Posts by Tomorrowpeople

Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First

  • Hard News: Changing Times,

    I'd like to bring something to you attention.


    As stated in the Real Groove article....
    Donald Reid and his '$60 per-CD tax-payer' album "In A Taxi Home".


    Disclaimer: let me state for those that don't know me, I'm Andrew B. White. I've known Donald for several years and play bass in his live band amongst other things.


    Whoever 'leaked' the info of funding to Duncan about the cost of Donald's album was WAY off track.


    "In A Taxi Home' RECEIVED NO NZ ON AIR FUNDING.
    ZERO.
    The album and its production was entirely self-funded.
    By Donald.
    This included the studio time, the session players, the mixing, mastering... the artwork (I know as I did the art for Donald and charged him 'mates rates' for it).
    Released on an independent label and distributed by Shock NZ.
    The only thing that was not paid for upfront was manufacturing (paid for by Shock Records) and these costs come out of any sales.


    Anybody can go to kiwihits.co.nz and have a look at all NZoA funding that has been allocated since day dot. Simply enter in an artist name in the search box and away you go.
    Any good researcher could have done that in two minutes.


    Donald HAS received NZoA funding in the form of video grants and radio play refunds and has been featured on the Kiwi HitDisc several times, most recently in early 2010 for this:
    http://www.youtube.com/user/donaldreid#p/u/1/0epW5kbuwgo


    But no funding was received for "In A Taxi Home".


    In 2006 funding was approved by NZoA for a second (as yet uncompleted) album and no, he hasn't been given anything like $50k or $100k as part of that deal.
    In fact we'd like a few grand to finish the album off please.
    Any takers?
    It'd be for love and kudos.


    So, no tax payers' money has been spent on Donald's "In A Taxi Home" album.
    In fact a lot of money was paid TO the IRD in the making of it.
    GST, provisional tax etc etc - everyone who worked on the album in a professional business sense and who got paid ended up paying the IRD from their proceeds.
    You could say their tax contribution went in to NZoA to help fund.... music.
    And the cost of personal time and free help from people can't be quantified in money terms.


    This method of funding is called "FYOP" (From Your Own Pocket ) and it's what you do if you are serious about what you do. You find a way and work hard at it.
    You don't sit around waiting for funding and give up if you don't get it.
    NZoA is a luxury. As far as I'm aware if you get $50k from NZoA YOU HAVE TO MATCH THAT FIGURE..... Not many people can do that except majors. Then you have to market it...... NZoA doesn't give you money for that, or to pay a publicist or a manager.. NZoA certainly don't give money out for artwork costs. I had one Phase 4 act come to me (via a major) for an album cover design with a $500 budget... the cheek!


    That aside, Donald reckons he's sold close to 2,000 copies of "In A Taxi Home" over the last several years.
    He's happy with that in this day and age of the album not being the be-all and end-all of the music revenue stream.
    Not Gin Wigmore figures but it didn't cost $100k of tax payer money (not to mention the extra few hundred grand a major would have invested in such a large project).


    Success is measured in many ways.
    Donald has had help from NZoA but they didn't make his album, they didn't write the songs, they don't do all the live shows and carry gear around. The artist does.
    Donald is a pro, hard worker and a good guy to boot.
    No one is forced to like his music.
    I do, and so do many others.


    I'm not going to have a discussion here about the merits (or not) of NZoA.
    I'm setting the record (no pun intended) straight re the misinformation.
    May as well ride the wave and try and generate some free press at the same time don't you think?
    We could start a facebook page titled "Can this feijoa get more funding than a Donald Reid album".
    Any press out there - give us a call - Donald could do with some free primetime press and he has a radio single/video out right now than might move up the charts as a result.
    Some decent live shows would be great too.
    Cheers.


    I'd also like to commend Duncan and Real Groove on their article and the debate, if for anything to see music journalism focusing on issues rather than recycling press releases or having 'censored' interviews with 'artists'.
    Maybe it's time for John Russell to make a return.
    He probably would have hated Donald's record though - lol.


    PS: Serious about the money we need to finish the album.
    Call me.

    The Craps tables at the B… • Since Nov 2006 • 188 posts Report

  • Hard News: Trading Trade Me?,

    What I meant to add, is that TradeMe is often full of cheap-ass tyre kickers.
    ebay is where the real buyers are at.

    The Craps tables at the B… • Since Nov 2006 • 188 posts Report

  • Hard News: Trading Trade Me?,

    I disagree - I think TradeMe is a bit of a pig compared to ebay.

    It's getting better but ebay has a much better search engine, especially for completed items which is what I use it for 50% of the time.

    Whenever I am selling something collectable it goes on ebay US without a thought.
    The only site to sell 'proper' stuff (that you can mail).

    As for shipping from the US - it's not that much if you know your postal shizz.
    Likewise from here to there.

    The Craps tables at the B… • Since Nov 2006 • 188 posts Report

  • Hard News: A Weird Day in the Hood,

    In regard to Judith Collins.

    I get the feeling she is trying to make herself look good in the job, being a newbie and all, by taking an active role in getting the PM to set up an investigation and offering compo.

    None of these things are bad but she is playing it off that bat right from the start so she doesn't get accused of turning a blind eye or being unsympathetic.

    The Craps tables at the B… • Since Nov 2006 • 188 posts Report

  • Hard News: A Weird Day in the Hood,

    The young guy died from a "single entry into the chest".

    That does not sound like a random, miscalculated shot to me.

    Sounds like the shooter got the wrong guy.
    If they were shooting a the offender on teh back of the truck, how the hell does the guy in the van get a bullet in the chest?

    The Craps tables at the B… • Since Nov 2006 • 188 posts Report

  • Hard News: A Weird Day in the Hood,

    Ok - I thought this guy had fired randomly when the police had cornered him and asked him to drop his gun several times (before the motorway ordeal).

    The Craps tables at the B… • Since Nov 2006 • 188 posts Report

  • Hard News: A Weird Day in the Hood,

    Yes - I agree it is very easy to sit back on the couch and say "oh they shoulda done this, they shoulda done that".

    The Craps tables at the B… • Since Nov 2006 • 188 posts Report

  • Hard News: A Weird Day in the Hood,

    One more question - why did the police not take down the offender earlier when they had the chance?

    The Craps tables at the B… • Since Nov 2006 • 188 posts Report

  • Hard News: A Weird Day in the Hood,

    I only new about this AFTER I had put my mum on the bus in Parnellat 4.45 to go home to Pt. Chev.
    She got home at 7pm....

    I did see a bit of TV news and I am really appalled at how members of the public treat this things like sideshows, almost laughing as they are being interviewed.
    The value of life r the situation seems to be overshadowed by the fact the event is like a TV cop show (and their language reflects that too).
    People are more interested in getting home than someone losing their life.

    Once I witnessed a live-to-air cop chase in LA (on TV) with live coverage of the offender being 'taken out' (read killed) by cops.... pretty full on.

    Racial conspiracies and all: yeah, the cops did not kill a brown guy on purpose but I can't help but get the vibe that because this guy was a young brown kid (17 with a child) that public sympathy is not as big as it might be if it was some white, middle class guy with kids.
    Am I the only one who thinks this?

    The Craps tables at the B… • Since Nov 2006 • 188 posts Report

  • Hard News: Just Friday,

    Hey, so is Mary Wilson going to interview Noelle?

    lol

    The Craps tables at the B… • Since Nov 2006 • 188 posts Report

Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 19 Older→ First