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A service from 'The Serious Writers Guild' at MAKEHITS.COM Written by Dec Cluskey with a little bit opf help from his friends.
This Email first mailed to all Members of 'The Serious Writers Guild' and
subscribers to 'One Minute With Dec' on
16.02.03
The proof, just this week, from Members that 'How To Make A $Million From Your Music' works:
Our new 'Demo Consultation Service' idea has taken off like a rocket. Lots of songwriters, music makers, producers are sending us demos for me to caste an eye over.....they are all shocked with the commercial evaluation they get...a CD with me critiquing the demo in real time...as it plays...then a 15 page booklet with all the main points repeated and finally a copyright certificate to keep [some of the guys frame it!]
We got this 'thank-you' from Barry ....
I was amazed at the amount of time/effort put in and advice etc. It is excellent value and would certainly advise anyone who is thinking of spending large amounts of money on demos or promotion to invest £47 in your service. It will have saved me wasting a lot of money on going about the recording the wrong way and pointed me in the right direction with regards to recordings to get ideas from.
The best £47 I ever spent. [Barry Marks - Serious Writers Guild Member]"
Well - the excitement is overwhelming in the Cluskey household .
Having been away touring during the second half of last week I went to my son's place on Sunday to celebrate his birthday. You may not know that my son owns 'The Funky End', a highly successful, 'trendy', watering hole in Aldershot, Surrey. If you visit the town you will find his place immediately by the railway station. Wonderful position for a venue like that.
You will find behind the bar the most stunning, alive, jumping with excitement, girl called Emma.
Why is she excited? She has just been chosen to head up a new girl band. The whole deal is being put together by 'Top of the Pops' magazine. It will be a four handed act with two British girls and two Americans. The working title is 'UK State'. My son, Oliver, gave her lots of time off to attend the auditions - and last week, she was announced the winner! Now she goes to the States to help choose the two American girls, then she comes back to choose the last girl, who will be British, and then starts in July at the hard work...earning £8,000 a month, initially...she bubbles with excitement...she beams and smiles non stop ...she has always been like that. She is just a bundle of fun. She is everything I advise the members of my Serious Writers Guild to be. Her skin, her hair, teeth, shape...all brilliant - and her clothes are just the greatest....absolute perfection. She looks a star even before she starts to sing...and the voice....wow!
To illustrate her attitude and commitment, she assures Oliver that between stints, in the coming months, she will still work at his bar earning silly money...it just shows what a girl she is....watch out for Emma Barracerra [I think she will change her surname...what do you think?]
The proof arrives daily in our offices
You will know that I encourage all songwriters, performers, music makers, producers to just get out there and gig....just DO IT!
It is interesting, after my 'Gigging Special' last week, that I see this advert in 'Bandit' A&R newsletter:
Sort of proves the point? "Active Gig List" and a "strong fanbase". That is, universally, what all the record companies are most impressed with. They want YOU to prove to them that the public like you, your band, your material.....they are not in the business, anymore of testing bands and testing their material....they want a finished product!
then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized."
Fred Allen
Great reaction to the Gigging Special:
One of my Members wrote me a brilliant piece after he read my comments last week about 'owning' your band...keeping 50% of all the income, and splitting the rest. Just read this:
In a band situation, 'democracy' does NOT work. It never has - NEVER will.
On one occasion ('85), I was 'part' of a threeo (sorry - Trio) and, believe me or believe me not, we are talking instant success here for us. Within just THREE weeks of forming - we had FANS! Within FIVE weeks, we were charging money £5! (Clubs were charging just £2 then)) on the door to see us and we packed the place (and we had hardly learned what the hang we were doing with each other then - but that didn't last long. Rehearsing ALL day - EVERY day then we got it). WE paid the door staff. WE paid the bar staff. WE paid for everything.
The reason for doing so was to make us WORK - to hone us - to EARN MORE! It was the first time that I had over £100 in MY pocket for one gig! And we worked 7 nights a week! I couldn't believe the money! This could buy better gear - clothes etc) But this was just the beginning for, I had NO intention of staying there (no matter how much crumpet we got!).
My plan was to be there for ONE summer season only, write the tunes (I was the only songwriter in that band), and get out there - dragging our fans along with us (by bus if necessary) - to make more fans! Get the tapes (as they were then) sell them - be popular FIRST and THEN approach somebody with clout but only when WE had clout to clout back with.
Instead of just talking the talk, my intention was to clout first with something substantial. I, even then knew that ALL tapes sent in anywhere were summarily thrown in bins without being heard. You had to have something then - and you still have.
Without a doubt I say to you that we had that fxxxability factor about us. Every damn girl in town wanted our bodies and, as good as that was yet, I could only see money in this. My friends didn't. At that time, I even insisted that the door and bar staff looked as good as US - THE reason - as to why people were willing to spend that kind of money on us. And I also insisted that the only drinks to be served then were not pints but the latest drinks only i.e. the new little bottles of stuff. Very popular then.
(In passing, one night, I tested our popularity to the full. I announced over the microphone that only topless girls
would be allowed in on the following night. I said it tongue-in-cheek and not expecting to be taken seriously. Dec, the next night, we had a whole bar full!!!! AND *THEY* paid their fiver for the 'privilege'. Talk about going blind!!!
Although it was done with big stars on the telly etc yet, with we 'little' people back then, it was not 'done' to change your lighting during a performance. I changed them (with footswitches that I had made up myself) in between and during EVERY song because I TOTALLY believe in VISUALS being just as important as THE 'look'. I even turned out ALL the lights throughout ALL the bar during a BASS break - no 'Drum' breaks for us. BASS only. It was Coool!!! And it WORKED!
Then 'the 'sound' had to be found. We found that too! I KNOW that this should be done as early as possible but, Dec, we were thrown into this at full pelt. We FELL on this instant success thing you know? Forgive me but, we didn't know you then. It was all guesswork see?
One week, I then suggested that we played on the roof of the club on a sunny afternoon. Jesus! We stopped the traffic and people came running over from the beach to FILL the promenade around us! Talk about tight bums! We filled 18 bottles - those flagons for whiskey with pound coins only for a local charity. (Never lost the art of giving from those Mancunian days see?).
We won the big local competition in which a sign-up was the winnings...
I wrote the songs for it and everyone danced to them - screamed at us...
Success wasn't 'knocking' at all. It was banging down our front doors with a mighty THUMP! So, with all this happening, why am I not in the charts today? Why have you never heard of me?
...because we were a 'democratic' band...
And, to this day, I really couldn't tell you how on earth we didn't get any further than that competition - the end for us. But I do know this much, when success comes, (for those whom do not know) believe me - it makes a NOISE and, you KNOW! Something was said, something was 'voted' on and then? Finish... (Pardon? How did that happen?)
To tell the truth, it was that noise that frightened the other two. Yes, of course it frightened me as well but, as frightened as I was (and boy was I or what?) yet, I was not going to allow fear to take from me, my lifetime's work. The other two? Huh! One's a financial adviser and the other runs a hotel. I went on and played with other bands - but I could SPIT! Chickens!
However, these two were the only ones willing to actually WORK at it! So, democracy doesn't work. It didn't work in the two other times it was insisted upon in other guises either. It just doesn't. You're right again.
...and, if I had thought about taking the money as you have suggested then, things would have been totally different. 50%? DAMN RIGHT!
Ah well...
I should have been the boss. No two ways about that. However, I have been since so, it's not all bad news for me.
Yes. Right again...
And NOTHING beats having your own song sung back at you from the dance floor by gorgeous women! NOTHING!
Thank you SO much for this months instalment! For once, I wasn't clouted. Thank you for that too! ;-)
1/ Write the RIGHT tunes!
2/ Perform them!
3/ BE THE BOSS!
4/ Get the money!
5/ Do it again!
6/ WIN!
Bob Daulby
Voltaire
Regards
Dec
and learning the instrument as one goes on."
Samuel Butler
Gag of the Week [don't know where they get them but they keep rolling in!]:
Did you ever wonder?
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