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	CONTRACTS You've learnt to play a bit and you set out to do a few gigs. You've got two alternatives - you either get down the local and play for your mates and have a bit of a laugh - pursuing a nice hobby, a "pastime" - or you're serious: you want to devote all your time to making music and therefore you've got to earn some sort of a living from it. This entire site is for both kinds of musicians - those who just want to rock and stay wth their "proper" jobs and those who know that maybe they have something to contribute to a wider audience and who know that their craft skills deserve due and just recompense. Most "serious" musicians avoid acknowledgeing the fact that music is a business and that they'd better have a businesslike approach to their chosen craft. Until it's too late. By this time, they're either being ripped blind by those who know full well that music is a business (record companies, managers, agents, etc. etc), or it's all ended in tears - the band has split, they've got sick of playing pub gigs for money that any other craftsman would laugh at, they've hung up their Strat or whatever. Some serious talent has gone to waste This part of the site is for those musicians who are "serious". Our view is that the "mainstream" is becoming redundant. Computer and internet technology begin to make it possible to distribute our own material ourselves. It's an illusion to think that all your problems will be solved by some paternalistic corporate body, the "real" record company. Unless you're really clued up. Maybe. To paraphrase Tom McGuinness (Manfred Mann, McGuinness Flint, etc) in a book he wrote about the music business (haven't got the title to hand at the moment): "Most bands' ambition is to get signed, to get that recording contract. It's like searching for the Holy Grail. They think when they have that contract all their troubles will be over. I'm telling you now. When you get that mainstream recording contract, that's when your troubles really begin". Or Chris Helme, a local guy whose work continues to develop subsequent to his involvement with "The Seahorses", a band which achieved some worldwide fame, touring with the Rolling Stones, Oasis, and so on, and some significant "hit" records: (in an interview we did recently and up in its entirety elsewhere on this site) "I'm reading David Geffen's (head of Geffen Records) biography at the moment, which is quite interesting. Fucking hell, the amount of shit which I never even knew went on. It's totally amazing. 'Cos you think, when you're in a band, that you're the be-all and end-all, 'cos you're this band and they've given you loads of money. And they make you think like that as well, they encourage it. And then you realise that behind the scenes they're just like..... all you are is a little chit of paper, and it's just being passed around, and they're wondering how much they're gonna make on you and that's it. Which is how it's probably always been, I think. Since they started ripping off blues artists......" Please note that we are not lawyers. You are well advised to take competent legal advice on all contractual matters. And that doesn't mean going to the Solicitor down the street. He or she are unlikely to have a clue. Specialist music business lawyers are expensive. With a bit of nous you can save money. Join the Musicians Union (worth it for savings on public liability insurance alone). Or, when you have money contact a specialist. Check, for example, "The White Book" to locate these specialists. Don't hesitate to contact us for further advice, for what it's worth, and see our links page. Our agreements are all based on egalitarian principles.
	1. BAND AGREEMENT. If you're a band, rather than a solo artist, then you're in a legal partnership. It's essential to have, from an early stage, a band agreement. This agreement, or contract , will answer questions like "Who owns the band name?", "What happens if someone leaves?", "Who owns band equipment?", "Who owns co-written songs?", "Can anyone do solo work and under what terms?" and so on. It's the sort of thing that, once signed, can go into a drawer and gather dust. And maybe it'll stay there. But draw it up and sign it anyway. Everyone knows where they stand and it avoids, or minimises, hassle later. click on BAND AGREEMENT for our model.
	22. BOOKING CONFIRMATION You ring round all the venues you know, either locally or in, say, the North East. Or nationally when and if the time comes. Maybe you'll need an agent at some stage to do this for you. In the meantime someone in the band, or a mate of the band, has this job. It's not often realised, but just to get one gig can take dozens of phone calls, sending demos and all the rest of it. Once you get the gig send the pub manager or whoever a simple agreement to sign and return to you This contract agreement, with a few obvious amendments, can also be used by venues. click on BOOKING CONFIRMATION for the agreement we use
	Over the next few weeks we'll put up examples of 3. Recording Agreement 4. Publishing Agreement and describe the copyrights involved in distributing music (see "Latest News" for info on site up-dates) and so on Any questions e-mail us, ring us on 0845 458 4699 (local call rate) or post a message at our Forum Newcastle based "Generator" have a whole range of well - written, useful advice sheets / articles on their web-site.
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