August Moon Productions: Leigh Sand Ulrich CEO & John Bygott, Executive Director
DO NOT pay anyone a fee for management or artist development services!
Leigh Sand, who also goes by the name Leigh Ulrich. She may also spell her first name 'Lee'. She is the CEO of August Moon Productions.
John Bygott is her live in boyfriend and says he is the Executive Director and VP Finance.
This is what happened to us:
On Nov 22, 2002 we won approximately $10, 000 (amount includes interest and penalties) Small Claim Lawsuit against Leigh Sand (Ulrich) and August Moon Productions. In July 2004 we were awarded an additional $10, 000 in costs by Superior Court for another lawsuit that August Moon Productions initiated and discontinued when it was evident we were going to win a motion for security for costs (due to the fact that Leigh Sand Ulrich was suing me using a defunct company that has no money/assets). The Executive Director and VP Finance of August Moon Productions is John Bygott. To date the defendants have paid only $400 of the Small Claims Court Lawsuit into court. They have not paid any money on the Superior Court Lawsuit.
August Moon Productions usually charges a fee for 'artist development and management services'. They are located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Before signing with them, or anyone else offering a similar deal, I recommend you talk to me first. We are not the only band that has shared similar experiences with Leigh Sand (aka Leigh Ulrich) and August Moon Productions. If you wish, I can fax you court documents so you can see what happened to us. Or if you wish to reivew the entire file, please visit Small Claims Court Office 80 Dundas St. London, Ontario, Canada and ask to see File 858/01. These are public records that anyone can review however they may charge you a $10 fee to do so. I will be putting up pdf files on this site when I have the time.
If anyone has shared a similar experience and/or can provide information that will assist in the collection of the money awarded us (i.e. where Leigh Sand, aka Leigh Ulrich works, banks, where she moves to if she changes addresses or changes her phone number, or if she changes her name) please forward this information to the email listed below or call (519) 852-9185.
The lesson we have learned is DO NOT pay anyone money to manage your or develop your career, no matter what they promise in return or sign in a contract or letter of agreement. If a potential manager thinks they can make money off of your musical talents, they will not charge a fee for this. Instead, they will ask for a managers commission on your future earnings (usually between 10 to 20%).
These are affidavits from 2 other bands that were signed with August Moon Productions:
Affidavit #1:
'Declan Nine entered into a contractual agreement with August Mon in the fall of 2000. In return for $5000 paid to August Moon, the following services were promised:
1. A professional photography package.
2. A development plan
3. A record by the end of the contract (18 months)
4. Career Development.
During the course of the contract August Moon:
*Cut off all communication for approx 1 month during a move of offices
*Arranged for a photography session that cnsisted of a friend and contriubutor to Aguust Moon taking pictures on a standard cameria in the backyard of August Moon's office. The photo shoot was amateur and not professional as promised in the contract.
*The promo package developed was a step down from the one we had when we met. The package took the info and layou we had designed on our own, placed it in a black folder along with a photocopied picture of the band. Despite our repeated insistence on using professional photography paper as is industry standard. We feel that any respect we might have had in the industry was severely diminished by the poor quality of the promotional package.
*Staff employed by August Moon were not up to porfessional calibre. They were inexperiencded and therefore could not provide the services we paid for. As a band, we were given professional advice from Vice-President John (Bygott), who's own claim of musical experience was that he used to play in a band in high school.
*August Moon willingly withheld important services they were PAID to perform. August Moon site many problems with the band that were claimed were "the problem" yet never mentioned to us while under contract.
*In general, our career was not developed as promised. According to the business plan, we were to develop through live shows that wer never booked, save for 3 shows at the lowly 360 Club and 2 shows at the Rivoli. Throughout an 18 month span, we found this to be unacceptable.
*We never received a professionally mastered copy of the showcase video as promised.
In return for $5000 Declan Nine was thoroughly disappointed by their association with August Moon"
Sincerely,
Brandan Brown, Declan Nine (June 14, 2002)
Affidavit #2
"I Lani Marisa Golden Billard... make oath and say as follows:
I entered into a contract with Leigh Sand ("Leigh") and August Moon Productions Inc ("August Moon") in December 2000. As part of the contract Leigh asked for a fee of five thousand dollars to show my good faith and commitment ot the contract and to our relationship. When I signed the contract and paid the fee I did so with the promise that Leigh and August Moon would initiate and carry out many areas of my career development. For example, she had told me that she would take care of business management strategy, image consultation, music consultation, production and promotion. Before entering the contract with Leigh I had a number of conversations with her in which she stressed that she was very well connected in the music industry. She also stressed that she had a number of investors with whom she had arranged for a significant sum of money that she would use to carry out her responsibilities under the contract. It was due to these statements that I entered into the contract. In my one year with Leigh and August Moon, it became clear that not only did she not have these said connections, she also did not have the financial backing that she had guaranteed.
Leigh and August Moon failed to provide any of the management services she had promised in the contract. Throughout this time period, she becamse increasingly defensive and manipulative when questioned about the status of the project often saying "don't you trust me? " As a result of Leigh's and August Moon's failure to provide any services for which I had contracted I have commenced a legal action against both of them for misrepresentation and breach of contract"
SWORN before me at Toronto on this 21 day of October, 2002
Lorraine
London, Ontario
Canada
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