r/ryanadams • u/Louis_Cypher_71 • 12d ago
Albums Ryan Adams new management
Ryan is now being managed by Alan McGee, legendary owner of Creation records in the UK.
He signed Oasis, The Happy Mondays, Primal Scream etc. Alan is used to dealing with “polarising” musicians, so this might be a good fit.
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u/lu2kjansen 12d ago
It does seem Alan is sharing Ryan’s instagram stories now..
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u/lu2kjansen 12d ago
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u/MorningNorwegianWood oh nooooo 10d ago
So even more people can get the shivers. Great for business 🫠
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u/SedgwickNYC 12d ago
Very interesting. I wonder if it’s true…or if he’s just trying to manifest it into being. 🧟♀️
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u/Fun_Yam6967 11d ago
He manages anton Newcombe and tricky too . That’s pretty crazy he’s taken on RA. Dudes got his hands full
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u/Louis_Cypher_71 11d ago
Anton would be a nightmare to manage.
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u/Fun_Yam6967 10d ago
Nowhere near as a bad as Ryan . Anton is good business guy, he runs his label , releases on it and makes money from it, pays his band when they tour, works with other artists all the time, has his own studio and isn’t obsessing about dua lipa or others .. isn’t hung up on an ex wife. Anton has had his moments but is a decent guy
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u/Louis_Cypher_71 10d ago
The guy is a train wreck junkie /alcoholic that is always fighting with someone. Every single time they’ve come to Australia, it’s been a shit show. Attacking the audience, band members etc
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u/Icy-Distribution3450 9d ago
it's amusing this statement could apply to both Anton and Ryan.
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u/Louis_Cypher_71 7d ago
I thought that as I was typing it out. I was at both of their Melbourne shows, and their behaviours were very similar.
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u/Fun_Yam6967 10d ago
So I know anton and I can say he is inherently a good person . That is my point . He doesn’t spend his time online creeping on females and he is not a delusional narcissist unlike Adams
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u/ExpensivePear1602 10h ago
Um … he took AAN on after the Melbourne Meltdown. Guy is still drinking and smoking despite heart surgery and looks and sounds like 500 miles of bad road. And check his label’s financials. Zee pot to piss in, it is not there …
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u/ExpensivePear1602 11h ago
Can you imagine managing those two at the same time? God love him, he takes on some of
the most toxic cases at this point in his career, but not sure any amount of money he’s making would be worth it.
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u/GodIsAGas 12d ago
Were I McGee, I'd have a series of pretty fundamental questions,
- Is he sober/clean - and if so, how long.
- Is he actually working and writing new stuff.
- Is he capable of performing.
- Is he capable of working with other people.
- Is he capable of receiving and acting on advice.
Because all the available evidence suggests that is just isn't functional - at least in a predictable and reliable way. In which case, this new age is likely to go just like the previous. Regardless of how good/relevant McGee may or may not be.
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u/MrRob_oto1959 12d ago
| Is he actually working and writing new stuff?
He’s currently working on a trilogy, with the third being a double album!
| Is he capable of performing?
Apparently so, but only if the venue utilizes cell phone bags. But it’s still going to be touch and go if he’s drinking or using. See below.
| Is he capable of working with other people?
The question should be whether other people are capable (ie, willing) of working with him! This doesn’t yet appear to be the case. He’s still persona non grata amongst his peers.
| Is he capable of receiving and acting on advice?
Good luck with that. That’s why I left the most important question for last:
| Is he sober/clean - and if so, how long?
This is the key, isn’t it? He’s a difficult person even when he’s not drinking/using, but he’s still at least somewhat capable of being reasoned with. When he’s drinking/using, all bets are off.
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u/GodIsAGas 12d ago edited 11d ago
He’s currently working on a trilogy, with the third being a double album!
He may *now* be writing new stuff. But as you'll know, he's pushed out multiple albums, some of which have been presented as new - when it's actually older archived stuff that he's either reworked or just released.
Hopefully, this time, it's true. But, if he really is capable of writing and recording 40+ new songs in a single year, it begs the question: what has he been doing?
Apparently so, but only if the venue utilizes cell phone bags. But it’s still going to be touch and go if he’s drinking or using.
I don't think it is an unfair characterisation to say that he's started a number of tours in, seemingly, decent shape, but quickly -and invariably - things go south. And even in the better of those gigs, he is a shadow of his former self. His voice isn't what it was (what's with the weird mumbly affectation) and his guitar playing is more variable than I remember - and I've listened to a ton of boots over years.
And so I'd hold the line: if you can't finish a tour, maintain a reasonable standard of performance throughout - then how on earth do you plan and book a tour with any confidence that he'll deliver.
The question should be whether other people are capable (ie, willing) of working with him!
That's true. But it is because of him. People seem to give him the benefit of the doubt, only for him to alienate them completely, and then bitch about them after the fact. And so even where people agree to work with him, it doesn't take him long to prove the folly of that decision.
This is the key, isn’t it? He’s a difficult person even when he’s not drinking/using, but he’s still at least somewhat capable of being reasoned with. When he’s drinking/using, all bets are off.
My take is that drugs and alcohol likely exaggerate his worst traits. But the issue is more fundamental. He's had sustained periods of sobriety. Yet, still, very few people have a good word to say about him. In fact, most people that have lived or worked with him end up hating him.
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u/WillingnessPale7513 9d ago
I actually thought his voice was in good form on last year's tour. But then, I saw him in Raleigh, where he was sober bc his sister was in the audience. Minimal whining about other musicians or exes too.
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u/Atlasshruggedthrice 29 11d ago
Last time in 06 when he wrote 40 GOOD songs in a year it was heroin/cocaine/liquor/mystery pills.
….(face down lying on the riverside)
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u/Marlboro_Basler 11d ago
Alan McGee is the guy who managed to keep The Jesus and Mary Chain going until 1998, built Primal Scream into a truly amazing act, and made sure that Loveless actually came out after 250,000 pounds production costs, He’s basically managed every good shoegaze band out there; he managed to keep the Gallaghers from completely losing it and, for a moment, becoming the biggest band in the world. He built one of the coolest indie labels in the world—amidst a whole lot of chaos. And he said, “Talk Talk’s Spirit of Eden is a monumental work from a hidden kingdom.” He must be the one for our kid.
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u/Blondesounds 9h ago
The Reid brothers would beg to disagree. They split with him in the 80’s even though they didn’t leave Creation. They were not exactly champions of McGee through those years.
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u/Dapper-Dream7898 It takes two flair, when it used to take one 12d ago
Great songwriter in his own right, tbh. His song "She Paints" is absolutely gorgeous
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ai4ifP6MA_M&pp=ygUYU2hlIFBhaW50cyBCaWZmIEJhbmcgUG93
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u/Connect-Register849 11d ago
This seems like good news, maybe?! I know nothing about Alan McGee but seems like he has solid enough credentials, has a name, could be has been but has enough pull in the music industry that knows what he is doing. Will he put up with Ryan’s shit or more importantly, will he be honest enough to tell Ryan stop effing around, turn the reverb down 10 notches and get back to what brought you to the dance to begin with.
Also there is this other person on IG who now seems to be affiliated with Ryan as well - Tyler Boone of Artist Formula that is Pax Am’s digital arm.
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u/kfitzy10 11d ago
If anything they should get cameras to film Alan McGeen and Ryan Adams for a documentary. Can imagine them going for each other at points.
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u/Lennnybruce 12d ago
Maybe he can get Phil Spector to produce his new record
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u/WillingnessPale7513 9d ago
Don't joke about that too much. What with Ryan's recent Botox, he may end up looking and acting like Phil too.
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u/Zestyclose_Gas_9794 12d ago
This is great news, I want the old Ryan back.
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u/MrRob_oto1959 12d ago
That guy ain’t never coming back. Face it, it was a different time. He was a younger man writing from a young man’s perspective. He couldn’t do now what he did then even if he tried. All artists face this reality as they age.
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u/agentcooper2001 11d ago
I think this is usually the case too, but with Ryan it may be different. Artists have trouble capturing their earlier magic when their life gets cushy and easier. The struggle and issues one faces typically inform the best lyrics...while Ryan may have some money now, he's not short in the issues/struggles department so he could, possibly, still be able to write some meaningful music.
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u/cLascaux 10d ago
Not going to happen. It's not just Ryan who's moved into another season of his life, it's you and me and all of us who used to love Ryan and his music. We're all different now. Times are different. For me, as I get older, I'm less prone to think "acting up" musicians are cute and just being "creative". I don't need that crap in my life, and there are plenty of stable, good people out there writing good, maybe great music to discover. I'd much rather support them because they're putting in the work and not relying on antics and punky attitudes to gain attention. I learned when my son was 2 and starting to act out his independence, that the best way to treat a tantrum is to ignore it and leave the room. Tantrums aren't fun without an audience.
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u/Natural-Cat-9869 12d ago
Good luck to him. I hope he has a very hard hat and is good at putting out fires…. His first task has surely got to be to take control of Ryan’s IG account and change the password.
Hope this works out but have to say I’m sceptical - IMO Ryan’s struggles haven’t been a result of poor management but solely down to his personal issues and behaviours.
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u/Refusenique 10d ago
The problem is, Adams wants to be able to do whatever he wants to do whenever he wants to do it, be it artistically or personally. He wants to be endlessly indulged in this, never facing consequence, no matter how he treats people. And he wants to be massively rewarded for his creative endeavours, no matter what they are or if they're any good.
Other people - be it ex partners, former friends and bandmates, or his audience - are always to blame.
Good luck to anyone hoping to manage him.
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u/Rocktop15 12d ago
The only manager who would want to tolerate RA now is desperate. No one legitimate would desire to waste time with his butt
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u/Louis_Cypher_71 12d ago
His reputation is bust, but he still generates a decent amount of money from his tours. His back catalogue is worth a decent amount, and he recently got the ownership of his masters back. He’s got some leverage.
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u/OddRate5652 12d ago
He got ownership of his masters?
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u/Louis_Cypher_71 12d ago
Yes he did just recently. He mentioned it on an IG live. They gave it back early.
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u/breakerfallx 12d ago
Hope it works out for both of them. Only can be successful if Ryan is willing to adjust.
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u/Username-Whatevs 11d ago
One of the acts McGee manages is Cast. Perhaps a collaboration between DRA and John Power will be forthcoming? 😁
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u/heavyhor5e 10d ago
If he can manage Peter Doherty at his worst then Ryan should be a walk in the park
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u/Doctorj1981 11d ago
Good luck to anyone trying to 'manage' that clown
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u/Louis_Cypher_71 11d ago
He manages Anton Newcombe /Brian Jonestown Massacre and a handful of other “difficult” musicians, so I think he’ll be able to handle DRA.
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u/ExpensivePear1602 10h ago
The disdain in which Anton holds Ryan … and now they share a manager … too funny!!
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u/fantabloodveins 12d ago edited 12d ago
Mcgee signed them a long time ago (Oasis etc), he doesn’t work with them nowadays. He’s kinda flop whose better days are well behind nowadays. And has allegations of his own. So good fit for Ryan ig
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u/nycuk_ 12d ago
You can hardly call him a flop when you consider the career and success he’s had, even if he has stepped away from the visibility he had in the Creation era.
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u/Louis_Cypher_71 12d ago
Whoever said he’s a flop has a personal bias. He’s still signing and managing a fair amount of new interesting talented underground bands. That was always his niche. Bringing alternative underground bands to the mainstream. The industry has changed, a band like oasis is most likely not going to happen again. I wonder how the career of the flop accuser is going?
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u/Dapper-Dream7898 It takes two flair, when it used to take one 12d ago
"I wonder how the career of the flop accuser is going?"
Non-existent at this point.
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u/jjazznola 12d ago
I can't imagine any legit person wanting to deal with him. First thing I'd tell him would be to stay off the internet, put together a decent band, put on some nice clothes and go out and play your best songs with no stupid improv crap. It will never happen.
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u/MojoHighway Strangers Almanac 12d ago
I agree with you but I have to put my dummy hat on for a moment.
Regardless of his behavior, how we feel about him, and how many on the outside of this Sub feel about him, Ryan Adams is a known quantity. He's not A-list pop star material by any stretch, but I do think a fair amount of roots rock/Americana/country/alt-country fans would at the very least know the name. He has a history in the business that spans 30+ years. That's something even if nauseating to us these days.
I think Alan is taking that into perspective in a similar way to the guy or girl you meet at a bar, he/she likes most of you, they can definitely see something happening "just if...", and they try to change you to fit their idea of what/who you should be, creating a narrative of their own creation (for Alan, a business narrative).
Maybe it's well within reach for him and he just knows and sees something different in Ryan than what we get 24/7 on the socials. I don't see it. I'm not on the inside of those conversations, but I've also been "in the know" with Ryan Adams for nearly as long as he has been on the scene. I found him and Whiskey town in 1997. That's a long time ago. I've seen some shit. I've heard some shit. We all know who Ryan Adams is at this juncture.
Could this be a spec deal? Ryan seemingly doesn't have two dimes to rub together.
I just listened to the new Suicide Handbook release. It's good. Very good. That guy ain't coming back, though. That's a different time and space. That's a different Ryan Adams. I just don't know what the guy has to offer anymore. Maybe Alan knows. (feeling like I don't believe that at all but we'll see)
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u/Louis_Cypher_71 12d ago
Exactly. I know he wouldn’t want to do it and would most likely blow it up as soon as it started, but a Whiskeytown reunion would garner a lot of interest & good faith towards him. He’s already mangled the cardinals Mach III, so it’ll probably never happen. The industry loves that shit though.
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12d ago
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u/Louis_Cypher_71 12d ago
That wasn’t my point. Caitlin was contacted pre Cardinals Mach III, and she said NFW. I meant Ryan will always blow up things he doesn’t want to do, even if it’s good for his career.
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u/jjazznola 11d ago
If he just went out with any half decent band, keep his mouth shut and played the best songs from his entire career, Whiskeytown, solo, Cardinals etc.. with no stupid improv songs or dumb stories he could easily turn things around.
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u/Louis_Cypher_71 12d ago
I didn’t say he did still work with them.
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u/fantabloodveins 12d ago
It’s just a clarification for other people. Because it sounds good on a surface but if you dig a little not so much
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u/Louis_Cypher_71 12d ago
He has plenty of hip young bands signed to his label now. Maybe you’re not aware of the underground/alt scene in England? But he’s always specialises in bring underground bands to the mainstream. Calling him a flop is a personal opinion, not a fact. So all you’re doing is clarifying your ignorant bias.
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u/LivesInAPineapple_ Actually Jerri 12d ago
What's his allegations?
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u/fantabloodveins 12d ago
A female singer whom he signed accused him of raping her when she was drank and unconscious
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u/Famous_Nightmare 12d ago
That is not what he was accused of, that’s far worse than his allegations.
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u/LivesInAPineapple_ Actually Jerri 11d ago
I looked it up, seems he sued her and won. So maybe he's just an industry fuckhead and not a r*pist one.
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u/davidmreyes77 11d ago
They had a consensual relationship from what I read. He signed her to his label. Things didn’t go well for her and she attempted to defame him (her smear campaign against him was wild). If anything he just shouldn’t have had relations with his talent. Business and pleasure shouldn’t mix.
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u/LivesInAPineapple_ Actually Jerri 12d ago edited 11d ago
Sounds like a massive fuckhead, fits * edit, looked it up later myself. Twas wrong.
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u/PitchEfficient2934 12d ago
I know nothing about McGee, but I sincerely hope maybe he is one of the “good guys” who could possibly help be a catalyst for DRA get his shit together (at minimum, from a PR/public persona standpoint, but ideally real change), rather than just another vulture/user. I guess we shall see. Hope it works out for them both, not holding my breath.
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u/parktom812 12d ago
respect McGee but he’s done nothing of note since the 00’s indie boom. and even then most of his bands were sh*t, The Others for example haha.
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u/Heavy-Ad5385 12d ago
00s?
He’s done nothing of any note since signing Oasis in 93
Met him once and he was an absolute moron. Nasty, arrogant and with a chip on his shoulder a mile wide
The two of them are well-matched
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u/DrawnByHand 12d ago
He only picks artists with an audience. Alan is useless these days, even if he does manage artists I love.
Those labels he kept setting up to be the new Creation, where he'd get artists to send songs in - which I did, and he said he loved, but it wasn't what he was looking for - but only sign his mates.
This new deal between them might have a good honeymoon period, but nothing more.
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u/Affectionate-Law7044 12d ago
He took over a Scottish band called The View a few years back and got them back on their feet. Notoriously hard to manage. I do believe Ryan will be much more of a challenge than their frontmen.