Lessons Learned
In a past life, I built a project called “Lessons Learned,” based on how Michael Cohl became a great promoter by getting a lesson on why you should never trust how many No. 1 hits Buck Owens allegedly had. For several years, various promoters (as well as agents, managers and artists) told me of how they went to the School of Hard Knocks or just gave advice on how to avoid bad times.
Participants included Alex Hodges, Louis Messina, Jack Boyle, Arny Granat, Peter Conlon, and Marty Diamond.
That series got erased somehow, for some reason. All that remains is what can be found on the Wayback Machine. Still, it is worth preserving and this is where we will preserve it.
First off is the tales told by Barry Fey in 2007. Four years later, the stories would come out in his autobiography, Backstage Past. That is followed by venue exec John Page, promoter Susan Rosenbluth, agent Steve Martin and artist (Starship guitarist) Craig Chaquico.
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Lessons Learned: Barry Fey
When I was first starting out, someone asked me to book a country show. “Yeah, sure, that’s easy,” I said. “No problem.” I look in Billboard and this one guy, Jim Reeves, had four out of the Top 10 songs. That was Beatles-like status! So I got hold of the agency, which I believe was…
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Lessons Learned: John Page
One of the biggest challenges a new facility manager faces is placing holds with promoters. I learned early on that a “promoter hold” is different than an “artist hold.” Two promoters might have a hold for the same night but that doesn’t mean they’re holding the date for the same artist. Early in my career,…
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Lessons Learned: Susan Rosenbluth
Lessons I Have Learned: Learn how to persuade. Most of what concert promoters do is sales. We tell the agent and manager, “Choose me over the other promoter” to get the show. We tell the potential customer, “Choose this artist’s concert to go see instead of a movie.” When you use knowledge – about the…
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Lessons Learned: Steve Martin
Here’s three quick lessons. First, know who’s in the room when you’re shooting your mouth off. I was at a Beacon Theatre show about a dozen years ago. I was talking to the promoter in the dressing room and said, “You know, you’re one lucky guy to get this Beacon show. Another promoter developed the…
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Lessons Learned: Craig Chaquico
Craig Chaquico has been in music since his teens, notably with Jefferson Starship. He has played guitar on all of its albums, a distinction no other member can claim. He can also tout the band’s hits “Jane” and “Find Your Way Back” as his own. When bands like that break up, many musicians find other…