rd. If you are an indy guy in this area or any area, you need to take a minute and read what Mo says. Whether you agree or disagree, this is the way promoters and bookers look at talent at this level.Here is my letter....
A few things I really would like to clear up before I put this on the site though. I am being told that you get the money to pay the boys. You give them what you think they deserve and the rest goes into your pocket. I have been booker before and have done it this way also. I hardly ever went home with money no matter what we drew. Now this may be something that you just say, "That is none of your business", and I will respect that. But, I do know if the Dustin Starr deal would have went thru just Jeff, then he would have hired Starr. It went thru you, [which you state that there is no sense in paying x amount unless the person has proven they can draw] and now Starr is being offer lots less. Give him the ball and let him try it, but why would he want to leave TLCW to make the same amount in D-burg, when he is surrounded by such good talent??
I disagree on the point of all those guys being just worth $10 or $15. They might not be "names", but if they are drawing houses like they are doing now, then they are worth more than $15. As a group that promotion has drawn close to 1200 fans in the last two months. $6,000 and more considering the concession of that kind of crowds. $25 each at least for the whole group.
My thoughts are this -- if you are booking and giving x amount to all the boys -- say $150 and you get rest of the gate or if you and Jeff get rest of the gate, then that is where the mistake is being made. I do not feel that you can just build a promotion or business on word of mouth or "building the crowd and talent". I think you should sink every extra amount on posters and radio to get the crowd up and present them with good roster of talent.
Do you not think that if you sunk $300 a week on just talent -- 10 guys at $30 a piece that the crowd would then go up because you are giving them quality matches?? I personally think it would but really I have never had the opportunity to try it. You get the gates up higher and then you are talking about $400 a week with adding 3 more to your crew with everyone making $30. At this point you have 13 guys that are making steady money that will be happy and you have good shows. Since you as the booker have built the promotion, then yes at this point all is well and anything over $400 should be yours and Jeff should keep concession sales. Let's say then you are doing even better and
it bumps up to $600 a week. You get $200 a week and you deserved it. The gate then goes up to $800 a week -- at that point you pay yourself $300 a week and give your 13 person crew a raise to $40 a week and they are even happier. If someone no-shows, then that money is just given to rest of the guys.
Is that just pipe dream above or what??
I have no ill feelings at all towards you. You have always shown me respect and do the same for you. But many of the boys in this area hold hard feelings towards you for working so many shows for free and feeling like you pocketed the money. Now, most of them needed that certain experience and probably deserved no money. But, at this point guys like Simon, CJ, Psycho, Seth, TGB, Jon Michael, DK all deserve more than the usual $10 or $15 payoff that everyone thinks they deserve.
Mo responds…..
I think you missed it Brian. I actually don’t get paid for what I do in Dyersburg. It truthfully doesn’t make enough money to pay me to do what I do, and deal with what I deal with. I actually said that I think Dustin should come in and show he can help draw money. We have what we call a downside guarantee. And you can call Dustin, Rude, Pokerface and others that I have called. And if they will discuss it for you, then that`s kool. But the guarantee goes up each week that they stay, if they are putting more asses in seats. Unfortunately I have the task of trying to make sure the show goes on. It will not if we can’t pay for the building, and other expenses.
You can ask Jeff if you like; I don’t ask for a guaranteed anything, in fact call and ask Kelly Warner how I donated food for one of their last benefit shows. And even when I worked for 
them in the past I never asked for a guaranteed amount of money. Even LaFonce will tell you the same. My policy has always been, and you can even call Rodney Grimes, my policy again as I was about to say, has always been, if I help your show out, all I ask is you show me some love and take care of me. If that was 10 dollars then 10 dollars is what I got. Ask around no one you will ever talk to will tell you I charged an ungodly amount of money to come and do something I love so dearly. So the amount really is not the issue, as much as, are you gonna come to the show and help draw a crowd, and do whatever is asked of you to do so. BT you can ask Jeff if you like, I really don’t mind but I don’t ask him for a guaranteed anything.
But for the record, Alan Steele is my boy, so no matter what happens, I try to get him what he ask for, simply because I’m trying to help this guy make it in the business, and he’s been a great friend, and appreciates all that I’ve ever done for him. I’m not saying that guy are not worth 10 or 15 dollars, I’m saying this is the Independent scene, call and ask Mick Foley or Steve Austin and some of those guys, how many times they’ve worked someone and was given 5 10 or 15 dollars. It’s just part of paying dues, and I feel like these guys these days don’t understand that concept. If I’m wrong then I’m sorry but it’s the truth.
