DAVE KISWINEY INTERVIEW PT. 2
by Tony Artimisi

Dave Kiswiney

David moved to Nashville in 1984 and started in the agency business in 1986 and eventually settled down at BLA. He has been with BLA since 1995.

(This interview is a continuation of Part I, found in MEIEA's May 2006 eZine)

What advice do you have for artists/ bands that are looking for booking agents?

You need to like the person that you are going with. You need to feel that they believe in you, that you’re not just on the list. Recognize what company you are keeping on the roster, and if you want to be associated with that. Some agencies just book “slam rock,” some just book country, some do it all. That’s very important.

Feel comfortable that they are working for you. An agent is working for the client, not the buyer. A lot of times they are working for the buyer just to get a show with the guy. You [the agent] have to stick up for the act, without them [the artist] you have nothing to sell. The artist should know that they are not just a product on the shelf - that the agency will do everything to benefit them, further their career.

If you [the artist] are going to switch agencies, it should be for the better - not just to change agencies. Always make upward moves, not down or even lateral.

How does BLA earn revenue?

Commission. We also do sponsorships – whether its jeans or paper towels. We earn revenue that way. Anywhere from 10 – 15%, it depends on the negotiation. That’s how we earn revenue. Commissions are from live engagements. We don’t take commission on merchandise, even though we negotiate that to make sure that base is covered.

To get sponsorship, you can call those companies direct, talk to their marketing, and get them onboard - Cingular, Dodge, Sparkle paper towels, Bellsouth, whoever. There are companies that have agents in that respect too – they work for corporations (ad agency, marketing) and they say, “Why don’t we use “Like a Rock” (Bob Seger)?,” It goes back to the agency if it represents the act. Another situation is we might approach a company and ask for them to sponsor this artist who loves their product.

Alcohol is a tough one. Miller Light and Bud Light usually get something going with a venue. That can lead to an artist can having a conflict of interest. You don’t want a situation where a guy is onstage with a Jack Daniel’s poster, but he’s a reformed alcoholic, or doesn’t want to be associated with selling booze. When it comes to alcohol, you have to be careful. Even though they may throw a lot of money at you, we don’t really go for beer, alcohol, and tobacco (although we will consider it). There are cases where this is happening though – exceptions.

Another hypothetical conflict of interest might be if the artist is endorsed by Wrangler and the venue has a Levi’s sponsorship. Artists will say “don’t put up signage without approval. It might not look good for me (the artist).” That will be in the rider. You have to be careful with the sponsorship thing. Clothing and publication are generally real safe.

Sponsorship is good for venues because it helps offset the cost of bringing in an artist, although sometimes, as I said, the artist won’t allow certain products to be advertised.

Artists benefit from sponsorships because it is money in their pocket. If it’s Levi’s jeans, the artist’s likeness is used on billboards, magazine ads, and Levi’s puts up signage during the artist’s concerts. In return the artist gets extra money on top of any other money he/she is making – not in lieu of, say, tour support from the record label. The money the artist makes from sponsorships and endorsements is sacred. Nobody touches that.

Who is in charge of creating the artist’s/ band’s rider? Enforcing it?

The manager or the artist is in charge of creating the rider. We will give them suggestions - offer them samples - but they need to know what they need to perform. They include everything from equipment, backline (rented) equipment if they’re flying for example to catering. They will do a fly rider and a bus rider.

The road manager is in charge of enforcing it, and artist manager. When they get to the gig, the road manager gets together with the buyer and makes sure everything is right. We’ll send out a rider and contract, the buyer will amend it, send it to management, and they approve or decline. They will iron it out. If it isn’t taken care of, then the agent will get a call.

If an artist shows up and the rider is not met, I’ll advise them to get paid, get the money up front (always get the money up front), and then decide whether or not to leave. It only happens in club stuff. These guys at the large venues are so good at what they do - they’ve talked to lights, sounds, and catering - they’ve got it down.

Don’t take checks – that’s the biggest deal that cancels shows. The buyer doesn’t have the money. That happens most often. We’ve had situations where they’ve picked up cash, and the manager doesn’t want to carry the cash around (there could be a safe on the bus), so the buyer will say, “Take this check, and I’ll cash you out at the end of the night” and they never see him again. Always take cash, cashier’s check, or certified check up front - period.

Have you ever encountered a situation where an artist had to cancel a show because of a failure to fulfill the rider?

It happens, but it’s rare. Nobody wants to cancel. Ultimately, the artist looks bad. It’s happened where the artist has agreed to play without being paid to save face because the audience doesn’t know what’s happening. All they know is that the artist has refused to come onstage. If the buyer doesn’t have the money before the show, the artist isn’t going to see it. It puts the artist in a difficult spot, but that’s also the end of that buyer. They’ll get sued or blacklisted. The artist will usually do an interview (radio/ paper) letting everybody know what happened.

They’re [the buyer] open to a lawsuit if the show has been advertised – contract or not. That implies a booking.

If it’s inclement weather, you try to reschedule. If everything [equipment/ lighting/ staging] is setup, they’ll try to wait it out. If it [the weather] turns torrential, they cancel. A lot of times artists get paid “rain or shine.” The buyer should have rain insurance. They may have the tickets printed with “No refunds” to protect their investment. It depends on how it’s setup.

Any advice for a person that is interested in becoming a booking agent?

Start out as an intern, in the mailroom, go out and see all the talent that you can. Get a job at an agency. Be a self-starter. Don’t wait for direction, inform agents to new bands. Take a low-paying job as an agent’s assistant. The agent will ‘start giving you some rope,’ don’t hang yourself with it. Agent’s assistants usually turn into a club agents, then will become a line or territorial agent.

Next, sign acts - bring stuff into the fold. Try to get a good act and take them anywhere. Agencies will want to sign the act, and they will sign you because you brought the act.

Anything you’d like to say in closing?

It can be a real rewarding career if you love the music business. It can lead to other things, whether it’s management or becoming a buyer for a huge building, corporation or event. Corporations can use you, because they know nothing about booking, except that they need entertainment. It can open the door to a lot of things. It’s tough but it’s good.