TBP Interview - Tiger Reid (Fourth Floor Music)

(Lovvers- hot tipped Act 2008 by Tiger Reid)

"You can be cynical about these gigs (as there is money to be made) and the crowds are really not loyal in anyway but the atmosphere is amazing even if it's a little fake."
(Tiger Reid about underage Clubs)

So…first of all, introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi, I’m Tiger. Which is my real name. Hippie Parents. I am a girl. Just in case you thought it was a boy’s name.

I work as an artist manager, live in Shoreditch, cycle to work and love strawberries and the SFA.

“This band is your life” is my new tagline.

You´re working at “Fourth Floor Music”, a UK based Management Company with the likes of Basement Jaxx in their Artist Roster. How does it happen that you get this Job?

I was working at the Edinburgh International Film Festival when I left University. I went to all the parties and meet a music video director Dougal Wilson who directed the last Basement Jaxx Music Video. So through that I was put in touch with their manager who was setting up an Artist Management company.

What is important for New Bands to get attention by a Management Company in a time when competition is so hard?

First of all as the saying goes ‘you can’t polish a turd’ so before bands worry about management they need to have great songs. I think that at the start acts should manage themselves. I find it impressive if bands are able to organise gigs, recording etc. as this shows a certain level of commitment to their art. So I would encourage bands to do their own thing, play loads of gigs, find your sound, develop your songs, speak to other bands etc. Although a dirty word, you need to create your own buzz.

Ideally, Management and all the other elements such as press, record labels etc. will come to you. Which ever comes first usually the rest will follow. Lots of Acts have lawyers before Management as they don’t have to invest as much time in to a project and can take on many acts while Managers have to be really picky about who they work on. So it’s an idea to try contacting lawyers first.

Either way it’s all about the songs and the live performance. So get that right first.

“This is Music” is a Club Nite in Edinburgh. And since this year, it´s also in London. Was it hard to find a Club for that Project?

I started “This is Music” as a group of us just wanted to put on bands we love and party together. I ran that for a year in Edinburgh and started it up in London a year ago with a friend. It still runs on the same principles now, to party with good bands.

The London night runs in the Hoxton/Shoreditch Area which is full of venues and promoters. So it wasn’t hard to find a venue really, I had been out to the Macbeth (where we run the night) and loved the size and feel. So just rang them up and we had a trial night, which went well and so it stayed there.

Its not really rocket science. You just need to find good bands, treat them well, be upfront about what you can pay, make sure you do your bit promoting the night and keep the venue in the loop. It’s a lot of hard work to really make any money at the independent end of the promoter scale. So its about having fun with it.

Plus it's a great way to find out about new bands and often I approach bands about booking them first before asking them about management.

What should a Band do, to play at “This is Music”?

Send us a message on the myspace. www.myspace.com/thisismusiclondon


In London, Club Nights with Live Bands grow like Mushrooms over the last years. A “new” Trend are underage Clubs where loads of well known bands played from 4pm til 8pm to adolescent people. What do you think about that?

I went to an under ages gig last weekend for Damn Shames, supporting Foals (DS are on our roster) and it was brilliant! You can be cynical about these gigs (as there is money to be made) and the crowds are really not loyal in anyway but the atmosphere is amazing even if it's a little fake. When I was younger I used to go to gigs and hate the ‘grown ups’ who stood at the back. But at these underage clubs no such thing. I think if I was 15 I would love these underage gigs. Plus as a band its nice to play to a room full of over-excited kids who are hitting each other but they really want to kiss each other.

How important are Social Network Sites like Lastfm etc today?

Blogs/Lastfm/myspace are really important for new and the underground/DIY music scenes. Its great for bands to have a way of communicating their music and promoting themselves with out the middle man - direct interaction with fans and vice versa. Although the middle man (music industry) is always watching whats going on.

Its funny that through website network sites a more organic process has been formed.


Black Kids gain a massive Buzz at the Moment. They have only 4 Demos released and it seems that a Bidding War comes up. Isn´t that a stupid thing?

10 years ago bands would usually have to send demos out to record labels to get signed or have a manager. Now with websites such as myspace anyone can listen to your band. In someways is a good thing but in other ways the barrier 10 years ago helped bands develop their sound before being picked up. Now bands who have barely picked up a guitar are getting signed up.

So its not stupid its just that you can get hold of music so easy these days plus once a buzz start the rest follow. All like Sheep. It puts loads of pressure on the act to deliver where as a slower more organic build is less risky. But sometimes you can’t control these things and most bands would are lucky to get the hype. It’s just about how to control it and making sure the hype is back up with great songs and live. Anyways I know the manager as well and am sure he knows what he is doing ;)

Gallows got a huge Major deal. That’s also really stupid. Is that something like the last Breath of a Major which comes out of a big despair?

I am divided on this Gallows debate as musically I don’t think its totally crazy that they got a major deal. Although I’m not sure exactly how much money was involved given the current state of the music industry I am not surprised.


Now days, it´s even harder to get booked from Clubs. And, Pay for play is also a huge Problem. If an Austrian or German Band like to play in the UK, to get an Audience there, it´s much harder. So, what is the best Strategy to get Gigs there?

I am not personally aware of ‘pay for play clubs’ unless its bands paying to support successful artists. I think the best strategy would be to build up a fan base in your own country. Most bands in the UK don’t get out the UK unless they have a booking agent. So the plan would be to get a decent booking agent in your own country and then worry about other countries after that.

Any hot tipped Bands for 2008?

Lovvers, Damn Shames, Rollo Tomassi, Ipso Facto, Elle s’appelle, Florence and The Machine and Frightened Rabbit

What are your plans for the future?

To get over excited about the little things.

To keep loving music and not to get cynical about the music industry.

I guess I would like to set up my own management company one day and set up a record label where I could just sign bands with animal names, such as Deerhoof, Super Furry Animals, Panda Bear, Animal Collective etc. - Tiger Records. Watch this space.