Season 2 · Episode 7
Former manager of The Police, Sting, R.E.M. and Black Sabbath. 45 years of rock music. One clear conviction: you can't manufacture a rock star.
Steve Tannett has spent 45 years at the heart of rock music - from playing guitar in Menace at the Roxy Club alongside The Clash and the Sex Pistols, to managing The Police, Sting and R.E.M. for Miles Copeland, to building Marshall Records from a single act into one of the UK's most respected rock labels. He signed The Alarm, worked with Black Sabbath and Ronnie James Dio, and discovered The Molotovs at 15 years old in a Camden pub. Today he runs Marshall Records - home to Nova Twins, The Molotovs and a growing roster of artists who are doing it for themselves.
Duration: 55 minutes
Season: 2 · Episode 7
Also available: Audio only on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Acast
The origin story: Steve Tannett left school at 15 to play guitar. By the time punk hit London he was on stage at the Roxy Club - and one night Miles Copeland walked in, offered to record them, and changed everything. Within hours, Menace were booked into Pathway Studios - the same room where Squeeze, Dire Straits and Elvis Costello had made their first records. "He walked in, never met us before. 'Yeah, you guys were pretty good. You want to make a record?' And he walked out."
What makes a real rock legend: 45 years of working with the greats -Tony Iommi, Ronnie James Dio, Jeff Beck, Sting - has given Steve a clear answer. True rock stars are the ones who don't work too hard at being rock stars. "When I went to meet Tony Iommi, I knocked on the door expecting Lurch to answer. He said, 'All right, come on in. You want a cup of tea?' That's a real legend."
Marshall Records and The Molotovs: The story of signing The Molotovs - 15 years old, playing a Marshall event, dad calling time at the end because Matt had school in the morning - is the clearest illustration of what Steve looks for: bands doing it for themselves, not waiting for someone to make it happen. "The thing that really attracted me was the lack of pretentiousness. They were doing it for themselves."
Grassroots and the future: Steve is unambiguous about the grassroots venue crisis. Without the Roxy, there's no Menace. Without the Camden pub, there's no Molotovs. Without Ed Sheeran turning up again and again with his guitar, there's no Ed Sheeran. "If we lose that grassroots, where are those Ed Sheerans going to play?"
"You can't manufacture a rock star."
- On what labels consistently get wrong about artist development
"True stardom is remembering that you're just a human being"
- On Tony Iommi, Sting and what real legends have in common
"If we lose the grassroots, where are those Ed Sheerans going to play?"
- On why small venues are the most important infrastructure in music
The Blinding Talent Music Industry Podcast is hosted by Mark Adams - founder of Blinding Talent and former Director of Music Programming at Channel 4. Equal parts campfire stories and practical insight, each episode is an in-depth conversation with a senior figure from across the music industry.
If you're an independent artist who found this episode useful, Blinding Talent works with artists at every stage - from Spotify growth and social media management to 1:1 artist development with Mark Adams.
Everything Steve talks about in this episode - the grassroots, the determination, the long game - is what we build our approach around.
Steve Tannett is the Director of Marshall Records and a veteran music industry figure with 45 years of experience across artist management, A&R and label management. He was the manager of The Police, Sting and R.E.M. through Miles Copeland's management company, and later worked with Black Sabbath, Ronnie James Dio and Glenn Matlock. He founded and runs Marshall Records - home to Nova Twins and The Molotovs.
Marshall Records is a record label founded by Steve Tannett in partnership with the Marshall amplifier brand. Established around 2016, the label focuses on rock and alternative artists and is known for artist-friendly deals with short master retention. Current and recent artists include Nova Twins and The Molotovs.
Steve Tannett worked closely with Miles Copeland's management company and was involved in the management of The Police, Sting and R.E.M. He also worked with Black Sabbath (during the Ronnie James Dio era), Glenn Matlock and Ginger Baker, among others across a 45-year career in the music industry.
The Blinding Talent Music Industry Podcast is hosted by Mark Adams - founder of Blinding Talent and former Director of Music Programming at Channel 4. Each episode features an in-depth conversation with a senior music industry figure. Guests have included Sol Parker (Wasserman), Colin Barlow, Judd Lander, Jacqui Quaife, Vanessa Warwick and Steve Tannett.
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