Infectious Organisms (2 of 2)
When last we left our hero, he had just come from a good meeting with Infectious Organisms in Harrisonburg, Virginia. I’d put a plan in front of them that had us all becoming rich and famous by the Spring of 2001. All was well in the world.
Of course, the real story here is how none of this worked out and the lessons that I learned from it.
In reality, I did do some good things for the band and I worked hard to get things for them. We agreed on a trial management period where I’d work for them in return (if I remember correctly) for 15 or 20% of new stuff I got them and 10% for management of existing stuff they already had. Part of the whole idea was to get them into new markets where they hadn’t previously played so I tried to put on my booking agent hat and get them into some new venues.
But, of course, the hard work they’d done on their own trumped the work I was able to do on my own. I got them a some shows in Virginia Beach (this was how I met Ned who put on the poetry festival featuring Jim Carroll) and I got them some shows in DC. But most of the time I was handling their existing shows and their existing tour and just inserting myself into their process. On the one hand, the fact is that managing all of this existing business is work and an adminstrative pain in the ass and worth something. And on the other hand, if I wasn’t increasing their income significantly, I was just taking 10% of their income and, until I created some new opportunities for them, it wasn’t offset by anything.
I think the band was willing to put up with this for some time while we saw how other opportunities played out. But, understandably, they were getting antsy to see some of the things I’d put down in my presentation come to fruition. Of course, as I did more and more work, either on existing relationhips or trying to open up new ones, I was getting nervous myself that things would open up for the band but I wouldn’t have a contract in place and I’d be dumped for someone bigger as soon as it became convenient.
This was one of the key dynamics of my early music industry experience. Me wary that my hard work would be for naught once any artist I worked with became more successful and they understandably just as wary that they’d be locked into some kind of relationship with an inexperienced manager when other opportunities presented themselves.
One thing I did do well, and were I to think back about some of my critical skills in those days, it was really about marketing, was create a new press kit for the band and refashion their press materials into something that looked professional and still artistic. Kelly King did their bio, one sheet and press clippings all in the vein and look and feel of the cover of the record and we put together a kit that generated a lot of positive feedback. If I was doing this today, I’d probably be able to add web consulting to the true value that I offered an artist. A strategy to help bands develop their web presence and focus on the things that make a difference. While the tools are all there for anyone who wants them, it would probably help to have someone like me guide the process.
So the band was playing out a lot, mostly in markets they’d already opened up. I was managing that process and opening up a few markets here and there as add-ons to their existing touring base. I was also sending out tons and tons of press kits to everyone I knew, trying to get them the attention that they deserved. I sent some kits to some folks in Europe, I sent some kits to a lawyer friend in LA, the people I knew in New York. Really I sent a kit to every person I could think of.
I was screaming at the top of my lungs, although given the means I had available to me, my screaming felt like a grating whisper to the collective ears of the music industry.
The band had a lot of people in it so not only was I trying to do things but I was also competing against all of their own connections. People in Philly that floated the idea of production deals around some of the MCs. People in LA. Etc. You always felt, with any good band I’m sure, that there were lots of people waiting in the wings for the tipping point to be reached but precious few people willing to actually take a stand and stake their reputation at the wrong moment.
The worst decision I made was convincing the band to spend $1,000 to have their album shopped at MIDEM by some weird guy in Toronto that I’d never met in person. I forget how I was introduced to him but he was some shady industry type and he gave me a good line about how he was really well connected and needed some dough to shop the band when he was out at the conference in France.
Lesson: Never send money to someone you’ve never met in person. Especially in the music industry.
The biggest tell that this was a bad idea was that the song this guy (I honestly can’t, thankfully, remember his name) kept focusing on the last tune on the disc, “30 Seconds on Earth”. That’s a good song but it was frankly bizarre given that “Hall St.”, “Medelling Cartel” and a host of others were all catchier better tunes. Trusting the next “hit” on a somewhat experimental hip-hop record to some weird older industry shark from Canada that I’d never met was an obvious red flag and I should have listened to my gut. Do I need to tell you that nothing happened with this guy and that it seemed and had the feel of a total scam? Of course not. You knew that already.
Months passed. Virtually none of the things that I’d promised (well promise is a strong word but let’s say described) to the band came to pass. I’d been working my ass off but to no real avail save for managing tours where they’d already had a fan base and existing relationships. The band itself was dirt broke. I remember talking to Will and hearing him tell me about the bills piling up and the Ramen noodle diets and the sense of desperation and unhappiness in both our voices was palpable. I sensed there was some internal strife with the band.
But the bigger point for me was that I’d worked so hard and had something good with this record and a band willing to hit the road and somehow I couldn’t conjure up the magic. The inevitability that materializes into paying opportunities and that made all the things I’d promised the band come true and happen for them. And I knew that the quality of the material deserved more and I knew that the band was probably pissed off at me for not being able to do more for them and I knew that I really wanted to be able to do more for them. And I knew that maybe their fears were true and that I just didn’t have the mojo to get the industry to listen up to a band that deserved to be listened up to.
The whole thing sort of dissolved.
I’ve thought about those guys for years and always been disappointed that I couldn’t do more for them. I would periodically do some Google searches and not come up with much and wonder where they were. After thinking about that weekend with Jim Carroll I made a more concerted effort and finally found Will and Brooke and Dave in a new band that seems to be doing very well indeed.
The band is called East Hundred and is also based in Philly. It feels like they’re doing something closer to indie pop with some electronic flourishes and they’ve got a talented female lead singer. The backing band, as always, is great since it’s the same players that were in Infectious. Check them out. If the Blair brothers are involved you know the musicianship is going to be tight and you know there’s going to be artistry. I’m glad they’ve landed on their feet and that hopefully, like the Annex experience was for me, there was something learned in the days spent in Infectious.
But, honestly, do yourself a favor and pick up some Infectious tunes. As I’ve been doing for years, I’d recommend starting with “Medelling Cartel” and then teasing them that they spelled it wrong. Cuz they bottle it up!
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DaDouglas
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theflyingchange
