Atlanta promoters and players on piss-poor performance
Killer Mike likes his money up front. Dan Scanlan wants a case of PBR. And Peter Conlon says, 'Don't quit your day job.'
by Austin L. Ray @austinlouisrayPage 2 of 2
Music Midtown/Live Nation promoter Peter Conlon, on annoying wannabe rockers
"People who pretend to be musicians who really aren't — especially local musicians. ... If you're working in a bar, and you're a bartender but you play in a band, you're a bartender. It's how you make your living. If you're making your living as a musician full time, you're a musician. This is a business of talent. People in this business seek talent out. If you're talented, someone's gonna find you and you're gonna get discovered. If you're still flailing around and you're in your late 20s or 40s, you probably don't have any talent and you should really look at plan B. A lot of people come to me and they're still waiting to get discovered, but look, it's hard to hide talent. In our business, people will find you and make you a star. When people claim to be musicians but they're working as bartenders or waiters, it's just not the same thing. It takes away from the people who really do have talent."
Gringo Star's Nick Furgiuele, on promoters who bounce checks
"We were on tour around the U.S. to promote our newest album, and we had been booked as one of the headliners to play a [major] festival. The show went great — we had a blast, it was crowded, everyone had fun — and at the end of the night they gave us a check for our guarantee. A few days later we deposited it [and] we found out the check bounced. Not only did we not have the money, but we got hit with a bunch of fees from our bank. This was a festival that also featured an international art prize for $250,000. As of today we haven't been paid back, but every few weeks they assure us it's getting sorted out. Two weeks ago they even asked for an address to mail the new check, but we still haven't gotten it."
Eddie Owen of Eddie Owen Presents and, formerly, Eddie's Attic, on clueless artists and managers
"I like it when they've done their homework up front and they know who they're calling. There are a ton of acts that wouldn't even call if they'd done their homework. While we do all genres, Eddie's Attic is a little bitty shithole. It's a listening room, not a raucous bar. Now, do we do some raucous music now and then? Yeah. And is it great? Yeah. But it's gotta be players that understand the room and can play to the room." [Editor's note: In between this interview and the publication of this piece, Owen and Eddie's Attic parted ways. We're pretty sure he meant "little bitty shithole" as a term of endearment.]
Zoroaster drummer Dan Scanlan, on promoters who ration out the drink tickets
"I think if you're a promoter, and you sign a contract to bring a touring band through town, or even a local band, for fuck's sake, don't give each band member two or three drink tickets to last the entire night! Nothing starts off the night on the wrong foot — after you've been on the road for six to 10 hours in a sweaty, smelly, beat-ass van, then loading in, sound-checking — [than] being told that you only get three complimentary shit house beers to last the next seven hours. You're supposed to be super stoked when you hit the stage? Do the bands a favor, splurge for a case of PBR and two pizzas, just to let them know you're actually glad they showed up."
Promoter Brannon Boyle, on rappers who bring surprise opening acts
"It is a common practice for rappers to show up on the day of show and tell a promoter that they brought more opening acts with them. These acts generally suck. Some of them definitely pay the headliner cash to be allowed to open for them. They always insist that they go on after the local support. This practice ruins shows very often. A lot of times the local support will be great, and the headliner will be great, but then all of a sudden we have to throw one, two, three, or even six additional acts in between the local and the headliner. It's a nightmare."
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