geraud blanksmanager extraordinaire:Black Elephant

What a manager does for a band.

A manager is sort like a single mother. They do whatever they have to do to provide for their family.  A good manager will make sure his band is always taken care of, a great manager will make sure his band is always taking care of business. A manager extraordinare will spend every waking minute trying to find that next great gig, publicity opportunity, producer, etc. Ideally you want to have a booking agent handle booking your shows, a publicist handle booking engagements and publicity, a lawyer handling the contracts and legal issues, and a manger overseeing all of that with a fine toothed comb. But in the world of independent musicianship a manager must be all of those things rolled into one neatly packed joint. Artists must find someone they can trust with their life, or at least their money, because a manager often handles the band's funds (i.e., show revenue, merchandise, etc.). In my case I am hands on in every aspect of Black Elephant, I work with producers, I draw up contracts, I finance the projects and events, I drive to out of town gigs, and do just about anything you can possibly think of to keep this group afloat.

Does every band need a manager right from the beginning?

Most groups do not need professional managers. The drummer, guitarist, or lead vocalist can act as the manager. In fact in most local or amateur groups one of the group members acts as the manager. A close friend or family member can act as a temporary manager for the group, but you must be careful of the inherent conflict of interest that can arise when using friends and family. A real manager should only be brought in when the group has reached a point when the actual members can no longer handle the day to day operations effectively. A manager is responsible for the overall business management of the artist, this job should only be handled by someone who has a vested interest in the long-term success of the serious work ethic.

What a manager gets paid.

A manager takes 10% -- 20% of the group's gross revenue. Ten percent is low, 15% is industry standard, and 20% is high-end for established managers with either an investment in the artist or a major clientele. A manager is responsible for the overall business management of the artist, they are the buffer between the artist and outside world (i.e., promoters, fans, agents, etc.).  A good manager is reliable, head strong, and tough, moral but tough and aggressive without being annoying.  They have to know when to fight and when to be diplomatic. Your career may depend on it.  A good manger does not sleep until they have found every viable circumstance for their client to make money and promote themselves. Managers work every angle of promotion/marketing, booking, and music production to find the best opportunities for the artist to thrive.

How do you get press for a band without bugging newspapers, radio stations, etc., too much?

You don't!  It is your job to bug people. That's why you are the manager and not the lead guitarist. If you could play an instrument as well as the other guys you would be in the band and not managing. Your sole responsibility is to your band, keeping your integrity intact. You have to bug people. If you believe in your product bugging people is the least of your worries. I established relationships with people in college I am still benefiting from today. The trick is to strike up a good relationship with the media before you ever have to ask for anything. When I was at UWM I sent a press release to Gemma Tarlach of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and she did a story on a CD I was putting out.  I kept in touch feeding her info on our events and music as I saw fit. Sometimes she covered us sometimes she didn't. There was no need to bug her because I knew from our relationship that she would do what she could when she could. They will cover you if they are interested in your story, it is your job to get them interested. First and foremost, get your music and press kit tight, then work on your charm; charismatic people seem to get what they want a lot faster then assholes. Be persistent but understand when to ease off and take another approach. At the end of the day, people won't ignore your calls if they feel they'll be missing out on something worthwhile. You just have to give them some reason to return your call instead of the next guy.

Personal goals as a manager.

I want to operate a full service music house and management company (Soul Unseen Music Group), commercials, bookings, music production, you name it. I ultimately want to have a roster full of artists with full time managers & agents working under the same roof. As of right now I finance, manage, market and distribute all of Black Elephant's products. We are our own small independent label trying to get major label distribution.  I've taken off from school and quit my many diverse jobs to handle Black Elephant full time for right now at least.

Advice for other managers.

Always get your paperwork in on time. Get your check immediately after the show.  I can't tell you how many times I've had to wait weeks even a month to get paid for a gig.  We've traveled hundreds of miles to perform for a handful of people and then didn't even get paid for 3 weeks. We went to U of Eau Claire years ago and they gave us a janitor's closet as a dressing room. The complimentary chili that the students were eating before the show was all gone and they had no other food for the performers to eat.  The sound system sucked and there was no soundcheck. All in all we got paid and learned a valuable lesson in the process: be nice on your own time, be serious when it comes to your money and the well being of your group. 

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