Bob Lefsetz :: The Black Keys
This Greg Kot story is full of nuggets.
1. The band intentionally tried to create a radio single.
In other words, you can follow your muse all you want, maybe create some great shit, but there are rules for radio, and if you follow them, you’ll have more success. A great track is not necessarily a hit. A hit is something infectious, that people need to hear again and again, usually a bite-sized nugget that tastes good but requires further consumption, like potato chips.
2. Just because the band had a hit, that doesn’t mean this new audience is going to stick with them. I’d say the odds are low. At least the Black Keys have a real fan base they can rely on. But if you think the casual listener, the Johnny-Come-Lately who likes your track, is really a fan of your band, you’re dreaming. Some people like the cut, check out more and become diehards, most people bop their heads and forget you. Unless you’ve got another hit. But then you’re in the hit game, not the career game, and it becomes what have you done for me lately and those people play clubs, not arenas, at least not for long. Hell, look at Christina Aguilera, how many real fans has she got? DMB hasn’t had hits in eons and they do 20,000 a night, Christina Aguilera had to cancel her tour because of low demand. Sure, ticket prices were high, but sometimes you can’t even get people to come for free, because it’s not really free, you’ve got parking and eating and merch and…time.
3. The Black Keys fear for hip-hop because of declining recorded music revenues and the lack of a profitable touring paradigm. This is fascinating. Especially in a field where it’s all about the Benjamins and it takes so much money to create and market a hit.
4. The Black Keys make 85% of their money on live shows. They claim they’ll make twice their record advance on New Year’s Eve. In other words, it’s about fans, not looky-loos. A looky-loo might buy a $1.29 download, but a fan will buy not only a ticket, but merch, they might even come see you more than once!
5. It took the band seven years and seven albums to sell out the Riviera in Chicago twice at the end of 2009. Talk about artist development. If you’re in the game to become rich and famous overnight, you’re sorely mistaken. Music is a hard life. You’ve got to make a lot of it. You’ve got to play to few fans. If you’re waiting for your one big hit to catch fire, you’re doing it wrong. You satiate your growing fan base year after year to the point where you may be able to have a hit which makes said fan base kvell, since they’ve been into you for so long, and gives you some added revenue. The hit is the cherry on top, not the end all and be all.
Black Keys’ breakthrough year: Here’s how they did it:
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