The recent years of development in product endorsements spearheaded by Ashton Kutcher where celebrities rather invest in company then get paid for doing endorsements and then endorse it for free made me think about bands (music).

To start a band is like a startup, it actually a Lean Startup too and I guess it has always been. The record companies are the VC, but they also do a lot of other things like marketing and distribution deals. With the internet that’s all nil but the VC part. And going Lean would render the need for VC funding nil too.

Is there any Lean Bands out there that have made all the way without signing with a record company?

Are there any record companies out there that act as pure VCs?

Is there any angel for bands?

If not, why?