I just got through watching that video with Mr. Bob Lefsa-shits, and I have a few opinions about this idiots rant:
There is this imaginary world where somehow the "integrity" of a rock band is going to bring them success. That one guy who puts out the magic demo, releases it on Myspace and within 3 months 100,000 people are buying the album.....this just never happens. The only thing that Lefsa-shits proved is that old democratic attorneys should not smoke pot. He is simply wrong about his views on how the music industry works.
In order for any business venture to succeed you have to ADVERTISE IT, and to ADVERTISE IT COSTS MONEY!!! The only people that sell music on Myspace without a record contract are bands that already were established PREVIOUSLY on other labels and have name recognition, bands that have the support of some mom and pop organization usually an independently owned RECORD LABEL, or some drug pushers private pet project that he (or she respectively) somehow succeeds in financially shoving down someone's throat (usually at gunpoint via the mafia, or by blackmailing someone important).
I am in a self promoting rock band and have been in the same outfit for 14 years doing niche music in a rock n' roll comedy vein. I promote, finance, and book all of my own shows. It is expensive, and the return on these ventures in not always equitable. It is a hobby so I keep doing it and this is what I know about how hard it is to MAKE IT on a grass roots level via the "digital" revolution:
It cost 5 dollars a day to put out one AD up on Myspace Music. In order to get circulation at all (pop up's on Myspace music) you have to buy about 100 ads and run them at least six months to make any impact at all. If you don't suck, you can get maybe 10,000 people to see your name on Myspace and click on your link. 50 percent of those people are going to be annoyed, 25 percent of the other people have A.D.D. and will only care about you until they shut down their browser, 20 more percent will LIKE you but can't buy your music because they just bought a bag of weed, and only about 5 percent of these people MAY buy your music. So basically, you have to spend $50 - $100,000 to get a nominal return, that is MAYBE make 5 grand??? My math might be a little off but I am just illustrating a point. That point is, this is the REAL reality on how hard it is to break your unknown band using the digital music distribution model. Other digital entities such as Reverbnation, ITUNES, Tunecore and CD baby all use this same model for distribution.
All bands, eventually, if they get sick and tired of spending their life savings just to get six people into a club, need to get financial backing. That's life. This is why only the big dogs that know what the are doing can make money. Most unknown bands ALSO put all of their eggs in one basket and do not have alternative means to get additional financing if their masterpiece project flops, so they lose money, go bankrupt and that's the end of their career. It has always been this way and the digital music revolution did not change that.
In my opinion, the only thing that the digital revolution did for the music industry was set it back about 100 years. Now that everyone can make a piece of shit CD, the value of recorded music is completely worthless. You have to do a media blitz to get a band off of the ground these days, and that is why bands need to trust a little bit more in someone who knows how to make money in a soft economy, who has the eyes and ears of the media and the creditials to get someone with money to give a fuck. This just MIGHT be somebody like you.
Obviously, aside for being a form of male birth control, this man serves no purpose in life but to be annoying. He obviously has low self esteem because his wife doesn't suck his dick anymore and he has to take it out on everyone around him. Kudos to you for keeping your cool and letting this jerk-stick ramble on.
Wow!! I am SO THANKFUL that we have idiots like this guy defending MY integrity in the modern music industry. Lets give a hats off to Bob Lefsa-shits for socking it to the man (you that is, LOL). Indeed it's people like him that currently are the modern face of the digital "grassroots" musical revolution....bald, overweight, impotent, unemployed men with man boobs who used their tax returns to buy recording equipment. Thank god he came to our rescue.
Good luck with all of your ventures, and good luck on tour and your new album.
Fan since 76,
Tom M
Letters...
Before we start this review of my Keynote Speech at CMS from a guy who's blog was forwarded to me, I'm going to take the liberty of telling everyone I'm going to comment as we go along.
First, the name LEFSETZ. I would tell him to his face. That name's gotta go. It blows. If this guy was in a band and wanted to sign with us, he'd have to change his name. Or, sign with someone else.
Otherwise, have no clue who this fellow is or what he does.
Let's see.....
THE LETTER (GENE'S RESPONSES IN ALL CAPS)
Imagine you're stranded on a desert island and you stumble upon a member of the opposite sex. You're thrilled! You're gonna have someone to talk to, you're gonna make love until the Coast Guard finally figures out your ship sank and rescues you.
And this person may not be a beauty queen, but hey, he or she is all right. At least that's what you think at first. Maybe you even have sex and forget your plight for a moment or two. But then, even though you're exhausted, your partner just won't give up. Insists on having sex every hour, being coddled, all the while telling you how fucking hot they are. It would almost be enough to get you to jump back into the water and swim to your death.
That's what listening to Gene Simmons is like.
THANK YOU.
He's not a dumb dude.
THANK YOU.
But it's a full time commercial.
CORRECT.
And why? Doesn't he have enough money?
WELL, RESPECTFULLY, IT'S NOT UP TO THIS AMATEUR TO DETERMINE IF I HAVE ENOUGH MONEY. I'LL LET HIM KNOW IF AND WHEN I DO. UNTIL THAT TIME, IT'S BEST TO PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR OWN MONEY.
Isn't this like an ex-President buying time on television to give us his opinion on the budget? Running for an office he can't be elected to? Hey Gene, you were a star once, can you let it go? Can you stop trying to convince us that not only is your music great, but that KISS is the biggest act in the world?
NO.
I mean if we really want to get down to it, don't we have to give credit to Bob Ezrin?
YES. ALWAYS.
The producer of "Destroyer", containing the KISS klassics "Detroit Rock City", "Shout It Out Loud" and the band's biggest hit, "Beth"? Not only did Ezrin produce those tracks, HE CO-WROTE THEM! I'm thinking without Ezrin, KISS is a footnote.
PERHAPS.
Ezrin went on to further greatness, producing one of the biggest albums of all time, Pink Floyd's "The Wall", as well as the critically lauded debut of Peter Gabriel. KISS? They took the makeup off and put it back on, reunited with the original members, kicked them out again and kept dunning us with endless product promotions.
ALL OF THIS IS TRUE. AND YOUR POINT IS..."?
And that's what this "keynote" address at CMW was. A product promotion, for the latest iteration of Simmons Records.
CORRECT.
I HAVE A FIDUCIARY DUTY TO UNIVERSAL MUSIC CANADA AND I HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN SIMMONS RECORDS. TO DO OTHERWISE AT CMW, WOULD BE STUPID. I KNOW HE'S NOT INFERRING I'M STUPID. QUITE THE CONTRARY.
Just because you're a big musical act, that doesn't mean you're a decent executive, that you can run a record company.
SAYS WHO. YOU? AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MAKE THESE ASSESSMENTS. WHAT'S YOUR QUALIFICATION, IN FACT, FOR SAYING ANYTHING...
That's like saying a great football coach has to have been a star quarterback. They're different skills. One that Mr. Simmons has yet to master. Sure, he made that demo tape with Van Halen, but the band ended up on WARNER BROTHERS!
THIS MORON DOESN'T KNOW DETAILS AND BEHAVES AS IF HE DOES. FACT ONE: AFTER SEEING THE BAND AT THE STARWOOD CLUB IN LA IN 1977, I SIGNED VAN HALEN TO MY PRODUCTION COMPANY, "MAN OF 1,000 FACES" AND PRODUCED THEIR 24 TRACK DEMO, 15 SONG DEMO AT ELECTRIC LADY STUDIOS. KISS WAS GOING OUT ON TOUR, AND I DIDN'T WANT TO KEEP VAN HALEN TIED UP, SO I LET THEM SHOP THEIR OWN DEAL, WITHOUT INSISTING I KEEP A SLICE.
WHAT HIS POINT ABOUT ALL THIS, IS BEYOND ME.
Truly, it was relentless. Gene with that bizarre hairdo sponsored by Brillo
NOW, NOW...NO NEED TO BE JEALOUS, BABY.
JUST BECAUSE I REMEMBER YOUR MOMMY BACKSTAGE AND THEN AT THE HOTEL, IS NO REASON TO BE ENVIOUS OF MY GOOD LOOKS.
Maintaining that 360 deals are good for artists and that Canada can be the new Ireland.
CORRECT. I "DO" BELIEVE CANADA POSSESSES ALL THAT.
U2 came from Ireland, what does that country possess that Canada does not? Isn't that like saying Mutt Lange came from Rhodesia, therefore Lithuania should be able to produce the best record producer on the planet?
NO. NOT REALLY. AND, I'M NOT SURE ANYONE READING THIS HAS A CLUE WHAT THE RHODESIA/LITHUANIA THING MEANS.
Really, it didn't have to be 2009, it could have been 1009. With a huckster up on stage, trying to convince us to buy from him.
NOPE. NEVER SAID YOU SHOULD BUY FROM ME. DON'T LIE, HONEY.
Sure, there's salesmanship involved in becoming a successful musical act, but that's not ninety percent of the equation.
SAYS WHO, BITCH. YOU? AND, WHAT'S THE NAME OF YOUR BAND. AND WHAT'S YOUR QUALIFICATION FOR SAYING OR DOING ANYTHING?
But with KISS, it is! The music is just the vehicle to make money. I don't excoriate this, I just don't REVERE IT!
NO PROBLEM. GO FIND ANOTHER BAND.
Gene showed a five minute promotional film that was such an assault, the guy in front of me put his hands over his ears.
I THINK YOU MISUNDERSTOOD. THAT WAS YOUR GIRLFRIEND. AND YOU WERE TALKING TOO LOUD. SHE WANTED TO SEE AND HEAR GENE SIMMONS. NOT YOU.
Didn't Pete Townshend sing "A Little Is Enough"? Obviously, Gene's never heard that track, otherwise he would stop telling us how great he is and let us come to our own conclusion.
NO. I WON'T STOP TELLING YOU HOW GREAT I AM. FIND SOMEONE ELSE FOR THAT.
It was sad.
NO, IT WASN'T. EVERYONE HAD A GREAT TIME AND EVERYONE ENJOYED THEMSELVES.
Although Gene paid lip service to the Internet, it was like he wanted to jet back to the seventies, when the label was king, when record companies were flush with cash that they'd blow on a bunch of new acts.
THAT'S TRUE. I WANT RECORD COMPANIES TO BECOME POWERFUL AND FLUSH WITH MONEY AGAIN. I WANT BANDS TO REALIZE THAT ANY ENTITY THAT GIVES THEM MONEY (ADVANCES) AND NEVER FORCES THEM TO PAY THE RECORD COMPANY BACK, WHEN AND IF THEIR RECORD BOMBS (AND THEY ALMOST ALWAYS DO), IS THEIR BEST FRIEND. I KNOW OF NO OTHER BUSINESS THAT GIVES YOU MONEY AND NEVER ASKS FOR IT BACK. EVEN YOUR MOM WILL WANT YOU TO PAY BACK HER LOAN.
Those days are through. Shit, imagine trying to get money from Simmons' company. That'd be like sucking quarters from a parking meter. Gene's notorious for not parting with his own money. Shit, I'm stunned he doesn't require new acts to pay HIM to be signed!
THIS IS A SMALL PERSON, WHO'S NEVER DONE ANYTHING, NEVER BEEN IN A BAND AND DOESN'T KNOW HOW THE RECORD INDUSTRY WORKS. HE DOESN'T KNOW ME AND I DON'T KNOW HIM. AND HE WOULDN'T KNOW, IN EITHER CASE IF I "DO" OR "DON'T" PART WITH MY MONEY. AND IN ANY CASE, IT WOULDN'T BE HIS BUSINESS, OR MY GARBAGE COLLECTOR'S.
I only went because the last couple of times Gene's spoken he has said some truly heinous things, blasting the audience, that he told us today to respect, for stealing his music. I figured he'd come out with a few clunkers that would crack you up.
But all I got was a damn advertisement.
THAT'S CORRECT.
I AM ADVERTISING SIMMONS RECORDS. THAT'S WHY I'M UP HERE TALKING ABOUT IT. THIS GUY IS A GENIUS.
AND I STILL CONSIDER FREE DOWNLOADS AND FILE SHARING STEALING. AND I WANT YOU TO PAY FOR MUSIC...AND FOR ANYTHING. IF A BAND WANTS TO GIVE AWAY THEIR STUFF FOR FREE...I HAVE NO PROBLEM. MY ONLY QUESTION IS, HOW DOES THE RECORD COMPANY, WHICH PAID GOOD MONEY UP FRONT, GET ITS MONEY BACK, IF THE MUSIC IS FREE"?
I know Gene loves that I'm writing this.
SURE. I LOVE ANYONE WHO TALKS ABOUT ME.
Almost to the point where I considered not writing about his speech at all. But I've got to. Because in order for music to ascend to its rightful position at the top of popular culture's leader board
(I CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS LEADER OF POPULAR CULTURE TO TELL ME HOW TO POSITION THINGS).
It's got to be more about its intrinsic value than the sell.
YES, AND NO. IT "SHOULD" BE ABOUT MUSIC, BUT IT'S ALSO GOT TO BE ABOUT BUSINESS. IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED, IT WAS NEVER JUST CALLED "MUSIC." IT WAS, AND STILL IS CALLED THE "MUSIC BUSINESS."
It's got to be more about music than showmanship. It's got to be more about creativity than expediency.
NO. HES GOT IT ALMOST RIGHT. IT'S GOT TO BE ABOUT BOTH.
KISS had a gimmick. It's served the band well. A gimmick can get you noticed, but soon thereafter it becomes about the music. KISS took off its makeup and few cared.
HE'S RIGHT. ABOUT 10 MILLION.
The Beatles gave up their suits, messed with their hair, even gave up playing live and the band got bigger and bigger.
I LOVE THE ANALOGY. KISS AND THE BEATLES. THANKS.
The problem is, Gene Simmons thinks there's a handbook.
YES. MY HANDBOOK.
Listening to him is like watching a bad version of "Glengarry Glen Ross".
NO. NOT REALLY. I DIDN'T LIKE THAT FILM MUCH. I'M MUCH MORE FASCINATED BY ME.
It's like going to a training session for Kirby vacuum salesmen. It's always interesting to hear how another person made it, but if you want to be successful in the future, you're better off ignoring everything Gene Simmons has to say.
THIS STATEMENT MADE BY A GUY WHO'S STILL LIVING IN HIS MOTHER'S BASEMENT.
Unless, of course, you love money more than music.
ACTUALLY, I LOVE BOTH MONEY AND MUSIC.
But since you're reading this, I doubt that...
GOOD LUCK TO THIS GUY. WE LOVE HEARING THE GOOD AND THE BAD.
AND WE HOPE YOU GET OUT OF MOM'S BASEMENT SOON.
March 11th-
Simmons & Stronach Hope to Make Beautiful Music Together
From Wednesday's Globe and Mail
March 10, 2009 at 11:12 PM EDT 
The blood-spewing, kabuki demon is happy to talk “360 marketing” and the search for teen acts to tailor into the next big thing – even a Jonas Brothers-like boy band, if that's what it takes.
“I'd like to sign three acts the first year,” said Gene Simmons by phone from Beverly Hills, Calif., about his new Canadian record label. He's in Toronto tomorrow to make a keynote speech at Canadian Music Week, taking a break from recording KISS's first studio album in 10 years. Although, he quickly noted, the band is in no hurry to finish the album any time soon, not when Simmons has so many other pots on the stove, including his newly resurrected record label, Simmons Records.
If it's unlikely to think of Simmons, who drooled blood on the cover of KISS Alive! II, looking for squeaky clean teen bands – an even stranger image is his business partnership with ex-politico Belinda Stronach, now back in the fold as executive vice-chair of Magna International, and a silent investor in Simmons Records.
But is it such an about face? The KISS bassist turned marketing whiz, turned reality-TV celebrity, turned record-label front man has always had business in his makeup. The result of all that stage paint, platform boots, pyrotechnics and blood-red food colouring are the more than 2,500 licensing deals KISS has signed, according to Simmons's website.
The resurrection of Simmons Records, which had a less than spectacular existence under the BMG umbrella in the 1980s, came about through a deal with Universal Music Canada, hence the focus on Canadian acts.
The head of Universal Canada, Randy Lennox, has been conspicuously in the market for partnerships with new, unconventional record and media companies, such as his involvement with the Toronto-based upstart WIDEawake Entertainment Group, which recently bought the back catalogue recordings of the Death Row rap label.
Simmons's marketing company, Simmons Abramson Marketing, had been working with Magna Entertainment's horse-racing operations. Meanwhile, Simmons had gotten to know Stronach further when they were exploring potential real-estate investments.
But with Magna Entertainment now in bankruptcy protection and real estate having lost its lustre, Stronach is now investing in a record label which has, it must be said, a highly bankable public face. Simmons is currently filming the latest season of his domesticated rock-star-father reality show Gene Simmons Family Jewels, and he has a hand in everything from a line of clothing to comic books. You can even buy T-shirts with Simmons's face embossed on a $100 U.S. bill with the captions “Go Green With Gene” and “Gene Simmons for President.”
“I love getting up every day and filling it with as much as I can, otherwise I'd be home watching I Love Lucy,” Simmons said.
He thinks a record label should handle all aspects of a band, from image to songwriting, in the same vein as Motown. And every career move should be carried out with an eye out for tie-ins with licensing deals, TV, movies, you name it – that “360-degree” approach to marketing.
Simmons was a little short on the specifics about where his new label has gone since November when word got out about its development. Then as now, Simmons has been touting the Toronto party rap band Down With Webster, which Simmons confirms he's “unabashedly” clamouring to sign. There is still no signed deal, although he's hopeful. He also suggested, despite his Henry Higgins talk of grooming for success, that he would need to do little, if anything to ready that group for the charts.
Just last weekend, an e-mail circulated by the Ottawa band Rudeboy claims that Simmons has been phoning Craig Simon's house and sending e-mails to say how much he likes the group. Simmons apparently also added in the message that “as a fan of the Special and the English Beat, let me say how much I enjoyed your stuff.” Gene Simmons and ska?
Ultimately, Simmons is open to all ideas. “I'm looking for the next U2 and Led Zeppelin. The only thing that matters is ‘Do you have the goods?'“ he says, but adds “it's not enough to be [just] a band.”
Meanwhile, he's getting set for a stadium tour of South America with KISS, before a swing back to Canada for a few gigs in July. Tomorrow, during Simmons's keynote speech at Canadian Music Week, expect a lot more talk about 360-degree marketing, branding and making the impossible possible. As he likes to say, “TV, music, politics, we're all in the same business. You need to use any and every tool possible in this really difficult economic period.”
Five Questions For... 
I was asked to be Keynote Speaker at the Canadian Music Week convention. Aside from speaking there, meeting nice people, and engaging in punishing a circus animal or two, I returned from seeing DOWN WITH WEBSTER (who we love and who absolutely killed ...they're that good!!! Maybe they'll sign with us. Maybe they won't. They know we want them. We will see). Universal Music's Shawn Marino and I returned to the hotel after seeing Stereos, and others and were met by SARA HAZE, who fearlessly confronted us in the lobby.... and took over.
Bob Lefsetz -- one of the music industry's most influential online analysts, and certainly the loudest -- published a Gene Simmons take-down yesterday, prompting Simmons to respond in ALL-CAPS, characteristically sleazy form. 