On Jul 8, 2010, at 3:05 PM, Matt wrote:
> I guess I am missing the point...entirely. Unless the context is only
> U2/Prince/Ke$ha/Lady Gaga/Justin Bieber/Whatever gazillion dollar
> tours, and not every band who paid for tours and living expenses by
> selling tickets, t-shirts, and CDs in the back of the bar they were
> playing in.
I just interviewed the guy, Sean Keenan, for this evening's radio show. One difference between then and now: in the old days, record companies (whose general suckiness I won't for a second deny) gave advances to promising acts. Now, bupkes. And as Keenan points out, the artists that succeed today have to be good with spreadsheets and marketing, which take precedence over music.
Look, this is part of my ongoing interest in how the hell we're going to pay for journalism and popular art in a world where everyone wants stuff on the Internet for free. His isn't the last word, but it's all worth thinking about.
Doug