The "dont want to play what everyone else is playing" Circular logic

[wheresgrant3]

Yes, they HAVE to. Selling multi-platiinum, even over several or dozens of albums in a row doesn't ensure any level of financial stability or security for the future. It doesn't necessarily mean you get a SINGLE penny, even if you're 100% behind all the content, never mind if you you're a non-song writing member of the band. Hell, a good friend of my wife's sold MINIMUM gold, but usually platinum, for several albums straight between roughly '97 through '03. They were so popular at one point they were asked to and then appeared on freaking Beverly Hills 90210 of all things, had PLENTY of sales and exposure, etc. The friend is the frontman, and only original member; he has always been the primary songwriter. Trust me, with who's in his family and the pure business and music industry smarts involved, if ANYBODY is getting paid out of the deal, it's him. The band is still active; they tour in bits and pieces, usually 2-3 weeks or so at a time, hitting key markets where they will sell out 500-1500 tickets each night and high volume of merch without fail. That's enough to keep the band business in the black and to allow him to continue doing music, but does not support him, his wife and two kids nor their house. He HAS to work, period. He's just lucky to be able to do so in other areas he's interested in, and sure, having a semi-known name and some residual fame as a rockstar got him gigs as a 'roving correspondent' for some sci-fi and horror cable programming over the past few years, so it's not like he's flipping burgers, but if the TV show he created/wrote hadn't been picked up by MTV this year, it's not like he'd laugh and say "Well good thing for my retirement that I sold 2 million albums in 1999!"

 

Well it's all in how you manage and invested that money. You could play in the NFL make millions between 23-30 get injured at 31 and be broke by 40. Any income earned has to be invested to make more income. The problem with most entertainers... they aren't good businessmen.

 

There's a local player who played in a well know 80's hard rock band that had a 7-8 year run. The first album sold more than 5x's platinum, the 2nd & 3rd sold less than 2x's platinum. By 1993 they could only get tour in Asia and Europe. He stepped away, got fired, dropped out (depending on who's viewpoint) and he's played for himself ever since. While his bandmates are still touring the country in mini vans, and sleeping in Super 8's with little tour support, he's created a top notch RnB events band to play.... mostly weddings. Yup, this guy who's band mates graced the cover of Hit Parader, Kerrang, even Rolling Stone left the music industry to play Aretha Franklin and Prince covers for the corporate & wedding circuit. Keep in mind that he averages $10-12K to start and has earned upwards of $20K for an event... that is more than some opening acts make on a mid-level national tour net these days.

 

He didn't get songwriting credit, or producer... so he netted the lowest points per album- 3 albums, toured all over the world with Bon Jovi, GnR, Metallica, Guns & Roses. He wisely banked his money and now owns a 30 acre horse farm 70 miles north of NYC. After taxes, lawyers, accountants, and other wallet drainers his brother (who I'm good friends with) believes he netted $450,000 for 8 years of work. About $56K per year net for the effort involved (about $90K per year in todays dollars). Far from rich... but still not bad considering he did this between 25-33 Yrs old. His alternative?... he could have been working a regular job at middle class wages for the last 20 years and playing in a cover band for $100 per night. Which would you choose...

[kmart]

Well it's all in how you manage and invested that money.

 

 

Got to earn that money in the first place, though, as well:

 

What I'm talking about is that even if you are the SOLE songwriter, the whole show is yours, and you sell 5 mil, it doesn't mean you've got or ever had a load of cash from it, either from the original deal with whatever label, or from royalties on sales, etc. There are so many moving pieces and possibilities, even if you beat the odds and are not getting screwed somewhere in the deal by your manager, agent, label, A&R guy, producer, whomever...there are still a ton of things that can happen so that at the end of the day, you have little to show for it from a monetary perspective.

 

I think a lot of people are still under the assumption that when you sign to a major label or sell a lot numbers-wise, you automatically hit the jackpot, and those days are long gone.

[TIMKEYS]

Got to earn that money in the first place, though, as well: What I'm talking about is that even if you are the SOLE songwriter, the whole show is yours, and you sell 5 mil, it doesn't mean you've got or ever had a load of cash from it, either from the original deal with whatever label, or from royalties on sales, etc. There are so many moving pieces and possibilities, even if you beat the odds and are not getting screwed somewhere in the deal by your manager, agent, label, A&R guy, producer, whomever...there are still a ton of things that can happen so that at the end of the day, you have little to show for it from a monetary perspective. I think a lot of people are still under the assumption that when you sign to a major label or sell a lot numbers-wise, you automatically hit the jackpot, and those days are long gone.

 

 

For the most part those days never existed. Tons of bands got major label deals back in the day ,, had a couple hits and faded into the sunset. It was pretty normal.