Semi OT: Gig Cancellation Practices

[J. Dan]

Just curious to get a consensus - how close to a gig will you cancel for a better gig?

 

We generally try to have a policy that we DON'T cancel gigs because we feel it's unprofessional. But some people book us a year at a time (every second Saturday for the whole year or whatever), so if a private party comes up in the fall and it's February, we'll cancel it. And they know booking that far in advance that some of that will happen.

 

Weddings and Private parties we won't cancel under any circumstances, but that is assuming they've sent us a 50% deposit (which bars don't do).

 

We are contractually obligated typically 15-30 days out not to cancel at bars, however, we generally tend to not cancel within 60 days, and prefer not to cancel 90-120 days out.

 

So all that being said - how far out will you cancel one gig for a better gig?

[SpaceNorman]

For me personally - I won't cancel a paying gig that I committed to - for another gig simply because it pays more. Once I've given a commitment - I'm committed. It's a matter of principle.

 

It's sorta like dating ... guys talk, word gets around. You'll find you'll never get laid once word gets out that you'll back out of date simply because a prettier one came along.

[J. Dan]

I understand and tend to agree with the exception that I kind of laid out. If it's a bar and it's 9 months out and you only have it because they arbitrarily booked every x weekend of the month... vs someone who REALLY wants you for their wedding. No skin off the bar's back vs the couple that dreams of having you for their wedding... extreme example, but just wondering.

 

I kind of guage it more by hardship. If they don't really care then why not change it. If they do, then I don't want to cause any hard feelings. Just floating it out there.

[kanker.]

Depends on the gig. I have a few steadies that are laid back - sub when you need to. I generally work on a policy that I won't give less than a weeks notice for those gigs, and that's cool with the leaders. A lot of guys would sub those kind of gigs day of. For gigs that people call to book me on, I work on a first come, first served basis. I won't cancel unless I end up on tour. I'm not going to turn down a couple of weeks of work for one gig...

[Mr. Nightime]

My band is of the mindset that if a gig comes up and we're already booked....we're already booked. We've got gigs booked into December, and we'll be there for all of them.

 

[Aidan]

Yep, once I'm booked I'm booked, although bear in mind that nearly all my gigs are weddings or private parties.

 

That said, because of the economic climate we're in, if a query has come in for a gig I put in the diary last year or 07, I will ring the client for THAT gig and discretely check that it's still on before I turn the new query away. I've had a few bookings this year fall before we even got past the contract/deposit stage.

[Phred]

I agree with 80s-LZ that a cancelation policy for a steady gig should be different than a single booking.

 

For example, if the deal that was made with the bar owner was to play every 2nd saturday for the next year, than I feel that it would be okay to cancel a gig or two within that year. Providing, of course, that you gave tons of notice. (a month or more - remember they booked the band as regulars so they wouldn't have to think about bookings).

 

To me that is completely different than sitting down with the owner and setting up a set number of gigs and Dates, based on mutual availablility (ie. the band will play these 6 dates this year). To me, you don't cancel those gigs.

 

My old band had a standing gig every thursday at a small local club. It was understood that if we couldn't do it, we would find another band that could. Towards the end of that arranagement, we ended up splitting the time with another band, we would do one week and they would do the next. As our band gradually parted ways, they took it over.

[Mr. Nightime]

 

To me that is completely different than sitting down with the owner and setting up a set number of gigs and Dates, based on mutual availablility (ie. the band will play these 6 dates this year). To me, you don't cancel those gigs.

 

 

That's exactly the situation with us, and the exact reason we don't cancel.

 

If one of us has a family commitment, we'll make it known ahead of time, and we leave that time open.

 

 

[DanL]

I generally won't change a booking. I recently had to turn down a good 2 day gig at a resort because we were already booked at a club that we play regularly. I just can't do that to the club who gave us our 1st gig and has booked us every month since then. It was only a couple weeks notice and his advertising was already published. If it had been more than a month, I'd have asked him if he could move us to another weekend. He will ask me to move things now and then and he's easy going so it's never a problem.

[Mike Davis]

This just came up for me a couple of days ago. I play a circuit of (mostly Unity) churches. I got a call to play a large church for a lot of money on a day when I was already booked at a much smaller one. I called the smaller church and asked them if we could shift to a different day. I made it 100% clear that if it was even the least amount of hassle for them that I would honor their date. They were happy with that approach and gladly helped me out.

 

The dates in question are two months away. If it was much closer I probably would have just kept what I had.

 

 

[Blue JC]

It all depends on the gig. In my circuit, most club gigs are booked every two weeks for a year. That's 130 gigs per year over five clubs. It is understood that some of those will have to be subbed out.

 

If something juicy comes up, we simply call the owner and tell him that. We're completely honest about it. If we or he can cover the date to his satisfaction, then it's no big deal. If it's a high-profile gig, the publicity is ultimately good for the club and the successful club owners understand that.

 

You really only get in trouble when you're not honest. They always find out and it has been the downfall of many a young band.