Personal Touch Online Leads To Tour of The United States

(Philadelphia, PA) Webmasters aren’t exactly known for moving around a lot. Most of them become firmly planted in front of the computer, usually with a cigarette, full cup of coffee and working while the rest of the world is tucked happily in bed. Jeff Cohn of Iconmakerdesign.com was no different. What could get the web guy out of the computer chair? Cohn was hired January 2003 to be Webmaster for the industrial music group KMFDM (Sanctuary Records).

For those not familiar with the band, KMFDM is going on their 20th year in the world of underground music. They are a highly political, intelligent and very active group, releasing a new album approximately every 18 months, their biggest ‘hit’ to date was the song "Juke Joint Jezebel" from the Mortal Kombat movie soundtrack. They also have a very unique relationship with their fans. It’s not just a band and people that pay money to hear them, it’s truly a family.

When Cohn inherited the web page (KMFDM.com) he also had to organize the "Horde" database for what was their online fan club. For $50 a year the fans got a Limited Edition T-shirt, access to a "Horde Only" portion of the web site with mp3s, video and more, an autographed band photo, and a Meet-N-Greet with the band before each show on the tour.

Over the next few months, Cohn developed personal relationships with a lot of the fans and became the online liaison for the band through email and Instant Messages. When time came to go out on the road in support of the new CD "WWIII", Cohn was invited to join the band on the road and organize the fans Meet-N-Greet in person.

Traveling with the crew in a tour bus from coast to coast, he became official photographer, kept a daily online journal, press liaison and eventually was promoted to Assistant Tour Manager. "The most exciting part every day was meeting the fans", he says. "I’d wait outside before the shows and gather up all the "Horde" people for each days Meet-N-Greet. It was so much fun watching the look on their faces as they met their heroes, shared personal stories, and got autographs and pictures."

It wasn’t just the fan club people either, every day Cohn would go out and wait in the line with the fans, talking to everyone and helping to make each person’s experience with the band as personal as possible. He also kept an online journal of each day’s events and photos, both of the people in the crowd and the shows themselves, which the fans could reply to and leave their own feedback of the show. "As a web designer you never really imagine being paid to meet thousands of people that love your work, signing autographs taking pictures, and seeing the entire country for free. It was truly an amazing experience and went far beyond my expectations and dreams from when I first found out I had the job with KMFDM."

Now Cohn is home in Philadelphia. His company Iconmakerdesign.com is focusing on web design, marketing, graphic design, photography and public relations. "I plan to give the same personal care and feel to every page I do, weather it’s for a internationally famous rock band, local pizza place, model or four kids in their garage learning to play guitar with dreams of being on stage one day."

Cohn’s journal is available online here