venue misbooking

Subject: BS: venue misbooking
From: GUEST,Claire
Date: 10 Mar 03 - 01:58 PM

I am so mad!!!

I had 2 gigs booked at a local bar for the St. Pat's weekend and I had carefully figured out how we could fit these in with all our other gigs (7 others). I called to confirm today. The manager had booked us on 3 dates, not 2, and at totally different times than we had agreed to. We will have to really struggle to make these times and even then we will be late starting. I had called to confirm the times about 3 weeks ago, and he said they were good. I had asked about the 3rd gig and he said he hadn't worked it out, but would get back to me....HA.

All of that besides, the guy said it was my fault and that I said we would be there. NOT SO....but I have no proof and no recourse. I would never have booked a gig to start at the same time another one ended across town. If we didn't need the money, and if it wouldn't hurt our reputation around town, I would just cancel them all.

I am also furious with myself because I did not send a contract and it was a new venue for us. I haven't heard any rumors about the venue, though. I guess this is a warning to those out there.... you can't miss doing a contract even once, or you may get bitten.

Claire

Subject: RE: BS: venue misbooking
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 11 Mar 03 - 11:12 AM

Claire, (I brought this (useful) thread up, because it was about to disappear. This should not be in the B,S. section. It's music and you may get interesting responses. Just ask a Joe-clone to move it into the Music section.

Rick

Subject: RE: venue misbooking
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 11 Mar 03 - 08:13 PM

Simply Cancel it! Get your facts in order....and if you manage to get another gig....post some flyers near the offending club explaining WHY you're not playing there. Be soooo courteous that it hurts, and don't exaggerate one thing. He played hardball with you (cuz he could) Play a bit of hardball back.

This shit ALWAYS happens around St Paddy's.

Cheers

Rick

P.S. Find a copy of KENNY RODGERS' book on "How to make it in the Music biz" It's an excellent book.....even if yer not a fan.

Subject: RE: venue misbooking
From: breezy
Date: 12 Mar 03 - 01:10 PM

I once did 3 gigs on St Pats day but that was being greedy so 7 is a haul.
Cosider this .no gig is a banker.

Subject: RE: venue misbooking
From: GUEST,Claire
Date: 12 Mar 03 - 01:46 PM

Dear Catters:

It was so nice to have a place to unload, so thank you all. I have calmed down a bit since, so thought I would report what we actually did.

After I got off the phone I called my band mate and asked her to take over the negotiations. Figuring that I was beyond reason. She contacted the venue and arranged to take the gigs.   We asked my husband to haul and set up sound so that we could make a couple of the dates and one date, we will just be late.

We decided that not taking the gigs was really not an option. There are not that many venues in our City and pissing off a venue is just not good business for us in the long run. However, we will definintely get things in writing in the future.

I am curious, do most of you send out contracts to pubs. I always send them for events, but usually not pub gigs.

Thanks, Claire

Subject: RE: venue misbooking
From: pattyClink
Date: 12 Mar 03 - 02:01 PM

They do something in Hollywood called a 'deal memo' that might be helpful. Just a brief letter saying 'just to confirm what we agreed on yesterday' and then spell out the when, where, money, and any special needs.

This gives the guy (and his hapless assistants who may be the ones ACTUALLY making the schedule) something to thumbtack on the bulletin board and helps them REMEMBER what they agreed to.

Subject: RE: venue misbooking
From: GUEST,Claire
Date: 18 Mar 03 - 02:24 PM

I thought it might be interesting to give an update.

We did the above mentioned gig, all three dates, and went out of our way to be accomodating and, of course, entertaining. My husband even hauled sound around so that we could make the owner's scheduled dates and times.

Although no responsibility was taken for the misbooking, the guy paid us a tip (not too common in the pub scene), and told us that he would like to book us regularly in the future.

So, there you go...

Claire

Subject: RE: venue misbooking
From: wysiwyg
Date: 26 Mar 03 - 10:59 AM

Our bishop asked us, when he was up in our remote area for his annual visitation, to do the music for the annual diocesan summer camp. It's a week-long thing, and he said the diocesan youth minister would be in touch to arrange it. I just learned that she and the rest of the committee (they have no chair, either, just a group of amateurs with paychecks) have asked someone else to do the music. The youth missioner apparently has no idea she just managed to piss off the rector of the largest parish up here (who has been resourcing the smaller parishes out of the goodness of his heart, who is part of the band).... and his wife, the band leader (who has been playing at these same small farflung parishes just for gas money so that they will not fail entirely and close up shop due to lack of service music). Ooops.

Sometimes people just have no idea the backflips they are causing musicians to do. I was midway through my own prep for the event, since it was to involve a whole lot of special camp songs they do there that no one else does..... not to mention the difficulty of rearranging two schedules for busy working people and gigging musicians....

~Susan

Subject: RE: venue misbooking
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Mar 03 - 02:41 PM

That sucks. But don't make assumptions about who was rude. Maybe the bishop forgot to mention it, maybe he told the ym you might or might not be in touch, yada, yada.   Or, maybe since it's a summer break they had already decided they wanted completely different music than they hear the rest of the year or in prior years, and didn't know how to tell you that straight out sooner. ? But it still sucks!

Subject: RE: venue misbooking
From: wysiwyg
Date: 26 Mar 03 - 02:50 PM

Well the person I spoke with today was very rude, just on her own, and for the rest, it's just typical of how acoustic musicians are so often treated-- could not possibly be serious, busy, working professionals, right, must be just KumBaYah at the drop of a hat, always willing to volunteer... and no, it's not that they want something different, WE would have been the something different... and the problem here is a committee with no captain, with no single member able to synthesize without a leader-- it would have been so simple just to honor both commitments. "Wow, we have several people for this year, how can we spread them arond..." Just clueless amateurs.

Wish I could say better for them but that's it, really. I think they've seen too many beach-blanket movies and westerns. You know, where the instruments come out of nowhere by magic and everyone knows the songs, and the instruments are all in tune.

~S~

Subject: RE: venue misbooking
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 26 Mar 03 - 04:09 PM

Susan, yup that sucks. They're probably the same people that will call in a couple years to see if you can donate your talents to help them out. I thought instruments were always in tune. You mean I have to learn to tune mine?

Hope you get a better resolution.

--Phil

Subject: RE: venue misbooking
From: wysiwyg
Date: 26 Mar 03 - 04:54 PM

No, Phil, you do not have to tune... I have two autoharps and you can take your pick of either one, whether it is in tune or not. :~)

I do not mind donating whatever talent I may have-- I do resent the assumption that my donating it can be assumed or assigned. I volunteer in MY church. Anyone else (especially other churches) had better plan on paying for professional services.

I had agreed to do the camp as a volunteer. I was donating the week of playing and the prep time, not the time it has taken to chase down the arrangements to go do it. I had not agreed to be treated unprofessionally by people who (I thought) were being paid to be professional...

I can't believe how mad I still am, this late in the day.

~Susan

Subject: RE: venue misbooking
From: Sorcha
Date: 26 Mar 03 - 05:03 PM

Not quite on a par with the rest of them, esp. Susan's but we have this Little Old Lady who wants our entire band to drive 60 miles round trip to play for her Care Center on either a Tues. or a Thurs. evening. For free.........Band said no. Choices are Sat/aft/eve or Sun afternoon. I just can't make her understand that, and she calls me every month............