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Things got confusing... Too personal?

​Remember that in the past, Red & Black Music was critiqued for being "cold, rigid and impersonal"? Well, here we are again...

WB's behaviour at Imperial College, London, triggered not only the cancellation of the following gig at Girton College, Cambridge, but also the withdrawal of Diáspora from all the agencies. This, in turn, led to liquidation: a comprehensive, 18-month management review - the 8th, and most extensive undertaken in Diáspora's 15-year history.

Since 25/07/2023:
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• Events: a rebuild of key tables data: client-side (Enquiries, Agreements, Engagements, Payments, Testaments, Comments) and supplier-side (SubEnquiries, SubAgreements, SubEngagements, SubPayments, SubTestaments, SubComments). All documents have been collated, stored, imported, and dated. In addition, all Assignments (deals advertised to the label) and SubAssignments (deals advertised by the label) have been transcribed and analysed.
• Technical: A financial reconciliation of 1,600+ quotes and 4,400+ breakdowns submitted over the last 15 years, drawn together from 60+ pricing structures released during that time.
• Query Resolution System: 9000+ queries, tying together their communications (40,000+ e-mails, not including messages via other mediums), categorising them into 8 query types, and time-stamping them into their respective situational contexts.
• Contacts: an extensive data clean of individuals and organisations, including extrapolation of addresses, bank details, email addresses, names, phone numbers, and web addresses, and tracking their pathways through our systems.
• Logistical: an incident and development log has been incorporated. 450+ incidents since 2009 have been recorded. Each report including date reported, reported by (individual/organisation), description of what happened, action taken, resolutions, notes/comments, plus the parties, roles, responsibilities, and their status (responsible, involved, impacted, observer) and response (passive, active, responsive), plus some feedback capturing any raw correspondence. Mirroring this, a comprehensive log of 200+ developments (policies) put in place over the years, the circumstances in which they were implemented, and linking them to and from the incidents in terms of those that they triggered, those that triggered the development, and parent/child policies that have superseded/receded in response to these. In addition, all strikes (withdrawals of any nature) have been documented separately with details of the circumstances in which they happened.
• Musical: a collating of 1,300+ set lists used on gigs throughout the years, over 500+ programmes, incorporating 20,000+ song renditions, recording the feels, keys, lead [vocals], notes, and orders within sets, together with the alternative, cut, encore, request, segue, and tempo change flags.
• Acts: a future-proofing of past, current, and future acts, with their relationships: client-side (Prospects, Enrolments, Rosters and Contractors) and supplier-side (SubProspects, SubEnrolments, SubRosters and SubContractors), exclusive names, custom agency web portals, rates, logos, brands, and management phases etc.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but captures the main strands of information uncovered.

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Where has Red & Black Music come out in all of this?

Late in this process, the label got fired from two of the UK's biggest agencies for questioning the agency's booking/contracting processes, whilst simultaneously pursuing an unresolved query with a client - thus making a mockery of the efforts put in to restore confidence, trust, and faith in humanity (more on that story later).

​Aside from that, RF's advice still prevails:

​Not sure of what you said about the future of Diaspora, but please try hard and don't give up never, and also find different musicians in London too, reliable people...it takes time but better having people who don't create problems, like cancel short time before or that don't answer emails...

​Things got out of control. For a while, between 2018-23, Red & Black Music let go of the ball, eased off, and musicians just walked all over it, yet again. We have come full circle. Clearly, we are back at the place of needing a tighter management structure, an authoritative environment where musicians are held to account.

​In 2012, a musician asked "I received a friend request from Red & Black Music. What is it all about?" To which the reply was "Red & Black Music is everything to do with music, apart from music."

No, and again, no... ​People are a liability unto themselves. A tighter management structure is needed so that future clients (and agents!) are not let down. Red & Black Music will be looking for a relationship manager in the coming months. To give it a 'human' touch. Without getting too personal.

Read More...
​Emails
Event Diary (2)
Less Talk, More Action.
What Happened To Diaspora Collective?

[18/07/2023, 16:37:46] WB: Hi Rory 
What are the invoice details for the Imperial College gig?

[18/07/2023, 18:57:05] Rory Duffy: Hi WB. I’d like to discuss this with you actually, because I was very unhappy with your performance for several reasons:
1/ you turned up an hour late and almost missed the sound check. Yeah, I get that you were caught in traffic, but that shouldn’t be my responsibility. Or the rest of the band’s. This gig was in central London. You were booked to arrive at 12.
2/ you hadn’t downloaded the charts. You clearly hadn’t read any of my messages. I was literally hanging around in Acton waiting for your reply and wondering whether to bring my MacBook or not, whether to chase you another time.
When I don’t hear back, and I think “should I send him another message? Should I chase? Am I harassing? Am I a nuisance?” I just needed something off you. Anything. Smoke signals. A little communication before the day. Not suddenly faced with this problem on the day and having to sort it out on the fly.
This was after 2 heads up (via e-mail + WhatsApp group message) about me not printing charts. When I messaged you on the morning, you took nearly an hour to reply - by which point, it was too late and I was already on my way.
3/ you couldn’t have picked a more awkward time to go and get food. I explained to you that the meal would be after the performance. I was happy to compromise with this unexpected request. You assured me that you would take 5-10 mins max. Had you been back in that time, it still wouldn’t have been ideal, but it would have been easier. I specifically requested you to be dressed and ready at 14:30. At 14:40, I was still running around, looking for you, in a panic, while the rest of the band were waiting in the green room, during the time when we could have been doing the photos. It was a horrible, unpleasant, humiliating and anxiety-provoking experience for me. Put yourself in my shoes. I shouldn’t be put in that position.
It seemed like you had no intention of coming back in time to get show ready for the photos. It seemed like you didn’t care. Saying you’d be back in 5 minutes and then taking 10 and another 15. It seemed deliberate. I was running around like a mad man, increasingly panicking when you didn’t return. I felt like a fool. You clearly needed to eat, but your actions ate into the time that we were supposed to be getting ready and presented.
As a result, your absence jeopardised the photos and we weren’t able to do the photos at all. This completely ruined the day.
4/ you hadn’t studied the music. Valió La Pena was completely messed up, I felt awful for BL trying to follow. These are cliché Marc Anthony tunes that this band has been playing for years. It’s not like we were playing originals/obscure unknown tunes. They are as straight ahead and pedestrian as salsa band gets. Unfortunately, Diáspora hasn’t had the luxury of being able to perform the originals since Kew Gardens February 2022, and before then Jazz Cafe in 2016. It’s frustrating as a band being relegated to Marc Anthony tunes - after all these years - yet still not getting them right. It’s embarrassing. It was so bad we didn’t even get to do Vivir Mi Vida. I deliberately picked tunes that everyone knows that could be thrown together with little or no rehearsal. I was playing it safe with the repertoire. I spent a long time working it all out weeks in advance. It upset me that you hadn’t even replied to my messages (aside from accepting the gig) let alone check the set list or charts. I had everything prepared. The YouTube links. The MP3s on Google drive. I asked people to let me know if the links didn’t work, and I fixed them. Why you couldn’t simply flag this up in advance. Why you were asking me to airdrop charts in the middle of a sound check, I don’t know. It was horrendous.
5/ you said that the parking hadn’t been arranged. You hadn’t submitted your registration details after 3 e-mails and I had to chase you via WhatsApp.
Would you treat one of your own gigs like this? Would you treat someone else’s gig like this?
I have spoken with another musician about being upset with you, who says that’s 100% understandable. They would be upset as well. You were late because of XYZ. On top of that, you didn’t have the charts. They completely get me being upset with you. They also understand that I had to be professional and that I couldn’t be angry with you during the gig. But I also have to think: this is my band. It’s my representation. If I have someone who is not fulfilling, or is not giving me what I want, it affects my representation. I have asked the person to come and join me in my band to do a gig. Yes, you’re getting paid. But apart from being paid, there is respect as well. This musicians tells me that I shouldn’t be worried whether you would want to work with me again or not. Yes, I can find other people. But I’d rather say this to you in a nice way, in a way where I know you would receive it well, so that for the next time, you would do the work, you would reply to the messages, and you would prepare yourself. Because there are a lot of factors in it. And me not being able to be angry or upset with you is not right. This musician tells me it’s on you. They can understand I’m trying to be professional and everything, but they tell me that it’s on you, as well.
When I finally got away, I was crying, all evening. Honestly, I was beside myself. I haven’t felt so bad since 2010 (1st anniversary gig). It was hard managing your behaviour and the day, and as the bandleader you are the front person and need to appear cheerful at all times. With so many other things for me to worry about on a Diáspora gig, you added extra worries and stress on what was already a difficult day. I felt completely hurt, broken, and taken advantage of.
As it currently stands, I don’t ever want to do another Diáspora (or any ensemble) gig again. It’s not sustainable. On Sunday, I took the website offline. The experience has pushed me over the edge. It has completely put me off booking musicians. I can’t trust people to turn up on time, with their charts, and do the job to a reasonable standard. It’s too much of a risk. Dealing with these issues has also impacted my love for the music.
I hope we can work something out and find a way forward in this case, but I must be honest with you. I am prepared to be reasonable and compromise, but I am not prepared to have my boundaries pushed any further, which I felt you did, in multiple ways, which made my life very difficult.
Your performance did not meet the requirement and I expected better of you.
Please can you get back to me with some feedback/suggestions? I am very upset, and I have been ever since last Tuesday.

[18/07/2023, 19:19:24] WB: Hey Rory
I understand you were upset about the gig, evidently you’re blaming me for that. That’s fine, I’m not personally offended.
I’d like to be paid for my time, but I think on balance it’s best we don’t work together in the future. I’ve had fun playing for Diaspora over the years and hope the recordings I did for you were satisfactory. 
Let me know where I should send an invoice and let’s leave it there.