I had talked to one of my friends that bumped into some crazy shit. I was not surprised after all the years. I’m not surprised by how crazy some people are and how they react. Actually, it’s more common that you meet weird people than normal in this business. By then you need to earn your reputation witch many newcomers forget about. So I borrowed some of the things we were discussing in this post.

If you work in the music industry, you know all about hustlers. These kinds of meetings always have unpredictable outcomes. There are all types of hustlers;  Grifters, scam artists, emotional wrecks,  know-it-alls, and people that just find people try to find a network.  There are also clean hustlers, and decent people just trying to make it out of the maze. The different types just go on and on and have numerous combinations.

The hard part is to know who to let in and who to keep out. But here are some tip-offs that usllay works very well.

1. Be Respectful:
Always. Don’t be argumentive, or turn conversations around on people. Don’t be an idiot. Have some self-control. Realize you are the food, and they are the fish. Make yourself appealing, be respectful, always. Making small emotional ripples into tidal waves is not business. Yes, in the beginning, you have to get your nose brown, sort to speak.

2. Don’t Be Manipulative:
The best thing you can do when creating new relationships is to try to be as transparent as humanly possible. Nobody likes feeling like you are entangling them into something you’re trying to control. You don’t need to be right to be successful. You need to be successful to be right. Don’t go behind peoples backs, it will get back to you later. Sometimes you go behind the back without knowing it. Which can lead to a problem! Many in the industry are because of that over clear what they are doing to their network.

3. Consider Everything:
Before you unleash the beast of rage, or tell someone how to do their job, or try to slander someone to their friends, colleagues, and superiors, try to consider you may not know all the details. Instead of letting these people see the dark side of you and your unstable emotions. Deal with the problem directly. You just have to swallow your pride.

4. Don’t Ask For Things Afterwards:
This is so so so bad. If you want to REALLY put a significantly bad taste in someone’s mouth; Tell them they owe you, after you already fucked up the relationship (Smooth move..)
Successful people know all about sacrifices. They have either have watched people in their circles make them, or they themselves made them get where they are. If you are looking for more than just merit, or experience, be straight up. If someone makes suggestions and offers, that does NOT mean they are tools to be used against them. Like if they helped you to get a gig and no one shows up on the gig it’s not their fault it’s you that didn’t promote the gig properly.

5. Know Your Role:
You’re trying to become useful. You’re trying to be valuable. You’re trying to be a team player. You’re trying to be essential. Okay, got it? Don’t be an asshole. Don’t step on people. Don’t think that you can reinvent the music industry.

6. Have Patience.
The world owes you NOTHING.

In one way when you been around for a while you easily see through this. Still, you encounter them. The person that goes straight to the CEO of the festival trying to book an act, just because they meet the person. A good reason to take off that act from the festival.