Founder
Golden Robot Global
Entertainment Group
Years with Company: 15
Address: Suite 998 / 11-13 Clarence Street, Moss Vale NSW 2577, Australia
Email: mark@goldenrobotrecords.com
Clients: Faster Pussycat, Orgy, Gilby Clarke, Devo, Johnny Thunders, Militia Vox, The Mary Tyler Whores, Vanilla Fudge, Rose Tattoo, John Sykes, Dizzy Reed
BACKGROUND
Golden Robot Records is the little label that could. Founded by Mark Alexander-Erber, the Australian indie with global distribution through The Orchard boasts an enviable roster that includes both well-established acts and promising newcomers.
To the Moon
I’ve always been an entrepreneur. I owned about 30 pubs, and we used to do music in them. I brought the Deftones to Australia in ‘97, Fu Manchu, a lot of bands. Then I got out of pubs and did a few other things for a while—tattoo parlors and coffee shops, etc.
My son [Jagger Alexander-Erber] picked up a pair of drumsticks at an early age, and he was really good. I thought, wow, this kid’s got something. He ended up on Australia’s Got Talent when he was nine and nearly won the show. I thought, I don’t want this kid to just be a novelty. I want him to have a career. So I put him in the studio with some members of a big band from the ‘90s, and they made this great album. They called the band Moon and the album was The Orbitor.
When I shopped it around, nobody was interested. I remember standing on Kris Jenner’s driveway shouting, “You’ve got to hear this!” I’m this bald guy with tattoos. The minute she drove up, she put it in reverse, not realizing I’m a good Jewish boy from the eastern suburbs of Sydney. So I [put the album out] myself.
Taking Off
I got introduced to a successful music executive called Derek Shulman, who was president of Roadrunner Records. And he introduced me to all these people. We started doing deals. All of a sudden, Golden Robot was on the map. We released a thousand albums, had our No. 1 hits, and worked with some incredible people. I’ve had some fantastic successes and some disasters. I’ve dealt with dickhead managers and bands. I was in the middle of that Steve Riley/Tracii Guns fight, which is still going on today. I’m putting a book together, and that’s going to be part of it. But I hold my head up high because, no matter where we went wrong, we gave it a go.
Changes
I’ve retired a lot of [Golden Robot imprints], and now I’ve just got Golden Robot Records and Robot Distro. Robot Distro is taking on DistroKid, CD Baby, all that kind of stuff. And I’m getting my law degree. I’ve got time to do that, because Golden Robot sort of takes care of itself.
Recent Releases
We [released] Faster Pussycat’s new single on 7”. Today, we released Riley’s L.A. Guns, the remastered version of Renegades. There are some Australian bands that haven’t been around in a long time that are recording for us. And I’ve got a John Sykes EP coming out. He passed away in December, but we’ve got four tracks that have never been heard before.
Signing Fewer Acts
I still feel enthusiastic about what we do. I think Golden Robot Records has another 10 or 20 years ahead, because we own a big back catalog so we can fund things. But I’m a bit more wary these days with what we take on. We have 20 to 30 bands a week emailing us wanting to join. And some of those won’t suit the main roster, so we put it under Robot Distro and give them a 70/30 deal in their favor.
Doing Right by Artists
I’m here for the bands. I don’t want to lose a band over a percentage. I’ve done deals where I didn’t necessarily make any money but was happy to be involved. It’s not about the money. It’s about getting [the music] out there and doing the right thing.
Fighting Spirit
In the early days, I got ripped off. I’ve seen it all and done it all. And I’m not afraid of anybody or anything. People say, “I’ll sue you.” Go ahead. I don’t give a fuck. We will do what we need to do to protect the artists and ourselves.
The Appreciation Factor
Steve Riley (who was the drummer of L.A. Guns, W.A.S.P., and some other great bands) passed away, and I got the most beautiful letter from his widow. She broke down how supportive the label was of Steve and his legacy. Letters like that make the difference. You don’t always get thanked, but she sent this letter that I cherish.
Rock’s Not Dead
That’s the one thing I’ve always wanted with Golden Robot—to be a champion of rock ‘n’ roll. For many years, people have said, “Rock ‘n’ roll’s dead.” And I say no. Rock ‘n’ roll is back, baby. It might not be where it was, but it’s kicking ass and going to gain momentum. That’s been my vibe the whole way.
Approaching Bands and Cutting Deals
I get out there and go, “This is what I’d like to do with you. What do you think?” I approached [Devo] with this killer 7” idea, and that turned into a digital single, etc. We got involved with the thing they have each year where the fans get together. That’s just me researching and saying, “What do you think?”
And you get your knockbacks. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of gossip and innuendo in the industry. As we got bigger, a lot of others would put shit on us because they were worried that we were taking their landscape. But I did okay in the pubs, so I had a good bank balance and could pay for things.
Sounds Right
I like the Rival Sons/Black Crowes vibe. I’m chasing bands at the moment that have that feel and sound. I also like Americana/country rock. I love what we’re doing with Riley’s L.A. Guns, what Faster Pussycat are doing. Faster Pussycat’s been around longer than anyone, and they’re still relevant. They didn’t get to the heights of Motley Crüe, but they have respect. And they’ve got the best name of everyone.
Be Honest About Your Commitment Level
If you’re a great band but can only commit to the band twice a week or on weekends, that’s fine as long as we know before we set off. I had a band called The Cherry Dolls. I had them on two or three European festivals and sent the bass player an email: “In two weeks, we’re going to Germany.” And he sent back a text with his bank balance—$0.01. He said, “I’ve got no money.” So that went down the toilet, and I’d printed up 5,000 albums.
Old School, New School
We’ve got an old school approach to the way we promote and put out an album. But on the flip side, it’s very new school. Chasing the algorithms on Spotify, releasing things in a certain way so that it gets noticed, brainstorming with our artists… So we’re old and new school.
Staying Passionate
I don’t give a fuck what anyone says—nobody has passion like we do. We put our money where our mouth is. Yes, we’ve made mistakes, and we’ve had the No. 1s. But we learn as we go and love what we do. Tick the box—good PR. Tick the box—great distribution through Sony. Great marketing. Great minds. Entrepreneurial approach.
