Hello, Today a band I play with performed a showcase at the Toronto Opera house. A representative from Simmons Records was supposed to be there. 10 minutes before our set time Mark called (the guy from disBand that wears the stupid looking clothes) and announced he would not be attending. The band was responsible for selling around 1000 dollars in tickets. They collected the money still and the showcase was for nothing. That's not very professional. You're great Gene but you need to cut that cancerous tumor Mark off your ass. (assuming there wasn't a legitimate reason he wasn't there i.e. he died and I seem like a jack ass). Patrick, I'm sure you're a nice guy. But this email will bury any chance you've got of getting anywhere... with anyone. 1. No one owes you anything. 2. The fact that Mark was willing to come down and see you, is a favor to you. Sometimes things come up. For everyone. He had the decency to call and let you know he couldn't make it. 3. You react by hoping he would die. Nice one. 4. Don't call on us again. And, if any professional in the business asks my opinion, I would simply let them see your email. It's the last nail in your coffin. We wish you well. Patrick Gowan I saw a band the other night THE ENVY ( formally crowned king ) awesome show, great frontman, when can we expect a release from these great Canadian boys? John Benincasa Response from Gene: Soon. Soon. Here is a well intentioned person, who wants to protect his vision. And you have to respect that. But, my suggestion is, USE US. Use every opportunity to FURTHER YOUR IMAGE. Get in there and FIGHT. Get a record deal with Simmons/Universal, or any other entity and then fight for your vision... be it Indie, or Rock... whatever. Point is, better to have more people working with and for you, then trying to move the ball all on your own. We certainly would fight to have a say with our bands. After all, they'd be using our money (and never have to pay back a penny if and when it fails -- statistically, new bands usually do fail). But that doesn't mean you shouldn't take advantage of the Universal distribution system. And if you believe in your vision and band, for God's sake, give yourself every opportunity to maximize your potential -- i.e. take your music to the WORLD, instead of limiting it to Sudbury (one of my favorite Mom and Pop Restaurants is in Sudbury, by the way). So all you Indie bands -- don't listen to this well intentioned, but highly misguided individual. Remember, he doesn't have a band... and my guess is, has never written a song, or been on stage. So, he doesn't speak for YOU. Only you do. And how did Grunge happen? Well, it started on Sub Pop out of Seattle.. but soon thereafter went on Geffen and other major labels, and that's the way the world found out about Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains and yes, even the Melvins. And trust me -- every one of those bands fought the big, bad corporate heads to remain true to their vision. Fine. But, don't go through life with your hands tied behind your back. Doesn't work. Now, read what he has to say. I'm sure he's a nice guy. Hi SIMMONS RECORDS, Alan here at INDIE LOVE RADIO. WE also promote Canadian music, but rather than adhere to to mindset that music must become a shaped product to fit into the music industry, we are embracing what is out there for different reasons. FIRSTLY, YOU DON'T KNOW ME AND DON'T KNOW WHAT I LIKE OR DON'T LIKE. SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE JUDGING THE BOOK BY THE COVER. YOU'RE BIGGER THAN THAT. YES. I DISCOVERED VAN HALEN, BUT I ALSO MANAGED LIZA MINELLI...YOU HAVE NO CLUE WHAT I LIKE OR DON'T LIKE. TRY AGAIN. Like you guys, we agree that something huge and cultural is happening here. It is the result of a reaction to your mindset unfortunately. You will have a hard time convincing bands that they are almost good enough for you, and if they jump a little higher they will reach the big bag of money you have. TRUE ENOUGH. WE DON'T INTEND ON GIVING A NEW BAND FREE MONEY TO DO WITH AS THEY PLEASE. WE INTEND ON HAVING A DISCOURSE AND FINDING OUT WHAT A BAND'S VISION IS, AND THEN FIGHTING FOR WHAT WE BELIEVE AND SEEING HOW PASSIONATE A BAND IS ABOUT THEIR VISION. AND, IT'S TERRIFIC THAT CANADA HAS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY, SUCH AS YOURS. ALL AVENUES SHOULD BE EXPLORED. YOURS. OURS. THEN IT'S UP TO THE BANDS TO DECIDE. NOT YOU. I respectfully enjoy your concept as it is propelling Canadian music forward, but for none of the reasons you intend. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I INTEND. YOU DON'T KNOW ME. You are the anti-indie movement. RESPECTFULLY, YOU ARE MISINFORMED AND IN EITHER CASE, IT'S NOT FOR YOU TO DETERMINE WHO AND WHAT I AM. TRY AGAIN. Maybe a little ahead of your time. As everything is cyclical you are definitely missing the ball now. ACTUALLY, I'M NOT. I'M RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE. I MAKE A GOOD LIVING BY NOT BEING AHEAD OF THE BALL, BUT BEING RIGHT IN SYNC WITH WHAT WORKS... .AND WHAT I BELIEVE IN (FOR US).... NOT FOR YOU. EVERY BAND IS DIFFERENT. OH, I FORGOT... MY GUESS IS, YOU DON'T HAVE A BAND AND HAVE NEVER BEEN IN ONE. PLEASE CORRECT ME, IF I'M WRONG. The bands you seek don't want or need their songs shaped by you and are not impressed by your artistry. YOU DON'T KNOW WHICH BANDS I WANT, AND YOU CAN'T SPEAK FOR THEM. SPEAK FOR YOURSELF. AND, AGAIN...YOU DON'T KNOW ME. Maybe your business savvy as you & Belinda are respected as business people. THANK YOU. The bands don't need to open for KISS to be successful; that would kill them. TRUE ENOUGH. AN INDIE BAND MAY NOT BE A GOOD OPENER FOR KISS... OR JAY Z, FOR THAT MATTER. Maybe you should have them paint dollar signs on their foreheads and dance like little trained dogs. That might work. DON'T BE JEALOUS. IT DOESN'T BECOME YOU. Please continue what you are doing. We find it entertaining. THANK YOU, GOD. Hi there, We're doing a documentary about Down with Webster up here in Toronto, and essentially it is our understanding that it was in some way with the help of Gene Simmons that the band was discovered and picked up by a major record label. They've just put out their first album and are about to tour the U.S. We are focusing the documentary on the challenges of succeeding as a musician from Toronto (or anywhere) and we would love to be able to include a comment from Mr. Simmons - possibly we could arrange something on Skype or on the telephone. Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you, Ryan Gentile Response from Gene: Not exactly correct. While it IS true we are crazy about DWW, we did not "discover" them...we simply tried to sign them to our Simmons/Universal Music label. We are rooting for them to succeed. They have the songs, the vibe and the charisma. Fingers crossed... Hi Gene, It’s Karina Es, and I am “and others” that is mentioned on the website simmonsrecords.com regarding The Super Market gig that you attended. I wanted to let you know that it was a thrill to perform for you and meet you and the gang at The Super Market. I have attached a few pics and I have asked my producer to add this great event to my promo and EPK. I will send you my EPK in the next email. I have visited your websites and I am impressed with your down to earth approach and criteria in your search for new bands. I am looking for feedback on my first EP called “Make It Real” that I gave to you and to Mark as well. It is urban dance pop styles and I think that we have found a strong style that is unique. Mark asked to be on hiss TV show and I hope that we will meet up for that. Thanks so much for coming early to see us perform, it means so much to me personally and professionally too! I am looking forward to your reply. Karina xo Hey Gene, My band is not made up of perfect people. We try really hard to make music that we will enjoy, and in this, we know that our audiences can enjoy it as well. We are comprised of 6 individuals who come from different musical backgrounds. Although this made sound like a difficult endenvour, at the height of our creative works, things really "click", although things can easily change when the industry is thrown into the mix. I applaud your efforts to find a group of musicians who can hold their own, and I hope that you can find a group that hasn't yet been tainted by the music industry and is still involved for the real reasons. RESPECTFULLY, BANDS MIGHT WANT TO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, INSTEAD OF IGNORING IT. "TAINTED"" NOT SURE WHAT THAT MEANS. NO ONE CAN FORCE YOU TO DO SOMETHING YOU DON'T WANT TO DO. BUT, IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO KEEP TRACK OF WHAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE AND BE AWARE. SOMETIMES THAT MEANS YOU ADD OR SUBTRACT AN ELEMENT OF WHO AND WHAT YOU ARE. SOMETIMES, THAT MEANS YOU COMPLETELY IGNORE IT. GOOD LUCK. Thanks for paying attention to us, Mike Hey gene, I play in a rock band from the UK called population four, i have filled out your submission form, but wasn't sure if you are interested in working with any bands from the UK! Would you ever sign a UK band or are you just focusing on Canadian bands? Cheers dude! Daff Response from Gene: Good question. Initially, our first signings are going to be Canadian. And, we intend on taking them around the world. That is our mandate. And, there's no reason why it can't happen in Canada. As a resident of the UK, you may know that before the early 60's, England meant nothing musically in the International marketplace. Then everything changed with the Beatles, the Stones, the Kinds, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Herman's Hermits and tons more...and it continued with Led Zep, Queen and on and on. And that had to do with a mindset by the entire UK musical community, as well as (of course) the enormous talent and drive of the bands themselves. I believe this feeling is just starting to brew in Canada. And, it's going to take work. But then, what doesn't. One last thought, perhaps you'd consider putting your band's name in all capitals, so it pops in an email...or at least capitalize. Good luck. Gene - I have been quite pleased hearing you boast about Canadian music on television and about your plans on working with Belinda Stronach to launch Canadian bands' careers. BUT it seems somewhat of a 'give a man a fish, teach a man to fish story' scenerio. Don't get me wrong it is great that you are taking interest in the musical talent Canada has to offer but what Canadian music really needs is a structure within Canada so that it can grow and musicians can actually make a go at it without going bust. The world will take notice from there. Please help Canadians get access to the quality entertainment that sits right in our own backyards! I can tell you Gene that Canada's music scene is quite dim considering what it has to offer. For example check out some kick ass Canadian bands like Mobile, Inward eye, Priestess, Pride Tiger, Danko Jones, Cancer Bats, the Salads, Muse just to name a few. The problem is not the lack of great music in Canada it is the lack of accessibility to the Canadian music scene and quality live shows. Most bands go bust trying to reach fans by travelling the vast country side playing to small crowds in unworthy clubs in order to play in enough markets so that you can actually have a decent fan base. You see word does not often spread easily in our US soaked media, sadly most Canadians couldn't name 5 active canadian bands. So I have a ton of solutions as I work in the biz but you are the Master of Marketing and I hope that your new found interest in Canada may actually help Canadians to hear Canadian music. Reply if you desire to discuss further. Cheers! Andrew Kitt Hey Gene! So I had previously sent you a link to our music, I noticed on one of the notes that another band in ottawa had also sent you a demo and then sent you an email saying "what'd you think?" and you replied to something like "If I didn't reply that usually means its not quite what were looking for, but don't stop there put one in my hand when I'm in ottawa" So I followed in suite and got a tip from an anonymous source that you were having dinner at Al's steak house last night so I raced down there last night with a couple of Teeshirts for you and Shannon and a cd and I got it in your hand....but the security and cops were like dragging everybody away from you lol (understandably you drew quite the crowd) and then I was able to get my hands on a pass to get upstairs at the afterparty, come to find out they were checking names at the door and I wasn't clever enough to figure out a name that would be on the list, and then when you were leaving Maxwells I went to the window of your limo hoping you were going to roll down the window but you guys were probably pretty tired out from your long day in ottawa so I totally understood. So for trying to put a cd in your hand I'd say I exhausted every oppurtunity I could last night, but hey it was kewl to see you in person! Anyways it was great to see you guys out having fun. I hope you've enjoyed the city. Since I couldn't get the demo and shirts to you here is the link to our Myspace- www.myspace.com/leavingbeechwood so these tracks are live off the floor recorded in just over 3 hours, were currently in the process of dropping some extensive hours recording a brand new demo and we really think your going to like what you hear. Anyways I look forward to seeing you guys play tonight I'm sure you'll rock out!!!(I'll bring the cd and t-shirt tonight becuse you just never know...and I don't give up!) Shaun Little Hello, I've been a musician now for close to 20 years, both touring and studio playing everything from blues to country to rock. Originally from Nova Scotia I moved to Toronto to take my career further. I don't drink, smoke or do any drugs. Music is what I want for a career and nothing else. I'm not interested in really signing a record deal, what I want more is to be a sideman to some established touring artists. How do I go about doing this? Adam Response from Gene: There is no secret. I'm afraid you have to do it yourself. Get yourself involved in the music community in a large city. Toronto, LA, NY and Nashville are the cities. Play clubs. Take phone numbers. Schmooze. Dear Gene: I just finished waching 'The Hour' on CBC and would just like to thank you for your interest in canadian music. Canada has a lot of talent and you're a smart man for investing your time in our market. On another note I was reading some of the letters on simmonsrecords.com and noticed there are a couple of responses from you that make this fact very clear: yes we are all sick of Lady GaGa-Brittany spears-Pro Tools-Crap, NOPE. NEVER SAID I WAS SICK OF IT. I ENJOY ANYTHING DONE WELL. "WOMANIZER" AND ESPECIALLY "TOXIC" (which I consider A Class songwriting and fantastic arrangement & Production) BY BRITNEY, AND "SO WHAT" BY PINK ARE TERRIFIC. I ENJOY THEM. I AM NOT NECESSARILY A FAN OF SOME OF THE PAINT BY NUMBERS VERSIONS OF THIS STUFF, BUT THEN, THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT. SIMMONS RECORDS' MAIN AGENDA IS TO FIND NEW CANADIAN TALENT. WITH OR WITHOUT PROTOOLS. I'M NOT GOING TO FORCE MY OPINIONS ON NEW ARTISTS. THEY SHOULD BE FREE TO CREATE THEIR STUFF, THE WAY I AND WE WERE FREE TO CREATE OURS. but unfortunately the people who purchase music are not. AND THAT MEANS "THE MASSES." I understand where you are coming from, but here is the problem: Commercial radio in north america is very repetitive. As a result the same ten songs (in our case Lady GaGa and Britany Spear) are drilled into the brains of our youth. So when one of these kids go to the store to buy a album, what do you think they are going to buy? A LITTLE OVER SIMPLISTIC ASSESSMENT, IF YOU DON'T MIND ME SAYING SO. THE SIMPLE FACT IS, EVERY INDUSTRY, INCLUDING RADIO, ONLY DOES WHAT WORKS. AND IF THEY PLAY SONGS PEOPLE LISTEN TO, THEY WILL CONTINUE TO PLAY IT. IF THEY FIND THEIR LISTENERSHIP IS DECLINING, THEY SWITCH...NOT JUST SONGS...THEY SOMETIMES SWITCH TO 'CLASSIC ROCK' OR 'COUNTRY' OR WHATEVER THEY FEEL WILL ATTRACT AN AUDIENCE. WHY? SO THEY CAN SELL ADVERTISING, WHICH IS THE PLACE THEY MAKE MONEY. TRUST ME, RADIO HAS ABSOLUTELY NO AGENDA. YOU AND THE MASSES DECIDE WHAT THEY PLAY. So in my opinion, when it comes to music, its not the consumer telling the record companies what we want to here, its the record companies/media telling us what we want to here. YOU COULND'T BE MORE WRONG. RECORD COMPANIES LIVE AND DIE BY WHAT PEOPLE WANT TO BUY. NO ONE HAS EVER BEEN ABLE TO GET ME TO BUY SOMETHING I HATED. YOUR ASSESSMENT IS A BIT 'ROMANTIC' AND PERHAPS IT'S NICE TO BELIEVE THERE ARE 'NICE PEOPLE' AND 'EVIL CORPORATIONS'. BUT ALL OF US SUCCUMB TO THE WILL (AND THE BUYING POWER) OF THE MASSES. THE PEOPLE DECIDE EVERYTHING. Dear Mr. Simmons: I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Geri Bertolo. I'm a Canadian animation Director with sixteen years in directing, design and storyboard work in the animation industry. I saw you last night on 'The Hour', where you explained your new record label and search for Canadian talent. I was wondering if your search was limited to just music, as I have developed an animated series for young children that I think would work in most markets. The problem with the series is Canada, unfortunately. I have pitched the series to all of my local broadcasters and their response is always the same. They love the show, but admit that they are not developing their own content and are waiting for the next big show from the US instead. They even admit to me that they would have turned down 'Sponge Bob Square Pants', a huge series from Nickelodeon , if it were pitched to them. Its true, most Producers here don't want to try anything new, and it is really hard for someone like myself, a virtual 'nobody', to push a series forward. I certainly don't have the clout that you do! Actually, I am currently working on a Stop-Motion series (from Micheal Eisner) that you have done a vocal appearance for: Glenn Martin DDS, where you are in a scene at a party talking to the main character and you have a shirt that you can update that tells how many women you have slept with. You also embrace the main female character with your tongue. Good stuff! If you are interested, please contact me at this address. I have a short 5 minute demo and a proposal that I can submit to you. Basically I need help and I hope you and your team can point me in the direction to move this series forward. I'm basically trying to make a series for preschoolers to help teach them life lessons, and hopefully inspire them to grow to be good people. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Geri Bertolo Response from Gene: Best to have funding or a production entity on your side...that makes something closer to reality. Tough to walk in with an idea and have people say -- "great...here's the money...and we'll make sure it gets on the air." What I say is not an exaggeration. I've pitched about 50 different movie and television projects. Out of those, I actually got DETROIT ROCK CITY set up (with my co-producers) at New Line and MY DAD THE ROCK STAR at Nelvana and Teletoons (Nickelodeon in US).... That's life. Dear Gene, Congratulations on your recording label, you've come to the right place. Canada has such a rich music history. I was so pleased that you were going to start a label here in Canada and then I heard from somewhere that you are only looking for bands, THAT'S INCORRECT. NEVER SAID THAT. YOUR SOURCE EITHER MISQUOTED OR IS UNINFORMED. WE ARE LOOKING FOR 'STARS' -- PURE AND SIMPLE. WHETHER IT'S THE NEXT BOB MARLEY, OR THE NEXT LEONARD COHEN... but I was wondering if you will ever be willing to open your listening pleasures to a solo female acoustic singer/songwriter? RESPECTFULLY, THIS AREA IS A DIFFICULT, BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE, AREA IN THE MARKETPLACE. IN ENGLISH, THAT MEANS NOT MANY PEOPLE BUY THIS SORT OF THING....ALTHOUGH IN THE PAST, THEY USED TO. JONI MITCHELL, JOAN BAEZ, JUDY COLLINS...AND SO ON. BUT, IT DOESN'T SEEM TO WORK ANYMORE. UNFORTUNATELY. I feel like the industry is trying to find the next big pop star but what they really need to be looking for is the next instrumentally talented singer, NOT REALLY. THE INDUSTRY ONLY LOOKS FOR THINGS THAT THE PUBLIC WANTS. THE INDUSTRY DOESN'T REALLY "NEED" TO DO ANYTHING. THEY ONLY PUT PRODUCT OUT THEY BELIEVE IN (translation: things that people will buy). NO BUSINESS HAS AN AGENDA. BY DESIGN, WHETHER IT'S THE MUSIC INDUSTRY OR ANY OTHER BUSINESS, THEY LIVE OR DIE BY THE WHIMS OF THE PUBLIC. I'm so sick of background beats and computer created rhythms, I KNOW. BUT THE MASSES ARE NOT. what ever happens to using actual instruments. APPARENTLY A LARGE SEGMENT OF THE RECORD BUYING AUDIENCE - WHICH INCLUDES POP, RAP AND OTHER AREAS, LIKE THAT SORT OF THING. I hope you find what your looking for and who knows maybe someday I too can be on your Label. I WISH YOU WELL. Yours Truly, Kim Plantz Click here for previous letters...