guys. “And you go to the bar.” Slater didn’t move a muscle, just listened. “Who’s working the merchandise table?”
“I always get some chicks to help out,” Derek said. “It’s always covered.”
“But you want to
sell
the merchandise, right? You need the cash for the recording studio. And not only that, but you want fanatics. So wouldn’t you sell more if you guys took turns working it?”
“Valid point,” Cooper said.
“We can do that, no problem,” Ben said.
“We’d sell a shitload more stuff, for sure.” Pete reached for the casserole dish, scraping the bottom for the last of the tamale pie.
“What else?” Slater said.
She cleared her throat and wiped her mouth with a napkin, though she hadn’t eaten anything. “So, my boss only said one thing. He said you don’t know who you are yet.” She watched Slater, how he focused on her every word. “I didn’t know what he meant because the songs were fantastic. And you gave a really nice selection of them. I mean, I knew your name and logo wouldn’t work, but—”
She felt the guys reel back. The energy in the room grew charged.
“Now you don’t like our name,” Derek said. “That’s just fucking great. We’ve had that name and logo for eight years.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Slater said, never raising his voice. Pete’s chair legs hit the floor. The room went silent.
She wouldn’t budge on this one. “No record label’s going to sign a band called Snatch whose logo is a beaver. That’s not only low class, it’s just plain unacceptable.”
“Jesus Christ, you’re trying to change us,” Derek said. “Just like all the managers. Which is
why we don’t have them anymore
. I told you we didn’t need somebody to come in and change us. You’re only here to promote us, Em. That’s it.”
“Yes, promote you so you get to the next level.” Her brother was so stubborn. She wanted to say,
I’m not Dad
, but that would embarrass him. “It’s unlikely there
is
a next level for a band called Snatch whose logo is a beaver.” She looked to Slater to see if he wanted her to go on. “Talk?”
He cracked a smile, nodded.
“Let’s stay focused. So, back to Irwin’s comment. You’ve got Pete and Cooper with tats and piercings, Derek and Ben with shaved heads and chains dangling off their tuxedo pants, and then you’ve got Slater, your
GQ
cover boy, as your lead singer. I mean, who are you? And you know what’s even harder to understand? You write amazing music. Better quality than anything I’ve come across in all my time at Amoeba Records. And I started there as an intern in high school.”
“Really?” When Slater talked to her, it felt like they were the only two people in the room. How did he do that? No wonder the girls loved him. Who didn’t want that kind of attention from a freaking gorgeous man?
“Really. You write great songs.” She turned to the rest of the guys. “So, who are you? A grunge band?” She motioned to Pete and Cooper. “Ska? Punk? Emo?” She looked at her brother. “Or what? What are you?”
“We’re whoever we want to be,” Derek said tersely. “It’s all about the music.”
“It is if you want to stay right where you are. Unfortunately, if you want to sign with a national label, your band is going to need an identity, an image that fits the quality of the music.”
“We’re not changing the name,” Derek said. “We’ve got thirty thousand followers.”
“Yeah, it’s too late to change the name,” Ben said.
“Then don’t. Guy Ritchie made a movie named
Snatch
. The word has multiple meanings.” She shrugged. “Just change the logo.”
“To what?” Derek shoved his plate away, tipping his chair back on two legs. “I think we all know what snatch means.”
“That’s right. We do.” She paused. “It’s an Olympic weight-lifting event. That’s what you meant, right?” She smiled at Slater. “I can just see a Barbie-waisted, big-breasted,
“I always get some chicks to help out,” Derek said. “It’s always covered.”
“But you want to
sell
the merchandise, right? You need the cash for the recording studio. And not only that, but you want fanatics. So wouldn’t you sell more if you guys took turns working it?”
“Valid point,” Cooper said.
“We can do that, no problem,” Ben said.
“We’d sell a shitload more stuff, for sure.” Pete reached for the casserole dish, scraping the bottom for the last of the tamale pie.
“What else?” Slater said.
She cleared her throat and wiped her mouth with a napkin, though she hadn’t eaten anything. “So, my boss only said one thing. He said you don’t know who you are yet.” She watched Slater, how he focused on her every word. “I didn’t know what he meant because the songs were fantastic. And you gave a really nice selection of them. I mean, I knew your name and logo wouldn’t work, but—”
She felt the guys reel back. The energy in the room grew charged.
“Now you don’t like our name,” Derek said. “That’s just fucking great. We’ve had that name and logo for eight years.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Slater said, never raising his voice. Pete’s chair legs hit the floor. The room went silent.
She wouldn’t budge on this one. “No record label’s going to sign a band called Snatch whose logo is a beaver. That’s not only low class, it’s just plain unacceptable.”
“Jesus Christ, you’re trying to change us,” Derek said. “Just like all the managers. Which is
why we don’t have them anymore
. I told you we didn’t need somebody to come in and change us. You’re only here to promote us, Em. That’s it.”
“Yes, promote you so you get to the next level.” Her brother was so stubborn. She wanted to say,
I’m not Dad
, but that would embarrass him. “It’s unlikely there
is
a next level for a band called Snatch whose logo is a beaver.” She looked to Slater to see if he wanted her to go on. “Talk?”
He cracked a smile, nodded.
“Let’s stay focused. So, back to Irwin’s comment. You’ve got Pete and Cooper with tats and piercings, Derek and Ben with shaved heads and chains dangling off their tuxedo pants, and then you’ve got Slater, your
GQ
cover boy, as your lead singer. I mean, who are you? And you know what’s even harder to understand? You write amazing music. Better quality than anything I’ve come across in all my time at Amoeba Records. And I started there as an intern in high school.”
“Really?” When Slater talked to her, it felt like they were the only two people in the room. How did he do that? No wonder the girls loved him. Who didn’t want that kind of attention from a freaking gorgeous man?
“Really. You write great songs.” She turned to the rest of the guys. “So, who are you? A grunge band?” She motioned to Pete and Cooper. “Ska? Punk? Emo?” She looked at her brother. “Or what? What are you?”
“We’re whoever we want to be,” Derek said tersely. “It’s all about the music.”
“It is if you want to stay right where you are. Unfortunately, if you want to sign with a national label, your band is going to need an identity, an image that fits the quality of the music.”
“We’re not changing the name,” Derek said. “We’ve got thirty thousand followers.”
“Yeah, it’s too late to change the name,” Ben said.
“Then don’t. Guy Ritchie made a movie named
Snatch
. The word has multiple meanings.” She shrugged. “Just change the logo.”
“To what?” Derek shoved his plate away, tipping his chair back on two legs. “I think we all know what snatch means.”
“That’s right. We do.” She paused. “It’s an Olympic weight-lifting event. That’s what you meant, right?” She smiled at Slater. “I can just see a Barbie-waisted, big-breasted,
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