I get asked all the time “how do I get a manager for my band?” The goal, of course, is not to get someone’s girlfriend to manage the band. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. The goal is to get a manager who is going to go to bat for you and get you cool opening slots and tours all around the country. People in metal have increasingly realized that the managers and booking agents are really the people who can give you those opportunities – not so many labels any more. Sure, a label might get you some introductions and help you get the connects you need but that’s not really their focus these days. So, the point being – the way to get a real manager is very simple. You need to show that you are pros who work your faces off and you need to show that you are going to be financially soluble – that it will make sense for these crazy busy people to want to invest some of their very valuable time in what you are trying to do.
So, every band I have ever worked with assures me that they are “very professional” and “willing to work their faces off with the right opportunities.” Except here’s the thing – actions speak louder than words. If you can’t show me that you have been hustling this shit from the first then you are done before you’ve even started. Managers want to work with people who have proven that they work hard, not folks who just say that at some hypothetical point in the future they are going to be willing to work hard. The number of times I’ve gotten stoked on a band to find out that they really expect me to do everything while they just do drugs is truly crushing. It’s just part of the overall struggle of this business. The people with power are so goddamn jaded that you need to show you are worth spending time on time and time again. This isn’t because they are bad people but because they have dealt with so much bullshit in the last week alone they can’t be expected to have too much patience.
How do you show that you are a hard worker then? Well, there’s a lot of basic things you can do that will prove to a manager that what you are doing is for real. One that is very tangible is just posting every day on social media even if you don’t want to. If someone higher up in the industry sees that you have that basic level of discipline then they are going to be much more likely to believe in you. Similar to this is playing a lot of well-targeted shows. That means not going out on big dumb national runs across the country with markets you will never see again where you play to five people a night. What it means is growing regionally and reaching out in a relevant way to the people around you. What this means is making sure that you are playing smart shows, and not just going to California because it strokes your New York ego. When I say you need to show you work hard, you need to show you work hard intelligently No one wants to work with an idiot.
Then we get to the question of financial solubility. This is a tricky one because it can get really tricky really fast. The general rule of thumb is that a manager is taking twenty percent of your gross income. They have a moral obligation to keep your cots down but they aren’t going to cut you a break just because you felt the need to have luxuries on tour like sit down breakfast or ice cream. I know it sounds crazy but that’s something I’ve had to deal with. So think about it this way – you want to be giving someone twenty percent of your income so they get you opportunities that raise your income by more than twenty percent right? Or at least that saves you time commensurate to the payout? Sure. Well, twenty percent of nothing is still nothing. This is the big issue that drives me insane – bands asking for people to manage them for a percentage when there is no money. Why ask someone who you think has value to work for you for free?
So, what’s the figure you need to be paying a manager? Well, I personally wouldn’t take on a client who was paying out less than five thousand dollars a year, and from what I can tell, for bigger players in the industry that’s pretty much the basement level. What this means is that you are grossing twenty-five thousand in a year. This involves either playing lots of shows or having a few big shows that are profitable for you. Proving to people that you have that level of grind, that you can continually schlep out the next big tour and are willing to hustle your online sales is key too. Twenty-five thousand dollars is a difficult amount of money to gross in music, but it also will function as a testament to both the demand for your band and the hard work you are putting in. If you are putting in a lot of effective work and not seeing results that slowly grow over time – well shit maybe it’s not a manager you need, maybe it’s just that you are not in demand by the market.
Long story short – you do need a manager. It’s hard to get one. Getting on that grind is part of the adventure of being in the music biz. I don’t think every band needs a manager for the record. Some groups, like Thou or Primitive Man, do great on their own and thrive on the DIY aesthetic and like to grow on their own. If you are like the rest of us though and don’t have the jack of all trades mentality a good music manager has then shit – you should grind your way towards some of these goals I outlined and prove that not only are you a smart, hard worker but that there is a demand for your project. Show people the dollar signs and they will come flocking. Just make sure to get a lawyer when signing your deal so you don’t get fleeced!
MATT BACON
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Matt Bacon is a consultant, A&R man, and journalist specializing in the world of heavy metal. Having worked with everyone from Glam Rock icon Phil Collen of Def Leppard, to post Black Metal titans Alcest, by way of legendary thrashers Exhorder as well as labels including Prophecy Productions and Ripple Music, he has dedicated his life to helping young bands develop. Having started his own blog at the age of 14 he views his career in artist development as ‘a hobby that got out of hand’. In 2015 he formed Dropout Media in order to better support the artists he loves. We sit here now, years later with countless tours booked, records released and deals signed, and loving every minute of it.
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