My Goodness, the feedback this week ...no not the squealy kind you get from the duff sound boys, no, the great kind I get from Serious Writers Guild Members and from subscribers to 'One Minute With Dec'....now confirmed as the most popular weekly music Ezine on the Net....thank you all!

My style of writing seem seems to rub off on guys.  They start to sound like me!  I had a bunch of mails from guys who want to get involved with 'knocking' the Musicians Union.  It would seem that most musicians/songwriters/composers have got a tale to tell.  I did get ONE Email from a classical musician claiming that he knew of Musician's Union Members who were screwed by songwriters etc.....Hmmmmmm!  I find that hard to believe.

In my view of things, you should be strong enough to stick up for yourself, know you business, know your contracts and commitments, never approach your work in an amateur, uninformed manner, and that way you are fully protected.  There IS no reason to have a Union look after you.  Unions, usually, are involved with pay structures at the bottom of the ladder...minimum wage stuff. 

But, I always thought that that is where you started, at the bottom rung of the ladder, I didn't ever believe that that is where you were supposed to stay...did you?

Inevitably, you cannot avoid a situation where legal representation is necessary.  I have never once found that we [my band] ever got any advice, worth a jot, from British Actors Equity, The Agents Association, or anyone else of that nature.  We always fought our own battles and were sensible enough to know when we could win, and when we could not.  We find that most disputes are about non-payment.

The most sensible logic in our business, and in any business is:

"If the guy doesn't want to pay, then there is no court or authority in the world

that will make him pay"

Trevor wrote:

You can feel from what I say that I instil a complete 'commercial mentality' for which I never apologise.  I know how the money is made in this business and I know how success is achieved.  No amount of argument or 'chewing the fat' will ever change the fact that you have to write/perform/produce commercial, sellable music that record buyers [90% between 12 and 18 years] will buy.

I listened, last night to Chris Goldfinger and Peter Hollingwell on Radio One's Reggae show bemoaning that fact...but agreeing that that is the 'status quo' in the UK, particularly, and quite a lot of the time in the USA.  They agreed that we all 'should' bring pressure on the Record companies to change their policies, but after all, what you would be doing is asking them to stop making money....do you think they would?

No, my attitude, and the attitude of all guys who make it is, to 'roll with it', you ain't going to change it...that's for sure, so why not learn to love the music that the vast majority of the public like and want to buy, instead of moaning, and trying to foist ancient material on all those record buyers that you think might listen?

No, the shops are full of 'new clothes' that folk want, and want to buy, they are not full of 'niche' clothing and 'good clothing' that the 'not so successful' designers feel that the public 'should buy'...does that make sense?

I have never been caught in that 'good music' trap.  Your future can start with me!  Not boasting, ,just telling the truth. You could learn a lot of things in a little time - so be extremely attentive and read everything!

Here's an interesting comment for the General Secretary of The National Entertainments Agents council:

 

"Hi Dec,

With reference to your comments on PO Box numbers, I have to agree in principle, but disagree in practice. With your determination to make money and not lose it, you should be aware that using your home address for business purposes could prove very expensive in the long run. Firstly, there is the question of Planning Permission for change of use, and secondly potential Capital Gains Tax problems if you own your own home. There are also PL [Public Liability -Dec] implications if you have customers coming to your home.

The business you describe (working from the kitchen table) does not constitute a change of use for planning purposes... until you advertise the address as a business address, at which point it does! A PO Box therefore removes the risk of prosecution by the planning authorities, or of being banned from running your business from home.

If you use a box number and do not claim 'use of a room' as a business expense, you also get around the problem of capital gains on any profit you make on your property.

I personally use a combination - we advertise the PO Box number, but we also give the full address as the 'address for service of legal documents' covering both aspects and showing plainly that we have nothing to hide.

It is also worth noting that the Post Office are required by law to give out the physical address of any PO Box on demand.

Having said all that, I still agree with you on Box Numbers and Telephones... it is just that sometimes needs must.

Chris Bray. "

It's nice to know that these 'One Minutes' are read by people in 'power' and that they are using this as a 'forum' for giving genuine help and encouragement to the profession.

Please let me know your thoughts....

Pass this 'One Minute' to three or four of your music pals...they will appreciate it and who knows?  I may have to start a 'chat room' soon...what do you think?

Off to London now [concert in Leicester last night!]. Interesting concept - a charity benefit entitled: "Chips off the Old Block".  Kids [no matter how old they get, they are still kids!] of 'Stars' who are making a career in Show Biz....considering Sam Brown, daughter of Joe Brown, Kim Wilde, daughter of Marty Wilde, Lisa Tarbuck...and who is that guy in the Hip Hop charts, son of Alvin Stardust?  Yep, my daughter is performing...and Con's [my brother's] son Phillip....should be a great night...and all for charity.

""Exercise is bunk. If you are healthy, you don't need it; if you are
sick, you shouldn't take it."
Henry Ford