 --> 02:13:36,960 Speaker 2: talking about in a conversational way. I may say things 2694 02:13:36,960 --> 02:13:40,800 Speaker 2: that will end up costing me the relation, the representation, 2695 02:13:40,920 --> 02:13:42,720 Speaker 2: but I'm going to say what I mean, because if 2696 02:13:42,720 --> 02:13:46,040 Speaker 2: somebody is dreaming, I'm going to tell them that you're dreaming. 2697 02:13:46,480 --> 02:13:48,440 Speaker 2: I hope you achieve it, but I don't think you will. 2698 02:13:48,760 --> 02:13:50,040 Speaker 2: I think you got to. You know. Sometimes it's like 2699 02:13:50,080 --> 02:13:51,720 Speaker 2: I'm gonna do this and I'm gonna get here. Yeah, 2700 02:13:51,760 --> 02:13:53,880 Speaker 2: there's a lot of steps to get there. You're not 2701 02:13:53,960 --> 02:13:55,840 Speaker 2: just getting there. You got to do all this first. 2702 02:13:57,440 --> 02:14:00,000 Speaker 2: And you know, I like to take care of details. 2703 02:14:00,120 --> 02:14:03,560 Speaker 2: I'm a detail oriented guy for everyone else, not for myself. 2704 02:14:04,960 --> 02:14:08,400 Speaker 1: Okay, Wayne, a lot of information here. I'm glad we 2705 02:14:08,520 --> 02:14:10,839 Speaker 1: covered what Nita was doing, a lot of important stuff. 2706 02:14:11,480 --> 02:14:13,440 Speaker 1: I want to thank you for taking this time to 2707 02:14:13,480 --> 02:14:14,560 Speaker 1: talk with my audience. 2708 02:14:15,600 --> 02:14:18,120 Speaker 2: You're welcome, Bob anytime. I appreciate it. Thank you for 2709 02:14:18,160 --> 02:14:18,480 Speaker 2: the time. 2710 02:14:18,560 --> 02:14:20,920 Speaker 1: Okay, we still didn't cover David Bowie in all the 2711 02:14:20,960 --> 02:14:22,320 Speaker 1: Old Days at another time. 2712 02:14:23,000 --> 02:14:24,400 Speaker 2: Well, we should come back to that because I have 2713 02:14:24,440 --> 02:14:26,680 Speaker 2: some good stories. If you want to do a story, okay. 2714 02:14:26,520 --> 02:14:31,000 Speaker 1: I'm sure. Until next time. This is Bob left six