My folio

1. STYLE
I
STYLE
n early 2000, during a musical
milieu dominated by Eminem, Limp
Biskit and Britney Spears, a group
of young indie rockers called The
Strokes exploded onto the scene as the
leading group in garage rock revival. Ryan
Gentles, working as a booker at Manhatten’s
Mercury Lounge heard their demo tape
and was overwhelmed to the extent that he
resigned to become their full-time manager.
Frequently referred to as the sixth Stroke,
his role as manager is above and beyond
that of a mere booking agent, administrator
or behind the scenes manager. The
Strokes, including Ryan, operate as a rare
democracy, to the extent that the band splits
all profits in equal proportions, six ways.
(Normally managers receive 10-20%). Esther
Couch caught up with him to ask a few
questions.
Have you always been interested in music?
Yeah, definitely. I have two older brothers who
were always kind of the ‘marker for cool’ as
you’re growing up, as older siblings tend to
be. I would listen to my brothers’ albums - they
were in high school at the time, so I would
World fashion
be listening to The Doors and Led Zeppelin,
Queen, Guns n’ Roses and The Beatles. I
remember not knowing what the hell they
were singing about, the lyrics were obviously
way over my head at that point…actually a lot
of them still are. Both my brothers were very
musical. I remember going to nightclubs when
I was about 13 or 14 (accompanied by my
parents, of course) to see my brothers play in
some shitty bar or club and being blown away
by the whole spectacle of actually seeing bands
play live. It was so loud, and impressive like
A Stroke
something that I thought you only get to see on
MTV. I went to my first real concert in 1990 at
Giant’s Stadium, it was Billy Joel’s Storm Front
tour! Then when I went to the Lollapalooza
summer festival in Philadelphia in 1994 it was
all over… I saw the Breeders, Nick Cave,
Of Ge-
The Beastie Boys, Smashing Pumpkins, and
Courtney Love do a few songs, and it changed
my life forever. I started a band that summer,
got a job at a local record store and that was
it for me. I was 16 years old.Was there a key
nius
moment when you decided that you wanted
to work in the industry or was it something
which you just seemed to fall into?I did some
YLE -
internships; first at Geffen Records in the
Throughout the history of A&R department, and then at a local NYC
music venue, The Mercury Lounge. I really
popular music, managers have
enjoyed doing all the ‘management’ aspects of
often played an integral role in
STTER
promoting our band. At the end of my internship
the formation and exposure of at Mercury Lounge, they asked me to stay on
their bands. Many managers rest as a paid employee - something like $8 per
behind the scenes, others adopt a hour or something.
more aggressive approach.
30
IN VIEW
Russell
Lock up your daughters
STYLE
need to do as a business decision is not
street and we were sold out an hour before
what they want to do as an artistic decision.
they hit the stage, and turning people away.
If anything, being such closer friends helps
While I was helping The Strokes during
this discussion, not hamper it. Sometimes
those early months, they asked me over
I win and they’ll try it, but most of the time
and over again to be their manager, and I
they win and they shoot down the idea and
always said “no”. I was really happy booking
don’t want to do it, even if they acknowledge
the venue and helping them, but I wanted to
that it might help their short-time goals for
stay at the Mercury. It was as the excitement
success. The point is that I’m a manager
grew around what we were doing, and as it
who acknowledges that ultimately it’s their
became more fun to help this one band that
career, and their identity and their legacy. My
I truly loved and these guys that I truly loved,
only responsibility is to present these options
that I started to seriously think about it.
for them, let them know that this is what I
think is the best way or this is what I think
would be the repercussions of doing either
I’d sent a copy of the demo to Rough Trade
Brand
X, Y or Z and let them make the decision
in the UK per my boss’s suggestion and they
about doing it or not. I try to keep my ego in
bit right away. It was at that point that my life
check and realise it’s their art not mine and
changed, and I considered for the first time
so they should always have the final say in
leaving my dream job at the Mercury Lounge
how to promote themselves the way they
to be a manager; a term that I felt uneasy
feel comfortable.
about, as I was barely 23 years old, had no
money in the bank and could hardly afford
rent at my apartment (which I shared with 3
Is there a breakdown between the
other dudes all sleeping in one big bedroom,
creative role you may play as a manager
just so we could afford the tiny, disgusting
and the marketing aspects?
place on 33rd street and 2nd ave). I was
scared. I had never managed a band, I had
Ryan Gentles Yeah, there is totally a
no experience, and I had only known these
breakdown between these two. Even when
on to bigger and greater things and left guys for a month or two. I didn’t know any
Ultimately, I ended up getting more
it comes to touring, they’ve always been
their mark on the music industry, and it’s conventional way to manage a band. All I
responsibility and more confidence from
VERY vocal about where they’d like to go,
really rewarding to remember that I was could think of was just to try and get them
the owners at the Mercury Lounge, and
when they’d like to be home, and how they
down there booking these bands in this whatever the hell they wanted.
the woman I consider to be my ‘mentor’,
want themselves “represented” with regards
little club.
Theresa Chambers. She was the lead
to marketing and probably more importantly
talent booker for the Mercury Lounge
At what point did you decide to become a how they DON’T want to be “represented”.
and Bowery Ballroom and about as
Throughout the history of
How and why did you become the full-time manager? My job is to take the language that we speak
tough and street wise as they come
popular music, managers
manager of The Strokes? to each other and the decisions we make in
in the music business. When she left,
have often played an integral that room together, and try to get the huge
It was sometime in November of 2000 that
and the position became open at the
wheels that turn at the labels to turn in a way
I had a friend who would send me bands I became the full time manager, after I got
Mercury Lounge to book the bands, we role in the formation and
that reflects most accurately the way that
she liked from the local music scene. the call from Geoff Travis in the UK saying
managed to talk the owners into letting
exposure of their bands. we envision it, so that THE BAND doesn’t
She sent me a CD of a band called The he wanted to put out the demo I sent him as
me book the room, at the tender age
Many managers rest behind have to worry about that, and can just focus
Strokes that she told me I should have a record, and fly The Strokes to the UK to
of 21, which is pretty crazy, now that
STYLEMAG. the scenes, others adopt a on being creative while I’m putting together
into the Mercury Lounge. I listened to do a tour. At that point, I got them a music
I think about it. At the end of the day,
COM
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more aggressive approach. what they would consider “the boring” part
the CD, and that was it. It was the best attorney, a publicist and a booking agent. At
they just wanted the best local bands
of it.
thing I had heard the whole time I had that point, I was like “OK, I’m building a team
with the best draws to fill their club night
From a stylistic point of view, the band has
been at the Mercury Lounge, and we At first we just didn’t think of it. Then
around this group….well, I guess that makes
after night, and that’s what they relied
evolved quite dramatically in the last six
in the music business know about this
got about 100 demos per week there. I someone in the band, probably Julian
me their manager, I might as well stop
on me to do. So, thinking that I had my
years.
band. Working at The Mercury Lounge
listened to the three songs on the demo [Casablancas], said “hey, you don’t have
denying it, and just take this chance”. I told
dream job, I left school during the final
you get to meet everyone, because
30 times the first day I got it in the office. any experience, and we don’t have any
them I’d do it. I quit the Mercury lounge in
weeks of my final class just 3 credits
Have you played any role in helping their
they all come through that door to see
The demo was rough, but that voice experience… we both have the same to lose
January 2001, borrowed $2000 from Albert’s
shy of a bachelor’s degree from Pace
image to evolve?
some band or another at some point
and those guitar sounds were brilliant and same to gain… let’s just split everything
dad to pay my rent for 4 months because I
University. I wanted to book local acts,
in time…the lawyers, the label folks,
and completely exceptional and stood we make 6 equal ways…”. We sat in a
literally had no money and lived cheque to
the ones without record deals, playing
No, absolutely not. This isn’t the 60s
the booking agents, the promoters, the
apart. I booked them their first show room for less than an hour with the same
cheque while working at the Mercury, and
the local music scene, that’s what I
$4.99 anymore, and there are no more Andrew
publicists. They all have to come there
at the Mercury Lounge, giving them a lawyer and worked out something no longer
borrowed money from my old boss at Geffen
found exciting. I can remember booking
Loog Oldham’s or Brian Epstein’s or even
at some point, and I made sure I made
Thursday night closer spot which is a than a page or two, and signed it together
(now our new publicist!) to buy a laptop, and
so many bands that are now quite big,
Malcolm McLaren’s. If you’re not a boy
tons of copies of a new demo that The
very coveted spot. I actually remember the same day. That was it. Is it difficult at
didn’t look back. I got on my first airplane
and back then they were just the bands
band then no-one has any say in what you
Strokes had just recorded (it became
getting a lot of flack for giving them that times trying to maintain a perspective of
the day that the 5 Strokes and I boarded a
that hung out at all the same bars or
wear or the way you comb your hair except
known as “the modern age E.P”). We
spot from my boss, but I just told him to what is best for the band when you are all
plane to fly to London, courtesy of Rough
at least played the same shitty, tiny
for the musicians in the band… not in any
sent it to all these people with a typed,
trust me on this. such close friends? That is probably the
Trade, to sign a label deal in the UK and do
clubs. I booked Interpol in there several
self-respecting rock band I’ve ever met to
professional letter, inviting them to see most difficult thing about managing a band
a tiny club tour of England.
times, sometimes on the same bill as
date, anyway. If anything, since we’re all
this “great new band”. I had the Strokes
I broke up my fledgling band about a like The Strokes that all have such very
the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I mean, maybe
similar in age, they influence me. I’ll see
play every Wednesday night of the
month later and asked The Strokes if strong convictions and are quite astute
40 or 50 people would come through
How were the management fees some shoes that Fab got or some suit Albert
month that December. The first night,
they wanted some help in promoting about making the right decisions in trying to
the room the whole night, that was it…
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negotiated when you first became bought, and think ”wow, that’s sweet!” and
about 70 people showed up. By the
their band. They said yes, and I set do the best thing for their art and for what
but the music was awesome. Now of
manager? then end up picking up a pair for myself.
4th Wednesday, the line was down the
out to let every contact that I had made they believe in. Sometimes what I feel they
course, both of those bands have gone