Jazz band needed for Trafford Centre UK

Subject: RE: Jazz band needed for Trafford Centre UK
From: alex s
Date: 07 Mar 12 - 07:49 AM

thanks JJ, you're the only one (apart from JBass) who's got it right

Subject: RE: Jazz band needed for Trafford Centre UK
From: John J
Date: 07 Mar 12 - 05:43 AM

Head of nail hit firm and square Shimrod!

JJ

Subject: RE: Jazz band needed for Trafford Centre UK
From: GUEST,Shimrod
Date: 07 Mar 12 - 05:25 AM

"Come friendly bombs and fall on the Trafford Centre ... it was never fit for humans in the first place!"

Subject: RE: Jazz band needed for Trafford Centre UK
From: GUEST,Mikey
Date: 07 Mar 12 - 04:56 AM

Guest JBass, try visiting the Trafford Centre. It's quite local to me, I know the place. To say it is a shed with appalling acoustics is an understatement.

'Was thinking of joining this forum but god there's no way if all the threads are as precious as this one..... ' Please join, put yourself in the position of the musicians, and then come back with a better-informed and more contructive response.

AlexS, 'too many prissy posters'? Get real, Mudcatters are a generous lot but please don't expect them or anyone else, to in effect, donate a substantial wodge of money to a business just for a professional photograph and expenses. Perhaps if your request was worded differently you might have received a better response.

Mick

Subject: RE: Jazz band needed for Trafford Centre UK
From: John J
Date: 06 Mar 12 - 07:14 PM

To be fair to alex s, he (she?) has been asked to post the request, it wasn't his / her request.

I digress...

Consider:

A 5pm start on a Monday, presumably a normal working day for most people.

To be realistic and do the job properly, band members would need to be on-site by 3pm. I would guess the band members would need to take a day, or at least half a day off work.

3.5 hours of continuous playing is VERY hard work.

8.30pm finish. After knocking down and packing up kit I would imagine it would be 9.30pm at the earliest before you could leave the venue.

Then there's travelling time, insurance, allowances for depreciation and servicing of equipment. This list is extensive.

Perform for expenses? Perhaps if it was a VERY worthy charity, but for a commercial venture - especially one with a connection to Peel Holdings...they're having a larf!

To be realistic (and not greedy) I wouldn't expect any band worth having to charge less than £500 - that's assuming a 3 piece band.

Perhaps, alex s, you could gently break this to your masters. I hope you're not offended, that's not my intention...but perhaps they should be.

JJ

Subject: RE: Jazz band needed for Trafford Centre UK
From: SteveMansfield
Date: 06 Mar 12 - 04:21 PM

Coffee shop manager wanted. Will pay expenses.

Subject: RE: Jazz band needed for Trafford Centre UK
From: GUEST,Keith Price
Date: 06 Mar 12 - 03:55 PM

Plumber wanted 3.5hrs will pay travel expenses.

Subject: RE: Jazz band needed for Trafford Centre UK
From: alex s
Date: 06 Mar 12 - 01:57 PM

Nice one, JBass

Too many precious prissy posters on this thread

IF YOU WANT TO DO IT, the opportunity is there.
If you don't, go and annoy someone else.

Subject: RE: Jazz band needed for Trafford Centre UK
From: GUEST,JBass
Date: 06 Mar 12 - 01:11 PM

Wow, you guys seem to be taking this badly. The band is needed "between 5 - 8.30pm" which you all seem to assume does not include load-in, soundcheck and a break. I fail to see how it is "pay to play" when travel expenses are covered too - and how it is going to be "a drafty shed and the acoustics will be appalling" do you actually know? The chances are a coffee shop won't be an open plan place in the middle of the Trafford Centre - most likely a small, well insulated room with low ceilings and quite a lot of soft furnishings which would be quite acoustically sound. The other point I guess I'm making is that it's a gig IF someone wants it. At least people are keen to post opportunities. Maybe there will be scope for a regular gig there if someone does a good job. Maybe there will be more than expenses if someone does a good job. If you don't want to do it on the other hand then don't do it! Was thinking of joining this forum but god there's no way if all the threads are as precious as this one.....

Subject: RE: Jazz band needed for Trafford Centre UK
From: Owen Woodson
Date: 06 Mar 12 - 12:19 PM

Of course. The penny doth drop. Jazz was born in dire poverty and suffering and total misery, and that's why it's such wonderful music. So if we get a bunch of jazz musicians to play 3 and a half hours non-stop in the freezing cold for nothing, they might just come out with the most wonderful music ever created this side of heaven.

This wouldn't be some kind of government work experience programme by any chance?

Subject: RE: Jazz band needed for Trafford Centre UK
From: alex s
Date: 06 Mar 12 - 11:51 AM

My, my, talk about cats and pigeons.....
No-one's forcing you, sweeties xx

Subject: RE: Jazz band needed for Trafford Centre UK
From: Owen Woodson
Date: 06 Mar 12 - 11:33 AM

Is this a wind up? I must tell some of my jazz musician friends about this splendid amazing offer and see what they say.

Well, I don't need to. I know what they'll say in advance. Utterances about white slavery and exploitation and mutterings about the Musicians Union and the going rate for the job. Quite right too.

Subject: RE: Jazz band needed for Trafford Centre UK
From: alex s
Date: 06 Mar 12 - 10:57 AM

So I gather you're not too keen.....

Subject: RE: Jazz band needed for Trafford Centre UK
From: SteveMansfield
Date: 06 Mar 12 - 08:52 AM

Playing 3.5 hours for expenses? Who are they kidding?

I once took a call from someone wanting to book the ceilidh band for a similar-sounding gig. 'You'll get expenses and we'll make sure you get your band's name in the press coverage ... so is there anything else you would like?'

When I answered 'yes - money, our usual fee is ... ' the conversation came to a very short ending. Like this one, a commercial company wanting to pay us nothing to increase their revenue.

Anyone who takes this gig needs their bumps feeling,
(a) because they're getting ripped off, and
(b) because the Trafford Centre is a drafty shed and the acoustics will be appalling, even if you can make yourself heard over the echo chamber din of all the shoppers.

Unless they can get their 'expenses claim' up to three figures per person of course :)

Subject: RE: Jazz band needed for Trafford Centre UK
From: Leadfingers
Date: 06 Mar 12 - 06:24 AM

Travel from somewhere in Manchester for a freebie would be a Rip Off , from anywhere else its extortion ! Talk about ' Pay to Play'

Subject: RE: Jazz band needed for Trafford Centre UK
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 06 Mar 12 - 04:38 AM

Cheapskates - I agree. Whoever "volunteers" could have difficulty finding somewhere to park; they only have ten thousand parking spaces!

As far as I am aware, the owners of the Trafford Centre (but not presumably the tenants of the coffee shop) also own such features as Media City (new BBC), the Manchester Ship Canal and a fair bit of the Liverpool docks and waterfront, not to mention Washington Mall in Bermuda and the soon to be Trafford Centre Espana - a mere 1.3 million square feet of this and that - ; so they're not without a bob or two.

Subject: RE: Jazz band needed for Trafford Centre UK
From: Phil Edwards
Date: 05 Mar 12 - 05:51 PM

Travel expenses? That's a new low, surely.

Subject: RE: Jazz band needed for Trafford Centre UK
From: alex s
Date: 05 Mar 12 - 05:48 PM

....Manchester

Subject: Jazz band needed for Trafford Centre UK
From: alex s
Date: 05 Mar 12 - 05:47 PM

I've been asked to post this request -

"Urgently needed - Jazz band/musicians to play at the grand opening of a new coffee shop in the Trafford Centre on Monday 19th March between 5 - 8.30pm. Travel expenses paid + professional photograph for their portfolio."

Please pm me if interested