Linkin Park Mulls Leaving The Firm :O

[o0SugaxNxSpice0o]

April 6, 2006 -- Linkin Park, the rap-rock band that waged an unsuccessful fight last year to wrangle more money from Warner Bros. Records, is likely to leave the Hollywood talent agency, The Firm, The Post has learned.

Rob McDermott, the band's manager at The Firm, is in negotiations to buy out his contract, and if a deal can be reached he plans to open his own agency, taking Linkin Park with him, sources said.

 

While a deal could still fall apart, McDermott has offered to pay more than $1 million to get out of his deal, sources said.

 

"He wants to be independent," said one source familiar with the matter. "So far it's completely amicable. It's not about Linkin Park, it's about McDermott."

 

A representative for The Firm declined to comment, and McDermott did not return a call seeking comment.

 

Linkin Park and McDermott's exit would come less than a year after they enlisted The Firm to wage a high-stakes battle with Warner to get a bigger cut of the profits.

 

Linkin Park had demanded a $60 million advance plus a joint venture deal in which the band would split profits, rather than receiving royalties. The sides settled for just a $15 million advance.

 

 

Sources said the band even asked to get a cut of the proceeds from Warner's IPO - a request that was rejected.

 

SOURCE: New York Post Online

 

Whatttt? Whoa, I hope this doesn't affect their album or music o_0

[Ravynlee]

You know what? While I admire their ambition and their drive to fight for what they want (and good luck to them too) I have to admit on a personal note all this 'wrangling' gives me the impression they have lost their focus on what used to be most important - making great quality and meaningful music. In all reality it seems like if they spent less time taking on the establishment and negotiating contractual obligations and so forth then they would have better (and lets face it, more frequent) musical releases. We as fans care what happen to them, but at the end of the day they are seeming more like 'anti-establishmentarians' than musicians of respectable repute. While I respect their devotion to the crisis that has befallen the general planet over recent years, and their countless charity contributions and so forth, I think they're in danger of spreading themselves too thinly - and in too many directions. Whatever happened to the music?

I fear that if this next album flops it may push LP back to the outer ranks of mainstream music again. I know they don't care about the mantle they hold on the charts, they came from nothing in essence anyway. I'd just hate to see them lose so much after all they worked so hard for and proved their critics wrong. I know they can't please everyone all the time... still... its a worrying development.

*frowns*

 

But thanks for the info! You guys are more resourceful than the official site (as always!)

*hugs*

 

-Rav

[Lyson]

*whistles*

I dont like it...it worries me...

[Stenners]

Ehhhhhh

 

They should do this after the next album is done, it also worries me that right now they seem to care more about money then the actual music :/

[azemkamikaze03]

yeah man what happen to its all about the music?

 

maybe theres somthing deeper that were just not getting

[allieking]

seems to me that LP are more money driven now than before, just lets hope the music doesn't suffer because of it.

[FTboy18]

i feel as if their starting to sell us out.

[Hahninator]

if anyone can explain this to me better, please do because I have no fucking clue what this means ^_^ ive been an LP fan for about 5-6 years and have no clue wtf The Firm is

[Reflectionist]

it's got to do with the media.

 

There's a difference between wrangle for money, and negotiating for a tad bit more pay.... ya know?

 

I'm sure it's just some stupid media newspaper loser determined to make Linkin Park look like sell-outs.

[azemkamikaze03]

it's got to do with the media.

 

There's a difference between wrangle for money, and negotiating for a tad bit more pay.... ya know?

 

I'm sure it's just some stupid media newspaper loser determined to make Linkin Park look like sell-outs.

 

 

well at first time youd think that but linkin park has been doin this for a while and its came out on several diffrent articles..

[Fort_Underground]

This doesnt surpirse me. Almost every band wants more money when they make it big. They cant get enough, and if they have some hits and sell a good amount of cds, then there egos only get bigger. This is what its like for LP. Thev'e had so many reocrd sells of Hybrid Theory and Meteora, that they probably can live off of that the rest of there lives. But they are big, and they know they'll bring in a lot of record sales, so there using this to their advantage in an attempt to get more money. And considering the amount there talking about, they are expecting to be even bigger. Which they probably will after there next release. Sure you people say "I thought you did it for the music" But in all reality you form a band with the hopes of getting signed and making a lot of money. You might start out for the music, but almost no1 continues this philopshey throughtout there music careers.

[Ravynlee]

But in all reality you form a band with the hopes of getting signed and making a lot of money. You might start out for the music, but almost no1 continues this philopshey throughtout there music careers.

At the risk of sounding like I'm flaming LP (and I'm not intentionally) it's this last point above that concerns me the most. If they want more money, if they want more fame, more power, more exposure, whatever, then so be it. That's the perks of making it to the level that they have. What worries me the most is that by the same token, wrangling over all this means they are losing touch with their roots - and widening that gulf between us and them in essence - they have lost their heart, their edge, or they sound like its a real possibility if nothing else.

 

I know they can't sing about trying to find their place in the world as they had in HT forever, their universal angst kind of defines their sound, but now with their creative focus more on the prize than the pursuit of it to some degree, they are in danger of fast becoming another band to fall victim to an industry where reputation matters more often than not over raw talent.

What are they gonna use as inspiration next? How universal is the concept of haggling for a lucrative million-dollar contract for the rest of us, and how do we as their fans relate to that?

 

I guess this is all just speculation - and harmful speculation at that. We don't really know what's going on with no official word, and I guess the band choose to keep such matters to themselves for this very reason. But in all reality I guess what worries me the most is that for all their hype and all they represented and stood for way back in the very begininning they're losing... and I guess I was just hoping unfairly that LP were going to be one of the rare bands that rose above it and remained true to their original ideals.

Unrealistic I know, and unfair... still.

 

And of course none of this matters really at the end of the day. When their careers have ended I just hope it's on a high note and people remember them for their music and their sound rather than the band who took on all these in-house wars and lost.

Lets just hope the next album is stronger than ever and silences us all, critics and concerned fans alike.

Hmm.

 

-Rav

[azemkamikaze03]

I was thinking about it though. Why put off a third album so Long if their in it for the money? I mean of course they get payed for thoes side projects but why wait so long to make an album they are guarenteed will sell. Why would Mike and Chaz do these side projects that might be a little more risky, when they could put out another LP one and get easy cash? I mean like its been said Mike will make no money from th FM concerts so whats the point? I mean I totaly understand the point you guys are saying about greed, but I mean maybe they just feel they are getting ripped off. Maybe they are doing it for both, themselves becuase thye wouldnt mind some more money, and for the fans...as if they are looking for a win win situation

[Hahninator]

I agree with the both of you, you're both 100% correct.

you cant guarantee the next album will be the shit but yes people will buy it.

theyll buy it cause LP has hit big and theyll get it cause they think LP is great, etc and the new album will pwn.

 

if LPs next album isnt really good, theyre gonna lose a lot man

[By_My-elf]

Whoa Thanks for sharing

and I think that It might not be good but at the same time think

that not to care cause their a great Band the best to me anyways

but other than that I don't know anymore I'm confused

but I hope it's going to be a great Album

[Fort_Underground]

Well said everybody. I personally think Mike and Chester did side projects because they wanted to break away from the rock band. They wanted to see what they could do on their own, or how they would do on their own. And I think Mike is a great person, and doing the FM concerts is great of him, but reading this, I lose a little respect for him. I don't think there getting ripped off. Asking for 60 million is a lot, not a smaller amount of money to which they think they are entitled to. I hope LP continues making great music as they have been, or else there gonna lose a lot, fans & money.

[ForgottenKid]

Damn...maybe this should have all happened when the album was completed. I still dont get why they were fight WB for 10% profits anyway...oh well. In the end its not about the music or the millions of fans you can get, in the end its all about the money.

[Reflectionist]

Holy crap. You're telling me that they are sell outs? So I shouldn't listen to them anymore? That sucks. They sounded pretty good there for a second. Oh well.

 

Man, I wonder, if it wasn't all about the money.... they might have more stuff than just Meteora and Hybrid Theory out. Hell, maybe they'll have enough individual music ideas to one day do a solo album or something.

 

Hell, I'm just dreaming here.

 

Too bad they're sellouts.

 

*rolls eyes*

[Clogz]

April 6, 2006 -- Linkin Park, the rap-rock band that waged an unsuccessful fight last year to wrangle more money from Warner Bros. Records, is likely to leave the Hollywood talent agency, The Firm, The Post has learned.

Rob McDermott, the band's manager at The Firm, is in negotiations to buy out his contract, and if a deal can be reached he plans to open his own agency, taking Linkin Park with him, sources said.

 

While a deal could still fall apart, McDermott has offered to pay more than $1 million to get out of his deal, sources said.

 

"He wants to be independent," said one source familiar with the matter. "So far it's completely amicable. It's not about Linkin Park, it's about McDermott."

 

A representative for The Firm declined to comment, and McDermott did not return a call seeking comment.

 

Linkin Park and McDermott's exit would come less than a year after they enlisted The Firm to wage a high-stakes battle with Warner to get a bigger cut of the profits.

 

Linkin Park had demanded a $60 million advance plus a joint venture deal in which the band would split profits, rather than receiving royalties. The sides settled for just a $15 million advance.

 

 

Sources said the band even asked to get a cut of the proceeds from Warner's IPO - a request that was rejected.

 

SOURCE: New York Post Online

 

Whatttt? Whoa, I hope this doesn't affect their album or music o_0

 

Well, at the risk of causing a rucus, I am going to say something...

 

Linkin Park is not concerned with thier new album. Our thier tours. All they want is the money, and they want to make as much money as they can making as little music as they can. I mean, look at what they are doing. Every chance they get they are trying to make money off of this or that, instead of actually making new music and making money off of that.

ReAnimation, Collision Course, and LIT are all examples of albums that made millions and required less work then a real orignal album. And then you've the Warner incident and now this.

They only care about the money...they have sold out.

[Reflectionist]

Well now that LPF has just become.... well.... F....

 

I decided to post the news of LP's selloutedness on the FM forums.

 

Enjoy!!

[Lyson]

I definately missed something. U guys cant possibly be so mad about it, maybe in reality they just feel that Warner Bro's is making too much money off them and they are doing all the hard work. Warner Bro's took a chance signing [LP] and so maybe they just think they'll take em' for all their worth. Also it could be LP may feel their fading slowly, that the music they make isnt gonna be that good forever so they want something decent to sit on in the end. Or their thinking of retiring after the third album, so they want a decent payout. Their older, their married or with girlfriends, i kinda understand, I still love em'. In the time they were with us they did their best for the fans. Okay....thats all i have to say.

[FTboy18]

fuck linkin park!!!! They have completely sold out all their fans around the world. They saved lives and related universal situations to people all for their pleasure of earning money. I bet they don't even care how the new album turns out or how bad it critizied by their fans because in the end they just shrug their shoulders and mutter "At least I'm still earning the amount of money i made this album for". I myself have been an LP from the start and have been with them since but this is an outrage and shows their true self and why they really wanted to do music: money. I hope they get dropped or break up now. They better hope that they still have a place a lot of their fans' hearts...cause they are no longer in mine.

[Ravynlee]

fuck linkin park!!!! They have completely sold out all their fans around the world. They saved lives and related universal situations to people all for their pleasure of earning money. I bet they don't even care how the new album turns out or how bad it critizied by their fans because in the end they just shrug their shoulders and mutter "At least I'm still earning the amount of money i made this album for". I myself have been an LP from the start and have been with them since but this is an outrage and shows their true self and why they really wanted to do music: money. I hope they get dropped or break up now. They better hope that they still have a place a lot of their fans' hearts...cause they are no longer in mine.

Dude, that's a bit harsh. While it appears to be a sensitive issue, there's really no evidence that points in either direction that this is A) real and if it is B) going to effect the band in any substantial way, we can all relate to the feeling of being sold out somewhat - but in truth they are 6 individuals who have opinions and issues of their own to deal with. My greatest concern, as I stated before, was not about the fact they've apparently traded making music to fighting the finer politics of it, is not what the band hope to achieve out of this, or even if they care about anyone else - they don't have to. This is not a marriage, we are fans who chose to follow them, blindly, casually, to the point of manic obsession, whatever. They don't care if one leave the fold, they probably wont care if 100 do. They are CAREER musicians, not career fan-idols, that's a side perk. If they chose to claw tooth and nail for the last nickle between them then so be it - I just don't want their music to suffer, because at the end of the day that's what they will/should be remembered for. On the whole their reputation is on shaky ground... but if they pioneer a better working relationship out of this then all the better, they may help pave the way for others - good for them. They always like doing things their way anyway.

I just pray this next album silences all of 'this' debarcle. They need to get these details over and done with quickly and refocus on what they do best. If the music is good they will always have fans - even if they lose themselves in the belly of the beast like countless other bands along the way.

[FTboy18]

ok maybe i was being a little bit too over the top. It just makes me angry to see that artists, professional sports players, or whatever, bury their focus on what they love to become just an act to earn loads of money and then get upset when they don't think their getting paid enough.

[azemkamikaze03]

ok maybe i was being a little bit too over the top. It just makes me angry to see that artists' date=' professional sports players, or whatever, bury their focus on what they love to become just an act to earn loads of money and then get upset when they don't think their getting paid enough.[/quote']

 

So lets put it like this. If WB was making millions you felt you derserved youd just put say oh well lets let it slide? I mean like I said we are only reading what's in the papers their may be more to it.

 

Well now that LPF has just become.... well.... F....

 

I decided to post the news of LP's selloutedness on the FM forums.

 

Enjoy!!

 

Well at least one person is taking this well.