Everything needs to be regulated – including the stocking of the refrigerators.

Rainer G. Ott hands the new beer to the back, because it has a four-month longer shelf life.

The 20th birthday of the music label Grand Hotel van Cleef (GHvC) is coming up this evening at the end of August.

Of course with appearances of new and well-known artists of the label, but much smaller than previous ones.

On the 15th, 12,000 fans came to the Hamburg wholesale market.

This time there will be 2000, the tickets were sold out quickly.

Corona and the advance sales, which are currently difficult for many in the industry, played a role in the decision to go for the smaller frame, says Ott.

But everyone involved would have simply felt like spending an evening with friends, in front of and in the Knust Music Club,

Benjamin Fisher

Editor in Business.

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GHvC is an institution in the German indie world.

It was founded in 2002 by Thees Uhlmann - at that time still part of the band Tomte -, Marcus Wiebusch and Reimer Bustorff.

The latter had not found a label for their debut album with their band Kettcar and decided to take matters into their own hands.

The first office we rented was basically just a room, Bustorff recalls.

They still have the receipt for the deposit, 250 marks, somewhere.

The founders are still registered as managing directors.

Today, however, Ott and Bustorff are primarily responsible for day-to-day business.

"I always say we're reasonably business savvy"

“Basically, Thees, Marcus and I never worked full-time for the label because we are basically musicians,” says Bustorff , but over time the division shifted: “Thees first, because he is simply much more an artist than a label boss.

We have always said that he is the mouthpiece, our Federal President, and continues to formulate the newsletter and other texts.” Kettcar singer Wiebusch takes care of the in-house music publishing company.

Ott, on the other hand, somehow cheated his way in, says Bustorff with a grin.

First he took over the tour management of Kettcar, later also the management of the band and Uhlmann, then the booking and then a bit more.

The team is small with five permanent employees, good organization is practically a must - especially since some jobs are done in one person.

Ott and his colleague in management, who is also responsible for the booking branch, also go on the Kettcar and Uhlmann tours, for example.

They therefore avoid overlaps as much as possible: the office should also be staffed.

In any case, as an indie, you can't avoid a broad lineup today, says Ott: "You talk about the so-called 360-degree model when it comes to areas in which you can earn money in the music business.

We now cover all of them.” Today there is the label, the publisher, a booking division and the online shop.

In addition, there is the management and a promotional agency based in Cologne.

External companies that actually also belong to the cosmos.