The new management role!

Right now when I write this it’s Saturday night, correct it’s on hour into Sunday morning. I worked on Saturday from 9:00 until 18:00 then I watched Eurovision with some friends (witch technically is part job for me). Then back and have now worked four hours more.

Yes this has to be done. Right now is the time where we book the last festivals and we go through our networks to see what everyone is doing over the year. Still it’s always this way. Something need to be fixed and the weekends is a good time when I’m not disturbed by all phonecalls, skype or meetings.
Don’t get me wrong. I love this and I decide to put the time into it. Still I know how much time that is needed. Usually is the management part that eats time. A huge variable of things and if there is no fires to put out you can always create fires to put out. It never stops.

And we run just two and half bands on the management side. One band is never touring so that makes things easier.

When I read about mangers that have kids, time to go on holidays and in some cases also have a normal day job on the side, I just wonder if they really can be a manager? In several of the cases they have up to six bands and they live in the sticks!

Usually you see them come along do their thing in a year or two and then disappear. What I’m more concerned about is the bands. If they work harder than the manger then it’s fine. They will survive when the manger goes down. Many artists get a bad taste from these mangers.

I guess they don’t see the new management role that is merging through. It’s harder than ever. It’s not like the old days where your job is a find a label and then relax sit back and let the money roll in.
The worst is when they actually hire another manger to do the manger role to find someone that should do things. Usually I tell people it around 50 real mangers in the business in Sweden. But many more call themselves it.

Unfortunately it’s hard to make a difference between all these managers. But yes if they not working full time I would be skeptical. Kids sure if they really have an really understanding partner.  Also do they invest of going places to broaden their network? Not just the free ones. The bigger ones get also invited to the bigger events. Are they in a bigger city a couple of time in a week if they live in the sticks? Questions like this should be asked by the artist.