Anyone up for a laugh?

I have 4 kinds of answers;

1) the "feel good" answer that someone mentioned above. This is the standard copy-paste reply that goes out to 90% of all the bands that contacts us. We listen to everything, (unless they specifically state in their bio that they are a neo nazi band or something other really stupid), but if it doesn't catch our attention within the first minute or two a few songs, they'll get our standard answer.

2) the "hot damn, I love this"; only a select few get this mail, and that's the ones we're very interested in working with.

3) the "interesting - let me hear more" ... perhaps 5% get this one, and then they can choose to send more, or not ...

4) the "ha ha ha - that was bad" reply; which is the one I sent that guy earlier today. If their accompanying letter strikes me as being "full of themselves" and their music is ridiculously amateurish in my opinion and does not live up to the hype they create themselves, I'm definitely inclined to send one of those letters. Especially if there's something in their letter that really rubs me the wrong way. In this case, the guy was "we're so great - we almost had a major label deal but it didn't really happen - and we have all the media loving us", and then listening to the music is like going from full hard on to limb d*** in two seconds.

Let's face it - I'm not in this business to make friends. Why should I be "nice" to everyone, just because that's the "right thing to do"? Who tells me what the right thing to do is? I've been doing this for a lot of years - I never became a millionaire on it, and I never will ... but heck, I love what I do, and I think I'm entitled to state my opinion when I feel like it.

I don't care if this guy got his feelings hurt. To be completely honest here, I seriously doubt he did. His band is a "joke band" from all I can tell. There are pictures out there of the guy with a wig on that not even Joe Lynn Turner or Mark Boals would get caught dead with. His lyrics / song titles are definitely a joke. So with that in mind, I'm sure the guy was just being a funny guy sending this to try and get me into a war on words with him.

Allright, enough fun for today. I'll print Glenn a shirt and make sure he wears in at ProgPower. It'll be a step up from his hawaii shirts anyway ;)

c.
 
Plus, giving the generic response imo gives them false hope that what they're doing is even okay, when it's crap. I think being honest is the best way to be.
 
Claus / Intromental said:
I have 4 kinds of answers;

1) the "feel good" answer that someone mentioned above. This is the standard copy-paste reply that goes out to 90% of all the bands that contacts us. We listen to everything, (unless they specifically state in their bio that they are a neo nazi band or something other really stupid), but if it doesn't catch our attention within the first minute or two a few songs, they'll get our standard answer.

2) the "hot damn, I love this"; only a select few get this mail, and that's the ones we're very interested in working with.

3) the "interesting - let me hear more" ... perhaps 5% get this one, and then they can choose to send more, or not ...

4) the "ha ha ha - that was bad" reply; which is the one I sent that guy earlier today. If their accompanying letter strikes me as being "full of themselves" and their music is ridiculously amateurish in my opinion and does not live up to the hype they create themselves, I'm definitely inclined to send one of those letters. Especially if there's something in their letter that really rubs me the wrong way. In this case, the guy was "we're so great - we almost had a major label deal but it didn't really happen - and we have all the media loving us", and then listening to the music is like going from full hard on to limb d*** in two seconds.

Let's face it - I'm not in this business to make friends. Why should I be "nice" to everyone, just because that's the "right thing to do"? Who tells me what the right thing to do is? I've been doing this for a lot of years - I never became a millionaire on it, and I never will ... but heck, I love what I do, and I think I'm entitled to state my opinion when I feel like it.

I don't care if this guy got his feelings hurt. To be completely honest here, I seriously doubt he did. His band is a "joke band" from all I can tell. There are pictures out there of the guy with a wig on that not even Joe Lynn Turner or Mark Boals would get caught dead with. His lyrics / song titles are definitely a joke. So with that in mind, I'm sure the guy was just being a funny guy sending this to try and get me into a war on words with him.

Allright, enough fun for today. I'll print Glenn a shirt and make sure he wears in at ProgPower. It'll be a step up from his hawaii shirts anyway ;)

c.
Click to expand...

You can choose to provide an answer that results in good karma. You can choose to provide an answer that hurts people and results in bad karma. What difference does it make if the band sucks? Bands do two things when they send you a demo: they mostly hope to interest you enough to make a deal, but they also value your opinion enough to expose their music to you. Slapping them down is just mean. You expose a lot of yourself in the way you write responses and the way you post here. No, you might not be looking to make friends. You certainly won't make as many as you could with your attitude.
Do you ever wonder how many great acts passed you by because they think you are an asshole?
 
they also value your opinion enough to expose their music to you.
Click to expand...

Bands that get #4 replies are bands that react in a shitty way to the "thanks but not interested" emails, or come off as king shit. And it's mostly the one person in the band with an Axl Rose complex.

I mean, I've seen the emails these bands write, the conversations are literally

Musician: "Hey Listen to my music."

Management: "Thanks, but we
a) just don't have enough interest
b) have already told you twice we're not interested. From 2 different people. I'm the 3rd you've tried."

Musician: "you don't like our music, well fuck your opinion, I don't need your shitty 2 bit outfit. Fuck you. I'm going to be on a huge, mega tour next year anyway so go take a bath in acid you fucking fuck."

Management: "Reply template #4."

Weird how that works. A shitty, nobody band with a god complex will never sell more than 20 tickets to a show, but bigger bands that bring in large guarantees that actually have some real clout are fronted by the most respectful, amazing people who just want to make everything work.
 
nailz said:
Weird how that works. A shitty, nobody band with a god complex will never sell more than 20 tickets to a show, but bigger bands that bring in large guarantees that actually have some real clout are fronted by the most respectful, amazing people who just want to make everything work.
Click to expand...

haha, that's debatable actually. :lol:
 
No Username said:
You can choose to provide an answer that results in good karma. You can choose to provide an answer that hurts people and results in bad karma. What difference does it make if the band sucks? Bands do two things when they send you a demo: they mostly hope to interest you enough to make a deal, but they also value your opinion enough to expose their music to you. Slapping them down is just mean. You expose a lot of yourself in the way you write responses and the way you post here.
Click to expand...

As far as my responses to bands go; if you read the post you quoted, you'll see that it might be 2-3% who receive a "nasty-gram". Those are the ones who write to me in a stupid manner to begin with.

The way I post here is always very tongue-in-cheek. Unless I start a post out with a "official statement" disclaimer, this forum is my retreat from all the seriousness of the business. Those who know me are well aware of this. Those who are offended by it have deeper issues that they should probably have someone look into.

No Username said:
No, you might not be looking to make friends. You certainly won't make as many as you could with your attitude.
Click to expand...

Thanks for repeating what I said.

No Username said:
Do you ever wonder how many great acts passed you by because they think you are an asshole?
Click to expand...

Make no mistake; I'm well aware that I'm an asshole. I just don't care. I have given 20 years of my life to this business and when the average "fan" decided to ruin it by downloading music instead of paying for it, that's when I became a bitter old man and chose to deal with people the way they treat me. There's a very misguided belief system in effect right here, which is that you seem to think that I have to be nice to deal with musicians/labels/fans/etc - I don't. I have to do what I have to do (sometimes making tough choices and sometimes being a jerk) to make any headway. Trust me, Glenn does the exact same thing (just to mention someone who you might think is always mr. Nice Guy - no slam at Glenn, he's still my bro).
 
imshirt2013.jpg
 
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