Thirty years in any industry is a massive achievement, but when your chosen field of operations is music then those thirty years can often seem like plenty more.
It’s a commonly held belief for those outside of the industry – but an overwhelming fact for those in it – that only the randomly selected few can ever hope to realise their personal dreams or lofty ambitions that accompany a sudden and meteoric rise up the ladder of the arts.
Most are in it for the love and social experiences provided by a career in music, comfortable with the reality that their passion and commitment will not be felt and/or appreciated by those not in the immediate inner circle.
And that’s just from a performer’s position.
“To be on the same page of what’s going on at the time is important for both parties.”
Peter Kotevski
There are other areas of the music industry that are far less glamorous and infinitely more demanding.
Areas where you have to deal not only with fellow musicians or artists, but also those on the other side of the musical fence such as promotors and business interests.
These people are the unsung heroes of the industry, often caught between a rock and a hard place playing the intermediary between two highly probably warring parties.
So when you hear that someone on this side of the musical playground is on the cusp of celebrating the triple decade milestone you should nod silently in appreciation and acknowledgment for having the mental fortitude, patience and stamina to survive where countless others have failed.
Sydney-based label Battlegod Productions, founded in 1984 by Peter Kotevski, is officially the longest running heavy metal label in Australia. Built from the ground up by Kotevski – who still holds the reins today – Battlegod Productions boasts musicians such as Tony Martin (former Black Sabbath vocalist), Tony Mills (ex-Shy/TNT vocalist) and Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear vocalist) as part of their worldwide roster, but it is a sustained commitment to nurturing those in his own back yard that has seen Kotevski endure the many tribulations that inevitably arise in a prolonged tenure in the music industry.
HEAVY sat down for a chat with Ktevski recently to find out more about Battlegod Productions and their servitude to the Australian music community.
“I sign up bands internationally, worldwide,” he replied when asked to detail his role within Battlegod Productions. “I do a lot of promo and distribution and marketing on a local and international scale. I deal with people like Rock Hard magazine and a few others around Europe as well. I’ve been doing it for many years now. It’s had its moments and ups and downs, but it’s cool.”
With many bands not understanding or possibly not even caring about spending their time building their brand before rushing into things, we ask Peter what are some of the basics an emerging band needs to understand before approaching a label.
“I like a band to be pretty much on the ball,” he said. “When I set up interviews for them, I expect them to be done by a certain date. I like bands to have good production when they offer me something. If it’s someone that’s well-known or a known artist or band I accept hearing their demo material to get an idea of what their stuff is like. I like a band to be reliable at the same time, and not just for business. I like to get to know my bands on a personal level as well. That’s what I have done with all my bands. They have all become friends along the way which is pretty cool. They say never mix business with pleasure, but I do it all the time, and it seems to work fine for me.”
In the full interview, Peter talks more about services provided by Battlegod Productions, steps you need to take to progress in the world of music, working with Tony Martin, how he plans to celebrate Battlegod’s 30th birthday next year, his early vision for Battlegod and how it has changed since, evolving with the ever-changing musical landscape, convert events and more.
