Complaint Review: The Extreme Tour

I am an artist out on the Extreme Tour right now. I just wanted to share with you that this report is not accurrate at all in my experience! This is my third and final week with the tour for this year and it has been great. The tour does not in any way try to scam you out of your money. Everything that you would spend money on is completely up to you. Also, the 4 day conference called The Objective was a truly incredible experience. This tour is an incredible opportunity for anyone wanting to try their hand at touring and impact lives in a very real way.

I'm actually on The Extreme Tour now and I have to say that it's not at all what this guy is saying. (1) You have to have the mindset that it's about loving people - this tour IS NOT about getting rich, famous, selling a heck ton of merchandise, or any of that. (2) The $15.95 registration fee is YOUR choice. You are not getting "ripped off," as this site was designed to have reports on. If you don't make it in as an artist, the fee was to be considered, not to be guaranteed. (3) The opportunities at The Objective that require more funds are also optional. If you are at a place where you are able to pay the fee and be in front of some really nice people, good for you! If not, your position on the tour is not different in any way. (4) They don't ask for any percentage of your merchandise. Period. (5) The staff are nice. Our band has personally met with the founder, Tedd Bruin, several times. He is an outstanding person and he's just a guy with a crazy big vision. A crazy big vision of spreading light in the darkness of this world. If you don't have the heart to simply love people where they're at, this tour is not for you. If your intent is to become famous by the tour, don't waste your time. Also, if your intent is  to become famous by the tour, simply go somewhere else and leave this tour to be what it is designed for. If you like white chocolate and your friend offers you some milk chocolate, are you gonna go report them on Rip Off Reports for OFFERING you some milk chocolate? No. Thanks for your time in reading my experience and considering my feedback. Thanks, Christian Taylor Drumrocker365

Michael Abramowicz, I was the road manager for a band called Dizmas back in the Summer of 1999 and we were on the eXtreme Tour for the entire summer.  Later I managed a band called The Wannabes from 1999 - 2001 and we toured on the entire eXtreme Tour the summer of 2000.  So if you do the math 1999 was 16 summers ago and from what I understand the eXtreme Tour had been around for 4 years before that on a much smaller more local scale.

Having toured the country last summer on the Vans Warpted Tour I have nothing to say but good things about the eXtreme Tour and what they can do for a indie record label bands.

In this rebuttal, in addition to the other people who have already replied, ill tell you what The Extreme Tour really is. 

In the summer of 2012, I along with 5 other bands set out in a tour bus, and a van to tour the country with The Extreme Tour. I personally did not go to The Objective, but members of my band did. This year, I am attending the Objective as well as touring again. In the summer of 2012, I was fortunate to meet Martay Williams. Along with Martay, I met the founders of the Extreme Tour who are Ted Bruun, Scott Lack and Jim Shepard. These are some of the most amazing people I have ever met in my life. 

The Extreme Tours application process is very detailed and diliberate, and I have been involved in it. They look or artist who are good, who seem to actually care and who are willing to go out and do something crazy, so there is no doubt that The Extreme Tour isnt legit, Ive been on it. And a, currently a part of it. At the Objective, they cant actually tell youw who all will be there because they dont know until, sometimes, the last second. People have stuff that comes up and have to attend to that. As far as actually being on tour, no one cant truly decribe it, but I can try. 

HeartLand Tour 2012. Our first stop was in Leesville, LA. Leesville is a crazy small town in Louisiana, with many strange wonderful people. As well as anywhere in the South, it has crazy good food. This was what stood out to me, because I am from California, so being in the actual South for the first time, was an amazing experience. Before we played our first show, we went swimming in a bayou, went to wal-mart at 4am daily, and got to know each other. In this town, we played two shows, both were amazing. Because they were our first shows, it took us longer to set up, because we had to learn. Once we set up, it was something I would never forget. From here we spent much time in Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Iowa, Colorado, Wyoming and so on. One of the most memorable places was Kahoka, Missouri. Not only did we get to run through corn fields, but we got the whole town to come out for our show. In a town of no more than 200 people, thats saying alot. We traveled the US with our own sound system, our own belongings, meeting people, loving people and discovering who we, as ourselves are. 

The Extreme Tour is about loving people, no matter who they are. Its about going out, and reaching people no matter what the circumstance. Even if you havent had a shower in a week because a show fell through, its one of the most amazing experiences and I highly reccamend the Extreme Tour. Dont count it off so fast, just because it seems too good to be true. Actually talk to the people who are on it. Talk to anyone who has ever been on the tour and they will tell you how amazing it is. 

Martay is real, and awesome. Ive been on tour with her, and she has even been to my home town. The Extreme Tour is family, Ill defend it forever, because it is worth defending. 

We recently lost our tour leader for the Heartland tour, this was a shock to us all. But because we are family and because of the people who need us, we go out in honor of the tour leader, and because those lives, need encouragement. People are important, we are important. Perhaps we will come to your city this year. Come meet us. 

Uhhhh..... I went on the eXtreme Tour, and I have been to their by invitation face to face meetings at The Objective in Nashville. I really loved the entire experience! And after I got back and thought about all that I had done and seen while participating in their process and being a part of their events, I gradually became very upset with whoever the anonymous author of this ridiculous original complaint was. 

I am an artist who was given a recommendation for the eXtreme Tour and filed an application for the last couple of years. I was not initially selected, but I decided to not give up and continued to apply each year as the people with the tour were kind enough to extend my "recommended" artist status to the new years. The application is cheaper for recommended artists and recommended artists also get a higher chance of selection so I figured "what the heck".

(I was not put off by a small application fee. Every other significant festival or tour charges an application fee too and they are much more expensive actually)  

I am so glad that I kept trying. This year, I was advanced to phase two of the selection process when they started filtering the applications. (This was in about February or March, I believe.)

When that happened, I was invited to the Objective meet and greet/workshops in Nashville. They explained that this would be a worthwhile time because we would have a chance to meet each other and I would get more information about the eXtreme Tour. They also told me that they would bring a few of their industry friends to give some advice to the artists attending as well.

I was excited but slightly skeptical. I was always taught that there is no "free lunch" and I wondered if the workshop would be worth anything since there was no charge to attend it. The extreme tour said they were paying for it, and I know that a good event would not be cheap so I wondered how good the event would be.

(Yes, I did have to pay my own travel costs and such, but I equated this to a job interview. I figured I would likely have to pay my own costs to travel for something like that as well.)

I have to admit that I became a bit more nervous when I saw the post on this site by "Michael". It is true that the Extreme Tour does not provide much info about who will be at the objective sessions beforehand. I asked them about this and they explained that these were private meetings and that their friends were coming in order to help the artists and that they thought it was tacky to "market" friendships in order to get artists to attend the meeting. Their feeling was that artists that wanted to tour with the extreme tour should attend for the information available about the tour itself, not as a way to schmooze with the tour's friends.

I understood what they were saying, but still wondered whether it would b everything they were saying it would be.

Holy cow! Was it ever! The Objective turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life!

I know that sounds over the top, but it's hard to put into words what an incredible time I had! First of all, the lineup of speakers and mentors was WAY beyond what the extreme tour had said it would be! I lost count of the Grammy winning artists and producers that were there. Kurtis Blow was there! Michael W. Smith was there! Billy Smiley of the Gaither Vocal Band and Whiteheart was there! Tom Jackson was there! (I attended another thing a couple years back that he wasat and it cost me over a thousand bucks!) And this is just a few of the incredible people who were there! And for FREE! I could not believe it. It felt like a dream.

WAY BEYOND MY EXPECTATIONS!

But beyond the famous people that were there meeting with artists, mentoring us, etc; I was particularly impressed with the organization itself and with it's staff and founder, Ted Bruin. Ted was actually the speaker that moved me the most. He explained that the tour was put together to provide artists with the opportunity to use their music to help people who were hurting. I could tell that the mission of this man and his organization was sincere ad very heartfelt. And they didn't just talk about it! All through the schedule were times where the tour took artists out to needy areas and had them engage hurting people and encourage them with music, but most importantly with compassion. I have never before been part of something so powerful and authentic! Words do not do it justice.

At the conclusion of the week, Mr. Bruin did explain that the staff would be considering what they had seen during the time we spent together and that they would be making final selections based on this. He did warn everyone there that it would not be possible to select everyone who attended, but that many of the selections would be made from artists that hd attended.

This has proven to be true as 19 of the 20 artists listed on the tour's website so far (When I last counted) were artists that attended the Objective. It clearly made a difference in selection for artists to attend the Objective.  

I asked why not all artists are listed yet and it was explained that not all the selections have been completed as they are still negotiating with some artists and that some of the artists who are selected have not yet submitted their pictures and info for the website.

It was also explained that after the extreme tour selects an artist, they still have to work out what dates they are available from the tour's schedule and stuff. The tour has to find dates that work for them as well as they juggle so many different artists' availability.

I can see why it takes awhile to finalize the schedule even after the selections have been made. This can make the process a little confusing. I was told that the tour is making improvements for next year that will hopefully fix that.

(I am looking forward to being on the tour myself. I was selected and we are now just trying to make it work logistically.) 

I primarily shared my story, though, so as to give my two cents on what this"Michael" guy wrote. I know another artist already said this, but (in my opinion) the "Michael" reviews that started the thread on this site prove to be complete lies about a really great organization! I went to to the objective. There were tons of credible speakers and mentors, way more "A-List" people than the tour had even claimed would be there! And most of the staff were there. Ted made several jokes about this because this "Michael" guy had inferred that the staf were fictional characters. But there they were, for everyone to see, in the flesh ! LOL! Most of his staff are actually artists who came on the tour in years past. So, clearly, artists ARE selected and it IS a real opportunity that many artists call life changing. So much so they join the team!

Granted, I can see how the extreme tour might not be for everybody.

You really have to be playing music to share something positive. It has to be about more than money if you are going to really appreciate what these guys are trying to do. But to make all these accusations about people you have never met or even worked with, and to do it in such an inflammatory way that was so obviously meant to damage the work they do is really uncalled for!

After attending the objective workshops and seeing for mysself wht these guys do, and how they do it, I have to believe that this "Michael" guy is someone who has some other agenda or something. Perhaps he feels threatened by what the tour offers artists in terms of development and training. I have had managers before and I got way more from four days at the objective than I ever did from years with the managers I hired. And I got the objective stuff for FREE! Maybe that is what provoked this guy into posting the original review. Maybe he is worried he will lose his "customers" when they see what else is available out there.

By the way, I also received the emails that "Michael" complained about. Like several people have already stated on here, they were blatantly edited by Michael when he posted them, even changed, from their original form. If Miichael was just trying to "inform" he would not have had to exagerate his case. He definitely seems to have been up to something other than "informing consumers". I can see why he used a fake name.

Long story short: I would highly recommend the extreme tour to any artist considering it. It is certainly different than any other tour or music opportunity out there, but it is WAY BEYOND what those are, and likely even far better than an artist would expect even if it ends up completely different than they expect. That's my experience anyway. I hope it helps artists who are wondering about these guys like I did. Don't miss this opportunity if you can help it! It truly offers an invlaluable experience!

MARVIN (Not Michael)  LOL

As "Momager" states, the Extreme Tour Selection Process is complicated. Much of that is due to the ambitious goals of the organization and the recent rapid growth it has experienced.

This year, the Extreme Tour is planning schedules for 15 teams in 10 different countries, along with a host of other "Off Tour" events that the organization assists with. We are aware that the structures we have had in place had had a hard time keeping up with the growth that has ocurred. As the tour grows, there will need to be some changes made to the structure that will better acommadate that growth. We are working on those improvements and will incorporate this feedback into our planning. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, "Momager". We apologize for the confusion.

 In order to attempt to clear up any misunderstanding, here is some additional information regarding the issues you adressed:

ATTENDANCE AT THE OBJECTIVE DOES CONTRIBUTE DIRECTLY TO THE DECISIONS MADE:

Attendance at the Objective directly impacts the decisions made as our Panel has the opportunity to add observation of the applicant to their consideration of the application. However, this does not always mean that every artist that attends the Objective will be selected. It simply presents artists with an opportunity to enhance their understanding of our organization by meeting us, and then we have the opportunity to get to know them better before we make a final decision.

In fact, much of that interaction with artists has a significant effect on the decisions made. As we state beforehand, it is not mandatory for an artist to attend the Objective. We just strongly recommend it because of it's real potential to enhance the opportunity for selection.

 SONICBIDS ERROR:

We were unaware that Sonicbids had stated that we had reserved 65 slots for their artists. We did not commit to 65 guaranteed slots with them this year. The profile on Sonicbids was not compiled by our staff and we contacted Sonicbids and asked them to correct the error when we were alerted to it recently.

In fact, we have selected most artists through direct interaction with them through our internal "Recommended Artist" Application process, and  through direct interaction at The Objective rather than just through the application process on Sonicbids. The Sonicbids Application Process was for general applications from artists we did not have a recommendation from one of our staff.

"BACKUP ARTIST" LIST:

The size and scope of the Extreme Tour necessitates the selection of a large number of artists in order to completely fill the roster. When selections are made and artists are notified, we often discover that some artists we have selected are not able to accept the slots we are offering them due to conflicts in their schedule, changes in their availability, etc.

If an artist is selected for a slot, but is unable to accept it, our leaders go back to the list of artists that were recommended or previously approved for inclusion. This is the list that we refer to as the "Backup" list. An email is sent to those artists asking them to alert us if they are interested in that specific slot or region.

A select group of artists received recommendations from one or more of our panel before filing their applications. These artists receive several advantages. One of which is that they are automatically added to the "Backup List" when they apply, and therefore notified when a slot is reopened. 

 If they are interested in that specific slot, they are asked to contact the leader for that specific leg to work out logistics and be confirmed. The invitation is sent to more than one artist as we anticipate that some artists on the backup list will also not be available for that specific slot. The expectation is that artists desiring the slot will respond only if they are interested in the slot. In the email sent to the backup list, artists are informed that the slots typically go to the artist that responds affirmatively first.

NOTICE OF SELECTION:

Applicants for the Extreme Tour 2013 that have been approved for a slot receive notifcation of that selection when they are approved by the Artist Selection Panel. We began notifying some artists in April, with as many selections as possible being delayed until after The Objective gathering in Nashville. All initial selections are to have been made by June 15th. Approved artists are notified by email.

Artists that applied through Sonicbids who were not selected received a "Not Selected" notification and their application was closed on June 7th. Artists that were invited to apply directly through our internal Aplication  Process were informed that the initial Selection Process was coming to a close and that artists who were selected would receive a notice of that selection no later than June 15th.

However, these artists were also informed at that time that  "Recommended Artist" applications are NOT closed until the end of the tour as they remain open for consideration for slots that reopen. It was explained that, for this reason, these artists would not receive "Not Selected" notifications as their applications would remain open rather than being closed with a final "Not Selected" designation. 

RESOLVING THESE ISSUES:

The Extreme Tour desires to provide valuable opportunity to religious AND non religious artists who deisre to make a positive impact with their art. We certainly understand that the drawn out process we have used for selections in the past can lead to the misunderstandings and difficulties that "Momager" has expressed. We regret the hardship that this may have caused.

In the future, we hope to alleviate these misundrstandings by providing enhanced information about the process and time table we use for making our selections so that artists can better plan for balancing their potential involvement with our tour and their other opportunities.

As we allow artists to work their involvement with us around their availability, we would advise future applicants to book other significant opportunities and work us around those other opportunities should they in fact be selected. We will do a better job communicating this recommendation in the future. Thank you, again, "Momager" for sharing these concerns with us and helping us improve our processes.

Well we just received the first email. And let me say I am somewhat disappointed in the process The Extreme Tour does in selection not with the tour itself. I do believe its intent is to spread the word of God HOWEVER, for an artist the process of choosing who goes on the tour should be revamped. Here is my unbaised opinion.

Informed- You are informed about  being "recommended" for the tour in Feb. (My daughter received her first invite for applying for the tour in Jan). Now as most performing artist ( 10-20 gigs a month) many festivals and events REQUIRE you to book as far out as 6 months. So really the tour needs to inform artists much more quickly. I was disspointed to find out after speaking to another artist, who was posted IMMEDIATELY for the tour that had I bombarded them with emails like he did stating the same facts I could have gotten an answer much quicker. We are told only a handful of artist were chosen because the tour started immediately, however I have confirmed SEVERAL times with this performer and was told that he emailed very many times to make sure they knew he needed to know in case he needed other options. 

The Objective: Now you are recommend as a artist under consideration to attend this event at YOUR OWN COST. It is informative, they do offer reasonable housing options but it is still costly to spend money for transportation, food, lodging and so on. We attended it. Again you do this WITHOUT knowing if you are or are not part of the tour. I was pleased with The Objective in that it was run very professional and had speakers for several days that offered a lot of insight and good information in regards to the music business and was prayer based. But being that your attendance does not affect your chances of getting on the tour, I would not recommend it for artists who may be financially strapped. 

 Getting informed - We were told that we would receive a email by the June 15th informing us if we were or were not part of the tour. Well that arrived today, in the form of a email saying that we should have already known we were placed on the backup list. I am highly dissappointed. When my daughter responsed saying she had NOT been informed of being on the backup list, we were told that "All recommend artist are" I wish that they had told us this much earlier as NOW she is left with NO peformances booked for the summer, when we could have submitted to so much more. It is also dissappointing to her fan base, which include many kids around the country, without the financial means to attend a "stadium" type performance, unable to see her. My daughter does a tremendous amount of charity work. We could have spent the last six months working on our OWN tour of certain areas. We are now SCRAMBLING to not lose the summer. 

Regarding consideration - We were told we would be considered for backup slots. Well the email that arrived for the backup slots was even less enouraging. Basically stating that IF the leader of that slot wanted us ONLY THEN would we be booked. SO again no guarantee of anything. 

Sonicbids - what is even more dissappointing is that only up until a week ago this tour was advertising 65 AVAILBLE slots on Sonicbids!  the original tour info had been a message sent to her on Reverbnation in Jan 2013 ). So I am not really sure what is going on as to why they would have still been advertising that they needed more performers.

Final Comment - I do believe that those that have been chosen will do an amazing job of combining mission work with a great tour performance where ever they may go and the tours  ntent was not "bad" towards those that submit. It just seems that the process of selection for serious perfomers who do spend time and energy on this as a full time job are not taken into consideration. I would suggest for most bands to use this tour as a BACKUP PLAN and not rely on it at all. By the time the tour informs you to consider other venues, which wasn't until a week ago, its is too late to book for the summer and you will lose valuable time to showcase your music and message. I believe in the Christian  message they are trying to spread but the process seriously needs to change so that other arists such as my daughter, who get approached at evey peformance by parents who say what an amazing role model she is, can also get a opportunity to spread the positivity on their own. 

If anything should change with the status of this I will again update. I do believe that this is a fair and unbaised statement, even though I am very very dissappointed. 

 I am the Pastor of Open Arms Community Church located in Hephzibah GA and recentlly had the pleasure of having the extreme tour here. I will not get into the mumbo jumbo of whos who and who manages who simply because I see it as nothing more than a contest of repuation. I do not know, nor have I ever heard of the man that posted the slander here, however my church just hosted an event for the extreme tour and I wish to express my perspective of what took place so everyone will see and know the purpose.

These guys arrived monday evening very excited to go out into the community to minister. As a pastor, I am always skeptical of ministering tactics and agendas so I chose to be a part of it. I took every act that is part of the east coast tour downtown and what I saw was simply amazing! They in no way promoted the concert that was to be held weds except when asked. I watched as these guys went to an apartment complex for the disabled and took the time to just love on them! Singing and encouraging them. At NO time was anyone even promoting themselves much less the tour. It was all a demonstration of Gods love for even the biggest of sinners. With my own eyes I saw these things! At the concert it was the same thing! It was a group of artists that despite what they look like, genere of music they play, just wanted to encourage and love everyone! I pastor a church that has existed for almost 14 years, my father being the founding pastor. In that time we have had many artists come and go. Many charging a good bit of money (not saying they arent worth it) The extreme tour didnt charge us at all! WE, not them decided to take up a love offering and in no way was it anything to get excited about. I wish we couldve given more.

To sum everything up, Whoever you are that is posting the negative stuff and taking alot of your time as I see it. I must ask. As a "manager" in the business for so many years, surely you have the connections to get your artists into any venue you could ever want? Naturally your a great manager that doesnt need nor want the artists that you have to waist time on a MINISTRY such as the extreme tour. So my question would be of a man of your stature, why take the time and effort to attempt to destroy the reputation of them? Its very simple from my perspective that if you want nothing to do with them just dont...I saw as did many in the 2nd largest city in Georgia see for themselves the purpose of this ministry. And I as well as my church supports them in anyway we can!

Before you listen to industry junk, I would encourage anyone reading to first attend one of the events. Meet the people that are giving up everything to reach people. Then maybe those of you that have ready the previous stuff written will truely understand what these people are about! I will in NO way hide who I am and please feel free to contact me directly for any info needed! OACC 4694 Windsor Spring Rd, Hephzibah GA 30815. Conatct info is on our website www.openarmscommunitychurch.net

THANK YOU EXTREME TOUR FOR WHAT YOUR DOING! BOBBY ALLEN, CHAOTIC RESEMBLENCE, MARY JUSTICE, CHARLES HORSE, ANGELO ALL OF YOU WERE A BLESSING TO THIS TOWN!

My daughter and I just left The Objective which is related to The Extreme Tour. She has not yet found out if she is part of the tour or not but I feel we can file a fair report once we know if she is or not and base it on our experience either up to the point of The Objective or into the actual tour. Look for a update. 

The only scam going on here is in the part of Michael Abramowicz who is filing the complaint.  I am an artist who has been involved with The Extreme Tour and know first hand that this is an absolute legit ministry.  All of the staff, including the director Ted Bruun are volunteers and recieve no salary, and they have a true heart for the artists and for the people they minister to.  Can Michael Abramowicz, the so called manager, tell us how much he charges the artists that he represents for his services.  I am absolutely certain that he does not do it for free.  There are plenty of positive comments about the Extreme Tour on Sonicbids and on the Internet, contrary to what Michael Abramowicz claims.  The Emails that Michael Abramowicz uses in his false accusation have been altered to the point that the true meaning of them has been changed.  At Michael Abramowicz own addmission, parts have been left out because they are (quote unquote too long).  Is he serious?  C'mon Michael, you appear to be a complete fraud and may be bordering slander.  Additionally there is no on line evidence anywhere that Michael Abramowicz has ever been a manager of any musician.  Again I believe this is a malicious attack upon a very good ministry that has had a positive impact on everyone it has touched.  Michael Abramowicz, at best you have not done your homework and you have made false accusations on a ministry you know nothing about using coorespondence that has been altered.  Michael Abramowicz.  Shame on you!

WHO WE ARE (ONCE MORE):

It is appropriate that we correct the misrepresentations in this thread by ending where we began.
As stated at the very beginning of our first rebuttal, We are a non profit organization that seeks to positively impact culture through artistic expression and outreach. We are not, primarily, a business. At least not one motivated solely by money. The results we are after are found in lives changed, not money exchanged. Much of the work we do as an organization is related to helping artists pursue their Calling, not just their career. After 20 years, the results do speak for themselves. Artist Testimonies, Fan Testimonies, even Promoter Testimonies are all available all over the web. Contrary to the assertions of the "manager" who authored this erroneous review, a simple Google or Bing search will lead to many of them. 

Or, if those reading this would rather, feel free to read positive and negative reviews from former applicants and artists objectively posted on Sonicbids, the world's largest online platform connecting artists with performing opportunities. Sonicbids has classified our tour as a "Premium Opportunity" for artists for the last 7 years, alongside the Warped Tour, SXSW, and many other household names. You can find those reviews on their site, by clicking on the following link: http://www.sonicbids.com/Opportunity/RatingComments/Comments.aspx?oid=108199&aid=87262 

As a non profit organization, our staff is completely made up by non paid volunteers, almost all of them artists from our past roster whose lives have been changed by their experiences as a part of the grassroots movement that produces this tour. It is quite certain we are not motivated by mere "compensation". Rather, these experiences have produced the passion that has motivated a diligent response to misunderstanding and misrepresentation like that presented throughout "manager"'s slanderous "review". Rather than "arguments" though, we have presented the Truth. After all, as has been stated so often (if not so correctly), you can not rebut the Truth.

Below, please find reviews from many artists and applicants from our past few years:

Constant Recourse on September 5, 2009 at 01:45 PM:Selected for Tour 2007 West Coast! ---

The guys who run this have integrity in what they do! Expect to put in a lot of effort and to drive quite a bit. There was good exposure but because of the widespread nature of the tour, our fanbase didn't grow heaps from it. Local stuff is better for that. Christian bands of the rockin' variety will likely appreciate being a part of this. Feel free to email me questions. We had a good experience and definitely respect the folks in charge (namely Ted). 

Audiocure on June 6, 2009 at 11:24 AM:Selected for Tour 2009 ---

We met the bands and director, Ted Bruun, of the Tour. They are all fantastic! We hope to be a part of this again in 2010.

THE401 on July 29, 2009 at 09:51 PM:Selected for Tour 2009 ---

We very much enjoyed this tour. I believe it helped us understand why we do what we do. We learned valuable lessons in each city and certainly connected with many people who we continue to have relationship with. This tour helped expand our network in the US and prepared us for the career to come.

the Lacks on August 14, 2009 at 04:17 PM:Selected for Tour 2009 ---

the tour was the most life changing experience of our lives! This tour is very authentic, as real as it gets! So many lives were changed and so were we. Every city and every face will be a memory we will never forget!

The Gospel Starlights on April 2, 2009 at 09:12 AM:Submitted to Tour 2009  ---

Although we were not chosen for the 2009 Tour, we are truly humbled for being considered. On the other hand, we were chosen to perform live in Nashville at Rocketown during GMA Week on Tuesday April 21st, and we will be promoted that week by the Tour team! We definitely look forward to the RARE Opportunity to perform live at GMA! We would again like to send a special thanks to the Tour Family for giving us the oppportunity! In Christ, The Gospel Starlights

DREAMKILLER on April 2, 2009 at 11:42 AM:Submitted to Tour 2009 ---

Quick response and detailed explanation as to why weren't selected. It's so nice to finally get some feedback on Sonicbids. (This) Tour cares and we will definitely submit again next year!!

Days of Waiting on August 6, 2009 at 06:20 PM:Selected for Tour 2009  ---

(This) Tour was an awesome ministry outreach tool and was a great thing to be a part of. The growth our band received was invaluable and gave us new vision of who we are and the direction He has for us !! Thanks,Days of Waiting - Scott

Lyrical Disciplez on July 17, 2010 at 08:45 AM:Selected for Tour 2010 ---

(This) Tour is unlike any other tour we've seen! We have been honored to serve along side with those who run this tour with integrity! This is not just a music tour, its a tour made to Change The World! I've seen lives changed, addictions broke, bands changed, & watched God move! If you're not ready to be on a mission field then this tour isn't for you! (This) Tour has impacted our lives truly and shown all artist that this is more than music which is temperorary, this is eternal

Crazy Crazy Awesome Awesome on August 6, 2011 at 03:05 PM:Selected for Tour 2011 ---
 
This tour is exactly what I've been looking for; our music is not about making music, and its not about making money; it's about actually serving the Lord in an effective way. This tour is one of the few organizations that does this. If you want to take your band on a mission trip and do things for the Lord and also stretch yourself and grow spiritually, this is the tour for you. It's not about money, music or fans, it's about souls, and showing Christ's love. Legit.

The Colton and Zara Band on September 30, 2011 at 01:54 AM:Selected for Tour 2011 --- 

This has been THE most awesome tour we have ever done! This is a life changing, eye opening tour. You will work hard, stay up late, get up early, drive all day for many miles and meet some amazing people. You will help change peoples lives, be a positive influence to the hurting and be a part of an amazing team. You will play on all types of stages from parking lots, venues, schools and festivals. We highly recommend this tour to anyone...Be ready to have your world rocked.

Martay on October 3, 2011 at 02:27 AM:Selected for Tour 2011 --- 

I just got home from (This) Tour today and left with tears streaming down my face. This has been the most meaningful and effective tour I've ever been a part of. Every band, coordinator, and leader of the tour blew my mind. Always prepared, ready to go and down to do their best. COULDN'T HAVE BEEN ANY BETTER!

Runaway Symphony on October 10, 2011 at 06:27 PM:Selected for Tour 2011 ---

This tour has brought us many new lifelong friends, musical ideas and inspirations, a renewed passion for what the band is about, and we were constantly refilling our merch stock. our email list is too long to catch up on in a day. we have stories that will last many lifetimes. from break downs and prank wars to radio interviews and seeing lives changed at every show, we are grateful to have been a part of this tour.

 C.J. Lassiter on November 15, 2011 at 03:01 PM:Submitted to Tour 2011 ---

Although not initially selected, I did end up getting to go on (This) Tour for a couple weeks, and it was definitely one of the best experiences of my life. It combined touring and missions trips (two of my favorite things), so it was exactly what I was looking for. If you love playing music and serving God you will love (This) Tour.

About a Mile on January 1, 2011 at 11:46 AM:Submitted to Tour 2010 ---

Although we are listed as "not selected", we were selected and had a great experience. We spent almost 3 month touring the western states with some great people who will be lifelong friends. We learned so much about touring, ministering to hurting people and teamwork. Well worth the experience and thank-you to (This) Tour for including us.

sMALLTIME on April 30, 2011 at 11:45 PM:Submitted to Tour 2011 ---

Thanks for giving us a shot. Have a great tour God bless ya Ted

Art Kenyon on May 13, 2012 at 12:32 AM:Submitted to The Extreme Tour 2012 ---
 
Wasn't selected for the slot, however, great response from Ted. Hopefully something opens up in the next year here, definitely interested in considering 2013 either way.

Cadillac Muzik on May 13, 2012 at 12:04 PM:Submitted to Tour 2012 ---

(This) Tour 2012. Gave me a nice response back. Thank You

Karina Nistal on May 17, 2012 at 03:23 PM:Submitted to Tour 2012 ---

Well, (This) Tour is very responsive - I will give them that. I received the nicest rejection letter I have ever gotten... Thank you for your time and consideration. Regards, Karina Nistal 

Reboot The Robot on July 7, 2012 at 03:21 AM:Selected for Tour 2012 - --

 I was selected, and I had a blast on the tour.... If you want to reach hearts and touch lives, then take this tour. It is absolutely incredible, and has literally been the best tour I've ever had the honor to play. Truly incredible. Excellent opportunity. Humbles you as a musician, and helps bring your focus back to the people that need love, and takes the focus off yourself. If you want to make tons of money and play insane venues, this tour is not for you. If you genuinely want to reach people and love on kids that otherwise would have no love at all, then apply! Great memories, made lasting friendships. Uncle Jim and Ted Bruun really took care of us, and always made us feel welcome and positive. I'd do this for years!

The Colton and Zara Band on August 6, 2012 at 09:30 PM:Selected for  Tour 2012 - --

This tour is not for the "Rock Star" this tour is for the artist that knows its more about the people you play to than the music itself. We were selected in 2011 and have returned in 2012. It's amazing and a lot of hard work but well worth it. Join the Movement! Thanks Ted :D

The Followthrough on September 11, 2012 at 03:50 PM:Selected for  Tour 2012 --- 

This tour was amazing! What the Tour did for The Followthrough was absolutely invaluable. It was so great to get the opportunity to impact so many people. Awesome. 

VellVett on June 23, 2010 at 04:31 PM:Selected for 2010 --- 

Very good communication is what you'll get with (This) Tour. I appreciate them for that. Although I declined the offer I am grateful they extended the opportunity to me. Great team of people.

 Matt DiVenti on August 6, 2010 at 06:51 PM:Selected for Tour 2010 - --

This was one of the best experiences of my life! This is not about music. (This) Tour is about reaching people and changing lives. I built life long relationships while on tour and learned so much about being a musician on the road and what's really important out there. If you ever have the opportunity to be a part of this tour or just to experience (This) Tour Event, DON'T PASS IT UP!

Rocquette on December 30, 2010 at 08:54 AM:Submitted to Tour 2010 ---

The Tour Team answered on time - and although we were not selected, they were SO LOVELY and helpful and we had really good e-mail conversation. As a European Indie Artist it is not easy to get overseas gigs, and it seems they are really looking into how to make this possible. We were encouraged to keep them updated and also to submit for the next round (ongoing), and we would really like to hook up with (This) Tour since we feel very positive from previous communication.

Upheld on October 21, 2009 at 02:52 PM:Submitted to Tour 2009

We weren't one of the originally "selected" bands..but were on a backup list for the tour..and invited to jump on the East Coast for the last month. We learned so much by participating in this mission/tour. We enjoyed getting our music heard, but the growth we experienced in our relationship with Christ is beyond words. Making music is the easy part, learning to connect and build relationships with those you meet was a new experience. Everyone involved in this tour are wonderful/honest people. 

Red Letter Bullet on December 10, 2009 at 06:55 PM:Selected for  Tour 2009

This was a wonderful experience for our band that connected us with venues, churches, and fans across the eastern coast of the U.S. Best tour we have ever been a part of.....

The Eternal Affect on February 2, 2010 at 10:01 AM:Selected for Tour 2009

Just like The401 said, this tour really helped us understand why we do what we do. It's more than just playing shows in front of people. It's about connecting and helping someone in need and it really changed us as a bands life. God Bless the people running it, if anyone could experience this, we totally would recommend it!

B. Andrews on May 11, 2010 at 04:34 PM:Submitted to Tour 2010 ---

Even though the response was somewhat delayed, the promoter gave one of the lengthiest and detailed responses. It was excellent communication that we needed to hear.

 Legrand on April 2, 2009 at 08:21 AM:Submitted to  Tour 2009 ---

Although I was not chosen as an artist on this year's tour, I appreciated the encouraging feedback, and most of all the professionalism and timeliness of their response. I look forward to an opportunity to tour with them in the future. Legrand "The Professional"

VellVett on April 6, 2009 at 09:10 PM:Submitted to Tour 2009 ---

This promoter responded respectfully and timely. I would absolutely refer artists to communicate with them. This is incredible!

DREAMKILLER on April 2, 2009 at 11:44 AM:Submitted to  Tour 2009 ---

Quick response and detailed explanation as to why we weren't selected. It's so nice to finally get some feedback on Sonicbids! (This) Tour cares and we will definitely submit again next year!!!

Frank Palangi on April 2, 2009 at 07:36 PM:Submitted to Tour 2009 ---

I didn't get into the tour.. but they kept good contact with me. I really feel that they took an interest with my music and gave me good information about the tour. A great company. Really nice and kind.

phfobe on April 3, 2009 at 12:31 AM:Submitted to Tour 2009  ---

Left a very encouraging message. No "needle-dropper" here. Left the door open for future projects. I like to hear that.

Flourish on January 20, 2009 at 10:39 PM: Selected for Tour 2009 ---

I'm looking forward to our band hopefully being a part of this tour. My friends at Gotee (Records) said that the organizers of the  Tour are solid individuals who care about the bands they work with. Rock On! Shmiddy

 Oathkeeper on February 13, 2009 at 07:45 PM:Submitted to Tour 2009 ---

You guys are a real inspiration to what every tour in the United States should be. Our band gives you the best of luck, with the respect of a true christian musician, and we are hoping to have the honor of playing for the Tour this summer. God Bless you guys! Rock On!

Men Of Business (M.O.B) on March 28, 2009 at 02:13 PM:Submitted to Tour 2009

In many ways, your mission has touched my heart and the more I read about what you hope to find in an artist and their team- the more I want to work with you and believe that we are the right fit for this. Ive addressed every single one of your values in my letter in hopes of reaching out and connecting with you we would love to be able to perform in on your  tour and we will meet your expectations.

Nob'l on March 31, 2009 at 03:25 PM:Selected for Tour 2009

I am pleased to have the opportunity to submit to this tour. I am sure that I will bring the message, the energy, quality, and professionalism that is associated with this tour.

Clarification
I wrote the initial report to assist in regards to helping educate consumers. The goal is not to entertain a back and forth debate with an individual(s) that obviously have their own agenda. I've put forth the facts so consumers can take hold of the knowledge I provided and utilize that to make an informed choice in regards to this "tour". I have no interest in tearing down anyone's business, or character; however the truth is something that you cannot rebuttal.

Obviously this Extreme Tour is hard pressed to make a point, so with that said I will continue with additional facts that I did not address prior in an attempt not to bring additional shame upon your operation. And unfortunately, the more you talk, the more you disclose and continue to embarrass yourselves further.

Search The Extreme Tour In Google, Bing, and etc
You boasted The Extreme Tour has been around for nearly 20 years, my question is simple, where are the results? If you guys have been doing this for that long why are there minimal results in Google or any other search engine for that matter?

Can someone provide a legitimate and intelligent answer? The results are simply non impressive, non existent,  and unacceptable for an organization that boast to have been in business for so long.

At minimal, there should be at least some credible write ups in magazines, newspapers, media coverage, quotes/testimonials from A List artist that have participated, and etc that are available to the public. There are simply not enough results to validate any artist that is serious about their music career to participate in this operation. Once again, you will probably take this personally and get defensive, call me disrespectful, and use additional language in an attempt to discredit this report, but this is legitimate; and most importantly this is business. The bottom line in any business is simple, results.

The Extreme Tour is lacking results. No one wants to read any form of damage control written from a random employee, CEO, or anyone else from your company, people would much rather facts.

Think of this situation similar to the commercials on television when a person goes to buy a car and
the sales person is giving the person a whole bunch of fluff such as "this car is fast" "this car is nice" and then the person responds "show me the car facts".  It's the same theme here.

No one cares about what any of you say. You can continue to post your rebuttal's, continue to claim a million different things, but guess what "show me the show facts". Because at the end of the day that's all that matters.

Industry Standards
You previously mentioned how "surprised you are" that someone (referring to me) that has worked in the industry so long doesn't "understand" how things usually work in an attempt to imply you guys are more knowledgeable. In regards to doing things the "right way".  Let's be clear so there is no room for confusion, you guys obviously live in your own world. I have worked on numerous Major and Indie tours, and no one knows who or what an Extreme Tour is. No one has ever heard of you guys, so obviously there is a serious disconnect in regards to what you think you are accomplishing and what you really are accomplishing. As I previously stated above, the proof is in the results.

The Extreme Tour Prerogative
I asked why is it that Tier 1 artist are the only artist you previously stated that may be required to pay the merchandise fee that certain venues may require, and you don't cover that cost for Tier 1 artist. Your response was evasive stating "We have no Pay to Play fee for artists selected. Not even for the very few that we categorize as Tier One. We simply have different levels of support to offer different levels of artists that we accept for involvement". And then you ended your statement with an arrogant tone stating "And we contend that our standards are certainly our prerogative." No one cares about pay to play, you are totally missing the point.

On one hand you are trying to come across as being supportive of all artist (regardless of Tier) but then you also say you simply have different levels of support to offer different levels of artists and that's you prerogative. So you essentially made the admission that it is your prerogative to provide all artist with different levels of "support" and out of three Tier's of artist, it is your prerogative that if needed Tier 1 artist will be the one's that have to pay the merch fee. Instead of trying to sugar coat it just say what it is minus all of the fluff.

Misquoting Statements
You stated "Contrary to "Manager"'s representation, the Industry Standard is not typically limited to simply hearing an artist's music, and immediately making an offer." If that's what you gathered from my statement then you have a serious problem in regards to reading comprehension. If anyone wants to re read my statement, simply scroll above. What I expressed is that the process you conduct to recruit artist is over kill.

I stated further that it is common practice after a promoter likes an artist music we then proceed to discuss business, and negotiate to arrive at a business understanding that is beneficial to both parties. As previously stated, this is what legitimate people in business do, handle business and expedite it accordingly. What you are attempting to do is justify your dragged out process compounded with horrendous emails but it's unacceptable, period.

Unfortunately, you clearly feel that how you have been running your operation is great, despite the obvious lack of results. The proof is in what people can see and read, in laymen terms, tangible results, and not what you would like us to think. Stop misconstruing statements.

Conclusion
You simply cannot rebuttal truth. You continue attempts to misconstrue words, attack my comments, and develop responses for issues that you created. I've done my part by voicing my opinion in regards to this matter. Any consumer reading this will clearly see the difference between my position and yours. I stand to gain nothing by doing this. Making this complaint doesn't put any money in my pocket, nor am I being compensated for my time doing so. All I want is to make other consumers aware in regards to the situation.

You obviously have your own agenda to go back and forth about this issue. In closing, fellow consumers I have provided you with a plethora of information, and knowledge. Feel free to review the information I provided and I am certain you will make an informed decision. And always remember, when dealing with people in business. Anyone can write anything to create their
own reality, but in the end results never lie.

Furthermore, to address your closing statements, my reviews posted in this thread are not
flawed by any misunderstanding about your organization or process. You guys provided this information and that is how this came to my attention in the first place. You also stated I have not experienced your tour yet, correct, because I refuse to let any of the artist I represent do so.  I am in the business of getting the most out of my time, not wasting it with non-beneficial activities.

You also stated I have expressed opinions, which is incorrect. These are statements that are a result of the information/documentation you provided. You also stated Clearly there is seemingly some amount of misunderstanding or misrepresentation present here. We have tried to correct those misunderstandings with these rebuttals. You essentially did not attempt to correct anything.

You continue attempts to minimize factual statements and only attempt to debate issues that are non-debatable. With that said I will no longer respond to any of these rebuttals. The truth has been voiced.

--- The person filing the original report on this post has made several misrepresentations regarding our Organization and the process we use to select artists. We prefer to personally address concerns anyone may have about our organization, but the author of this post has attacked our integrity in this public setting and we do not want others to be confused or misled by his misrepresentation.

For this reason, we are providing a basic answer in these rebuttals. Any person with questions about the specifics of our Tour, or the process we use to select artists, may contact us directly and we will take the time to directly answer all questions and correct the record.---

_______________________________________________________________________________________

WE DO NOT CHARGE ANY HIDDEN FEES RELATED TO APPLYING FOR, OR PERFORMING ON, THE TOUR:

The author of this original post has continued to confuse the primary issue here. Perhaps deliberately, and perhaps as a means to mislead. 

As he should be well aware, the $ 180.00 he is referring to is not for involvement with the tour we run at all, it is a small fee charged for a completely SEPARATE service we offer only select artists who may have applied for the tour. It's completely optional and is not something any applicant must do in order to be considered for our tour. In fact, most applicants do not even have the opportunity to do so as we only invite a small pool of applicants to consider it. This is all clearly stated in the documents that the author of this original post received.

Contrary to the original author's repeated false claims, there are NO hidden or additional fees for artists applying to be part of the tour we operate. Artists that apply for the tour only pay an initial application fee. Our intent in charging that fee has been explained in our initial rebuttal to the accusatory and (in our opinion) highly offensive and demeaning post that initiated this entire thread.

It is a common practice for companies to offer more than one service or product, and to offer customers and clients the opportunity to enhance their experience by considering involvement with, or purchase of, an additional service or product that the company believes would be of interest to that customer or client. This is what we have done here. As it IS so common (Think "Super Sizing" a Value Meal for an additional charge), it is hard to understand how someone could so misunderstand our process or these additional offers. 

THE IMPORTANCE OF RELATIONSHIP AND THOROUGH INFORMATION IN OUR EVALUATION:

As we stated repeatedly, we do NOT require artists to meet with us face to face in order to be considered or selected for involvement with the tour. Rather, face to face meeting opportunities are offered to artists, and in fact encouraged as we have come to believe they provide an invaluable opportunity for artists to best evaluate us, and for our team to best evaluate an artist for potential involvement.

We believe that our tour represents a significant opportunity for selected artists to impact audiences around the world with their Message and their Music. We also believe that we have created a framework for tremendous developmental opportunity for artists we select to be involved. And clearly, many artists believe this is a significant opportunity as well. Artists from all over the world have applied for, and participated on, our tour and have publicly expressed their satisfaction with that experience. We are all entitled to our opinion. You do not have to agree with it. 

We reserve the right to establish any standard we desire for the projects we produce and maintain, regardless of the opinion of any of the applicants or the practices of other organizations they may be familiar with.

Certainly we desire as much input as possible in order to make the best decision possible. However, the only REQUIREMENT for an artist to be considered for potential involvement in the tour is that they file an application. Their application will be considered like any other application submitted.

INDUSTRY STANDARDS (AND OURS) FOR ARTIST EVALUATION AND NEGOTIATION:

Contrary to "Manager"'s representation, the Industry Standard is not typically limited to simply hearing an artist's music, and immediately making an offer. At least not at the level we operate in. Most significant organizations in the industry research an artist as thoroughly as possible before finalizing any potential working arrangement.(Credible) Record labels and management companies usually desire to observe a potential artist in relationship before making significant commitments. Major national or international tours and festivals like ours almost always charge a large fee in order for less established artists to even perform at all. (Hence the term: "Pay to Play") Most applicants to our tour are very familiar with these practices in the industry. It's hard to imagine someone with "over 25 years of industry experience" not knowing about this very common practice.

Unlike these organizations however, we have no "Pay to Play" fee for artists selected. Not even for the very few that we categorize as "Tier One". We do not view any of our artists as "Step Children". We simply have different levels of support to offer different levels of artists that we accept for involvement. And we contend that our standards are certainly our prerogative.

We do not have to accept artists on Tier One at all. We could just exclude them completely by rejecting their application. Rather, we choose to offer these few artists an opportunity to perform should they so desire, even if we are not offering them as much support as other artists we felt were perhaps more worth the resources we have ability to invest. Artists selected for Tier One certainly have the option of declining our proposal and not performing with us at all. That is their prerogative, after all.

The process of coming to an agreement CAN be a negotiation. But either party has the right to decline at any time. Our tier system just provides selected artists with a framework for starting that negotiation by giving them an indication of where we believe they fall in our internal negotiation and booking guidelines.

WE ALL CAN ALWAYS LEARN AND GROW:

We concur that all organizations should never stop desiring improvement and pursuing excellence. And we certainly do have much to offer each other when we share our perspectives. However, not every perspective is equally correct. It is only as good as the accuracy of the information that informs it.

With all due respect to the author of the original "review" posted on this thread, the information that informed his opinions was flawed by his misunderstanding of many basic facts about our organization or our process. By his own admission, neither he, nor the artists he claims to represent, have actually experienced our tour yet, or have participated in or experienced any of the other services we provide. The opinions the author does share are not seemingly congruent with real knowledge of the industry we are a part of.

Clearly there is seemingly some amount of misunderstanding or misrepresentation present here. We have tried to correct those misunderstandings with these rebuttals.

It is likely not prudent or beneficial to go back and forth in a setting like this with someone who has already made up their mind so emphatically without even offering us the opportunity to personally address their questions or concerns. Especially when, in our opinion, the tone of their commentary has been so accusatory, demeaning, and even mean spirited at times. To this point, we have continued this dialog in an effort to help provide clarity to those researching our tour online.

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE READ THROUGH THIS INFORMATION.

RATHER THAN BEING "DEFENSIVE", OUR CONCERN IS THAT READERS HAVE ACCURATE INFORMATION FOR OUR ORGANIZATION AND OPPORTUNITIES. THE AUTHOR'S ORIGINAL INFLAMMATORY REVIEW MADE IT NECESSARY FOR AN ANSWER TO BE PROVIDED SO THAT READERS ARE NOT MISLED BY INACCURATE COMMENTARY.

FUTURE QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS THAT MAY RESULT FROM THESE POSTINGS CAN BE ADDRESSED BY CONTACTING US DIRECTLY.

Instead of being so quick to be defensive, you need to take a realistic and logical look at what you guys are doing and analyze your actions from an honest and unbias perspective. You're rebuttal includes words such as misrepresentation, false assumptions, cynical and disrespectful. Let's be clear, there was nothing stated that was a false statement. All of the statements are truthful, and you simply cannot rebuttal the truth. If you would like to discuss facts let's do so. The facts are as follows...

Failure To Provide Full Disclosure
From the start, your employee never mentioned any additional cost involved. You previously stated that there are no fees involved, however what do you call the $180 cost? Do you refer to that as a love offering? Let's be realistic here. Up front immediately after an artist pays the $15 registration fee they should be notified of ANY and ALL possible cost. Why is this important you may ask, let me explain. Once you accept the artist registration fee you now have an obligation to provide full disclosure out the gate.  Why are you guys sending emails that involve cost after the fact? It really makes no sense. Disclose all the details out the gate, this way it stops/prevents any potential confusion.

Face To Face Meeting
Let's address this as well. As far as you guys having face to face meetings to further asses artist, my response to this is pretty basic, pure overkill. Plenty artist have and continue to perform at various venues, and let me explain how it works. The promoters hear their music, inform us how much they are willing to pay, we negotiate cost, rider, etc, sign a contract and it's done. You guys are making this process way more difficult than needed. Artist that are serious and at least in a position where they are making money from shows don't have time to jump through a million hoops in hopes you decide to let them perform. The reality of the situation is that there are way too many promoters, booking agents/agencies, clubs, lounges, and festivals that don't require nearly as much that you guys are asking for.  Seriously,  this advice I'm giving you is meant to serve as a wake up call. You boasted you've guys have been doing this for almost 20 years. If that's the case you need to start over.

Tier 1 Artist
Let's discuss this matter next.  You previously stated "The Extreme Tour does not take a commission or percentage from any artist on any tier (and never has). However, there are a few venues that we play that may have a merchandizing fee or commission that they charge to the Tour or to artists that play there. We do not cover those costs for artists on Tier One. They are responsible to comply with local municipal and venue licensing and merchandizing policies on their own". My question is simple, who decided that Tier 1 artist become the step children of your tour? You clearly stated there are some venues that may have a merchandizing fee or commission that they charge to the Tour or to artists that play there. Again, my question is why do you guys not cover the costs for artist on Tier One? Matter of fact, if a fee is being paid it should be paid across the board. It's simply bad business to single out those artist, and I'm surprised this is a practice of yours. Because if that's the case, any artist that is told from the start "Hey, you're going to be classified as a Tier One artist" should turn around and go about their business, not worth it.

Final Assessment
There are way more problematic issues with your rebuttal, but I will stop here. Unlike your rebuttal, which is obviously highly defensive, my approach is aimed at educating consumers, and you as well. You may have good intent, but unfortunately your results are severely flawed. If you can't be honest enough to take a realistic look at your actions then that's an issue you need to deal with on your own time. No business is perfect, but every real company should make it their business to be perfect. The Extreme Tour is far from that goal.

---The person filing this report has made several misrepresentations regarding our Organization and the process we use to select artists. Any person with questions about the specifics of our Tour, or the process we use to select artists, may contact us directly and we will take the time to directly answer all questions and correct the record.---

WHO WE ARE:

We are a non profit organization that seeks to positively impact culture through artistic expression and outreach. One of our longest running projects is the production of an Extreme Sports and Music Outreach Tour. This tour has been in operation for almost 20 years and now visits many countries around the world. We have worked with a very large number of artists and there is quite a bit of information available about us online. Band testimonials are available on our site, but also on many other public and objective sites we do not control. We would strongly urge anyone to review all the information available and not just review the documents or information we send out.

While we are frustrated at the false assumptions and misrepresentations demonstrated in the above report, we welcome the opportunity to correct the record and provide true information who we are and about how we operate.

OUR A&R RECRUITING AND APPLICATION PROCESS:

Several of our A&R Staff are tasked with attending shows, searching online, and seeking referrals for new artists for our lineup. When they find an artist they think might be appropriate for our tour, they engage them in a dialog, and invite them to consider applying with the benefit of their recommendation.

The small fee requested is a device meant to limit applications to only artists that are serious about touring. We learned that a free submission seemingly invited applications sent too easily from artists not ready to accept an offer should we extend one. Our application fee is actually much smaller than most or all other similar opportunities we are aware of.

OUR ARTIST SELECTION PROCESS:

As we indicate in the information sent to artists after they apply, we make selections in rounds and we group our selections in tiers. This is fairly standard in the industry. The more we believe an artist is beneficial to the Tour and it's mission, the higher they will be placed in our tier system. The higher they are in that system, the more we will be willing to invest in them while they are with us. Some artists will be selected for Tier Three, our highest tier. Only a couple of artists, on average will likely be selected for Tier One, our lowest tier. Most Artists selected will be assigned to Tier Two.

The Extreme Tour does not take a commission or percentage from any artist on any tier (and never has). However, there are a few venues that we play that may have a merchandising fee or commission that they charge to the Tour or to artists that play there. We do not cover those costs for artists on Tier One. They are responsible to comply with local municipal and venue licensing and merchandising policies on their own.

It's worth noting that most major tours or festivals DO take a percentage of the merchandise sales of the artists that perform. That is "Industry Standard". We simply have never done this as an organization ourselves. That is stated explicitly on the application page where artists file their applications.

THE LENGTH AND DETAIL OF THE DOCUMENTS WE SEND APPLICANTS:

It should be noted that the report filed by this anonymous "manager" only includes portions of correspondence we have only sent to Applicants who have already filed an application, and are not mass communications with random artists as this "manager" represented at all.

It also must be noted that the segments this person included in their report have been significantly altered and edited from the original documents we sent. Sections (even sentence fragments) have been taken out of context, moved around, and inserted out of order in a seeming attempt to mock, discredit, exaggerate, and perhaps even mislead. The resulting text does not present an accurate or complete picture of the original document sent to the artists we selected to advance to the next stage of our selection process.

The original document this reviewer is referencing is lengthy as it is not simply an email sent to artists, but is actually a booklet written for applicants who are being seriously considered for our Tour (as we indicated in the emails we sent this "manager's" artist). 

OUR INVITATION TO MEET FACE TO FACE WITH OUR STAFF:

This information is actually only sent to artists who have already applied and who have been invited to attend, a FREE "By Invitation" series of meetings with our staff as part of the Artist Selection process. Artists are NOT required to attend these meetings in order to be considered for inclusion in our lineup. Naturally though, we desire face to face meetings with artists we are seriously considering so that we can better evaluate them.

This also gives them an opportunity to meet us and consider our tour more adequately. The meetings are presented at great expense to our organization and are offered to a select group as a courtesy, not as a product being sold or marketed. Contrary to this "Report"'s assertions and inference,  We do not charge any fee or admission at all for invited artists to attend these meetings or to meet with us. That is EXPLICITLY stated in the information that was sent to the artist this "Manager" represents.

OUR INDUSTRY FRIENDS AND THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN THESE MEETINGS:

In addition to offering these invited artists an opportunity to meet with us face to face, we also arrange for a number of our industry friends to come and share advice with these artists on how they can excel in their pursuit of their craft. Our Industry friends, like our staff, are not paid for their involvement, and do not charge, for their participation in these meetings. They volunteer their time to these invited artists as an attempt to serve them in their Calling and as a goodwill gesture to select applicants. This is a cooperative effort to mentor and assist young artists.

 It is a cynical and disrespectful thing to slander their contribution or this effort.

The list of Industry Professionals involved is also lengthy and often includes last minute changes as plans or speaker schedules change. A list is not included in the initial documents for that reason, but is released later in the process, and even released publicly in various press releases and on our Organization's Twitter Account and through other Social Media. It is certainly not hidden.

We DO provide a section on who has participated in the past (Tom Jackson is listed for example) as a general description of who will be involved. We would have been happy to provide a more detailed tentative list for this "manager" had he requested one. He did not, choosing instead to presumptuously draw conclusions and publicly slander our reputation. Again, we do not charge any fees or admission for invited artists to attend this series of meetings.

SEPARATE OPPORTUNITIES WE OFFER ARTISTS TO ENHANCE THEIR TIME WHILE MEETING WITH US:

We do offer three different and additional options to artists that we invite to these meetings that are separate from the opportunity to meet with is and our industry friends.

1.  A select group of artists, if they so desire, may have their CD and promotional materials distributed to Industry Professionals participating during these meetings. A relatively small fee is charged for this service and those funds go to defray the costs incurred to facilitate that distribution, with any remnant going to defray the significant cost of the meetings we invited them to. However, Artists are not required to sign up for this service in order to attend the meetings. It is an optional service offered only to artists that feel such an opportunity would be beneficial for them.

If an artist DOES register for this opportunity, they do receive priority inclusion in the meetings we are facilitating as a portion of their contribution may in fact help fund the expense of presenting them. Space is limited so that might make a difference if we are running out of room.

But again, artists are NOT required to register for this opportunity in order to attend the meetings we invited them to.

2.  A much smaller group of artists, if they so desire, may even have the opportunity to perform and be critiqued during these meetings we invited them to. Space is very limited and we do not even allow most artists to perform as there is not adequate time to do so. However, if an artist desires to not just attend but to also perform and be critiqued, we will consider them for one of the few slots available.

 If we do select them for that opportunity, we do ask them to pay a fee that represents their portion of the rental of the venue and production to facilitate their performance. However, not only are they not required to incur these costs by performing and being critiqued by our Industry Panel during these meetings, most artists will not even be offered the opportunity to opt to do so based simply on the time constraints.

This is a completely additional opportunity that we do not require any artist to participate in in order to attend these meetings or be considered for our Tour. 

3. Over the past couple years, Tom Jackson (Perhaps the leading Live Music Producer in the world) and his team have conducted an intimate workshop for a select group of the artists attending. Tom does charge a fee for participation in that workshop. But this is offered at a dramatically discounted rate from his other events, and is a completely separate opportunity offered alongside our meetings and not as a part of them.

This workshop is represented as a separate and completely optional activity for artists to participate in should they feel so inclined. We do not collect any of those fees or receive any commission. It is offered merely as a courtesy to artists. There are testimonies posted elsewhere from artists about the incredible value they felt this opportunity was.

We are proud of esteemed "A-List" partners and friends like Tom Jackson.

Again, however, this is a completely additional opportunity that we do not require any artist to participate in in order to attend these meetings or be considered for our Tour. 

THE BOTTOM LINE:

I think the primary misunderstanding this "Manager" has is the assumption that we are a business, and that an artist's attendance of these face to face meetings, or their acceptance on the Extreme Tour, is conditional on their participation in these separate opportunities.

This is not correct, and we repeatedly state that artists are NOT required to be a part of these opportunities to attend or potentially be selected for the Extreme Tour. I am not sure we could possibly be any clearer.

In fact, as in this rebuttal, it is the necessity of being so clear that has made many of our documents so lengthy. In an effort to be understood, we also make ourselves available by phone or email for any questions that may arise. It is disappointing that this "Manager" did not take advantage of that accessibility.   

OUR INVITATION TO THOSE READING THIS:

We invite any person reading this rebuttal to do what this "Manager" did not. Feel free to contact us directly with any questions or concerns. We will be happy to provide answers and address any concerns you may have. 

IN RECOGNITION OF SERVICE ABOVE AND BEYOND:

By the way, I want to recognize Martay Williams for her exemplary service to artists and to our organization.

Not only (like virtually every other member of the staff) is she an artist from our past roster, but she has also led a Tour Team across the East Coast of the United States for us, and she now helps us select the artists for future rosters. Like the rest of the staff, she raises her own support in order to participate in this grassroots artistic movement.

She did not deserve the slanderous ridicule this person heaped on her.

She deserves to be honored and I wanted to take the opportunity to do so here.