Well...his points ARE valid ones....but to a much smaller degree than most
European promoters would have you believe.
However, many US artists have reputations or streaks in their careers for
not showing, from Joey Beltram to Armand Van Helden, to Felix da Housecat,
to Paul Johnson, to the list goes on. Lots of djs from lost of cities have
burned out temporarily and burned some bridges along their paths... Do they
get the same backlash??? Perhaps so, maybe not.
Detroit or Chicago artists are NOT that unique from that standpoint
Frederic, which i'm sure after some consideration you might grudgingly
agree. Maybe not.
Moreover, lots of European promoters have also taken gross advantage of the
talents afforded by black American djs as well, complaining about fees, when
on the very same bill another white dj - of equal or less credibility - will
have been paid double what they (often complaining...) so generously paid
one of Detroit's djs AT A PEAK OF THEIR CAREERS/NOTORIETY...and when they
were ALWAYS showing up.
Ideally Frederic, people like the Sonar festival (example ONLY ...), have
built their castles SOLIDLY on the back of the very same Detroit
djs/artists/businesses they perhaps choose to try and discredit ...ALL with
VERY LITTLE mishap.
The people (booking agents, labels, etc) that they work with today have it
much, much easier then when these companies were also on their way up in
this industry. I believe that most give little to NO CREDIT for taking
advantage of artists (also eager for their fame/fortune)they ultimately
BUILT their credibility, wealth and reputations upon. Plus...most of these
promoters came waaay later than the artists or even small business people
like myself me, but would have you believe otherwise with their criticisms
and arrogance.
And they STILL list the same Detroit artists in whatever advert or promo
they do to continue to VALIDATE their history or credibility.
Regarding the inference that I just showed up and started answering a
telephone...that is simply incorrect. Women in this industry get
player-hated with FAR more venom than the men, so let's look at this
realistically ... The fact that I STILL have to defend my stature in this
industry speaks for itself...but I am used to it.
The age-old adage of women working twice as hard for less than half of the
credibility in the business world at large...is even worse in this arena.
When I started working at a Detroit label, the phone hardly EVER rang...not
for press/media concerns NOR booking inquiries. Said label was in
considerable debt, headed by an artist who wasn't the 'Cat's meoww ' at that
time and STILL hasn't made any records which would've made my task/job SOOOO
much easier.
The only somewhat easy markets to make a little money with at that time were
Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. DJs that I worked with were getting
about $1,000-1,200.00 usd -- MAX......my supa-small commissions--when/if i
got them-- were NOT COMMENSURATE WITH the amount of work that I was doing
ALL ALONE in this city. Most of these cats did not have publicists, PR
firms, management or even label managers...ANY staff on a payroll (save UR)
until well AFTER I was in this for over a year+.
Consequently, once things started firing up and people started realizing
that they might get a quicker response than simply faxing Carl Craig's
machine in his apartment (the fax machine WAS Planet E...once upon a time).
They CHOSE to call me to facilitate their business and the flow of business
in this city fired up considerably. No brag...just fact and a lot of HARD
WORK. Most often than not, I did the work or passed along opportunities
directly to the artist getting NO compensation along the way.
Jeff was living (mostly) in Berlin at the time and circumvented a lot of
international wear and tear by being in the midst or close to the action.
Derrick did the same having taken an apartment in Amsterdam. There were
hardly any artists from Detroit that were travelling to London at all until
Ministry/Jim Masters/Lynn Cosgrave really afforded opportunity for us to do
so for a short period. The media heated up their interest as they were
starting to be afforded a closer look and experience the artists whose
product was JUST beginning to reach their ears/get reviewed as the almighty
' T ' word.
Moreover, techno artists to a large degree are very much a boys club here in
this city which precludes that they would ever show respect, or acknowledge
anything a woman in their midst accomplished--CLAIMING said accomplishments
for their own. Fact is, you weren't here and your perspective is from
across the ocean. The promoters that may be owed their just due are an
exceedingly small, less than 1%, of this discussion.
Apres the first mainsteam (Virgin Records subsidized) touring of Inner
City... I booked and marketed the very FIRST Detroit indie artists/music in
the following countries with NO HELP from anyone: China, Australia, Japan,
Spain, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, New Zealand, The Phillipines, Taiwan,
Thailand, Singapore, South Africa, Finland, Norway, Turkey, etc.....AS WELL
AS the U.S.
The first times ANYWHERE took 20 times the amount of any work that a gerat
many have benefitted from after my toils. It was ALWAYS an educational as
well as business oriented mission......... Moreover, I facilitated record
sales simultaneous to or shortly after any of these first penetrations into
these SAME markets--that each and every artist in THIS CITY have benefitted
from ....FOR FREE.....
I could go on..but why?
Yet valid/invalid...I really don't need to defend myself OR these artists
for the debate at hand which is concentrating on the U.S. and we have all
paid serious dues, some of which YOU may have even benefitted from......and
therefore are deserving of your professional courtesy as it HAS been solidly
EARNED.
Bookings of Detroit artists to Europe and elsewhere globally has its ups and
downs just like anything else..
I suppose I must be doing at least SOMETHING right...as longevity speaks for
itself in spite of the hating going on in this thread.
P.S. Regarding the hype on the DEMF vs. Love Parade, Frederic IS spot on
correct.
From: "xx xx" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [313] Regarding Business - get with it
Date: Wed, 06 Mar 2002 23:18:41 +0000
If I was a professionnal, I'd sent this kind of thing in private...
There is absolutly no added value here!
And hopefully someone has made his big money with a Detroit artist.
How quickly people forget.
ehyophstaOut
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [email protected]
Subject: Re: [313] Regarding Business - get with it
Date: Wed, 6 Mar 2002 18:02:45 EST
REGARDING BUSINESS :
To Laura,
10 years ago the world promoter
radio, press will contacting you
for detroit artist
10 years ago all european
majors or big independant
label will contact you also
for your detroit artist
now, 95 % of european promoter
does not want to book detroit
dj often scare of no show, not
collecting the money back
for the 50 % deposit or flight.
Label company does not
want to deal anymore too much
with Detroit artist as they do not
deliver on time what they did promis...
Demf is now controlling by
Carol Marvin who think that is
the biggest festival in the world !!!
WHAT ABOUT THE LOVE PARADE
1.5 MILLION PEOPLE IN ONE AFTERNOON
THIS IS THE BIGGEST EVENT IN THE WORLD
Business is business, I'm
in the business since more than 10 years
and if you don't handle the business correctly
people will not follow any more,
and the reputation going down, down,
down.....
regards black and white, i think
this is more into the USA...
We don't have to deal too much with this
problem in europ, but for sure in the
usa it is a real problem and i'm agree
with Laura for this...
Detroit artist are really respect
in europ may be more than the usa....
and lots of people here in europ will
still keep to listen detroit stuff all the
time.
Regards,
Fdjaaleb.
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