gig.

the rest will come when the time is right. If you build it, he will come.

Judging by the tone of this and your past posts, it doesn't sound like you really know that many musicians. If that's the case, then my suggestion to you is that you go find some musicians to hang out with.

From my experience of music in these parts, cracking the scene by drafting a business plan doesn't really happen, unless you're doing covers. All the successful bands I know have grown organically from social contacts - just going to see their friends' bands, getting to know other people in bands they admire, fucking about with guitars and beer, playing shit gigs for shitter money & then getting shitfaced, that kinda thing.

Just I think having a bunch of mates that have already trod that path makes it far more apparent that all the other projects (organising gigs, getting a manager, recording an album) don't require much in the way of a five-step plan or legal representation. All that business stuff is probably more important if you're about to hit the big-time, but to get that far you really need to invest in the little-time first, in which beer is a far more important consideration, especially free beer.

record deal? the way things are going all major label interest is going to leave this country in the next couple of years.

so bad luck on that one.

managers are only useful so far as organising larger shows, tours and putting you in contact with certain personalities, but not somethign you worry about from the beginning. especially seeing as you don't have any experience thus far, you won't know what you'll need from a manager. and most of the managers i've seen are useless peripheral people to the bands they manage.

a lawyer only comes into the picture if you ever get into record contracts.

if there's no label interest in new zealand by the time you get to that stage, than there's no point for them. check out APRA if you feel you need some sort of copyright/legal help i reckon.

but if you want a map - play your music, push to play with as broad a spread of styles and shows and get in contact with people already involved with music and start a discourse with them. push to get recordings and an internet presence established as soon as you can, and make sure you use only the finest white china and screw only the classiest groupies. only throw a tv out the window these days if its a plasma screen of at least 40". make sure to shit before you go on stage, releases a lot of nervous energy.