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Originally Posted by slop101
Really? While they're certainly not at their height, I think they're more reliable/dependable, sales-wise, than most other acts, new or old. Part of it is that MSP's fan base, more than most other bands, will BUY their new albums, as opposed to younger fans of newer acts who have never bought an actual album/CD in their life.
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I think overall the industry would rather people buy off iTunes than physical formats, cuts out the cost of pressing and distributing at least. The impression I've got over the years on here is that there are a hell of a lot of people out there who are fans up to a point and tend to shun new stuff, maybe they do buy it and slag it off I don't know. Still, it's a pretty ageist industry and labels can be pretty ruthless. How many people have sold a fuck load through X Factor or whatever and been dropped 18 months later or whatever.
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Originally Posted by Routine Builder
I think it's probably because the Manics have a stable income. Their albums chart very well and since the band use their own studio and haven't used expensive big name producers since Lifeblood, Manics albums probably cost very little from the labels point of view. And we definitely know that Sony/Columbia spend fuck all in advertising and promoting the band! For bands on their twelfth album, the Manics do a lot better than 90% of bands on their fourth or fifth, and I never got the impression that the band have caused their labels too much trouble. Good manners and a good working ethic have probably gone far in the band keeping on good terms with their label and management. With the exception of Richey and Phillip Hall, not much was changed in the band and their support structure ever since they signed on a major deal.
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Originally Posted by Abstract Unknown Girl
I'm glad someone else said this, because I think they're doing very well for a band at this stage of their career. They're never going to pull in the same sort of numbers as their commercial peak in the late 90's, but really I don't think they want to and I don't think Sony expects them to. They have a dedicated and reliable fan base who will always support them through releases, tours etc. Their tours always sell well, especially THB gigs, which have created a real buzz amongst the music press as well as fans. Their last couple of albums were well-received and they generally seem to be a well-respected band. I sometimes feel like no one else likes them, but then other times, you realise they do still have quite a lot of fans. Why wouldn't Sony want to keep them? I'm sure they have much more commercial artists signed to them to bring in the big, big bucks.
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Top ten doesn't take as many sales as top ten a decade ago, maybe the labels are just accepting that. I agree that the cost of producing Manics albums must be quite low in comparison to other artists but to me that begs the question why they don't do it themselves. The promotion has been very few and far between for the last couple of albums and I'm a bit hazy with that side really, don't really know how it works. Do Sony sub-contract Ooh Brilliant or whoever, do they have any role arranging TV appearances and other interviews or is just a case of Martin Hall or Nicky Wire having a word with James Corden or whatever. Don't know if Sony take much of a cut from tours, they do tour a lot... I don't know, I don't think we're seeing much love for the band from Sony, with the lack of promotion I think it looks like on one hand they've more or less given up on promoting the band beyond their existing fan base who'll just come on here, Manic Street Mania or whatever to find out what's going on anyway. If Sony are happy with Manics churning out a top ten album every couple of years, great but at this stage, with the band having established its own fan base, having their own studio, having other people promoting for free through the unofficial social networks they've set up.. I'm not sure what they're getting out of Sony anymore really that they couldn't do themselves now.