I know you are surprised to see another note from me, I wanted to start the New Year out right by getting ahead and see if I can stay ahead. I believe I have addressed this before, I’ll make it brief remember this is from my point view and experiences.
Recently, I have been receiving quite few emails asking the question why we don’t play in the States, or when are you coming to our city. It not because we don’t want too, it’s because no agencies or promoters will book us; now I won’t go into a long detail about the reasons. I will just hit on a few. As one agent told me “we don’t have time for Fatback” in other word we don’t have time for old acts and especially one that knows how the games is played, meaning they can’t take advantage of us. Next the United State is youth orientated, after few years out there it becomes very hard to book an older act in the USA. Popular music (R&B, Jazz) it’s all about your latest hit not your legacy. Where as in other countries around the world your legacy never dies, just like in country music, the older you get the more they appreciate your music and support you. One more important thing, we are letting our Black Music culture die. There are only few really out there in the USA trying to preserve the Black Music Culture plus most of the ones who are booking music don’t know about Black Music history, the ones who did know and cared are out of the business or dead; how can you sell something you don’t know anything about?
The bottom line is money, promoters and agencies feel there’s not enough money out there for bands and they are right. There are only few out there still willing to pay and go see and hear a band perform; a live band is your best experience and people are not go out to small clubs anymore. Now, this is what it’s all about in the new world, finding like-minded people and nurturing to them. I think this is what it going to take to keep band music alive. Building a audiences online. Building our own audiences is nothing new we been doing it for years, the internet just gave us another tool to use but you got learn how to use it its very slow and painful. But always be true to yourself! You got to pay your dues, put a steady stream of music out there (2 or 3 month) and keep in mind the money is not online its your live performances out on the road where the money is and when you build that audiences that following.
I must stop now but I could go on and tell you how we got to where we are now but I save it for another day. Hope to see you on the tour.
Love and Music,
Bill
P.S. I hope you understand what I’m trying to say. Please give me your take on this.
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