BEFORE WORKING working as an independent, Andrew Atkins

“NEWS photo Neil Lucente

was director of business affairs for S.L. Feldman & Associates.

y EST VANCOUVER
entertainment

@ lawyer Andrew
Atkins is one of the many
music industry insiders
scheduled to share informa-
tion at the Swatch Music
West Festival.

In addition to 200 bands playing
Vancouver venues May 6 to 9, the
festival includes a conference and
exhibition at the Vancouver Trade
and Convention Centre.

‘Before working as an indepen-
dent, Atkins was director of
business affairs for S.L. Feldman &
Associates. He also practised with
the law firm Russell & DuMoulin.

Atkins lectures for the Continu-
ing Legal Education Program and
is an adjunct professor at the UBC
Law School, where he teaches a
course in media and communica-
tions,

Recently he spoke with Music
Now.

Music Now: You are scheduled
to join a panel discussion May
8 titled Money (That’s What §
Want). Who will get the most
out of the conference segment
you are part of?

Atkins: ‘I think generally
speaking it’s for anybody who is a
musician and is interested in
knowing more about how the
business is conducted, How do
you raise money, for example. If
you get a record deal, what does it
mean? How is that relationship
with the record company from a
financial perspective going to
evolve?"

Music Now: Do all musicians
‘need lawyers when it comes to
making deals?

Atkins: “The way the business
is structured, | don’t think you can
function without a lawyer.
Everybody is represented. There is
no way you can look at a record

Entertainment lawyer Andrew Atkins

Michael Becker
RECORD REVIEW

contract the first time around and
understand what it is all about.
The contracts are always long and
always complicated.”

Music Now: Is entertainment
law a large field locally?

Atkins: “There are always a
few people who do part (enter-
tainment law), but there are only
two or three of us who do this
pretty much full time locally.’
Music Now: Do you have a
large roster of clients?

Atkins: “Il have probably about
60 to 80 music clients. A lot of the
bands | act for are independent ar-
lists signing to independent labels.
It’s a sign of the industry that
probably about 5% of the bands t
act for have bubbled up to the
point where there is enough
public recognition that they are
really going somewhere.

“Over the years I've dene
work for Skinny Puppy, a new
band called Salvador Dream, Sue
Medley. t’ve done work for
Trooper, Shari Ulrich, Doug and
the Slugs.”

Music Now: Bands coming up
prubably don’t have money to
spend on fawyers, so how do
you end up getting paid? Do
you gel a percentage of the
deal?

Atkins: ‘I haven't tried fora
percentage of the deal before and
I try not to because | think it en-
See Band page 38

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