Sunday
Nov212010
Did Frankie Take the Wrong Approach?
Sunday, November 21, 2010 at 12:01AM
Back on August 5th, Allyson published a post about Frankie Banali of Quiet Riot, and his online campaign seeking to raise funds to produce a Quiet Riot documentary. From what I can tell, his efforts were successful, as he appears to have raised $23,691, and the fund raising goal was $20,000.
I kept my opinions to myself when the fund raising efforts were underway, as I did not want my personal opinion to sway anyone's decision to donate their money toward this project. However, now that the campaign has ended and Frankie has the funds he needs, I feel free to voice my dissatisfaction with this entire concept. To me, this campaign reeks of a band member taking advantage of the fans. If Frankie wants to make a biography of his life and his band, then let him go about it though the conventional methods (i.e. self-funded or get financial backing elsewhere, but not from the fans). To me, it seems to be the height of arrogance to think that you are so important that your fans - those who made you famous - should pay you to make a movie about yourself. Without the presence of the fans, no one would be interested in this documentary. These are the people who, over the years, spent money on your albums, concert tickets, merchandise, etc. They made you famous. If anything, this movie should be a way in which you say "thank you" to those that made you successful, and not as another avenue to get them to contribute funds to your band. And then, even after the movie has been produced, those fans who donated less than $50 would still have to pay to buy the film that they helped fund, as their donations did not even include a copy of the documentary. Quite honestly, I was offended that such an idea would even be suggested.
I am not saying those who donated money were wrong or that they should not have done so, and I am also not saying that I would not be interested in a Quiet Riot documentary. I am just getting so tired of the constant cash grabs that bands keep making these days. It is almost as if fans are seen by some bands as banks from which they can make withdrawals whenever a whim strikes them. Perhaps, as I get older, I just get more cynical, but it seems that all too often bands that I have always admired are constantly looking for handouts from their fans. By supporting them for so many years, I feel as though I have already given plenty and do not appreciate being asked for more.
Reader Comments (26)
There is no "great debt". When you hand your money over, the only thing you should realistically expect in return is the thing you paid for (ie. the ticket or your CD). As a great man once said, "the only thing I owe the fans is a great performance".
I do see fault with Viacom for being the company that would rather make documentaries about Lady GaGa and Justin Bieber rather than about a band like Quiet Riot that helped launch Mtv.
I also don't see the problem with people donating money to a documentary. I think people should donate to the documentary about Jason Becker. Jason was an extremely talented musician that was struck with ALS or Lou Gehrigs Disease and the people with the money to make a great movie or documentary about Jason's life have no real interest because he's not a Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber.Jason is still alive and has defied the odds of his disease he recorded many great songs including becoming the guitarist for DLR and performed on the A Little Aint Enough cd.
Maybe donating to the Quiet Riot documentary wasn't cool but maybe some of you can see it in your heart to donate to Jason Becker.
I agree - I'd be happy to give money to Jason Becker, that's something else.
Brian, what you're witnessing is the shift in how the music business is financed. Because of piracy, bands now have to rely more and more on their hardcore fans to invest in future works. The industry currently has the mindset that they will finance albums, dvds, tours, etc by charging a boat-load of money for more access. This is based on the idea that the hardcore fans will always buy deluxe packages or more all-access forms of media.
I currently am working on my music/music business degree in college. The general mindset around school is that things like "Kickstarter" (the platform Banali used to raise money for the documentary) will be the way of the future for an industry collapsing from piracy. It's a shame, but that's what this music-should-be-free mentality has caused. Don't blame the acts.
If it's killer, it doesn't matter how Banali got there.
If it suxx, all of the above complaining and criticism will be valid.
Metalboy! has spoken!
You're an ass. Banali spent his money on his mothers medical bills. What little he made, spencer proffer made most of the money from thos records. And what does he need to spend 20 k on? Have you ever heard what a film budget is? It costs many many thousands of dollars to make a film. He used a common practice called crowd funding. Blain is right, its all you people who rip off artists downloading their music that have made the music industry how it is now.and then you go and post stuff about what assholes the artist is cause he doesn't give you more free stuff.
The subject at hand leaves me with mixed emotions. I am dying to see the completion of this documentry but admit I did not donate because I have spent so much money on QR as they are one of my favorite bands. I do not judge those that do, in fact many of them get some great perks as a result of their donations.
I guess the only real problem I have with Frankie is his new touring incarnation of QR. It should be called Frankie and his friends performing the greats of QR. Without Rudy, Carlos, and especially Kevin, he is nothing but a great drummer and former member of a great band. He is insulting the memories we all have of QR by doing this. These are just my thoughts but I am sure many feel the same.
And I do not think that it is in bad taste to comment on bands that continue to view their fans as banks. Frankie is asking fans to pay him to make a movie about himself. I am sorry, but I see nothing redeemable with that approach. What is next after this? Are bands going to start asking fans to pay the production costs for new albums if they are unable to get funding from a label? It was a bad idea and was in poor taste.
And on Carlos and Rudy, both of them are kinda available now don't ya think. Rudy obviously won't be in Dio now and Ratt is on a hiatus so there's Carlos. Not dissing the current lineup at. Any Quiet Riot is better than no Quiet Riot for me. They're my #3 favorite band and have helped get me into this metal obsession.
Still they need a new album of new and good material if this reincarnation is to be successful.
Yes, Brian, many bands are doing it, including Rhino Bucket. Someone has to invest money into these works if they are going to be released, and nobody is willing to. So the industry has decided to charge the fans, between deluxe deluxe 4-bonus CD CD releases, 180gram vinyl, Kickstarter, packaging Tshirts with CDs, Shopping Bags with CDs, raising ticket prices, etc.
I find it funny that for the past few years, everyone was yelling to the industry "CHANGE YOUR BUSINESS MODEL!" Then, when we change the model (and still not sucessfully, as revenue will be down another 10% this year staying on track with the past 10-year trend) everyone bitches and complains.
Unfortunately, its the hardcore fans who get screwed. But that's life, isn't it? Everyone wants their share.
Hardcore fans only got screwed if they contributed money to fund the making of the documentary...and I am not saying they got screwed. If they are happy with their decision to just give their money away, then they weren't screwed; even though they don't get a copy of the movie they helped fund unless they donated $50 or more.
I don't think panhandling from your fans is the change in the business model that everyone was making reference to.
Quiet Riot has a limited buying population these days (which is not even further limited by their decision to carry on with a new singer), and for Frankie (who, I assume since the passing of Kevin, is the sole owner of the name) to ask those fans to pay him to make a movie about the band, is not a proper adaptation to the evolutions that have taken place in the music industry.
What I mean about hardcore fans getting screwed: By buying these deluxe packages (or even normal releases), they pay for the majority of the costs creation of the product. The people who steal it get it for free. Because of this, the hardcore fans are financing the illegal downloaders' music libraries.
Here's one who supports KICKSTARTER: Bob Lefsetz, the infamous and extremely well-known former-music industry consultant, music business lawyer. He champions for P2P and other illegal downloading services. Very anti-music business establishment. He believes that kickstarter will be the way forward for artists to get the money needed to release their music.
I completely disagree with that. I hate the idea of kickstarter. I think that whenever you can't get a return on an investment, its [music's] value is worthless. All I was saying is don't blame Frankie Banali.