What does a manager do? Pt2

Road managing basically means making sure everything happens as it should at a gig. In other words, making sure that the band is on time for soundcheck, that soundcheck proceeds satisfactorily, that the door opens when it should, that the correct money is being taken at the door, that the first band goes on when it should and only plays as long as it should, and that their band gets on stage on time and sticks to its time frame. 

 

They will also make sure all the kit is removed from the venue and take the money from the promoter/club manager at the end of the night. This is something that managers of all smaller bands in South Africa do and yours must do the same. The manager in this context is your buffer between the band and everyone else.

 

If on the night of a gig the band is unhappy with its treatment, the facilities or what have you, it is the manager’s job to sort it out. He must handle money disputes, time arrangements and so on, not the band. In this context it is the manager’s job to be the bad guy, so that the band can focus on the job at hand and deliver its set to the best of its ability. Only once your band gets to be truly big would you consider having a separate road manager who would do these things for you.

 

Record company liaison

 

Now in the beginning you’re not going to have a record deal. In fact, in our modern environment, there is a chance you may never have a record deal at all. But it is always your manager’s job to handle the business around your recordings for you. Whether it is liaising with a label or with the websites offering your downloads, it is your manager’s job to make sure your financial interests are looked after, that you are getting the money you are owed and that you know where you stand. If you are manufacturing your own CDs and selling them, your manager needs to be keeping a firm eye on the finances involved there.

 

This is another specific area where, as a band, you must be briefing your manager clearly and carefully as to what you want done and how. Otherwise the manager is going to do as she sees fit. You may not always agree, so be sure to have a proper discussion around the music product issues and make sure you know what you expect and that your manager understands that as well.

 

Business management

 

This refers to everything that your band undertakes. Management should act as an overall coordinating force in your band to make sure that everything that needs to happen does so effectively and efficiently. So if you have someone in the band who is responsible for the banking, the manager needs to be coordinating that person. The manager needs to know how much is being spent on merch and how much is coming back in, how much is being earned from record sales and what was earned at the last gig. It is his job to look after the financial well-being of the band and to plan ahead according to your resources, to facilitate your vision and realise your goals. If you don’t give your manager vision or goals, he is going to struggle to use the resources available to take you anywhere.

 

Never fall into the trap of just assuming that, because this person is now your manager, you can now take your eye off the horizon and leave everything up to him. Your manager works for you, doing the work you can’t or shouldn’t do. Therefore, you need to make sure that you always know what is going on and that in fact, from a directional and motivational point of view, you remain in control of your own band. 

 

In many cases, artists are so thrilled to have a manager, they cease thinking about these issues entirely. What generally happens then is that management either gets fed up and leaves, or takes the band over and starts making it serve his own agendas. Whose fault is this in both cases? The band’s. You must have your vision and your goals firmly entrenched in everything your management does. Yes, she may be more experienced than you, know more people and be more sophisticated businesswise, but if she does not apply this to the goals of the band, all you are going to end up with is an empty career that is nothing like you wanted.

 

Originally published in David Chislett's One, Two, One, Two: A Step By Step Guide To The South African Music Industry. Download a free copy of the book at www.davidchislett.co.za.