The Promotion Factor (The Blame Game)

In reading an article recently on Def Leppard from unrated magazine, Unrated I was realizing this guy has some valid points when it comes to the promotion of Def Leppard. Everyone is playing The Blame Game but where does the blame really lie?

We can blame the radio stations, television, the management, even the band all we want but who gets the honor of being the bad guy? Who really should take the heat when it comes to the lack of publicity for the band and their albums?

Are the radio stations to blame? Hmm perhaps to some extent because they know Def Leppard is out there, were playing their stuff non stop when Hysteria came out and every day, you heard them at least 4 times a day and that is if you weren't stuck like glue to your radios, waiting for them to come on and if you were, the stations were soaked in the sweat of the band from the UK, no one could get enough of them.

Is Television to blame for lack of publicity? Maybe but ask yourself WHY did they stop playing Def Leppard? Why do you only see them occasionally on a classic rock video that was made over 20 years ago. Or why you only see current stuff if they are on tour or their agents book the band for a show like Jimmy Kimmel or Regis or even the Tonight show.

Is the management to blame for their own bands lack of publicity Yes and No. Yes they are to blame because it's THEIR BAND, they manage them and they overlook the contracts and oversee the venues and the tour and of course the albums and No because the BAND makes the music, the BAND produces the albums, the BAND comes to the management and says "Hey, we've got some great stuff here, take a listen and see what you think"

Is the band to blame for their own downfall in fame and fortune? To some extent yes because the albums Slang, Euphoria and X are all great albums but VERY little was done to promote them. Some accuse Bon Jovi of buying his fame and fortune but when you think about it, it works because hey, Bon Jovi and Def Leppard are both under the same management and Bon Jovi still sells millions and sells out venues around the world.

Last tour alone, he sold out 15 venues all because the band promoted themselves, booking every TV show they could get their hands on, buying radio promotions, using the internet to get the word out, they do album signings, they stay in YOUR FACE and say "Hey, this is what we've done, listen to it, let me know what you think."

Def Leppard needs to do this BUT their management also needs to have more faith in their own band and get the word out that Def Leppard is still here, still touring and still making great albums. The band needs to push the albums hard enough that you still feel the punch ten years later and get the managers to promote them as well as promote themselves.

Instead of playing the blame game and worrying about why Def Leppard isn't being played on the radio or the albums aren't being promoted and do something about it. The band needs to get up off the ground, dust themselves off and promote themselves as well as telling their managers that they need to stop hiding and get the word out. The band also needs to get on every TV show, radio show and do some album signings and perhaps some meet and greets with Fans as well as with maybe different venues and of course radio. Meet with them and give them an interview or something like promote the venue by doing a commercial and in return, the venue promotes them.

It all comes down to a "If you rub my back, I'll rub yours kind of thing" It all works together. Unfortunately, it isn't really a blame game but rather a money game. If Def Leppard can give them high ratings or make them some mega bucks, they are all over it, giving them radio plugs, TV plugs, demanding the band be booked at various places and asking if the band can do some signings at such and such store.

However, if they don't feel the band can make them money or give them a bigger audience, its like who cares, let's find a band that can give us fame and fortune. Even the people who claim to be fans (Some, not all) like the autograph hunters who go to the venues and get the autographs by the band and turn around and sell them on ebay. They are out to make a profit off the band, nothing more. I know of 3 autograph hunters that I see at nearly every show I attend in my area and more than one person has said they are well known hunters of the famous autograph, ranging in bands from Def Leppard to Velvet Revolver.

Millions are made on ebay every year for the selling of merchandise from Def Leppard and other bands. I ask you, whatever happened to it being all about the music? What happened to just promoting a band because they think they are the greatest thing since sliced bread with real butter?

I tell you what, GREED. Money does some horrific things to people and all of them want to get rich off someone famous. It sickens me to think about what extent people go to, to make a profit off someone like Def Leppard when it should be about the music, about loving a band so much that you'd shell out of your own pocket the money to get them to play at a venue near you. Yet, there it is again, MONEY. You have to have money in order to get the music.

YES, Def Leppard deserves to be paid for their music because its great BUT the people who promote them whether it be management, radio, TV should be doing it because they like the band, not just how much money can be made off them.

If I were Def Leppard, right now I'd feel like some piece of used meat that is put onstage to see how much money can be thrown at their feet or how many people will stick a dollar bill in their make believe g string if they can perform well enough.

We blame the management, blame radio stations and blame Television for the downfall in popularity of Def Leppard but the band also needs to promote themselves as well as the management because without either one of them, mostly Def Leppard, there would be nothing to promote.

Instead of pointing fingers and blaming people, make changes and make it about the music instead of money. If it has to be about the money, think about it. If it is about the music FIRST, the rest will fall into place but it should never be about money, because greed thrives on money and greed can make people do ugly things.

Def Leppard has never been about money and perhaps that's part of their decline in promotion and popularity because they are about playing the music and doing something they are passionate about and makes them happy. Perhaps there is something to this being about the money thing and Def Leppard should change their ways and become a band that is all about how much they can make but then they'd be selling out the fans because their fans know that that is not them, they would shout "Imposters" or turn their backs on them because Def Leppard fans know better.

They know that Def Leppard is about peforming live onstage and sharing with the world the one thing they love most, music and when it becomes about money, it's just going to be a job that they go to from 9 to 5, punching a time clock and then they will lose the one thing that has kept them popular and true, their roots and their struggle to overcome some tremendus odds and their passion for what they love and still maintain their sanity and still be all about the music and remembering what it took to get them where they are today. It's just too bad that a lot of people don't appreciate it more. This is all for now.