Rock Star Etiquette?
Monday, December 30, 2013 at 12:01AM
A few months ago, I attended a show on the Tom Keifer/John Corabi tour. The show was amazing and both guys really 'brought it' that night.
Now, I have seen Keifer several times (all previously with Cinderella), but this time was something different, as Keifer had a renewed energy playing his solo material. I had seen Corabi once before, but he was solid as well, and quite simply has an amazing and powerful voice.
My issue was with the merch table. Now we all know many of these bands largely support themselves on tour by the money they make off of the merch table. Specifically, John Corabi was selling his acoustic CD for $15 at the table. I pulled out my iPhone and logged onto iTunes and saw that I could purchase the same album for $9.99. However, I was impressed with his performance and thought to myself, "I'll pick one up when he comes out and get it signed." I kept an eye on the table throughout Keifer's set, and even hung around for a while after the show was over, but John never appeared at the merch table, or anywhere else. As such, I left without purchasing the CD, and in all honesty, I never got around to purchasing it otherwise.
What offended me was how the CD was MORE expensive when buying it at the show as opposed to ordering it, when there was no added value in doing so. It seemed like a way an artist was attempting to take advantage of fans in attendance. If you want to sell your product to your fans at a premium, I think there should be some added value to the purchase. Come out with a sharpie, shake some hands and meet the fans. I wouldn't have taken that long (as there were maybe 300 total in attendance and about 200 or so of those left immediately after Keifer's set). But instead, he stayed in the backstage area and offered for sale a product that was available for $5 cheaper with no incentive to spend the extra money. I would have been happy to have purchased if he was out there greeting fans (like L.A. Guns does after every show), but there was nothing.
Again, I'm wondering if I was simply being over sensitive, or was John wrong? Should he have lowered the price of the CD to match the cost elsewhere, or should he have come out and helped 'sell' the more expensive CDs?
Reader Comments (46)
Can't resist getting back into the crossfire with the rest of the douches (I've been bestowed the honor of that title by one Mr. Outsider, as well, hahaha!!!) on here, once again, Boyz... Just to stay on point...
Bri! It's not the "same product"! One is a download AND the other is a physical CD. Some people prefer the latter and can get it right then and there. Yeah, maybe Corabi is overcharging a bit over Amazon but it's a trade-off for instant gratification.
Now for YOU to take my ORIGINAL post as aimed at you (yes, the latter was), but YOU were being a bit "oversensitive" there too. My reference of being "owed" something was what we imbeciles call a "generalization". Perhaps I should have picked several names that I thought were felt owed more than a show with a mini m&g of an artist as to not have you mistaken that for an attack. But as I always say, if the dress fits, wear it.
You being an "lawyer who rocks" must NOT have considered there being something in a contract that prevented your Mr. Corabi from peddling his ware at the merch table when OPENING for a "headliner" of the stature of a Tom Keifer. Instead you took the time to post and ask opinions of the readers of Bring Back Glam to answer your question of "sensitivity" to this disrespect of "fans". Your lack of knowledge of "Road Economics 1A" where a physical disc costs more at a show than online download is laughable.
But, I'm the one that has no clue. You even broke the cardinal rule of asking a question that you don't want the answer to or that you already knew. Not to mention your "reporter/writing" skills of not defending and or responding to idiots like me who post responses to your "art."
In closing, you've lost a reader of BBG, which probably doesn't matter because what does one person lost in the vast world of Glam Fandom. I mean, I'm just being oversensitive at this point I'm sure. Now to find that clue with my dignity somewhere out there...
Respectfully,
The Insider on the outside. [insert smiley emoticon here}
I do hope you'll keep reading AND commenting as we all benefit so much from th perspective from the inside.
This was actually quite an interesting exchange and really got to some interesting debate about "Rock Star Etiquette".
Let's just celebrate a great post and animated conversation as a way to kick off the New Year.
p.s. You guys should come on The Monsters of Rock Cruise the end of March! I'll buy you a drink, a John Corabi CD and all three of us can go chase him down, get him to autograph them, then look him in the eye and proceed to frisbee the damn things in front of his face, hahaha!!! I'm sure that would get him good, which I'm sure he's owed if you tally up all the times HE'S been a "douche" in his life time (excluding the non-incident at the show with Bri, cuz he wasn't one there). Rock On in 2014, my Metal Brothers.
The original post was a bit tongue-in-cheek in that I was attempting to spark a conversation and a debate among readers. Was I really offended that he didn't sign CDs? No, of course not. I have a wife, two kids, a dog, a mortgage, etc. I don't care if I do or do not have a signed cd. Would I have bought one if he did come out? Yes. But the intent of the post was to start conversation. I knew people would take jabs at me based on what I wrote and I'm fine with that. I love good natured back-and-forth.
Your comments were different as (1) they were attacking in nature, and (2) were based on a complete misinterpretation of what was written. My responses to you were always respectful, intended to clarify, and I did not resort to name calling.
You, however, referred to yourself as a 'douche', and proceeded to misquote and misstate in your responses, and then when I take the time and effort to clear up the errors you made, you downplay them and claim that you are walking away from the site. If you want to hold yourself out there as this type of person and come across as attacking in your comments, I suggest you develop some thicker skin when you get pushed back upon. The 'taking your ball and going home' approach seems a bit silly when you look at what you said to me as opposed to what I said back to you.
Did I take into account possible contractual limitations when I wrote the initial post? Of course I did, but this was a light-hearted piece that wasn't intended to be weighed down with legalities. You see, when you write for a site like this, you try to present your point in a fun and enjoyable manner such that all readers can understand and comment on the subject matter. I can only surmise that the majority of readers wouldn't be interested in a piece on contract specifics (but I'm happy to write one if I am wrong). As such, It was written in a manner that all readers should have been able to read, understand and offer their opinion on. Apparently, I missed the mark on that one.
Additionally, I will post items that often times my posts are not flattering to the artist but that do demonstrate points I want to make. For example, a while back I wrote a post on how Vince Neil was a horrible person and should not have been honored with a Vegas award. People blew up at that (except for Ace in particular, who agreed with me), and while not popular among readers, my point was valid and legitamate. This post was another example of that. Sometimes the unpopular topics or viewpoints are the ones that spark the best debates and conversations among people with similar interests.
As for my 'laughable' understanding of the cost of CDs, I happily point out that most that I see are sold for about the $10 mark. So I do not necessarily agree with your point.
So thank you for being a part of the conversation. I truly hope you do continue to read and participate on this site, as my intention was never to drive anyone away. And thank you for taking the time to google my name and finding that old article from 2003 (mind you it isn't relevant any longer). I do not post anonymously because I am comfortable with the words that I publish, so feel free to google. I do hope you contine to read and post in the future.
At least it was interesting. And I am glad to be back in the fray. At least partially.