Probably the Most Influential Manifesto of the Past 20 Years

by Wallace Wylie and Everett True

Collapse Board upper-middle-music-management superstar Jeff Pollack talks us through his very own personal manifesto.

When my close personal friend and long time sauna buddy Everett True asked me to come up with a manifesto for Collapse Board, he didn’t need to ask me twice. That’s because I heard him clearly the first time. If, like me, music is your passion, then coming up with a manifesto can be a tricky customer. How can I express my passion without playing the “how I experience music is better than the way you do” game? That’s not my intent. Music is there for everyone with a large enough income and there’s been enough great music in the past 10 years to silence those critics, and I’m not saying they don’t have a point from time to time, who claim the golden age of music is over. Right now we have Death Cab For Cutie, Adele, My Morning Jacket and Fleet Foxes. Just try telling me we’re not still in a golden age. Without further ado, let’s get this manifesto up and running.

• Always rock to the best of your capabilities.
• Always roll to the best of your capabilities.
• Try and combine these two elements.
• Make sure that you always retain an open mind towards new and exciting ways of making music. There’s no reason why you can’t enjoy American Idiot AND 21st Century Breakdown. Both have sublime and exceptional moments, and are probably among the most innovative music of the last 50 years. Sometimes it takes a little longer to truly appreciate a new album. Don’t be put off by your first listen. There’s a reason why new albums are called ‘new’ albums. It’s because they’re new.
• Music isn’t worth listening to unless the experience is tax deductible.
• Don’t forget the melodies while you’re pushing back the boundaries of rock music.
• Who started the fire? Arcade Fire did.
• Don’t forget the fans. To briefly quote myself, not that I want to get into the whole quoting-myself-game but these lines are too good not to re-quote,

“Music fans have high standards for the music they like, and rightly so. Does the band have a guitarist? A singer? Someone who can write memorable and stadium-filling pop songs that contain a hook, some inventive structure and interesting lyrics? Do they measure up to the considerable standards that Kurt Cobain and his band Nirvana set all those years ago?”

• Don’t forget the classic band line-up! To quote myself one more time,

“Four members is the classic line-up for a rock band. One, maybe two guitarists. A bass-player. One, maybe two singers. And of course a drummer. The list of great rock bands that feature four members literally reels off the tongue. Coldplay. The Beatles. Travis. Why, even Nirvana added an extra guitarist for their final tour!!!”

For those who’ve missed the previous Collapse Board columns of Jeff, here are the links. Subscribe to Collapse Board, and never miss a word of Jeff Pollack again!

You can read part one here.
You can read part two here.
You can read part three here.
You can read part four here.
You can read part five here.
You can read part six here.

by Wallace Wylie

Although he grew up in a remote Scottish fishing village, Wallace had a destiny even he could not foresee. One day he would be living in an American city that birthed two of the most overrated bands of all time, and a stone cold musical genius. Can you figure it out? Each week is filled with sexy and exciting adventures overflowing with intrigue and ambiguity. In his spare time he writes for Collapse Board.

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