BLACK TIDE LEARN ABOUT THE BIZ THE HARD WAY; FIRST WEEK SALES NUMBERS DISAPPOINT
Wednesday, March 26th, 2008 at 12:38pm by Vince Neilstein
Back in January I wrote a fairly lengthy piece about the advance marketing campaign that Interscope Records was running for teenage metal band Black Tide. In short, based on the number of FedExed advance records (5 in varying configurations), press releases (13 to date) from high-powered publicists, and the general sense of manufactured-in-a-marketing-meeting hype surrounding the band, I declared that Interscope was frivolously throwing away money towards hopes that could never possibly be realized. The post stirred up quite a few comments, including one from guitarist Gabriel Garcia himself.
Today, the first-week sales numbers for their debut record Light From Above have been revealed; according to the Soundscan report that just it my inbox, the record shifted 11,357 copies, enough to land them at #73.
Now, I hate to say “I told you so,” but I told you so.
Interscope was running a positively old-school marketing campaign for this band — hire big-name producers (Jason Suecof and Johnny K. — NOT cheap), blow boat-loads of money into carpet-bombing everyone / no one in particular through the media, rally around radio, and hope for the best. Furthermore, this is a metal band, a genre which has performed notoriously poorly on major labels. Those metal bands that have done well on majors have built their careers from the ground up through years of touring and hard work (i.e. Metallica, Lamb of God, Mastodon). Black Tide, this is not.
So, 11,357 copies? Not a bad first-week number for a metal band at all! Last week Meshuggah sold roughly the same number in their first week which by all account is a triumphant success — for the relatively small label Nuclear Blast (compared to Interscope). But for a major label project, Interscope has got to be really, really disappointed. The major label game is all about the first week number, and judging by the run-up for this record Interscope was gunning for a big first week. Labels often decide how much money to continue spending based on the first week, so you can forget Interscope continuing to pour more money into this band; they’ve already wasted enough. You can forget the label — or the band — ever having any chance of recouping. A nice music video? Yeah right. Tour support? Bye-bye.
In short, barring a surprise change of the tide (pun intended) or mega radio hit, this project is fucked. You can not manufacture success anymore. It has to be organic. The old game is over.
-VN
Agree… agree and agree even more. Unless a band works at the grass-root level to create a presence, major labels and their carpet-bombing tactics would benefit none. Its unfortunate that a band has to go through it all… but can’t entirely empathize since history is all too telling.
Cheers!
When you’re right, you’re right, and you, sir, are right.
Plus, this band is really boring.
So I’m a “high-profile” publicist now? I love you guys!
Dude, they sold almost as many copies in their first week as Meshuggah did last week, and the ’shug has been around for 10 years. How is that really disappointing? You weren’t expecting a top 10 album were you?
“Black Tide this is not”? Wow, and did you just realize the sun comes up in the east? They’re 14 – 19 fucking years old! How in hell would they have toured more than once in their young lives? How would they have created a presence? From their middle school? The only way a band like this could make it is to have them pushed and propped up by a label. I’ve even heard the word “sellout” in relation to this band. How? Because they stopped listening to Sesame Street records? C’mon, they’re kids who are being told what to do. The only difference is that these kids at least have a chance to succeed because they actually have talent.
Give ‘em a break. They’re not New Kids on the Block or Menudo.
I mean they are a young band. In a few years (assuming the labels don’t fuck them over), they have the potential to be one of the bigger metal bands out there.
They are actually pretty good live too.
Have I mentioned how awful their cover of “Hit the Lights” was? A few words come to mind: wimpy, boring, unenthusiastic…
I just can’t get into these guys.
Kid bands suck. They’ve always sucked. I don’t know why everyone makes a big deal about young pussy faced “musicians”. If a band is good because of their age, it means they’re really not that good, but they’re cute cause they’re kids. Hopefully they’ll get strung out on coke and dope. Maybe then I’ll respect them.
wow…. I never thought people would actually try to put together a band copying Trivium…..wow….. in a really bad way.
So… that’s the Backstreet version of Heafy ‘n the boys? jeje, well I wish them the best, hope they turn out to be good musicians, but it does feel kind’a nice to have a Major label fail at prefabricating good music, feels reasuring.
they suck …duh
That’s a huge opening for a first record for ANY band. That’s more than other highly touted major label bands did they first week of their debut record like Mudvayne(10,000), Bullet For My Valentine(10,000), and even Trivium(7,000) who did a shit ton of touring before Ascendancy dropped. They sold almost 12,000 records in the downloading era where it’s becoming harder and harder to sell records. Comparing them to Meshuggah is apples and oranges. Meshuggah had their biggest opening of their career. It’s a credit to them for making a brilliant record and their label for getting the records in the stores. Plus it’s much easier for an established act with a good soundscan history to get a big ship the first week in order to scan a bunch of records. You may be right about the big hype machine, but this is one instance where it actually worked. Sorry , you are dead wrong.
in my opinion, i think as they get older, their skills develop, they release more cd’s, singles, etc., their popularity will grow. their music video was just added into the headbanger’s ball show… eventually people will catch on to it. as a teenager, i know other teenagers get most of their music from the radio & music video shows – such as hbb. metal isn’t exactly HUGE right now in the mainstream…
Its crazy how interscope sits on mainstream rock acts whom I love (Adelitas Way, chris cornell) who would sell records and pushes Metal???? no wonder A&r guys are all getting fired. interscope sits on bands like Adelitas Way and even amazing rap acts like kenna(im sure u havent heard of either act;) and puts millions into this it??? who ever is running this ship i feel bad for
Not for nothing, but it is the band’s first release and aside from opening for Avenged Sevenfold back in the Fall, the only touring experience these kids have is two weeks on Ozzfest where they opened the Main Stage.I dunno about the other dates, but when the tour hit PNC in Jersey, these kids went on and somewhere half way through their second song I could hear people chanting “I Will Be Heard.” That’s right, Hatebreed hadn’t even finished yet.So considering the circumstances, 11,357 feels like a good number in this case.I say wait until the next record.Now is when they need to start to build their following.Most importantly, they need to figure out who their audience is gonna be.Either open for real metal acts or every popular band who’s gone mainstream out of Orange County.They can’t pander to both crowds.