V.N.A. - What is the best way to approach a label?

C. BISHOP - You really want the label approaching you. The next best route is through a buddy of theirs which would be managers and lawyers. Lawyers are #1 because the lawyers do all the deals. There is no real record deal done without a lawyer signing it. The best thing to do is for the band or manager to get a package together and find a lawyer that's willing to shop it. Then the lawyer has his friends that are at record labels and gives them the demo. His friends say, "I hate it - I love it, I'll give it to my buddy", that's the best way in. Just sending labels tapes and faxes doesn't really do shit. Unless you call them up and prearrange to send something in, call them up when you know they have it, tell them to get it while your on the phone and listen to it. They might even not listen to it, they might too. It better be something they're really going to like otherwise it's like, "Here's another thing that's okay". How we got signed to Rotton Records was our manager, Brian who knew Ron, they had worked together at a label, so it was like, "Hey dude, sign my band", that kind of thing, and it worked out great."

V.N.A. - What labels do you feel really support their bands and have a good reputation?

C. BISHOP - Warner, there has been a lot of bands on Warner that haven't made them a lot of money but haven't spent a whole lot of money either, so they've been on the label forever. TVT use to have a good reputation, I don't know what happened, WAX TRAX! use to be really behind their bands, you'd see ads and they always got interviews, then they started getting weird and signing strange things. I like the small labels, Re-Constriction, Fifth Column, but they don't get behind their bands, they can't, they don't have the money. When it's a business you have to spend a lot of money. Like Cleopatra had a hit with "Spahn Ranch" and they were broke, they didn't have the money to make it happen.

V.N.A. - When wanting to play live shows who can you contact for various booking agents? How much money does the booking agent get and who do you recommend?

C. BISHOP - Myke Smith, our guitar player does the booking. The best booking guy I know is, this is sad, Dave C. from "29 Died", he's gotten us on the best shows.

V.N.A. - When a band is using movie clips who do they reach to have it okayed to use it?

C. BISHOP - Their lawyer. The big bands on Warner and Capital, the major record companies have a department that deals with clearing this and that. In our case no one does it. Ha, Ha we just take them, because we aren't making any money, so you can't sue us for what we're not making. What are they going to do? "Oh, you used a clip from, "Dead Alive" in the song." So you want money, all right we sold no copies so you get no money. We don't clear any of that shit. Same with "EBN", I don't think they clear anything either.

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