Hello Blog, Well it has been awhile since I have written anything, busy looking for work..... Wow the econemy is really shot, it use to be that when things were bad, people would still go out and party. Bands were purchased and Clubs were FULL!!!! in today's world of 2011 post Bin Laden Death the world seems to have just rolled up the carpet and everyone has went to sleep. No one is buying Live Music, and even CDs, I have to figure out what move to make, problem is I am not getting younger and everyday I find someone New in my field who claims they are an expert. I'll give you an example... Got a guy who claims he is an oldtimer yet I never heard of him, but you toss that up to the fact no one really has met everyone in this Business, even if you was working the same place "NYC" in the 70s, 80s, and 90s... So I let that pass and don't question the guy. Well this guy claims to have Europe wrapped around his finger. Now people in the years that I have been working this business I know one thing club promoters change at the drop of a hat, unless they own the club and still that may change also. So to claim that you have Europe, Wow, I mean Wow.... so lets see... so a few weeks go by and then the Tell comes out.... He calls up one of my ACTS to feed the Bull to the artist, basically to try and prove he is better, so Mr. or Ms. Artist forget Chino and Come with me, so he tells the artist get me a price for you and your staff, plus the whole Band to go to Europe, and by the way also give me a price for the samething for 5 gigs and also for 10 gigs. To a non Music Industry person or a novice Artist that sound FANTASIC !!!!, to a season guy like me... That sounds like the guy does not know Sh_t, Why you may ask ?, well in the first place, at this stage of the game the 2010, 2011 etc, you can't get a promoter to pay for 2 airline tickets, forget about 19 tickets, then think about from 12 to 19 hotel rooms and Food Per diem of $75.00 avg per person, times min. of 3 days per person and pay it in cash upfront and with Deposit and contract. The correct thing now (2011) is ask the Artist for him and his Musical Director and MAYBE, and thats a TALL order one can ask for a 3rd ticket for the Manager, but that is rare now a days, also rare is having a Salsa Artist perform with a Live Band, the Promoters are asking if the Artist can sing to his CD, in other words to Trac Tape. So when this guy ask the Artist for the price on 1 gig and 5 gigs and then 10 gigs for Europe, My Bull Sh_t dare shot up, because you can get a Live Back-up Band that sight reads on the spot anywhere in the world now and yes even a Salsa Band, and it could be Chinese Musicians, but they will sound like if they have played that music for 50 years, so why bring a Band from PR, and scare the Promoter with a Hugh Price Tag... That shows me this guy is no oldtimer in the Booking Business, and it shows me that everyone wants to be Mr. Booking Agent.... Geeeeezzz the crap I have to deal with... Why me Lord....
"A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him."
Have a Happy - Chino Rodriguez
Want to know more about me... Look me up in Google or use this link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chino_Rodriguez
