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Bruce Eisenberg was a booking agent for 23 years, both on the East and West Coasts, before joining the production side of the industry as Vice President of Touring for Audio Analysts, a sound company based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He is also heavily involved in the stock market with one of his partners, and photography.
His most recent booking agent stint was as a partner at Performers of the World from 1993-2001, where he was responsible for all aspects of this international booking agency. Bruce's responsibilities included overseeing concert tours, both domestic and international, that involved the agency's major clients, as well as all phases of the company's operations. This included supervising accounting procedures, the development of custom booking software, and staff activities. Prior to joining POW, Bruce was president of Etalent, his own international booking agency, and prior to that Director of Contemporary Music at Triad Artists 1986-1992, where he supervised all major concert tours, interfaced with agents in the music, TV, film and talent departments and dealt directly with all the major managers and concert promoters internationally. He was vice president of Magna Artists, 1980-82. From 1982-85 as a senior agent at International Creative Management in Los Angeles, Bruce handled major clients for the music division and worked with the major U.S. and international concert promoters. He also signed European artists and worked with their managers, record labels, accountants and lawyers. From 1976-1980 Bruce was a music agent at the William Morris Agency in New York, where he started out in the famous mailroom of William Morris. During his WMA tenure, he booked the major club tours across the country and was responsible for booking all imported European bands as well as working directly with those managers in all phases of touring in the United States. He served as liaison with the major record labels on all aspects of artists touring careers. Throughout his career, Bruce represented a wide variety of acts, some of which were: Weather Report, Brecker Brothers, George Benson, Joe Sample, Herbie Hancock, Adam Ant, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Thompson Twins, UB40, Robert Palmer, Dio, Rainbow, 808 State, The Stranglers, Berlin, Gato Barbieri, Marshall Crenshaw, The Cult, Black Uhuru, Kitaro, Steve Winwood, Pet Shop Boys, Jody Watley, Bobby McFerrin, Andreas Vollenweider, Bananarama, Kim Wilde among others. Over the years, Bruce worked side by side with a who's who in contemporary booking: Rob Light, Carole Kinzel, Terry Rhodes, Jeff Kramer, Alex Hodges, Don Muller, Rob Kahane, Jon Marks, Jeff Frasco, Tom Ross, Steve Jensen, Troy Blakley, Nat Burgess, Mike Peranian, Bobby Brooks, Trip Brown, Terry Rindal, Nita Scott, Peter Grosslight, Pat Magnarella, Marsha Vlasic, Bill Elson, and Marc Geiger. How has the agency business changed in the past 20 years? Where agencies have not gone is essentially into the area of sports, which became a specialized business unto itself (although William Morris did dabble in this area in the '70s) and into financial services. Agencies have not ventured out to show artists how they can make money with the cash flow generated from tours and other associated income. This too, was left to specialists as opposed to integrating it into the agency environment which is directly responsible for generating a significant amount of cash flow in areas such as touring, TV, Film, Soundtracks, What makes a good booking agent? How do you feel about the promoter consolidation? Do you feel there will be managerial consolidation? What kind of challenges do agents face in 2001? You've made quite a change from repping music acts to repping a sound company The thing that I do find interesting in investigating this side of the industry is that I am the only person in this kind of job position with my background as an agent, It is my hope that my agenting background will prove valuable to managers and production managers and that it gives Audio Analysts a dimension to it that other production companies do not have. I have worked with Audio Analysts for many years as an agent, and always had a very positive experience for my clients which is another reason I found this opportunity interesting. Most memorable experiences in the music industry Something people would be surprised to learn about you that they don't already know Best business advice received Industry trends you foresee I don't think that big business is the best thing for creative industries, and in this world big business is part of the public market which means shareholders who care about only one thing: stock price, that's it. If the music divisions cause profit drains to these companies, it will effect the price of the stock and that could eventually lead to fragmenting of some of these entities to maintain stock price performance. Bear in mind that in our world stock performance has to take place in a much shorter time frame than it did years ago. If you don't perform quarter to quarter, investors will move their money elsewhere to obtain better results. Business advice to share First industry job Best business decision Worst business decision Greatest challenge Industry pet peeve Bruce can be reached at 323-656-3900; bruce@audioanalysts.com
Outside of lower commissions for the agents, not much. I think that agency services have failed to evolve the way I had hoped and the only thing I see are agents making less money than when I began in the business. Agencies have tried in the music area to expand income streams, in areas such as tour sponsorship, but for the most part the basics are still the same.
In the traditional sense, making sure all the details are taken care of -- understanding the artistic desires of your client and trying to make that a physical reality, within the scope of a booking agency's activities.
It does not surprise me very much. If promoters were doing really well financially they wouldn't have sold their companies to SFX [now Clear Channel Entertainment]. Most of these people who I have known for many years saw an opportunity to stockpile their retirements and keep their jobs for a while as well, and they took it. The artists have made it harder and harder for promoters to make money in an overt way so they had to resort to covert methods to make the risk worth while. Promoting is speculation just like the stock market, and it's about risk versus reward. Very simple.
For the most part managers have a larger share of the overall income stream and are probably less likely to consolidate. Management requires a more individual style that is less likely to be expressed within a large structure, so although I could see some consolidation, I would be surprised to see it on a broad base like the promoters.
From a creative point of view the job is the same. How to get the band out on the road in the most effective fashion so that the tour will stimulate record sales, publishing, merchandising, etc. From a business point of view, the larger agencies will have to find ways to continue to do an effective job against the volume of clients they need to represent in order to make profit. The smaller-sized agencies will always be fighting overhead due to the fact that they don't have multiple revenue streams to balance the overhead against an ever-threatened commission structure. Bottom line is it's about making profit.
This job is not much different than being an agent from my perspective. Clients want guidance on their production issues just as they do on which promoter to play with. You deal with managers, production managers and record companies as you do being an agent. The only thing you don't really have to contend with is if the individual show is selling tickets or not.
From a personal point of view and a dismal day in my life, when a friend who I spent almost every weekend at my house with was killed in a helicopter crash. Bobby Brooks was a close friend and I think about those days all the time with fondness. On the upside, the day I got my first gold record (Frankie Goes To Hollywood's debut album), and the times when I was able to help a few people get jobs in the music business and watch them rise to positions of respect. Also the day that Marty Klein at William Morris gave me my agent stripes in New York. I will always remember Marty with respect and fondness for his support, as I will Nat Burgess from APA for teaching me how to book.
That I am an avid photographer trying to turn professional.
Put it in writing, and don't expect too much loyalty in the business.
We will see at a given point some splintering off from all of this consolidation. There are always going to be those that want personal service from their agents, lawyers, accountants, etc. because breaking acts is not a machine-oriented endeavor. It requires the dedication of someone or group of people in different areas that believe in the most important thing -- the artist and their art!
Put it in writing!
William Morris mailroom.
Moving to California.
Too much overhead.
Being in business for myself.
The lack of respect that agents and promoters get.
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