Lookout...

[llivermore]

bummer for Lookout!, but mostly for the 6 people who just lost their jobs. too bad they couldn't work something out, though I hardly believe that this is about money (Greenday are MILLIONAIRES many times over). Brad is correct... it's easy to dig yourself into a hole.

It's about money, and also about bad faith. Lookout has been failing to pay Green Day (and other bands) for years now, and apparently using the money instead to put out a series of terrible records that very few people wanted to buy.  Gambling on new bands is part of what a record label does, but you don't do it with other people's money.  Green Day could have taken their records away several years ago when Lookout first breached their contract, but they were generous enough to allow Lookout to keep licensing the records in hopes that the label would get back on its feet.  No matter how rich a band is, they shouldn't be expected to subsidize a failing label forever, especially when that label isn't doing anything particularly worthwhile.  Sorry if that sounds harsh, but it kind of makes me sick to see what's happened to a label I put so much of my heart and soul into.

[JesseChrist]

It's about money, and also about bad faith. Lookout has been failing to pay Green Day (and other bands) for years now, and apparently using the money instead to put out a series of terrible records that very few people wanted to buy.  Gambling on new bands is part of what a record label does, but you don't do it with other people's money.  Green Day could have taken their records away several years ago when Lookout first breached their contract, but they were generous enough to allow Lookout to keep licensing the records in hopes that the label would get back on its feet.  No matter how rich a band is, they shouldn't be expected to subsidize a failing label forever, especially when that label isn't doing anything particularly worthwhile.  Sorry if that sounds harsh, but it kind of makes me sick to see what's happened to a label I put so much of my heart and soul into.

I think I should go and by all the Lookout albums I don't have but want before they go under, huh?

[Nicole]

any big lookout records 'fan' knows that pre and post larry livermore lookout= 2 different labels.
It is sad that they messed this up for the people that worked there, and for green day, but that label hasn't been the same in years and if it does go 'down' now it wont be as sad as how it's already kinda 'died' in comparison to how great it used to be.

*note i don't know anyone who works there or how buisness used to be or is now run, i'm speaking only from a record buyer's perspective.

[THICK]

I personally like Ted Leo, The Reputation, Communique, Mary Timony, The Dollyrots, Engine Down et al. but again, it's not about money or even bad faith. It's about principal. I get it.   

[Trevor]

Perhaps bad business decisions can lead to unintentional screwing.

i'd say that's probably pretty accurate.  just guessing...

[Trevor]

I personally like Ted Leo, The Reputation, Communique, The Dollyrots  

all great bands and performers, and these acts made me question the lookout bashing as of late (although i am as guilty as anyone).  i guess i see the bigger picture though, for every good album lookout has put out in recent years, there have been ten awful albums to bury the good one.

[ChaddDerkins]

Wow, this is fucking crazy.  I wonder how this is gonna go down.

[Kyle Serlington]

Lookout has been failing to pay Green Day (and other bands) for years now, and apparently using the money instead to put out a series of terrible records that very few people wanted to buy. 

Didn't this happen to Enemy You? I heard that the royalties made from Bubble Boy were put toward's Chris' band instead of being used for the next EY album or something like that.

[SeymourGlass]

Kyle-

No, not literally, I just made a joke in our newsletter. Lookout almost never paid us royalties and stalled releasing our album even though they made a bunch of money putting our song on a commercial. When we decided to release the record on Red Scare I just made a comment that the money they made off the song must have gone to The Pattern (whose advertising budget alone was $40,000), and they didn't have enough money to pay for our recording ($5,000), so that's why we were going. Later we pulled our old stuff from them too.

Keep in mind that Avail, Screeching Weasel, The Lillingtons, The Crimnals, The Groovie Ghoulies, and others all did this before Green Day did. Green Day were nice enough to wait around when they could have pulled their albums years ago.

-David Jones/Enemy You

[Jay Mazeffect]

I wonder what the current roster of Lookout (people like Dr. Frank, Ted Leo) think about this...as well as the former people (Ben Weasel).....Have they weighed in about this anywhere yet? Just curious...

[Pop_Sounds]

Wow, have you guys checked the comments on punknews.org? EVERYONE is saying "Fuck Green Day for fucking the label that got them big"

It's hilarious!!!!!

[kelly lynn]

Wow, have you guys checked the comments on punknews.org? EVERYONE is saying "Fuck Green Day for fucking the label that got them big"

It's hilarious!!!!!

they don't know what's up.

<gratuitous use of hipster lingo> poseurs. </gratuitous use of hipster lingo>

[Trevor]

i don't really bother with any board other than this one.  i sometimes read the threads on punknews.org...but after about seven seconds i realize i want to get sick...so i stop.

[last]

Why the fuck would you screw over the one band that can afford good lawyers, has good management, etc.? What a bonehead move. They had to have seen this coming.

[leftoffthedial]

As someone who worked there for 7 years, I can say this has been a long time coming and Green Day is completely justified in their actions. Lookout has been doing this to bands for years now and they finally pushed it too far with the one band they should have made sure was paid at all costs. Green Day threatened to pull their records a few years ago when Lookout was doing this same thing but decided to leave their records on the label and give them another chance to hold up their end of the contract, which obviously didn't happen.

I know not all the employees are exceptionally bummed about it. While it obviously is no fun to lose your job, they all knew this day was coming and will be just fine.

[Pop_Sounds]

I wonder if there's a chance the people at Lookout just didn't want to run a label anymore, and let it go to shit on purpose.

[M.W.]

I wonder if there's a chance the people at Lookout just didn't want to run a label anymore, and let it go to shit on purpose.

I'm pretty sure that if that were the case, they wouldn't have had all that much trouble selling the label.

[Mikeage]

Its probably only a matter of time I'd imagine until they lose Op Ivy too. I can see Tim Armstrong making shitloads by rereleasing it on Hellcat remastered with new photos and extra tracks and maybe enhanced with videos or something.

[Zorak Ramone]

Wow, have you guys checked the comments on punknews.org? EVERYONE is saying "Fuck Green Day for fucking the label that got them big"

It's hilarious!!!!!

that's typical of the punknews.org comment section. i can't even read that thing anymore.

[Jenna]

Adam and I were talking the other day about how this board should go to other boards and stage coups.

Maybe we should start there.

[Pop and Beans]

Umm, I think punknews.org people would fit right in here.
Witness the genius comment as followed:


"green day?...eh...more like Green FAG HAHAHHAHAHAHA

Lookout!...more like... FAGout! HAHHAHAHAHHAHA

1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours... more like... 1,069/Queered out Queery hours HAHAHHAHA

Kerplunk!...more like... Kerplunk! we like it in the BUTT HAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHA

operation ivy...more like ... Operation Queermosy HAHAHHAHAHAH

the QUeers...eh more like...Le Queers HAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAH

Mr. T experience...eh...more like ... Mr. Meh Experience HAHAHHAHAHHAHAH GAY

Shake the sheets...more like....shake the shits!!!!!!!!! AHAHAHHAHAHAH"


Pure Genius!

[Jenna]

Umm, I think punknews.org people would fit right in here.
Witness the genius comment as followed:


"green day?...eh...more like Green FAG HAHAHHAHAHAHA

Lookout!...more like... FAGout! HAHHAHAHAHHAHA

1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours... more like... 1,069/Queered out Queery hours HAHAHHAHA

Kerplunk!...more like... Kerplunk! we like it in the BUTT HAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHA

operation ivy...more like ... Operation Queermosy HAHAHHAHAHAH

the QUeers...eh more like...Le Queers HAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAH

Mr. T experience...eh...more like ... Mr. Meh Experience HAHAHHAHAHHAHAH GAY

Shake the sheets...more like....shake the shits!!!!!!!!! AHAHAHHAHAHAH"


Pure Genius!

You made these up, right?














Please say yes.

[Jeff]

Fuck that...please say no.  I want...nay, NEED...to believe that people are saying shit like that.

I use elipses a lot.

[Pop and Beans]

You made these up, right?

I say this person is a future pop punk bored member in the making...

[Nicole]

haha... "......................more like.. ......le queers'

the poster must have been joking at least.