When a band has a new album or tour to promote, PR people can be the nicest, most accomodating folk in the world. But then they also have their other side, too...
Any PR Is Good PR?
In my position as Feature Writer for the Indie Section here at Suite101, I've had the good fortune to not only hear some excellent bands, I've also been lucky to either meet them in person for an informal chat, or see them perform live when I may not have done otherwise. Usually, to arrange this, it entails me chatting to the PR people behind the band.
Generally, this is a pretty easy process, with the majority of PR people I've spoken to being rather affable and more than happy to arrange interviews, press passes for gigs, advance copies of new albums and many other things too numerous to list here. They know that the band need the press as much as the press need the band. However, this isn't always the case...
Who Made You God?
For as many great PR people and companies out there (such as Mike Cubillos at Earshot Media and Jenna LaMonaco at Girlie Action), there are some outrageously egotistical ones as well. Not only do they feel that they're more important than they are, they feel that the press is something to be treated in the same way you would a piece of dog crap on your shoe.
A perfect example is a recent interview and live gig review that was arranged and then fell victim to the curse of the uppity PR flunkie. Although I shall let the person in question remain nameless (though she really doesn't deserve the anonymity), it involved an excellent Scottish band who have just released one of the best indie pop albums of the year.
An interview was set up for their stopover at Toronto, and I was scheduled for a nice chat and a live review after. The band was great, and all for it. Then Little Miss No-Nothing decided that the interview was to be cut to 10 minutes (which I didn't deem worthwhile due to travelling distance) so she could fit in a magazine (I know this wasn't the band's decision, as they don't even like that magazine in question!), and not only that, my press pass had been given to another publication. Unbelievable. Needless to say, her boss received a rather sharp email from me, and a few choice words from the band themselves.
Let's All Work Together
This isn't the only time I've had similar horror stories happen to me, and I know from my network of writing colleagues that this happens a lot. My question is - why? We're all in this business because we love music, and we genuinely want to see bands succeed. Why does it sometimes have to feel that we're enemies?
Like I say, it's not all bad - the afore-mentioned Mike Cubillos over at Earshot Media is outstanding, and a feature will be appearing soon on how his company has been excellent for the indie music scene. Here's to more companies like Mike's in future - after all, without the press like myself and others as well as similar media, no-one would hear of a lot of bands in the first place...
