ABQ Music Explosion

Don't confuse those Music and Family Fun parties with the - invited-to-perform-at-your-own-expense-plus-fees-and-maybe-get-discovered - scams we're going to cover in this expose'.

Every fool in music wants a shot at 'getting signed', 'being discovered', or given that non-existent 'free million dollars' this Industry is supposed to have floating around.

The fact this Best Of All Industries is overloaded with liars and thieves who will gladly present the exact appearance of 'opportunity' to perform (on your money, of course) for those 'all-powerful-few' who can make that fool's paradise a reality. The scam is as simple as the brainless fools who fall for it, year-in and year-out.

First, you get to pay all the bills, costs, expenses, et cetera, to go where ever the scam is located 'this year', Austin, New York, Nashville, Las Vegas, Hollywood, Chicago, Jacksonville, Atlanta, St. Louis, ..., ..., to play YOUR FREE MUSIC in the 'venues', usually local Beer Joints, where Record Company 'executives' and 'A&R Representatives' who are all supposed to be in the audience.

And you can meet them! When and IF any actually show up. A few do, but always with orders NOT to sign or renew anybody! Then WHY are they there at all? IF the 'promoter'/'organization' running the event has paid all their expenses, they'll use the opportunity to scout out those FEW who might pose a threat to the Artists they already have a ton of money in! And the best that FEW can expect is a SHELVING!

Understand the nature of the scam: YOU pay all the bills, including the 'promoter/organization' profit to be ignored by the very people you went there to impress!

These are not cattle calls for legitimate projects!
These are not auditions for legitimate record deals!
These are scams!

The absolute best you can expect is to get yourself SHELVED with either a term-negotiation letter (actually a legally binding contract that prevents you from even approaching any other record company until THIS 'negotiation' is completed - which can be years!) or an actual contract that puts you ON THE SHELF until Hell freezes over!

And what about the equally-scamulous 'awards' shows? They're called in the Industry the mutual-let's-give-each-other-a-trophy societies! And that's all they are! They mean absolutely NOTHING in the legitimate Industry except to brand the Idiot who displays such 'awards' as a total jerk.

Music 'festivals' and 'showcases' are the same scams as the 'awards' scams with a slightly different twist. You might be called on - 'permitted' would be a better word - to perform at either, but nobody is there to deliver you that non-existent 'free' million dollars!

Only a fool squanders their money, time, effort, energy and their music in such jackass scenarios! With the same budget, you can upload your music to any of the PromoLibraries, and perhaps log some International Commercial Airplay and gain some recognition.

Certainly, providing a week's free music and entertainment to all the gin-mills in the City-of-Venue doesn't profit anybody but those gin-mills and the conartists who suckered you into paying all your own expenses to do it! If that doesn't make you A DAMNED FOOL then pray tell the world, what does?

This Best Of All Industries is rough and tumble enough when you play by all the REAL dos and don'ts, but it can be an absolute nightmare when you get sucked into any of its rampant scams. Anything that even sounds like getting discovered should be looked at damned carefully.