#1626673 - 06/25/03 04:32 AM
Have you ever walked out on a gig?
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Tedster
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Registered: 09/21/00
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Club owners, what can I say? Some are cool, some are total jerks.
There have been a couple of times in recent memory where I've quite nearly walked on a gig...usually over volume-related issues (and believe me, we don't play loud). In both cases, the club owner wanted the band to play at or below jukebox level. I nearly walked out both times. Now, mind you, being a day gigger, I can do that...and in both cases I didn't, not because I didn't want to, but because someone else in the band needed the money.
When is enough enough? And, what creative strategies do you all employ to avoid such scenarios?
_________________________
"Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine...(WAH WAH WAH WAHHH!)"
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#1626674 - 06/25/03 04:38 AM
Re: Have you ever walked out on a gig?
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djarrett
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Registered: 09/12/00
Posts: 1693
Loc: Nashville,TN,UNITED STATES
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We were booked to play 3rd and Lydsey in Nashville (a great club). We were playing in a successions of bands (in other words ... we were not the opening act, rather, just one of three bands playing).
When we arrived, the club's entertainment manager informed us that we would not be using our gear, as the band after us had a ridder and "had" to use their own gear. To avoid multiple set-up and tear downs, they wanted us to all use their drums, keyboards, guitar and bass amps.
WE WALKED!
DJ
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#1626675 - 06/25/03 04:44 AM
Re: Have you ever walked out on a gig?
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Addix Metzatricity
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Registered: 07/01/02
Posts: 2171
Loc: Charm City
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I walked once...
My band, back in Vegas, played at a certain club more than others. If that club had had a house band, we would be it. They'd always treated us well and paid us well-er.
Anyway, one night we come in for sound check and the owner tells us that we have to be done by midnight 'cause a hip-hop DJ is spinnin' (We didn't START 'till 11). WHAT?! He had ample time to tell us, at least a week. We walked... I can't recall if we ever played there again.
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#1626676 - 06/25/03 11:40 AM
Re: Have you ever walked out on a gig?
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DWBass
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Registered: 01/06/02
Posts: 728
Loc: I'm Over Here Now!
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Money Issue!
Make sure you get a contract to play no matter what type of venue. We were promised, and agreed on, $600 for a particular gig. We get there, set up and am ready to start playing when the band leader stops us and says they are only giving us $400! Said he never promised us $600! The band leader asks us what we wanna do?! I packed up my shit and left!
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#1626677 - 06/25/03 12:28 PM
Re: Have you ever walked out on a gig?
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CMDN
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Registered: 11/13/01
Posts: 6058
Loc: Philadelphia,PA,UNITED STATES
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I've never walked out on a gig unless something completely prevented me from playing (i.e. police raid, someone gets in a car accident, venue catches fire, etc).
Basically, if we show up with gear, we're playing unless someone clearly gives a good reason why we shouldn't.
We suffered for our art... now it's your turn.
_________________________
\m/
Erik
Where are we going, and why am I in this handbasket?
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#1626678 - 06/25/03 03:27 PM
Re: Have you ever walked out on a gig?
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DC
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Registered: 01/17/01
Posts: 2706
Loc: here to eternity...
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Don't think we ever did but almost did once. We get this call from the agent to play a private party and the directions are weird, so we get there and it's like a biker gang and they want us to play in a barn. It had been raining and it was just mud city. We were all sorta scared and checking about and the guys tell us, "Hey, we were afraid a band might back out which is why we called an agency."
So anyway, we backed the box truck up to the back barn door and set up a really sparce set up; about half the PA, the drummer just set up four of his drums etc. and we played. They turned out to be a great appreciative crowd and we ended up really enjoying it.
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#1626679 - 06/25/03 03:38 PM
Re: Have you ever walked out on a gig?
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Rick K.
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Registered: 07/05/01
Posts: 1659
Loc: phoenix,AZ,UNITED STATES
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Never. I honor my commitments. I have made some bad decisions and have learned several lessons.
I feel as if my sphere is too small, and my word important. I'd like to think that whoever hires me/us can count on us no matter what.
Now if the club owner wouldn't honor theirs, I'd consider my commitment moot. There has been a recent event where we struck stage after our gig because the owner told us he wasn't going to be able to pay us for the next weekend because he was broke and decided to hire a DJ. He was out of business within 2 weeks of our departure. I considered that HIS fault. (BTW, I know a kick butt club that's for sale in Phoenix if anyone's intersted!)
Rick
Rick
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#1626680 - 06/25/03 05:07 PM
Re: Have you ever walked out on a gig?
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Addix Metzatricity
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Registered: 07/01/02
Posts: 2171
Loc: Charm City
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Originally posted by DC:
Don't think we ever did but almost did once. We get this call from the agent to play a private party and the directions are weird, so we get there and it's like a biker gang and they want us to play in a barn. It had been raining and it was just mud city. We were all sorta scared and checking about and the guys tell us, "Hey, we were afraid a band might back out which is why we called an agency."
So anyway, we backed the box truck up to the back barn door and set up a really sparce set up; about half the PA, the drummer just set up four of his drums etc. and we played. They turned out to be a great appreciative crowd and we ended up really enjoying it.
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#1626681 - 06/25/03 06:53 PM
Re: Have you ever walked out on a gig?
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DC
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Registered: 01/17/01
Posts: 2706
Loc: here to eternity...
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Originally posted by Addix Metzatricity: Except for the bikers and the mud, that sounds like a lot of fun!
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#1626682 - 06/25/03 07:23 PM
Re: Have you ever walked out on a gig?
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BenLoy
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Registered: 03/22/01
Posts: 3974
Loc: NYC, NY ,UNITED STATES
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The only time we walked out on a gig is when I was playing in a jazz quartet that had been booked into a scary Long Island sports bar: The kind of place where anything outside of "Sweet Home Alabama" is met with violence. 
We started off with "All Blues" right when we were supposed to play, 10:00pm, but were immediately told in curse-laden language by the bouncer to stop. "You start playing when we say so!!!" he bellowed at us.
We sat waiting for them tell us to play.
And waited.
And waited.
After an hour, I tried to approach the owner. He stood with his back to me for ten minutes as he talked to one of the bouncers...deliberately ignoring me.
I couldn't understand what was going on...this guy booked live music all the time, knew we played jazz beforehand, and we had brought a crowd...why wasn't he letting us play?
Finally he turned around and asked him if we could play yet. He said no. I told him that, in that case, we were leaving. He stood there, twiddled his thumbs for a second, and said "okay". Then he turned his back to me again. The two 300-lb solid muscle bouncers accompanying him made me think I should be on my way and be happy about it.
Then as we were packing up, a drunken regular approached us saying "You fuckers aren't playing? They made me pay five bucks to get in and now you're not playing? I oughta kill you fuckers!" Thankfully his blood alcohol level seemed so high that he could barely stand...we didn't take him seriously. We also didn't turn our back on him until we were unloaded and out of there.
Ugh.
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#1626683 - 06/25/03 09:04 PM
Re: Have you ever walked out on a gig?
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Tedster
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Registered: 09/21/00
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Originally posted by BenLoy:
We started off with "All Blues" right when we were supposed to play, 10:00pm, but were immediately told in curse-laden language by the bouncer to stop. "You start playing when we say so!!!" he bellowed at us.
Thanks Ben!
_________________________
"Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine...(WAH WAH WAH WAHHH!)"
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#1626684 - 06/25/03 11:25 PM
Re: Have you ever walked out on a gig?
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BenLoy
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Registered: 03/22/01
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Loc: NYC, NY ,UNITED STATES
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It was the first time any of us had ever encountered treatment like that from a clubowner...we were so surprised we kind of didn't know what to do for a while...
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#1626685 - 06/26/03 12:08 AM
Re: Have you ever walked out on a gig?
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Tedster
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Registered: 09/21/00
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Originally posted by BenLoy:
It was the first time any of us had ever encountered treatment like that from a clubowner...we were so surprised we kind of didn't know what to do for a while...
That would for me be behavior from a bar owner conducive to trying to "blackball" the bastard, asking all the other bands around the area not to play there, or to play there at their own risk.
_________________________
"Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine...(WAH WAH WAH WAHHH!)"
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