Independent Musician Lower-archy:
Indie Level I
Signed to Subsidized* “Independent” Record Label
You’re pampered like a rock star** but treated (and paid) like a pizza delivery boy*** (your roadie will make more money than you at the end of the tour).
*Actually owned by Time Warner or Disney in an attempt to suck in cash from alt-musos
**Everything is done for you, including having your songs written, played and produced by others
*** You will actually become a pizza delivery boy
Indie Level II
Signed to or Distributed by Small, Independent Record Label
You get to call the artistic shots but your record (and career) will languish in a cardboard box on the merch table during your opening spot at “Nick’s Chug ‘n’ Spew”. Your fortune cookie says: “You like to travel (and sleep) in “vintage” Econoline vans. Collecting money is a challenge for you. Your lucky numbers, 8675309* ”
*With apologies to Tommy Tutone
Indie Level III
Owner/Operator, Micro-label
You are an “uncompromising artist*" with eclectic taste**
You smugly refer to your real job as your “day gig”
You still play Dungeons & Dragons*
*You are also “single” for good reason
** You own copies of Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music in all formats, including 8-track
Signed to Subsidized* “Independent” Record Label
You’re pampered like a rock star** but treated (and paid) like a pizza delivery boy*** (your roadie will make more money than you at the end of the tour).
*Actually owned by Time Warner or Disney in an attempt to suck in cash from alt-musos
**Everything is done for you, including having your songs written, played and produced by others
*** You will actually become a pizza delivery boy
Indie Level II
Signed to or Distributed by Small, Independent Record Label
You get to call the artistic shots but your record (and career) will languish in a cardboard box on the merch table during your opening spot at “Nick’s Chug ‘n’ Spew”. Your fortune cookie says: “You like to travel (and sleep) in “vintage” Econoline vans. Collecting money is a challenge for you. Your lucky numbers, 8675309* ”
*With apologies to Tommy Tutone
Indie Level III
Owner/Operator, Micro-label
You are an “uncompromising artist*" with eclectic taste**
You smugly refer to your real job as your “day gig”
You still play Dungeons & Dragons*
*You are also “single” for good reason
** You own copies of Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music in all formats, including 8-track
posted by Eric Wallack at
Friday, February 03, 2006
3 Comments:
That post is absolute platinum! A touch of humor has been a needed addition to your blog.
Agree! Thanks for making this clear--very different from my understanding of the po-business, though maybe not so different after all.
Heh, well I did exaggerate a "little" bit...
Sadly it's probably truer across the board for the independent arts than any of us would like to admit or acknowledge.
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