ernesto en berlin

noreply@blogger.com (ernesto) — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 19:09:00 +0000

ernesto en berlin

WHITE TRASH 9.02.07

CHART OF THE EVENING BY POPULAR ACCLAMATION

1. SHE CRACKED -JONATHAN RICHMAN
2. IM SO GLAD- THE LITTER
3.SOUND VERITÉ-THE MAKE UP
4 THE BILLIARD PLAYER SONG-SHELLAC
5. ROCK MISSILE 45 FX 11-SIGUE SIGUE SPUTNIK
6.WHITE MAN-SUICIDE
7.RIDING WITH MARY-X
8.YOUTH OF AMERICA-THE VIPERS
9.TOMBSTONE BLUES-BOB DYLAN
10.GET AWAY-FLIPPER

THANK YOU MAX FOR THE SCHNITZEL, SYLVIA FOR THE BOOKING AND KARIN FOR YOUR SYMPATHIE AND BEAUTY

noreply@blogger.com (ernesto) — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 11:48:00 +0000

ernesto en berlin

http://www.whitetrashfastfood.com/?day=2007-02-09#09.02.2007
DJ SET NEXT FRIDAY FEB THE 9TH. AT 21 00 IN WHITE TRASH.
YOU GUYS ARE ALL HERZLICH INVITED BUT TRY TO CONTACT ME FIRST SO I PUT YOU ON THE GUESTLIST. OTHERWISE IT S 5 EURO.
ONLY PUNK-ROCK , INDIE AND FEW OLDIES

noreply@blogger.com (ernesto) — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 09:25:00 +0000

ernesto en berlin

LOU REED LIVE IN MONTREAUX 2000. DVD

Parece de verdad que hablar de Lou reed a estas alturas es un signo de no estar enterado de lo que sucede. Pero de verdad que lo que sucede es muy poco si pensamos en el acceso a la tecnología que tenemos y los grandes períodos vacacionalaes enn los que viven los habitantes de las culturas que nos gobiernan (o mejor países).
Reducir la calidad de la música a una cuestión de acceso a la tecnología y a una cuestión de tiempo libre no me parece en estos momentos una cosa del todo exagerada. Desgraciadamente esta reducción de tipo materialista es lo que ha llevado a la música popular actual a convertirse en un ejercicio de estilo tecnológico e ideológico: la ideología del buen sonido o la antiideología del low fi para salirse del esquema.
Entonces me sale una pregunta , dónde están los compositores,dónde está eso que llamaban los escritores de canciones? qué ha pasado con los escritores ?
No se sabe. Las exigencias tecnológicas de la industria, la potencia de los ordenadores etc... nos llenan de posibilidades y nos vacían de contenidos...
Ni una sola canción del repertorio de la velvet y para la nostalgia al final el just a perfect day y por lo demás repertorio de sus últimos discos.
Se acusa a reed de no saber tocar nada más que tres acordes, pero la sobriedad que despliega en escena así como su motivación como guitarrista solista son cosas que deberían impresionar a todo músico joven porque el mensaje está más que claro: hago lo que me da la gana con tres acordes y cuento historias o me meto en largas jams instrumentales de rock intelectual á la sonic youth y sueno mejor que nadie y escribo mejor que nadie.
No es posible ,repito,que la calidad de este concierto haya pasado desapercibida y para los detractores que fueron fans sólo un par de palabras: ya sé que es un viejo insoportable y arrogante y que su banda son músicos de sesión que están en ello sólo por el dinero, pero escúchate esto y dime por favor que es una mierda. Así quedas por encima , das una lección de iconoclasia pero no estás diciendo que lou reed y su grupo suenan ,en los momentos más arriesgados como un grupo de rock de vanguardia y que con ello salvan el pellejo, como llevan haciendo desde hace muchos anos.
Vaya sorpresa y vaya lección...

noreply@blogger.com (ernesto) — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 17:31:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (ernesto) — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 14:42:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (ernesto) — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 09:12:00 +0000

ernesto en berlin

Here are the first pictures from friedriechshain.
We found a dummy in the cellar, a very beautiful one that reminds me that girl i met on tuesday at the university.
Our beloved rob halford in the boxhagener str. is ruling the life in our street: breaking the law.

noreply@blogger.com (ernesto) — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 08:52:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (ernesto) — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 08:20:00 +0000

ernesto en berlin

novartis the swiss pharmacy company pretends to let pay 2000 euro a month to the indian cancer patients. everybody pls against the medical mafias, the software mafias and of course against the burocracy

noreply@blogger.com (ernesto) — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 08:10:00 +0000

dear friends

after 2 weeks of intense working and big stress here is the new adress

ernesto garcia
boxhagener str 32
10 245 berlin

e mail and mobilenumber are the same

very soon i will continue with the blog
the new idea ist to create two political parties

1. in spain .plataforma por la defensa de la constitución
2. in deutschland. demokratisches plattform gegen die Bürokratie

noreply@blogger.com (ernesto) — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 11:45:00 +0000

ernesto en berlin

Billy Childish is dead

Bonito documental de Graham Bondel sobre la vida del artista multidisciplinario Billy childish.
La época de la polarización de la segregación y la persecución, parece estar generando disensión creciente en el mundo en general y en del arte lógicamente también..

Billy childish es un artista de la disensión, el resultado de la caza y captura que la industria y la prensa están realizando desde hace 40 anos a todo lo „no mayoritario“.

La aplicación de los principios de la ridícula representatividad democrática, así como los no menos absurdos principios del comercio capitalista han ido separando de modo irreversible el producto de las discográficas del producto del artista pensante, dígamos esa obra que se vende.

Lo que nos están poniendo por la radio no está de moda, del mismo modo que los que se sientan en el parlamento parecen no querer hablar del problema principal de la sociedad espanola que es la especulación inmobiliaria y el yugo existencial que conlleva el no poder sentarse bajo un techo y con ello ser desplazado de nuevo y por los siglos de los siglos a la vida calenturienta de las tascas y los bares, ese eterno movimiento de lo mismo.

La moda, el espíritu de la época, lo que está en el aire parecen ser arrancados por estos inquisitores del gusto mayoritario del escaparate vital, como la obra de Billy Childish ha estado pasando desapercibida durante anos por la falta de cobertura mediática.

La eterna polarización: los indies son buenos y luchan contra la industra que es mala, algo así como los rebeldes y el malvado imperio galáctico.
Esta reconstrucción de la vida de un hombre libre, y así parece ser que está el patio, que a los hombres libres se les eleva a la categoría de artistas ,redunda en las leyendas de autodestrucción y adicción que parecen rodear a muchos artistas mayoritarios y minoritarios.

El esquema es sencillo: una mente torturada y el consumo de una substancia. Tras las desintoxicación, un verdadero boquete psicológico parece haber mellado a Childish. Si ese es el precio de la desintoxicación, a lo mejor más habría valido la muerte, pensarán otros...

Audiovisualmente el formato es el favorito de los artistas malditos. El super ocho y la cámara digital barata. Conceptos como iluminación, escenificación o puesta en escena no existen al tratarse de un documental sobre Billy Childish.

Muchos artistas minoritarios nos son revelados por los investigadores y sesudos buscadores de oro del pop internacional. Degustadores. Se trata de la búsqueda y descubrimiento de lo desconocido. Pretenden marcar la línea no oficial para ponerse de este modo por encima del ramplón gusto de las masas que no piensan. Tan infantil me parece la idealización de los degustadores de lo bueno como la satanización de la libertad artística de las discográficas. Y al pobre Childish le ha tocado estar junto en el medio.

Nadie parece darse cuenta que las listas de éxitos no son más que la consecuencia de la democracia y que el enemigo del artista ( y del ciudadano con conciencia de ciudadano) no son las discográficas, que aparecen más como subcontratas culturales del poder ,sino el sistema que riega la planta de lo mayoritario, de lo anti aristocrático o de lo anti elitista, la supuesta democratización... Democratización en el arte no significa el tener más acceso a los productos de las discográficas, sino en crear uno sólo sus propios discos y sus propias discográficas para él y sus amigos ( y enemigos). Así que Childish es un verdadero artista democrático en el sentido de que levanta la mano en una asamblea en la que nadie parece darse cuenta de su presencia, estando más ocupados en preparar el próximo lanzamiento. La industria ningunea al artista democrático.

Si queremos conseguir una nación de 40 millones de Billy Childish y erradicar de este modo el abuso de la prensa conchavada con la industria, debemos eliminar la monarquía parlamentaria y con ella la especulación inmobiliaria y cultural a la que nos ha sometido.

De la eliminación, y con ello me refiero más a la categoría metafísica que a la institución, de la monarquía parlamentaria surgirán sin duda formas que permitan acceder a los jóvenes artistas a un tejado bajo el que vivir e imaginarse otros mundos que no necesariamente tengan que ver con la familia como forma impuesta (no voluntaria) de socialización o de la radio fórmula como forma impuesta de sueno.

Lo que va quedando cada vez más claro es que las formas estéticas que nos están imponiendo y nos estamos imponiendo, así como los principios de la socialización asociados al consumo tomas un derrotero de atomización y polarización.

La escenificación ritual, el contexto estético en el que se nos muestra la obra polifacética de Childish es una liturgia indie perteneciente más todavía a la categoría del auto sacramental que al documental panegírico. La loa a lo independiente tiene la molesta vibración de los cánticos religiosos que buscan la desaparición del principio de individuación. Individuación se nos presenta también de modo totalmente opuesto a la aceptación general de una capacidad, a la autoridad, polaridad que vulnera el principio de la máxima autoridad: la individual.

Childish es individuación máxima y parece marcar con su trayectoria la posibilidad de desaparecer bajo la tierra , la fauna y la flora de la publicidad y los medios y no obstante aparecer siempre de nuevo.

Fantásticas descargas de punk rock sesentero con desprecio absoluto a eso que llaman profesionalidad, el oficio de los desplazados del cánon clásico, del virtuosismo instrumental. Los historiadores de un rock que se muere en las consolas de los grandes estudios de producción.
Como si de una conspiración se tratase, se reconstruye el mundo de Childish a partir de referencias de amigos y de críticos de distinta índole. Unos hablan de los grandes clásicos de la literatura inglesa (esa mierda la he oído ya en otra capital europea que era la capital de un imperio en el que dicen que no se ponía nunca el sol...), otros comparan el trabajo pictórico de Childish con el de Van Gogh (...), otros de la zozobra de la bebida. Una pura reconstrucción como cualquier otra, en este caso de la vida de un hombre libre.

CONCIERTO DE CONMEMORACIÓN DE LOS 40 PRINCIPALES EN EL ESTADIO VICENTE CALDERÓN. DVD PROMOCIONAL.

Agotado de los excesos de la música experimental y el underground berlinés , me pongo a ver con mi hermano el video de conmemoración de los 40 anos de los 40 principales. En menudos charcos me meto, pero es lógico buscar equilibrio e intentar rebatir los argumentos excesivos de la aristocracia del pop con la que me junto. Ya que estoy tan hasta los cojones del elitismo de los artistas malos que se esconden detrás de una incomprensibilidad como del mainstream.

Así que con ganas de revalorizar un poco el mainstream me sumerjo en unas aguas pestilentes de recuerdos donde se repasa el panorama radiofónico de la música espanola comercial de los últimos anos.

El panorama es dantesco y lunar. Parece una bufonada, pero sin embargo va en serio.

Los que piensen que el mainstream de hoy tiene algo que ver con la excelencia instrumental y la profesionalidad también se equivocan. Un par de pobres músicos de sesión que se han pasado la vida entrenando los dedos más que el cerebro son los que van a dar el sonido de la fiesta. Con sus instrumentos brillantes y sus partituras parecen tocar como las bandas de pueblo que tocan pasodobles, sin apasionamineto alguno, con la precisión del artista circense agotado que lo único que piensa es en volverse a casa cuanto antes y y si puede comer caliente...

Como al mediodía salen a hacer el ridículo y a desafinar de un modo ,repito, doloroso, unos cuantos cocainómanos enchufados de la sgae que no pueden ni con sus antiguos éxitos. Esos éxitos de la época del pelotazo y la corrupción, la entrada en el mercado común, los excesos de drogas y alcohol promovidos por el psoe... me refiero a cosas tan espanolas (si eso es espana yo me quiero dar de baja, de verdad) como gabinete caligari o loquillo.

De esta primera tanda de viejas glorias la única que se salva es Marta sánchez que sigue cantando sin desafinar y cuidándose y que deja a la pobre Alaska en el ridículo más absoluto. La diferencia entre Marta Sánchez y Alaska se estrecha cuando vemos esos documentales del sobrevalorado, al ser lo único bueno que se hizo en su momento, la edad de oro de los anos ochenta que me ha pasado mi hermano. Las sesudas entrevistas con Alaska y Dinarama en esa época no dejaban ver que el objetivo de esta artista „punk“ no era otro que aparecer en el hola, cosa que Marta sánchez, ahijada del tenor canario Alfredo Kraus lleva haciendo desde hace 20 anos cuando asombró a toda Espana con su profesionalidad jamonesca cantando en olé olé y posando para el interviu, cosa que alaska nunca hizo por no poder, y además ser imposible.

O sea que si es cierto que el tiempo pone a cada uno en su sitio, ambas divas han acabado en el hola pero con la diferencia de que Marta sánchez nunca ha pretendido pertenecer a la vanguardia por el mismo motivo por el que Alaska nunca posó para el interviú. Admiro y respeto la profesionalidad de Marta Sánchez aunque no dejo de reconocer que sus canciones me dejan un poco frío. Lo de alaska no lo comprendo. Es que es necesario convertirse en lo opuesto de lo que hemos defendido durante todas nuestras vidas? Es eso la madurez? Entonces es mejor que se pare el tiempo y que la gente no crezca...

Pero el espectáculo contínua, es dificil dar cuenta de todo este despropósito... salen los ronaldos, sale la unión, sale Miguel bosé! ... todos estos artistas tan mediocres , que demuestran con su madurez y su absoluta falta de rumbo, que los que hicieron hace 20 anos era una maniobra de impostación nsin substancia de ningún tipo, y lo que es pero, sin la profesionalidad de una Shakira y de un alejandro sánz que los relegan al pelotón de cola.
Muchos mpensarán que me estoy volviendo loco al calificar a shakira y a alejandro sánz de artistas profesionales. Puede que lo que canten sea una mierda, pero por lo menos parecen creerselo y tienen la mínima dignidad de presentarse ante el público con disciplina y buenas intenciones, aunque sus canciones, repito sean una mierda.

Festival de guitarras relucientes recién compradas en leturiaga .Guitarras recién salidas de la fábrica...los modelos más horteras del mercado, esos cromados y esos rojos relucientes... Músicos de ocasión que se han pasado a los negocios porque ya no tienen edad de arrastrase por ahí... gente deteriorada por una vida de alterne en búsqueda del trato de favoritismo, del pelotazo, de la producción del ano...gente que se ha pasado la vida en los bares tomando copas para relacionarse y de este modo, que parece ser el único modo posible de ser respetado en espana, salir en la televisión. Gente que se olvidó de que eran músicos, o de que por lo menos lo que vendían era un producto musical.

Joaquin Sabina y Miguel Rios ponen gotas de patetismo al no querer entender que pertenecen al territorio grotesco del ridículo exhibicionista, igual que Antonio Vega el pobre ya sin dientes y todos a una, juntitos , entre palmas, dejan el pop espanol y su historia a la altura de lo que merecen: el tercermundismo del espectáculo, el venga esas palmas... un dvd estremecedor que todo aficionado espanol a la música debería ver por lo menos una vez en la vida para saber de una vez por todas que nuestro país , treinta anos después del comienzo de la democracia sigue encontrándose igual de lastrado por el amiguismo que en otras épocas, y que ese amiguismo y en consanguineidad cultural son una lepra que nos sigue convirtiendo en unos verdaderos monstruos deformes de intransigencia , tradiciones excéntricas y música de mierda. Un país de chirigoteros incapaces de coger de una vez al toro por los cuernos. Una plataforma para la defensa de la calidad mínima de los productos musicales es lo que habría que fundar, junto a una plataforma para la defensa de la constitución, esto es el acceso libre a la educación , a la vivienda, a la sanidad y a condiciones de trabajo humanas.

Esta música de mierda produce tristeza y sensación de impotencia al no poder darles una bofetada a estos sinvergüenzas mediocres ,paniaguados ,chupando del virreinato mientras dure, que nos tienen cogidos del cuello con sus cubatitas y sus abogados de la sgae. Es la música de la sgae, de la tiranía cultural y del senorito que pretende que aquí no ha pasado nada. Qué vergüenza. La música de los negreros y el tan tan de la galeras. La mejor Shakira, luego alejandro sánz y Marta Sánchez y Santiago Auserón que salva el pellejo con una interpretación correcta de la escuela de calor. El resto para meterlos en la carcel. Qué impunidad ! y que conste que no he hablado de tan tan go, revolver, manolo garcia...etc

noreply@blogger.com (ernesto) — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 23:29:00 +0000

ernesto en berlin

here you see that punk and dada are as close to one another as futurism and constructivism ... very little actually.

noreply@blogger.com (ernesto) — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 22:47:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (ernesto) — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 22:45:00 +0000

WELCOME TO THE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
SOME RARE AND BEAUTIFUL

FELIZ NAVIDAD
MERRY CHRISTMAS
FRÖHE WEIHNACHTEN
BUON NATALE

noreply@blogger.com (ernesto) — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 15:51:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (ernesto) — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 14:50:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (ernesto) — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 14:47:00 +0000

ernesto en berlin

this pictures have been taken from the book about the pistols. excellent pictures
jeff bench is the publisher. i just could avoid scanning them. during the next days i will upload some more scans.
vivienne westwood looks like margaret thatcher. Some people think that between ethics and asthetics there s a close connection. so as you see not everybody in the punk movement was actually a punk. enjoy them.

noreply@blogger.com (ernesto) — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 11:09:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (ernesto) — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 09:11:00 +0000

ernesto en berlin

FOUR WALLS MUSIC STUDIO IS AROUND THE CORNER
WE WERE YESTERDAY THERE AND WE ARE ABOUT TO MOVE IN!

noreply@blogger.com (ernesto) — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 09:31:00 +0000

ernesto en berlin

GREAT NEWS

PINOCHET HA MUERTO !!!
PINOCHET IST GESTORBEN !!!
PINOCHET IS DEAD !!!

ESTA NOCHE LO VAMOS A CELEBRAR
UN CASO MÁS DE LA INOPERANCIA DE LA LEY

noreply@blogger.com (ernesto) — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 16:16:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (ernesto) — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 16:06:00 +0000

ernesto en berlin

ATTENTION: MUSIC NEWS

1. THE MONTH HAS GONE QUICK AND DESPITE MY BACKPROBLEMS THINGS ARE GOING FURTHER.

KULKU ON MY SPACE
3 songs of the first kulku demo. The songs are probably the most electric part of their repertoire.Flirting with trash and the usual dreamy obscurity. The recording has been done by myself and it hasn t been precisely easy to fit to the sound proposed by andreas Wenzlowar. I think on the future i m going to record many bands but probably i will have to start charging soon.Otherwise i have the feeling i will never get paid for my work. We hope you enjoy the demo. As far as i know, Kulku will be recording next week the old set with the austrian artists. Im not going to get involved in that project for several reasons.

ERNESTO GARCIA AND JULIEN BINET START RECORDING THEIR FIRST DEMO

This collaboration will probably bring a little twist in the boring music landscape of this dirty and very lazy town. You won t find here any german mainstream, any german „art“ or experimental concept., no american rock and no new wave at all.
This band is an indie band influenced by my bloody valentine, fisherspooner, the jesus and mary chain with some beats of noise and sixties. The band of the future. We are looking for an indie girl to sing or play . Soon in myspace

BRACE CHOIR DEMO

The unbelievable brace choir have done a very good demo recording. Shadows of avantgarde and new wave, but no diletantism at all, just melodies,good music, inspired texts.They are very good musicians what made the mixing and studio work relatively easy going. The tecnique is similar to the kulku demo, analog recording and digital edition. You will love the 4 songs.
Unfortunately ,Brace Choir will have to wait until next july to continue with their music because alex went to north america to finish his bachelor. Thanks alex, max and Nora and good luck.

noreply@blogger.com (ernesto) — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 16:05:00 +0000

ernesto en berlin

MICHELLE MAE FROM the make up and weird war.
This is the kind of girl we are looking for.

noreply@blogger.com (ernesto) — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 15:40:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (ernesto) — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 11:14:00 +0000

Sorry friends but i ve been sick and working too much in different recording projects. The time has gone quick.

Berlin keeps being the lazy place we all know, with the small problem that people wishing to take their future in their hand are being blocked by the german society, unable to cope with the multicultural phenomena.

Foreigners as clowns.

This is my conclusion after so many years in this town. The burocracy has taken over and even the musical and the artistic world are nowadays in berlin an absolute matter of burocracy and privileges. The ones trying to break up by themselves are being ignored or exploited by the german community. This an amazing discovery and i do believe something is about to happen in the cultural scene of this town.
The policy of privilege and, put it that way, of art racism is turning the landscape into a strongly polarised cultural life.In one hand you have the culture of the leisure time, the complicated (and childish) art of some people selling themselves much to expensive. It is the portrait of the UdK artits; a potential book burner, especially if you dare to speak to their girls.on the other hand you have people coming from the whole world atracted for the space that berlin is still offering.

Back to Nuremberger laws from 1935.

The main thing is to avoid that foreigner reach a professional recognition and that s why more than 70% of the foreigners in germany are unemployeed. The rest works cleaning toilettes or just taking care of the german children, something that germans hate doing.or selling food.
So basically at this point, the situation is not really much different than in 1935. Germans hate qualified foreigners and all the people in general with more education than them. Which according to pisa studies seems to be very easy.
In order to avoid that the business runs compleatly out of their hands, qualified foreigners are being sent to places that, by far, don t have anything to do with their education. The right to work in your profession is only given to the germans.

free communities are about to bloom.

noreply@blogger.com (ernesto) — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 10:35:00 +0000

ernesto en berlin

Dear Friends and bloggers, here s something you should know about the record industry, written by the independent musician nad producer (really independent) Steve Albini from Shellac.
The text has been taken from this link

http://negativland.com/albini.html

The Problem With Music
by Steve Albini

Whenever I talk to a band who are about to sign with a major label, I always end up thinking of them in a particular context. I imagine a trench, about four feet wide and five feet deep, maybe sixty yards long, filled with runny, decaying shit. I imagine these people, some of them good friends, some of them barely acquaintances, at one end of this trench. I also imagine a faceless industry lackey at the other end holding a fountain pen and a contract waiting to be signed. Nobody can see what's printed on the contract. It's too far away, and besides, the shit stench is making everybody's eyes water. The lackey shouts to everybody that the first one to swim the trench gets to sign the contract. Everybody dives in the trench and they struggle furiously to get to the other end. Two people arrive simultaneously and begin wrestling furiously, clawing each other and dunking each other under the shit. Eventually, one of them capitulates, and there's only one contestant left. He reaches for the pen, but the Lackey says "Actually, I think you need a little more development. Swim again, please. Backstroke". And he does of course.

Every major label involved in the hunt for new bands now has on staff a high-profile point man, an "A & R" rep who can present a comfortable face to any prospective band. The initials stand for "Artist and Repertoire." because historically, the A & R staff would select artists to record music that they had also selected, out of an available pool of each. This is still the case, though not openly. These guys are universally young [about the same age as the bands being wooed], and nowadays they always have some obvious underground rock credibility flag they can wave.

Lyle Preslar, former guitarist for Minor Threat, is one of them. Terry Tolkin, former NY independent booking agent and assistant manager at Touch and Go is one of them. Al Smith, former soundman at CBGB is one of them. Mike Gitter, former editor of XXX fanzine and contributor to Rip, Kerrang and other lowbrow rags is one of them. Many of the annoying turds who used to staff college radio stations are in their ranks as well. There are several reasons A & R scouts are always young. The explanation usually copped-to is that the scout will be "hip to the current musical "scene." A more important reason is that the bands will intuitively trust someone they think is a peer, and who speaks fondly of the same formative rock and roll experiences. The A & R person is the first person to make contact with the band, and as such is the first person to promise them the moon. Who better to promise them the moon than an idealistic young turk who expects to be calling the shots in a few years, and who has had no previous experience with a big record company. Hell, he's as naive as the band he's duping. When he tells them no one will interfere in their creative process, he probably even believes it. When he sits down with the band for the first time, over a plate of angel hair pasta, he can tell them with all sincerity that when they sign with company X, they're really signing with him and he's on their side. Remember that great gig I saw you at in '85? Didn't we have a blast. By now all rock bands are wise enough to be suspicious of music industry scum. There is a pervasive caricature in popular culture of a portly, middle aged ex-hipster talking a mile-a-minute, using outdated jargon and calling everybody "baby." After meeting "their" A & R guy, the band will say to themselves and everyone else, "He's not like a record company guy at all! He's like one of us." And they will be right. That's one of the reasons he was hired.

These A & R guys are not allowed to write contracts. What they do is present the band with a letter of intent, or "deal memo," which loosely states some terms, and affirms that the band will sign with the label once a contract has been agreed on. The spookiest thing about this harmless sounding little memo, is that it is, for all legal purposes, a binding document. That is, once the band signs it, they are under obligation to conclude a deal with the label. If the label presents them with a contract that the band don't want to sign, all the label has to do is wait. There are a hundred other bands willing to sign the exact same contract, so the label is in a position of strength. These letters never have any terms of expiration, so the band remain bound by the deal memo until a contract is signed, no matter how long that takes. The band cannot sign to another laborer or even put out its own material unless they are released from their agreement, which never happens. Make no mistake about it: once a band has signed a letter of intent, they will either eventually sign a contract that suits the label or they will be destroyed.

One of my favorite bands was held hostage for the better part of two years by a slick young "He's not like a label guy at all," A & R rep, on the basis of such a deal memo. He had failed to come through on any of his promises [something he did with similar effect to another well-known band], and so the band wanted out. Another label expressed interest, but when the A & R man was asked to release the band, he said he would need money or points, or possibly both, before he would consider it. The new label was afraid the price would be too dear, and they said no thanks. On the cusp of making their signature album, an excellent band, humiliated, broke up from the stress and the many months of inactivity. There's this band. They're pretty ordinary, but they're also pretty good, so they've attracted some attention. They're signed to a moderate-sized "independent" label owned by a distribution company, and they have another two albums owed to the label. They're a little ambitious. They'd like to get signed by a major label so they can have some security you know, get some good equipment, tour in a proper tour bus -- nothing fancy, just a little reward for all the hard work. To that end, they got a manager. He knows some of the label guys, and he can shop their next project to all the right people. He takes his cut, sure, but it's only 15%, and if he can get them signed then it's money well spent. Anyways, it doesn't cost them anything if it doesn't work. 15% of nothing isn't much! One day an A & R scout calls them, says he's 'been following them for a while now, and when their manager mentioned them to him, it just "clicked." Would they like to meet with him about the possibility of working out a deal with his label? Wow. Big Break time. They meet the guy, and y'know what -- he's not what they expected from a label guy. He's young and dresses pretty much like the band does. He knows all their favorite bands. He's like one of them. He tells them he wants to go to bat for them, to try to get them everything they want. He says anything is possible with the right attitude.

They conclude the evening by taking home a copy of a deal memo they wrote out and signed on the spot. The A & R guy was full of great ideas, even talked about using a name producer. Butch Vig is out of the question-he wants 100 g's and three points, but they can get Don Fleming for $30,000 plus three points. Even that's a little steep, so maybe they'll go with that guy who used to be in David Letterman's band. He only wants three points. Or they can have just anybody record it (like Warton Tiers, maybe-- cost you 5 or 7 grand] and have Andy Wallace remix it for 4 grand a track plus 2 points. It was a lot to think about. Well, they like this guy and they trust him. Besides, they already signed the deal memo. He must have been serious about wanting them to sign. They break the news to their current label, and the label manager says he wants them to succeed, so they have his blessing. He will need to be compensated, of course, for the remaining albums left on their contract, but he'll work it out with the label himself.

Sub Pop made millions from selling off Nirvana, and Twin Tone hasn't done bad either: 50 grand for the Babes and 60 grand for the Poster Children-- without having to sell a single additional record. It'll be something modest. The new label doesn't mind, so long as it's recoupable out of royalties. Well, they get the final contract, and it's not quite what they expected. They figure it's better to be safe than sorry and they turn it over to a lawyer--one who says he's experienced in entertainment law and he hammers out a few bugs. They're still not sure about it, but the lawyer says he's seen a lot of contracts, and theirs is pretty good. They'll be great royalty: 13% [less a 1O% packaging deduction]. Wasn't it Buffalo Tom that were only getting 12% less 10? Whatever. The old label only wants 50 grand, an no points. Hell, Sub Pop got 3 points when they let Nirvana go. They're signed for four years, with options on each year, for a total of over a million dollars! That's a lot of money in any man's English. The first year's advance alone is $250,000. Just think about it, a quarter million, just for being in a rock band! Their manager thinks it's a great deal, especially the large advance. Besides, he knows a publishing company that will take the band on if they get signed, and even give them an advance of 20 grand, so they'll be making that money too. The manager says publishing is pretty mysterious, and nobody really knows where all the money comes from, but the lawyer can look that contract over too. Hell, it's free money. Their booking agent is excited about the band signing to a major. He says they can maybe average $1,000 or $2,000 a night from now on. That's enough to justify a five week tour, and with tour support, they can use a proper crew, buy some good equipment and even get a tour bus! Buses are pretty expensive, but if you figure in the price of a hotel room for everybody In the band and crew, they're actually about the same cost. Some bands like Therapy? and Sloan and Stereolab use buses on their tours even when they're getting paid only a couple hundred bucks a night, and this tour should earn at least a grand or two every night. It'll be worth it. The band will be more comfortable and will play better.

The agent says a band on a major label can get a merchandising company to pay them an advance on T-shirt sales! ridiculous! There's a gold mine here! The lawyer Should look over the merchandising contract, just to be safe. They get drunk at the signing party. Polaroids are taken and everybody looks thrilled. The label picked them up in a limo. They decided to go with the producer who used to be in Letterman's band. He had these technicians come in and tune the drums for them and tweak their amps and guitars. He had a guy bring in a slew of expensive old "vintage" microphones. Boy, were they "warm." He even had a guy come in and check the phase of all the equipment in the control room! Boy, was he professional. He used a bunch of equipment on them and by the end of it, they all agreed that it sounded very "punchy," yet "warm." All that hard work paid off. With the help of a video, the album went like hotcakes! They sold a quarter million copies! Here is the math that will explain just how fucked they are: These figures are representative of amounts that appear in record contracts daily. There's no need to skew the figures to make the scenario look bad, since real-life examples more than abound. income is bold and underlined, expenses are not.
_
Advance:
$ 250,000
Manager's cut:
$ 37,500
Legal fees:
$ 10,000
Recording Budget:
$ 150,000
Producer's advance:
$ 50,000
Studio fee:
$ 52,500
Drum Amp, Mic and Phase "Doctors":
$ 3,000
Recording tape:
$ 8,000
Equipment rental:
$ 5,000
Cartage and Transportation:
$ 5,000
Lodgings while in studio:
$ 10,000
Catering:
$ 3,000
Mastering:
$ 10,000
Tape copies, reference CDs, shipping tapes, misc. expenses:
$ 2,000
Video budget:
$ 30,000
Cameras:
$ 8,000
Crew:
$ 5,000
Processing and transfers:
$ 3,000
Off-line:
$ 2,000
On-line editing:
$ 3,000
Catering:
$ 1,000
Stage and construction:
$ 3,000
Copies, couriers, transportation:
$ 2,000
Director's fee:
$ 3,000
Album Artwork:
$ 5,000
Promotional photo shoot and duplication:
$ 2,000
Band fund:
$ 15,000
New fancy professional drum kit:
$ 5,000
New fancy professional guitars [2]:
$ 3,000
New fancy professional guitar amp rigs [2]:
$ 4,000
New fancy potato-shaped bass guitar:
$ 1,000
New fancy rack of lights bass amp:
$ 1,000
Rehearsal space rental:
$ 500
Big blowout party for their friends:
$ 500
Tour expense [5 weeks]:
$ 50,875
Bus:
$ 25,000
Crew [3]:
$ 7,500
Food and per diems:
$ 7,875
Fuel:
$ 3,000
Consumable supplies:
$ 3,500
Wardrobe:
$ 1,000
Promotion:
$ 3,000
Tour gross income:
$ 50,000
Agent's cut:
$ 7,500
Manager's cut:
$ 7,500
Merchandising advance:
$ 20,000
Manager's cut:
$ 3,000
Lawyer's fee:
$ 1,000
Publishing advance:
$ 20,000
Manager's cut:
$ 3,000
Lawyer's fee:
$ 1,000
Record sales:
250,000 @ $12 =
$3,000,000
Gross retail revenue Royalty:
[13% of 90% of retail]:
$ 351,000
Less advance:
$ 250,000
Producer's points:
[3% less $50,000 advance]:
$ 40,000
Promotional budget:
$ 25,000
Recoupable buyout from previous label:
$ 50,000
Net royalty:
$ -14,000
Record company income:

Record wholesale price:
$6.50 x 250,000 =
$1,625,000 gross income
Artist Royalties:
$ 351,000
Deficit from royalties:
$ 14,000
Manufacturing, packaging and distribution:
@ $2.20 per record: $ 550,000
Gross profit:
$ 7l0,000
The Balance Sheet: This is how much each player got paid at the end of the game.

Record company:
$ 710,000
Producer:
$ 90,000
Manager:
$ 51,000
Studio:
$ 52,500
Previous label:
$ 50,000
Agent:
$ 7,500
Lawyer:
$ 12,000
Band member net income each:
$ 4,031.25

The band is now 1/4 of the way through its contract, has made the music industry more than 3 million dollars richer, but is in the hole $14,000 on royalties. The band members have each earned about 1/3 as much as they would working at a 7-11, but they got to ride in a tour bus for a month. The next album will be about the same, except that the record company will insist they spend more time and money on it. Since the previous one never "recouped," the band will have no leverage, and will oblige. The next tour will be about the same, except the merchandising advance will have already been paid, and the band, strangely enough, won't have earned any royalties from their T-shirts yet. Maybe the T-shirt guys have figured out how to count money like record company guys. Some of your friends are probably already this fucked.

Steve Albini is an independent and corporate rock record producer most widely known for having produced Nirvana's "In Utero