Agents

[Oopsdabassist]

We've recently had an email via band website from this lot www.eliteacts.com
Now we are just a pub rock covers band who do all our own bookings, and we are reasonably happy with the way things stand. I'm not really sure what an agent can do for us, so I guess my questions are going to be
A) has anyone ever heard/used this outfit
do we NEED an agent at our level of committment
C) what are the pitfalls we need to watch out for if we DO decide to play along.

Cheers all

Oopsy/Russ

[Ou7shined]

The best thing about agents is if they are good they book you heaps of gigs which is one less thing to worry about. The downsides are that most of them screw up on the fine details when you turn up hoping it all to be arranged for you... and they don't do it for free.

If you are a good band with a good rep and they've come looking for you then they might be the motivated type who see an opportunity. If you are just a pub band without much of a following or buzz then its probably just spam (did they get in touch via social networking by any chance or was it a personal email?)

[Oopsdabassist]

We really are just a pub covers band, we tend to leave people smiling after a gig, and always get repeat bookings, but we dont really 'have' a following. The email came direct to the band email address, and our guitarist, who runs the website has spoken with the fella and seems impresssed, maybe I am just a cynical old goat, but I am wondering if this is in our best interests.

[rOB]

Not sure if this is relevant but we (originals) recently were emailed by a company who we thought initially were promoters as they offered us a few potential dates for gigs. I went to through the faff of getting the band to commit to a date, they turned out to be an agent and sent us a contract.

We get offered more than enough gigs without having to pay for the privilege so I politely told them that we weren't interested.

If you're happy with the way things are going for the band then why pay someone to change how things go?

[Oopsdabassist]

Whats the form of the contract? I would be interested to see what sort of thing we would be expected to commit to.

[Dropzone]

There is a possiblility they do have connections and can also get you a better fee or better gigs. State your conditions, up your fee and then be happy to pay them a percentage for their time. We would love a decent agent or managment but don't really know where to start.

[Toddy]

Dudes,,, seems there are agents and agents,,all depends on your level of commitment and ability to travel,, ours has landed us over 80 bookings for next yr, so expensive as they are, they really can be a good thing,,

I personally have been with bands which wouldn,t touch them, which is a shame,, cos knowing what i know now etc,,

Most smaller venues do seem to prefer dealing with the band direct,, so it can have an opposite effect,, again,, all depends on your goals really,
Feel free to send me a message if you really want me to rattle on bout this ,, ha,,,,

Regards

[crez5150]

I wouldn't use them..... Never had a good experience, even with some of the very well known ones. Based on this years gigs..... We would have given away nearly £17,000 in commission if we had been using one..... rather split that between the band members or put it back into the business.

[lowdown]

[quote name='crez5150' timestamp='1323946518' post='1468918']
I wouldn't use them..... Never had a good experience, even with some of the very well known ones. Based on this years gigs..... We would have given away nearly £17,000 in commission if we had been using one..... rather split that between the band members or put it back into the business.
[/quote]

I think you should put together some kind of lecture mate - 'How to earn Money as a Musician'
There is another thread going on up top somewhere about you can't earn money as a Musician...

Good show old chap regarding paying [or not paying] commission to people who make one Phone call or Email.



Garry

[crez5150]

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1323947762' post='1468943']
I think you should put together some kind of lecture mate - 'How to earn Money as a Musician'
There is another thread going on up top somewhere about you can't earn money as a Musician...

Good show old chap regarding paying [or not paying] commission to people who make one Phone call or Email.



Garry
[/quote]

Indeed..... all is revealed in my latest book..... How to earn money as a musician. Just e-mail me £25 via paypal and you too can learn the secrets of this closed door secret sect.


;o)

[lowdown]

[quote name='crez5150' timestamp='1323947968' post='1468947']
Indeed..... all is revealed in my latest book..... How to earn money as a musician. Just e-mail me £25 via paypal and you too can learn the secrets of this closed door secret sect.
;o)
[/quote]

That sounds like a cool deal - i will Email one hundred Musicians and tell them to forward the message to another one hundred musicians....
If they fail to do this, it will result in a penny less life and a life time of Bass lessons with Peter Hook.



Garry

[crez5150]

[Lozz196]

The punk covers band I`m in was contacted by an agent. Who was proud to tell us of the £120 gigs we could get, by playing places like Nottingham/Birmingham etc (over 120 miles away)!

We advised him of the £300 gigs we do 2 miles away.

He got his coat.

Not saying they are all bad, but some will book bands in anywhere, whether the gig is right for the band or not. Think wisely, a gig on a Tuesday night, in a pub with no local crowd, 120 miles away, for £120 - before the agents cut and petrol expenses. Not a good deal, but unfortunately not that un-common from what i hear from some musicians.

[Toddy]

[quote name='crez5150' timestamp='1323946518' post='1468918']
I wouldn't use them..... Never had a good experience, even with some of the very well known ones. Based on this years gigs..... We would have given away nearly £17,000 in commission if we had been using one..... rather split that between the band members or put it back into the business.
[/quote]


sigh..............ah well,,,just thought someone might wish to learn how agents work etc,,

[JTUK]

You should speak to them and see what they can do for you..

If they can do things or get places you can't, and you decide that you would want to go that way..then you should expect to pay them...
If they can't, you wont.

[NeilMorrell]

My last band recently split up, after 8 years, down to a guitarist being hell bent on doing agent gigs on the northern club scene.

When a 5 piece, female fronted Classic 70s/80s Rock Covers band arrives at a booking after travelling 50/60 miles, and finds themselves advertised as "5 Piece Showband" or "Caberet Rock outfit" it does NOT instill confidence. He NEVER came to see us, not even a rehearsal. He was also swapping with other agents to get us bookings at places we wouldn't have played at in a million years. Then when you are NOT as advertised, you have to deal with the committee, or at least the concert secretary.

Basically the agent does not give a monkeys if you get booked back or not, as long as he gets his commission.

And don't get me started about bloody bingo!!

[cocco]

Agents are evil, the music industry is evil. I really despise the term "music industry" music isn't an industry, it's a form of art.

[gjones]

[quote name='NeilMorrell' timestamp='1324416183' post='1474090']
My last band recently split up, after 8 years, down to a guitarist being hell bent on doing agent gigs on the northern club scene.

When a 5 piece, female fronted Classic 70s/80s Rock Covers band arrives at a booking after travelling 50/60 miles, and finds themselves advertised as "5 Piece Showband" or "Caberet Rock outfit" it does NOT instill confidence. He NEVER came to see us, not even a rehearsal. He was also swapping with other agents to get us bookings at places we wouldn't have played at in a million years. Then when you are NOT as advertised, you have to deal with the committee, or at least the concert secretary.

Basically the agent does not give a monkeys if you get booked back or not, as long as he gets his commission.

And don't get me started about bloody bingo!!
[/quote]

Hmmmmmmm...........my experience too. If you decide to go with an agent prepare for crap gigs in crap venues playing to an audience who will despise you. If you do sign up make sure the money is bloody good, as it makes swallowing your pride more palatable.

And don't get me started about the bloody bingo either!

Edited December 21, 2011 by gjones

[Monckyman]

Best Bingo quote."Shut up talking during the bloody Bingo! We have to listen to [i]you[/i]!"

[flyfisher]

I've no experience of agents but I'd deal with them in the same way that I've dealt with lawyers, architects, builders etc. Such people are working for you, not the other way around. You are paying the agent, not the other way around. As such, you call the shots. You tell the agent what you want, what you expect, what you're prepared to do, what you're not prepared to do. of course, the agent might be looking for a naive band who will travel the length of the country to play crap gigs and let the agent take a large commission, but no one can force you to do such things.

Everything is negotiable.

[Oopsdabassist]

Thanks for all the replies folks, most of em echo my fears I must say, and had a long chat with the band member who was conacted by this guy last night, and I think we are all on the same wavelength now. Its unlikely we will go down this route I think. No agent can offer us much more than what we do now (and enjoy) so why pay a third party?