Become a rock star fap nation9/3/2023 ![]() ![]() Growing up in Townsville in the 1980s, John Watson said the only way he found out about bands like New Order was by being "the one person who bought the imported copy of NME that arrived four months later by sea mail at the local newagent".Īs a teenager in 1960s Brisbane, Opitz relied on radio calling it "a lifeline to my dreams". "Let's do a gig to two men and a dog, and let's film it and let's put it up on the net. Mark Optiz said making a video need not be a complicated exercise. "Now if you're able to get a great video up on YouTube, and who isn't, then you're already well on the way to being able to show you can form a connection with an audience."īoth men agree that one of the best ways to attract the attention of both music fans and the music industry is to make a music video. "Without someone from a major label to get your video onto Video Hits or Countdown you were really going to struggle to reach a mass audience," said Mr Waters. ![]() When it comes to music videos, the internet has removed the middlemen between artists and their audience. He said if you don't care whether people like your music then you should "give it to them for free". You're charging them money? Then you've got a responsibility to please that person," said Mr Opitz. To retain an audience, you have to respect them – especially if they are paying money to see you. "They're looking for that sign of a spark that they can then come in and fan into a larger fire," said Mr Watson. Rather than looking for unknown bands who they can turn into stars, record companies now look for a band with an established fan base. "Once you form a connection with an audience then you'll find that industry people are falling over themselves to get involved in your career," he said. John Watson's advice to young artists is "build it and they will come". " you just have to be good enough, and committed enough, and you will be heard." While some may pine for those days, Mr Opitz says the change is for the better. "Major record companies in America, for instance, would only have to release a couple of Madonnas a year and that would cover the other hundred releases that did nothing," said Mr Opitz. Chase an audience, not a record companyĪccording to Mark Opitz a lot has changed in the record industry since the late 1980s. That team may include "a publisher, a publicist, an accountant. Then the manager would assemble and coordinate a team to work towards those goals. He said an artist and their manager should decide together what it was they wanted to achieve. "If you're managing Neil Finn you're presumably doing none of those things." "If you were managing Britney Spears you'd be finding people who could write songs for her, who could help her design a perfume line, who would give her dance instruction. "As a result what the manager does varies greatly from artist to artist," he said. He said managers do the things an artist either can't or doesn't want to do for themselves. While some artists are able to be successful without a manager, John Watson said many musicians overestimate their ability to manage themselves. "Go and play for free, then you don't pay for your rehearsal." 2. "If I'm working with a young band and they'll tell me they're rehearsing here and they're rehearsing there, I say 'great, what are you paying for your rehearsal room?'. ![]() ![]() until they see signs that what you're doing is already striking a chord with real people."Īccording to Mark Opitz, the best way to connect with fans is to play to them. "The truth is, these days, industry people typically don't want to get involved. "In my opinion 95 per cent of artists, when they're starting out, have a misguided belief that success means finding some Wizard of Oz character who is going to swoop into their bedroom with a magic wand and anoint them a rock star," said John. Play gigsīoth John Watson and Mark Opitz make the point that your music career is going nowhere if no-one hears your music. They both gave extended interviews to 774 ABC Melbourne's Lindy Burns about what it takes to succeed in today's music industry.įrom those interviews, we've gleaned the following points: 1. Watson has managed high-profile artists including Gotye, Missy Higgins, Cold Chisel, Silverchair and Birds of Tokyo, while Opitz has produced records by Cold Chisel, INXS, The Divinyls and the Hoodoo Gurus, among others. Manager John Watson and record producer Mark Opitz have a combined industry experience of more than 60 years. The internet has changed the music industry, so how do you become a rock star in the 21st century? However, for every band on the bill, there are hundreds of others across Australia desperate to be heard. Music festival season starts this weekend as dozens of bands perform at Meredith's Supernatural Amphitheatre in Victoria. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |