by Jimi Yamagishi, Director, SongNet
Bobby Borg (Warrant) Rob Nicholson (Rob Zombie) & John Levin (Dokken) All agree that looking for a
career as a rock star is looking for a "career in fantasy." Sitting behind the now famous rainbow plaid tablecloth, these three artists, from some of the loudest & heaviest bands around,
looked & discussed the issues like friendly neighbors-next door.
Moderated by Bobby, the panel blasted through a huge amount of material, with an emphasis on what an advance REALLY means, & why having a platinum record on the wall doesn't mean
you can even afford lunch at McDonalds this week. "It's a sacrifice," explained Rob. "Don't quit your day job!" Each offered road stories of personnel changes
in the band, living in cramped quarters, bad management, good management, showering in the sink & all the things that don't even make the behind the music videos.
"You do it because you love it" "you have to give 100%." "Don't give up!" You've heard it before, but coming from these guys, you know they understand it from a real place.
An interesting point about management was brought up, in that since most management deals get their cut from the gross, they're often the only ones that actually make money when a
band finds 'Success."
Adaptation & diversification was a key point in the evening. Dave Grohl was cited as an
example, having the rug pulled out from under him when Nirvana lost Kurt Cobain, & his becoming a guitarist/frontman to form the Foo Fighters. Danny Elfman's transition from fronting
Oingo Boingo to becoming one of the most sought after film & TV music writers was also mentioned. Bobby is also a best selling author. Rob is a producer. John is a respected music
attorney. John also distributed information regarding many important legal issues, & used a few real-world examples of how good & bad deals can be negotiated. "Timing is also important"
he stressed. "Negotiating a contract from a position of potential is usually better than after the
CD is pressed & you're on the road". Royalty splits, publishing percentages, mechanicals & writer's rights were also discussed, bringing the discussion into the after-hours in the parking
lot & at a local restaurant.
About the only thing that was missing was an all out jam session- hey, world-class arena-rockin' drummer, bassist & guitarist all in the same room? C'mon!
As always, it was a phenomenal fact-filled info-fest, with plenty of anecdotes & wisdom from the road on the side, proving once again, LAMP illuminates the realities of the industry so YOU
can avoid the burn!
****************************
Jimi Yamagishi heads up SongNet, a FREE songwriter's organization that meets the first &
third Wednesdays @ the Coffee Gallery in Altadena
More info @
