OT: Was anyone else aware of "Threatin"?

[CowboyNQ]

A mate of mine shared this story with me today - I was totally oblivious to this. I found it fascinating.

 

For those similarly unaware - this young chap from the States managed to recruit a band and get himself on a European tour by creating a fake resume, fake booking agency, fake record lable, fake single release and fake talent management company.

 

Link to the very safe BBC website which explains all

 

A well-written article, albeit not a quick read.

[Markay]

Worst part of that story is, if true, Hollywood now want to reward false and deceptive conduct by paying them for their story and making a movie based on it.

[TommyRude]

Cool story. This is the world we live in. Not sure what's real and what's fake.

[MathOfInsects]

I missed this. I am heading off to read the NY Times story mentioned in the article now, but wanted to note that it's pretty hard not to be impressed with the kid's thoroughness and guile, right down to orchestrating his own undoing. I remember seeing a 60 Minutes segment when I was a kid about an actress who was secretly working as her own agent, and the angle was, 'look how resourceful she is in this challenging field.' And of course, our current president Agent Orange famously spent decades as his own fake PR guy via telephone.

 

I don't view this guy as a fake, just as a success at a different endeavor than most people knew he was undertaking. I actually think he's kinda badass in his own weird way.

[MAJUSCULE]

Yeah, I saw this on FB a week or two ago. Pretty hilarious. Reminiscent of Tommy Wiseau/The Room, Fyre Festival, or that wild Rhode Island classical festival sham.

[MathOfInsects]

Or Joyce Hatto!

[Synthoid]

I thought perhaps it was the title of Steve Perry's new song.

 

 

[RudyS]

 

I don't view this guy as a fake, just as a success at a different endeavor than most people knew he was undertaking. I actually think he's kinda badass in his own weird way.

 

Nice way of looking at it Math...

 

 

[Threadslayer]

 

I don't view this guy as a fake, just as a success at a different endeavor than most people knew he was undertaking. I actually think he's kinda badass in his own weird way.

 

Nice way of looking at it Math...

 

All well and good. But hubris, hucksterism, and audacity aside, he did pretty well F-over his naïve bandmates.

[MathOfInsects]

All well and good. But hubris, hucksterism, and audacity aside, he did pretty well F-over his naïve bandmates.

 

Agreed. Though speaking as someone who turned down almost literally the same tour terms four or five years ago (guitar god, ten-day tour of England and parts of Europe, you won't pay but you won't really get paid, other details so similar to this story that I had to keep checking to remind myself it wasn't the same guy)...they pretty well screwed themselves too. They didn't "have it coming" by any means, he clearly conned them. But $30/day for the tour and no other money for anything involved including all those rehearsals? Once you say yes to that, you are an accomplice in your own screwing.

[burningbusch]

It's too bad a news agency like the BBC ran with this story. There's really nothing here. A guy and his girlfriend con three no-name musicians into rehearsing a few months for a European "tour" promising a whopping $300 payday. The two rent some smallish venues expecting crowds which never materialized. After a few of these non-gigs, the band dissolves. As I read through this, Eames and wife paid for everything. In all, maybe a dozen people bought directly into the con but none, as far as I can tell, were defrauded. Eames has antisocial tendencies and seems to value notoriety above all else. He is one of those Charlie Sheen types who is always "winning." A loss is really a win because that's what I always intended. Yawn.

 

Busch.

[keyman27]

I've played in a number of projects that could be called vanity projects. I bet many of us have. People who are bankrolling their own fantasy rock-band camp experience. They don't want to pay the dues of building an authentic buzz about the music, so they whip up some exaggerated PR material and book some shows where the 'artist' pays the sidemen out-of-pocket. I think this Threatin story is just another example of this kind of thing, but more extreme.

 

 

[RudyS]

 

I don't view this guy as a fake, just as a success at a different endeavor than most people knew he was undertaking. I actually think he's kinda badass in his own weird way.

 

Nice way of looking at it Math...

 

 

 

All well and good. But hubris, hucksterism, and audacity aside, he did pretty well F-over his naïve bandmates.

 

Thats true!

[Dr Nursers]

I thought perhaps it was the title of Steve Perry's new song.

 

 

That was my first thought as well

[SeaGtGruff]

In all, maybe a dozen people bought directly into the con but none, as far as I can tell, were defrauded.

 

It sounds like the venues that booked them were sort of defrauded. Yes, Eames presumably paid them something for their troubles, but it was nowhere near what they had expected to make when they booked his "act." And while legitimate artists can have dismal turnouts, I don't know who takes a bath in those cases-- the specific venue, the promoter, the artist, or some combination of the three? In any case, I'm thinking that what Eames put those venues through could be construed as deliberate fraud.

[Mighty Motif Max]

Yah, been following it for a few months. Weird. Jerk for conning those musicians but a fascinating story nonetheless. Unless this "exposed" news is also a con. Who knows. :idk

 

 

[CountFosco]

One aspect of this story I haven't seen addressed anywhere. Is he any good? (I made my own assumption and didn't bother listening, but if anyone put themselves through it perhaps they could enlighten us?)

[Markyboard]

Guess it's only a matter of time before the world discovers I'm not the geek I pretend to be, but rather one of the cool kids.

[Markay]

That will fade into insignificance when they find out you are really the Keyser Soze of the synth world. A new Hollywood remake titled the Unusual Suspect.

[hardware]

A mate of mine shared this story with me today - I was totally oblivious to this. I found it fascinating.

 

For those similarly unaware - this young chap from the States managed to recruit a band and get himself on a European tour by creating a fake resume, fake booking agency, fake record lable, fake single release and fake talent management company.

 

Link to the very safe BBC website which explains all

 

A well-written article, albeit not a quick read.

 

Id say he has a future in politics too.

 

My son explained how PR Firms can get fake reviews for your products, likes in social media, more money buys more authenticity in comments.

 

Its always about the money, especially when they say it isnt.

[SteveCoscia]

I knew nothing about this until today. Scary stuff. Thanks for posting.

 

Knowing that a person would do this makes me feel old and out-of touch with what's going on today. The only question is, why?

[Pa Gherkin]

Worst part of that story is, if true, Hollywood now want to reward false and deceptive conduct by paying them for their story and making a movie based on it.

 

 

This. I also agree with Hardware's comments. Yes,Eames got publicity but it takes a special kind of sick neediness to crave being well known as an asshole. I'd like to hear Moonglow's take on this since ,as I recall,he has a professional background in the mental health field.

[EricBarker]

The twist is that it sounds like that HE orchestrated his own downfall. The first person to publicly call him out was a fake alias of his own making. I guess it's performance art. Andy Koffman would be proud. Not sure what I think.

[Pa Gherkin]

The twist is that it sounds like that HE orchestrated his own downfall. The first person to publicly call him out was a fake alias of his own making. I guess it's performance art. Andy Koffman would be proud. Not sure what I think.

 

True,but at least some folks found Kaufman's antics entertaining. Who did this twit entertain besides himself and his wife? Yes it's an interesting story but in the kind of way a car wreck draws the eye. Sounds like a sociopath to me.

 

He takes typical smoke and mirrors showbiz nonsense to an amazing extreme and screws people in the process. How has he not gotten punched out ?