In the last couple of weeks I’ve told more and more people in the music business about my blog. I’m getting great reactions, thanks to all of you! It encouraged me to start interviewing managers and artists for this blog.
At Tallinn Music Week in March this year I had a personal conversation with Ed Bicknell, manager of Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler, Bryan Ferry and many more. It was a great pleasure to listen to all the great stories he has to tell, about past and current likes and dislikes.
When asking him how managers prepare artists in how to deal with success, he answered: “Well, you don’t. You just hope that they are able to deal with it, that they have the right personality for it.” He added that age and maturity play a role in it as well, of course. Still, we constantly see some fall by the wayside.
For him as manager it is important that artists don’t take any drugs. Though controlling the use of alcohol or girls was far more difficult, he said. It seems to me that all these addictive habits make it more difficult to deal with live, success and fame. Talking about fame, Mark Knopfler once said: “I’d recommend success to anybody and fame to no-one.”
I couldn’t agree more on Ed’s policy on drugs and other addictive behavior. And I think that by now, there are enough coaching methods regarding personal leadership and creativity that makes it possible to accompany artists in how to deal with success (and failure!). Later this month I’ll introduce new consulting and coaching possibilities to you.
biography Ed Bicknell
foto: Ed Bicknell and Helen Sildna at Tallinn Music Week 2012 (by Rasmus Jurkatam)