Canadian Musician‘s Mike Raine is in Toronto as CMW takes over the city and will be checking in daily with reports on the conference programming, the bands showcasing around the city, and more. Here’s the scoop from Friday, March 23rd.

First, I’d just like to say that Toronto’s own The Balconies played a hell of a show on Thursday night at Cabin 5. Check out a (very) recent interview with CM right here.

Now down to business. Compared to the artist-centric day two, day three of Canadian Music Week was certainly more focused on business. But even among all the sessions for agents, managers, radio executives, and promoters, there were a few valuable discussion panels directed at the people that fuel the music industry: the artists.

Among them was “How to Get Booked on a Festival: Even if Nobody Knows Who You Are,” which included panelists from such esteemed events has England’s Glastonbury Festival, Iceland Airwaves Festival, Van’s Warped Tour, and Australia’s Big Sound showcase. The lesson that kept being repeated by the panelists was that landing a festival slot is all about two things: good songs and buzz.

Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman explained that festival organizers talk to promoters, listen to fans, and search the web, so the bands that generate the most buzz and word of mouth reaction, even if it’s just in their own city, have a far better chance of getting booked. Lyman added: “Build a great story in your local market and we can’t ignore it.” Generally, the lesson was festivals are in the business of generating crowds and every band has to prove they can grab an audience’s attention.

As well, as Glastonbury co-promoter Martin Elbourne said if you want to make it to the bigger festivals, start with local festivals and showcases. Each of the 15 Canadian bands playing this year’s Great Escape Festival, he explained, was scouted at another smaller event, including Nova Scotia Music Week. Osheaga

Festival’s Nick Farkas added that if a lesser-known band does approach a larger festival, they need to have realistic expectations. They may have to play an early afternoon set on a side stage, but it could likely be a stepping stone toward a higher-profile set the following year.

Other points repeated throughout the panel: we’re in 2012, not 1995, so a pleasant looking website with videos and quality audio files has a better chance of getting a look than a press kit. Be persistent but don’t be a pest and have your pitch and/or story in order before you approach because organizers want to know why you’re right for their festival.

Next up, the “Agent vs. Manager: Who’s Got Your Back” panel was certainly the most boisterous of the day, with each high-profile manager and agent on the panel battling to get a word in. Tom Wilson of Blackie and the Rodeo Kings – who played artist’s advocate and was often equal parts thoughtful, hilarious, and nonsensical – made the point that, ultimately, it’s all about the artist’s vision and the agent and manager are simply there to work out the details. Nothing good can happen when an artist loses control of their own career trajectory. This point was seconded by former Tragically Hip manager Jake Gold, who explained that tour partnerships and collaborations between artists often happen a lot easier if the artists approach each other instead of having an agents and/or managers approach another artist’s agent and/or manager. After that, the agents and managers can work out the details.

Panel moderator Ron Burman, VP of A&R at Roadrunner Records, made an interesting point while answering an audience member’s question. If an artist is actively seeking out an agent, it’s sign that they’re probably not ready for one. The point being, if you’re at the stage of your career where you’re ready to hire an agent, agents will approach you. Otherwise it’s a waste of money. Frank Riley of High Road Touring added to Burman’s point, saying that when an artist approaches an agent, the power is now in the agent’s hands. The agent gets to ask the questions and set the parameters of the business relationship whereas when an agent approaches an artist, the artist is now the one in control, and that’s the better and more productive arrangement in the long run.

Moving on, the day ended with the “Club Tours: Small Rooms, Big Dreams” panel, consisting of venue owners, concert promoters, and band managers. One of the big lessons was that no venue or audience is too small for a band to make a lasting impression. Owners and promoters talk to each and to their staff so even an impressed bartender can lead to future opportunities.

As well, similar to the lesson easier in the day that small bands need to be prepared to play lesser time slots at festivals, they also have to be willing to play a Monday night at a tiny club. It’s not unusual for bands to have to work their way through the week, starting with an 8 p.m. Monday slot and building toward the 10 p.m. Friday headlining gig. Clubs are where word of mouth begins and if you can impress a small crowd, next time they’re bringing their friends.

Jason Grant, promoter at Live Nation, made a point that is particularly important in the age of internet hype. Just because a band can sell a 1,000 tickets in a particular city doesn’t mean they should. If a band plays a large show before they’ve honed their live performance, the negative reviews and audience reaction could actually set their career back.

And of course there was the Q&A with the legendary Slash, who stills looks like he just stepped out of a Guns n’ Roses promo photo from 1989. Unfortunately a ban on any questions about his former band means fans still have to wait and see if the real Guns n’ Roses will perform at their Hall of Fame induction.

All in all a very interesting day with far more to talk about than I can write about here, so I guess it’ll have to wait. See you tomorrow.

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