Committing Career Suicide With Two Words

I was a synthesizer repair tech in Phoenix, Az in the mid 90's. One day a guy comes into the shop stressed out because he had a session and his keyboard was down. I was completely swamped with work and was at least a week away from being able to get to it but I had been in his shoes before so I asked him what the problem was. When he described the problem I told him to hand me the keyboard because I knew it just needed a hardware reset. I reset the keyboard, told him no charge even though he insisted on paying. The next day he came in with a letter of recommendation but I didn't realize he was a major music producer. Three years later I moved to LA and was interviewing for a job with Neve Audio Consoles. I passed all the tech tests but I was unknown and they needed a character reference. When I handed them the letter they reached out to the producer "because they knew him very well". He gave me a glowing review and I was hired at Neve. That job changed my life because I met everyone in the biz. It led to mix gigs, tech work and a music production contract with Warner Brothers. Be good to people because it's the right thing to do. Follow that and everything else takes care of itself.

As a matter of policy - never trash talk anyone at anytime in public. You never know who is listening.

Don’t trash talk, don’t get wasted, be professional, be more discerning about the company you keep. Plenty of good lessons.

Trashing Creed was definitely wrong, but an apology should have sufficed. Seeking vengeance against a smaller band, hurting them every time they could for who knows how long is immature, it’s lame and it shows how insecure they were. What you did to them was stupid, but what they did to you was appalling and shameful.

Here's a motto to live by- "Be nice to people when you're on your way up and maybe they'll be nice to you when you're on your way down". Great story, Rick.

This is not just a music story, it’s life advice.

I have an unrelated but heartwarming story. In the early 2000's, my band opened for Country artist Toby Keith at the county fair near our hometown. He was riding high on a string of hit songs and was very popular at the time.
Our set went very well and was well received. We had learned a lot by then and knew how to get the audience pumped up for the headliner. We were flattered when we noticed members of Toby's band had came around and were watching us.
As was usually the case, we had reserved stage side seats for ourselves and our families to enjoy the show.
When the encore reached it's end, Toby left the stage as the band played on for several more minutes. After the applause, the musicians all proceeded backstage, except for one.
Guitarist Rich Eckhardt placed his guitar on the stand and walked over to our side of the stage. He introduced himself and congratulated us on a great set and sat down on the edge of the stage and started talking to our three children. I think they were ages 12, 14, and 16 at the time. He noticed me looking at his gear and invited me to go up and try his rig out.
By this time, I'd realized that he was homesick. Not wanting to be disrespectful of his offer, I climbed up and looked over his guitars and gear. But as much as I wanted to, I didn't play his guitar. I didn't want to interupt his conversation with my family. He was interested in their school experiences and the sports they were involved in, if they were in the school band, their interests and aspirations and such.
After talking for the better part of an hour, the crew, having broken down and stowed the backline gear, yelled to tell him that they were pulling out.
By this time, the crowd had all left and most of the lights in the grandstands had been shut off. He told my kids and wife and me goodbye, and I could see in his eyes as he turned to leave that while my kids gained a memory they'll never forget, maybe he got a much needed taste of home and family to raise his spirits for the rest of the Summer fair season.

That kind of negativity never looks good on the person committing it and, as your story so vividly conveys, the consequences can be a lot worse.

The one thing I really noticed about Rick’s channel is that he never, ever, ever says anything negative about anyone. Now we know why..

I remember reading about Jimi Hendrix and his love for watching other guitarists play and hearing them. The writer stated that he always had something good to say about every one of them, no matter how bad they were. I believe the real take from your story is don't trash anyone.

That’s actually awesome. I love that. I’m sorry it happened to you but the story is pure gold.

Great Story Rick and equally great advice! Every band I manage, especially my own band, as well as well all the artists I have ever mentored, I have a saying or advice that I give them. "We never speak badly about, or criticize another entertainer, artist, musician or anyone associated with the industry." Love listening to you and watching your channel. Thank You!

A couple of band mates blew our chance with two words as well. I was in a band in my early 20s and we did a battle of the bands. Turns out the whole thing was a publicity stunt for one of the bands which was signed. Well, even though they “won,” we packed the house and brought it down. After the show, the manager of the signed band(and father of the singer) approached us and wanted to get us hooked up with an agent from his company(Epic Records). He asked us one simple question, and I knew it was to test how well we could handle ourselves. “What did you think of the winning act?” And without missing a beat, one of the guys said, “they sucked.” I knew right there that he had blown our shot. We never heard from him again.

The lesson actually seems to be that professionals need never speak ill of their peers, no good comes from it. It goes along with other aspects of professionalism, and is too often overcome by ego, jealousy, resentment and other human frailties.

The two words weren’t “Creed sucks”, they were “we can’t” when first offered the opening gig.

Teaching through parable and with humility and candor. A generous and masterful telling of a story made unforgettable.

Not only is it a watchword about grace and consideration, it demonstrates that after a lapse of those qualities it is never too late to make amends and to forgive.

One of the best lessons I ever got at music school was in my music business class. The teacher had us name all the people involved in a live performance at a bar. The band, the owner, the manager, the waitresses the janitor were all listed as participants. Then he asked, which of these people is the least important. Some answered the janitor some answered the waitresses, but the music teacher said no. The band is the least important, a single word from the janitor or a waitress to the owner could lose the band any future gigs. It was a very valuable lesson in humility.

My guitar teacher back about 1995, a 40 year old Italian guy that played clubs forever and I think still does, told me "Don't have drunks in the band because they only get worse when you start playing clubs."

The central lesson is probably: stay away from alcohol, no matter what.

My recent carreer at a software project ended after three years when I worked during a in person event. Either my people would have rolled off if I hadn't worked and missed the deadline or they rolled me off for working. It is heart breaking. You can be very hard working but never ever disrespect your clients by working in meetings and try to leave with bridges intact as possible. It didn't matter that I was booked for another year.

Currently recovering in Arizona from my mistake, next year will another chance in a new project.

Being rejected last minute and "taken off the main stage" feels me like so many times. But mistakes are to learn from.

Happy new year.