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Investigating Roles and Contracts.

Performer/ artist has to have some kind of musical skill, mostly ability to sing. They have to have fashion and stand out around everyone. They are the main thing on the stage, they are basically the show. Artists must be really flexible as they must perform mostly every night and that requires determination and aspiration. props of this job are that the artists has to stay up a lot, he is working under pressure most of the time. The cons are that as the artist you will get paid a lot, people really like you and most of all you do what you love. People each year sign up for x-factor and other shows to become famous, to become one you for one have to have a inspiration for music, second you have to have some kind of knowledge about the music industry, and most of all you need to be confident in what you are doing. Artists normally has a manager which works with many different agencies. But when it comes to the performance the artist works with technicians which take care of lightning, sound and equipment for him. He also works with the venue manager which takes care of everything that the artist needs. If non of the crew was there for the artist, he would be in ton of rubbish.

Skills and attributes that performer/ artist need

Great emphasis on looks, style and marketability Drive and ambition Competent musician

Performer/Artist

Often starts out as DJ, later taking on the more creative role of a remixer. A remixer takes the individual elements of a song vocals, bass-ling, guitar parts and more and discards some of these parts, combining the remaining elements with new ideas. The results is usually a new, often longer, song structure. DJ has to know how to entertain people by mixing music, he has to follow to flow. He has to have his gear as no one will lend him any and he has to know everything about it. Depending how big the concert is he will need less or more of his equipment.

Skills and attributes that DJ/Remixer need

In depth knowledge of production techniques An interest in knowledge up to date with latest developments of in music technology Familiarity with various contemporary musical styles Really creative

DJ/Remixer

Setting up venues/concerts is so important! Firstly you need to think about the location of the performance, you need to go talk to your tour and event managers to see if that’s even possible. Lets say you want to perform in a pub, it’s fairly easy to find one but you will not get paid as much as if you were to play in some kind if venue. On other hand finding venues is much harder to find, you will need to know people to get in to one. When you found a place to play your music you will need to think about all the equipment such as the instruments you will be using, all the amplifications, mics, lightning and for that you will need help with setting all of your equipment up. That’s where all the technicians come in handy.

Promoting live music is really important but you know that, so what is promoting? Promoting is an individual going around and handing out leaflets or group of people, but you are not getting paid for that. You also could play one song and promote a yourself and or the album you are trying to sell.

Setting up and promoting live music

Booking agent takes care of tours and one stand gigs by booking, often conjunction with the release of an album or single. In addition, an agent defends, supports and promotes the interest of his clients. He also scouts for new live bands and artists to represent. Booking agent works with front house managers, tour managers, event managers and bands. Normally he takes fee of around 10% for the service. Booking agent works with the band or artist manager to book a performance or a venue. He also works with all sorts of venues so he has a range of choices for the bands and artists to pick from. If band or artist has a booking agent that means that they have a lot more chance of gigging than the artist or band which have not have booking agent.

Skills and attributes that Booking Agent need

Through knowledge of the contemporary music Ability to evaluate new or up coming bands

Booking agent

A concert promoter has many roles and responsibilities when it comes to organising live performances. You will be in charge of organising and sourcing the venue and working with the venue to sort out dates and times for the concert to take place.

They are responsible for promoting the live performance, letting people know about their band/artist’s gigs, usually by fly posting, leafleting, and advertising in listing magazines, newspapers and on the radio. This means you will need to create contacts with these advertising organisations so that you can promote your event.

The concert promoter is in charge of organizing tickets to be available for the show for people to buy.

Liaises with the tour manager over venue organisation Collects and distributes cash after the gig finishes In small operations the venue promoter looks after one venue only and may share

promotional duties with the venue promoter

Skills and attributes that Promoter need

Thorough knowledge of the contemporary music scene Excellent organization skills Numerate Good communicator

Promoter

Health and safety is crucial, there need to be rules you need to follow so if anything happens you have higher chance of escaping the danger. Rules such as no weapons allowed on the premises or amount of alcohol you are allowed to consume. Lets say in case of a fire there need to be fire exits or lets say heart failure there need’s to be a paramedic. There need’s to be a search guards and guards in case of a fight. But who now takes care of it all? Well the front of house manager is responsible for most of things, but the event manager is responsible for everything. For example if there was no health and safety things could become ugly fast.

Like in 1977 May 28, Supper club in Beverly Hills cough fire, there wasn’t enough fire exits so 165 people died and over 200 were injured. If correct health and safety procedures were in place the person in charge of health and safety would have ensured the required amount of fire exits for he venue capacity and many life’s if not all would be saved. So the risk assessments must be carried out by the health and safety officials to reduce of eliminate any potential risks before the performance takes place. As a performer myself I would like myself and the audience to be safe during the venue.

Health and Safety

Tour security refers to the personnel for securing the artists, crews and equipment of live music acts while they are on the road.

Normally security is divided in to two classifications: venue security and personnel security.

Those responsible for venue security, are responsible for doing the advance work with the venue, overseeing developments and emergency response plans.

Those responsible for private security have a little bit easer job as they go where ever the artist goes and he does not have to deal with a horde of people which want to get on the stage.

Sometimes the venues are a bit bigger and more security will be required to prevent any misbehaviour.

Security

Concerned with the design, manufacturing and selling of the bands merchandise T-shirts, posters, memorabilia and more. In smaller outfits, the band may deal with design and manufacture, while the merchandiser simply sells the product, often from a stall at gigs. If the gig is big he has to make sure that he brings more merchandise to sell as there is a possibility that lot more people will approach the stool to but merchandise to support their favorite band or artist. Thanks to merchandiser the band or artist makes more money if not for him people would not be able to get what ever they desire from their favourite band or artist and the musicians would not earn as much. For merchandiser to be able to sell the goods he needs to work with certain people such as the band manager, the distribution manager, promoters and venues to discuss how much they allow to sell how and how much of a cut they allow to get.

Skills and attributes that Merchandiser need

Visual flair Ability to work to tight deadlines if manufacturing Personable nature if working at gigs

Merchandiser

He is responsible for the sound the audience hears during the gig. They will use specialised equipment such as mixing consoles, outboard gear and PA equipment to mix and create the sound that the artist desires.

Each venue is different some are small and some are big sow each time the live sound engineers work is a little different. Smaller venues don’t need as much equipment as to the bigger one, smaller venues don’t need as much mixing and different sounds as to the bigger one. If there was no sound engineer the show would not happen most probably as he is the one setting up the sound for the musicians. For example in Swindon academy we rely on Mr Thompson aka Mr T. he is the only one who knows how all of the equipment works and we have many good musicians here if not for him non of us would be able to perform at concerts.

Skills and attributes that Live Sound Engineer need

Through working knowledge of PA equipment Exellent hearing, a good ear for music Ability to improve solutions under pressure

Live Sound Engineer

Depending on the scale and the complexity of the gig, technicians will work with band/artist by transporting, dismantling and setting up their equipment, lightning and PA system at gig. It is physical and heavy lifting job so there is several technicians and each one has its own task, such as there is a technician for each instrument, they need to make sure that the instruments are ready to play. There are the stage technicians which take care of the stage, they basically set it up.

But every venue is different, for a bigger venue there will be need for more technicians as there will be a lot more work to such as preparing the stage, preparing the sound, preparing the instruments, unpacking and packing equipment and decorating the stage. There are a lot more jobs for them so they must be prepared for any thing. Thanks to technicians everything is possible as they do the dirty work I would say. Most people don’t realise but they are a part of a band which no one pay attention to. They work with artists and bands.

Skills and attributes that technicians need

Technician must be physically strong and have lot of stamina Must be good at team work Must be willing to work unsocial hours and away from home

Technicians

Responsible for the sound the band hears on the stage. The sound of the vocals and instruments are combined by the monitor engineer and relayed to the band via onstage speakers known as monitors. It’s an important job because if the band cannot hear what they are doing, then they are likely to give a poor performance so he has to be really focused. Also each venue is different so the monitor engineer has to prepared, he has to know what sounds and how loud it has to be. During the live performance the band is in need of the best monitor engineer they can get as he adjusts the sound that the performer hears and if he was going to disappear the performer would screw up.

Skills and attributes that Monitor Engineer need

Sound knowledge of monitoring equipment Calm and professional manner Good communicating skills

Monitor Engineer

There are many types of contracts that exist in music industry. There are the good one and the bad ones and you should never ever sign one if you have not full read it or if you don’t understand it.

You will recognise good contract from bad as the good one will be specific and clear, also if someone promises you something verbally be careful it might not be in the contract so then be prepared it could have been only a persuasion for you to sign the contract.

In music industry contracts are curtail as they are the only piece of evidence of the what is needed from both parties, so if one of them brakes it they can be sued, that’s why we need them. But there are cons about them too, sometimes the person who writes the contract hides meaning so if a musician come to sign it, they must be very careful.

Contracts

There are many benefits of signing a contract. The main advantage to the drawing up of contracts to minimize liabilities is that it reduces the risk that the company issuing the contracts will be sued. By making sure that all parties agree on the terms of a particular agreement and making everyone sign a contract attesting to this, this strategy reduces the chance that one party will have grounds for legal action later on.

In addition to reducing the risk of lawsuits, contracts can also provide clarity to employees and partners in their mission. Contracts often outline exactly what's expected of each party. In addition to reducing the likelihood that one party will be able to sue the other party later on, these contracts can also help each party remain mindful of exactly what they've been contracted to do, thus reducing confusion and increasing focus.

Why is it good to sign a contract

Why is it bad to sign a contract There are many disadvantages of signing a contract such as Perhaps the main

disadvantage to the use of contracts to reduce risk is that drawing up contracts takes both time and money. To construct an airtight contract, a company has to employ the services of a lawyer to draft the contracts, and lawyers are seldom inexpensive. In addition, focusing on contracts draws time away from other activities that could help grow the business.

Making every person who deals with an organization sign contracts that are designed to reduce the company's risk can create an atmosphere in which everyone has their hackles up. This may not only breed suspicion, but it can actually increase the likelihood of a lawsuit, as people forced to sign these contracts may seek the counsel of a lawyer they wouldn't otherwise approach.

This as an example of booking contract.

This is a good example of a contract as there are no dodgy stuff in it. It is easy to understand and its specific to what’s required from the artist. There isn’t a lot requirements which makes it easer for the artist to read or the agent.

This is an example of a contract between promoter and venue

This is great example of a contract between promoter and the venue as it is clear to what both parties are required of. But this contract contains a little more detail.

EXAMPLE CONTRACT Contract No.: 0000 An Agreement made the <17/2/15> Between <Miss Mathews> hereinafter referred to as the ‘Promoter’ of the one partAND <Piotr Lopatka> hereinafter referred to as the ‘Artiste’ of the other part. WITNESSETH that the Promoter hereby engages the Artiste and the Artiste agrees to the engagement to appear/perform as <NAME> at the venues(s), on the dates and for the periods and at the salary stated hereto. SCHEDULE The Artiste agrees to appear at ONE (1) performance as follows: At the VENUE NAME

ADDRESS LINE 1 ADDRESS LINE 2

ADDRESS LINE 3 On the <28/3/15>

For a salary of £00.00. + VAT plus PA/lights + catering plus 80% of door receipts after £00.00 costs SPECIAL STIPULATIONS The exact running times for this engagement are to be advised.

Signed Lopatka Piotr Date 17/2/15This Agency is not responsible for any non-fulfilment of contracts by Proprietors, Managers or Artistes but every reasonable safeguard is assured.

Example of a good contract between the Artist (myself) and the Promoter

Contract No.: 0000 continued

PaymentThe guaranteed fee for this engagement is £000.00 + VAT + 80% of door receipts after costs which is payable to the Artiste as follows: A deposit of 0% of the fee, i.e. £0.00, is payable to by cheque to <NAME> and should be posted to <ADDRESS>. Deposit due immediately on receipt of contract. In the event of cancellation by the Promoter, this will be retained by the Artiste.For the purposes of this clause time is of the essence. The balance of the fee, i.e. £0.00 plus VAT @ 17.5% on total fee (£0.00 for a total of £0.00), plus any percentage payments due, is payable to the Artiste in cash pounds Sterling on the night of the performance. Promoter are to provide and pay for a first class P.A. and Monitor system and Lighting systems to the Artistes specification and approval (see attached technical specifications). All the necessary crew are to be in attendance throughout sound check and for the duration of Artistes entire performance. The name or logo of <NAME> or any of it’s members shall not be used by any sponsor or be tied to any commercial product or company, nor shall there be any sign, banner or advertising at or within 30 metres of the stage throughout the entire engagement. Promoter is specifically prohibited from associating Artistes name with any product or sponsorship or promotion whatsoever without Artistes prior approval and written consent. Merchandising. The Artiste shall have the exclusive right but not obligation to sell souvenirs, posters, programmes, shirts and all other merchandise directly pertaining to and/or bearing the likeness of the Artistes at the engagement and to retain ALL monies received from the sale thereof.Promoter shall ensure that there is sufficient space for suitable stands to be erected for this purpose at no cost to Artiste. Unauthorised recording. The Promoter agrees that no part of the performance may be taped, filmed or otherwise recorded in any way whatsoever. Promoter shall place a sign at the entrance(s) to the engagement which clearly states this limitation.Promoter shall ensure that no recordings take place and shall confiscate or otherwise detain any sound or visual recording materials by visually screening all persons attending the engagement for any recording equipment. Promoter agrees to cooperate fully with Artistes to prevent such recordings and agree to act promptly and diligently to all Artistes requests in fulfilment of this clause.It is agreed and understood that in no instance whatsoever will the Artistes allow filming recording or broadcasts of any type at the aforementioned venue (by persons known or unknown) including but not limited to TV, film, radio, video tape and digital media unless the Artiste gives their prior written consent. Decline to performThe Artiste reserves the right to decline to perform without prejudice to the full agreed fee in the event of any reason beyond the control of the Artiste including but not limited to strike, lock out, war, fire, serious or dangerous weather conditions. Initial Lopatka P

This is how a group can sell 10 million records and be broke: They sign a slave contract that not only pays their management too large a cut of their money, but also requires that they foot the bill for every one of their expenses and retain little ownership of what they produce. Pebbles may be alleging that the women of TLC were heavy spenders, but she can’t seem to explain away the fact that each member only took home about $35,000 a year – at the height of their careers.

When Salt-N-Pepa signed their first deal with Next Plateau Records in 1985, the women unknowingly agreed to be paid half the going cent-per-album rate with no option to renegotiate their contract no matter how successful they’d become in the future (which of course was very successful). By their third platinum album, the group members were only making about $100,000 a year each, while their management was making millions.

Example of a bad contract deal

Neil Diamond signed a $1m-advance-per-album deal with Columbia in 1973

In 1996, Murray Lachlan Young became the first poet to sign a £1m record contract

In January 2002, EMI paid Mariah Carey $28m (£18.5m) to end her record contract with the label

Robbie Williams signed a UK record £80m deal with EMI in October 2002

In March, the estate of Michael Jackson reportedly agreed the biggest deal in history - worth more than $200m (£132m)

Example of a good contract deal

POP MUSIC THE TEXT BOOK (JULIA WINTERSON PETER NICKOL TOBT BRICHENO)

smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-disadvantages-contracts

www.vocalist.org.uk/booking_contracts.html

www.cable-london.com/images/uploads/docs/venueHireAgreement.pdf

madamenoire.com/326254/bad-record-deals/

www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-10654380