All the past weeks showcases quite easily put up a problem in the spotlight. The troubleshooting process. I meet people that has trouble find bookers, labels, opportunities, you name it. There is always a trouble to fix.

What I found is how you quite often miss the real problem and spend time fixing things that really not matters. The problem is usually very close not in the small details.

I was on a showcase with a manager and saw her artist. She complained it was hard to get Spotify numbers and getting fans and bookings. Quite normal things to complain about.

She had the idea was in how the artist was portrayed. She needed better pictures. I asked how the new pictures would help the Spotify numbers? Her answer was that she was not satisfied with the ones they got.

Well, I can tell they where fantastic. Very professional and she handles me a nice printout with the artist bio and pictures. And it all looked great.

Then the artist starts playing. Really boring no stage personal and boring songs. After a while, I went for a beer and meet a booker at the bar.

Really boring huh! Was the first the booker said and I had to agree.

Later in the evening, the manager was on the booker trying to get her artist to the festival the booker has. Of course, the booker was not keen to give any real answer.

Later the manager was again talking about it was probably the pictures that were wrong.

So really, even how hard it starts checking the problem like this.

1 is the songs really good and the music great.

This is hard to check you really need friends that you can trust and don’t be angry when they cut down your latest work.

2 the show is great.

Also harder but same here do it over and over and approve all time.

3 does the artist has a great story.

It becomes more and more important to get these stories right. Don’t fill them with things that the artist like to dance and born to be on a stage. That is a must. 

Also, things like the artist like animals and care to donate to good things. A bad childhood is not appealing either. That is not the story. The story has to be with achievement in the musical field. A good review. Quotes, a placement or performance.

I can tell you that on 90% of the cases not moving forward when the problem laying in these three categories.

The small adjustments are not affecting the big picture. Not in the beginning at least. And nothing will work until the first two are fixed.

In so many cases the hunt is to fix all other small things when the whole is ruined from the essential.