leschirons

Dutch wedding gig last night for the band and one odd "special song" from me on acoustic at the actual service so I had to be there at 4.pm. for that. Lovely people, great welcome / food / drinks etc. Played well. Not a huge audience but most were dancing for the evening. Was expecting a terrible mix as it was in a really huge stone barn but it was actually a very good sound. I insisted this time that we cut down on the gear as it's starting to get silly and it worked very well. Hopefully they've seen the light.

[quote name='ivansc' timestamp='1460889909' post='3029514'] OP: Were you playing "au black"? I am assuming yes, so it all becomes a bit of a moot point. Those of you not familiar with the French system, if you are getting correctly paid for a gig, it is supposed to be "declare" and taxes, plus the French equivalent of NHI etc paid. There are a few venues in my area (Brittany) that will actually pay a non-declared band to play, but there are less and less. Usual system is for a "member of the audience" to pass a bucket round for contributions, which is the bands fee... Landlord provides booze, often food and sometimes a place to sleep if you are from out of town. And YES most gigs have a "majoration" if there is a band playing that is getting paid. My local venue just slaps a euro on the cost of your drink once the band has started playing. [/quote] The only "moot point" here is that I have already explained that I made an incorrect assumption which I have retracted. Actually, we are a French registered charity as a Club de musique" This allows us to put on some paid concerts each year. We are also a French registered Anglo - French Entente Cordiale association which allows us to do more. We keep and submit accounts each year, claim our expenses for fuel / strings and any accomodation, provide a facture for the venues and if they require it, provide a set list for SACEM. So in answer to your question, no, we do not practise tax evasion.

[quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1460880033' post='3029430'] name that venue please - particularly on twitter and facebook [/quote] Read my last post. All resolved. 100% at fault on my part.

Well, In the true spirit of Bass chat, I must recant my earlier ravings and also wholeheartedly apologise to all who's time I've wasted in reading, and commenting on my original statement. I've just got back from a wedding gig having obviously met with the band on arrival. I was met by the drummer and guitarist who at this point, were up for not playing there again. Our singer arrives and informs us all (including her own husband LOL) that collecting from the audience had always been the case and had been mentioned at the original booking a year ago. We had never seen a collection before as it was apparently usually done at the bar, when people settled their bar tabs and food bill for the night upon leaving. I guess we would normally be clearing away at this point. She didn't see this as anything worth mentioning at the time and so it was forgotten. I'm not blaming her for my wrong assumption in any way and it was my fault that I didn't check what she'd slipped in my pocket at the time as I had a monitor in each hand. I only looked on the way home so all this would have been avoided had I checked whilst still there. I hold my hands up 100% for jumping the gun. Apologies all round. Just a quick edit to say that this was never about wanting more money, I had wrongly assumed that people had been misled.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1460799084' post='3028807'] I don't know. How many decent venues are there in the wet bit of France..? [/quote] Quite a few. I play as much as I want to which is a lot better than when I lived in the UK.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1460795604' post='3028748'] Doesn't the fact that some people did a 150km round trip to see you mean anything? It could be argued that you're letting these people down. I'd be a bit more pragmatic about it. Principles are a luxury for most - and you're lucky to be in a position where you can apply them in a case like this - but I can't help feeling you're being a little egocentric about it. What do your bandmates think? [/quote] I mailed the band last night (2.am. actually) No replies but no doubt I'll find out their views when we meet up for a wedding gig today. Of course, there is a possibility that I've jumped the gun and that the singer (who originally booked this gig) was told at the outset that it's a pass the hat job and then made up to £xxx but has failed to impart this information to the band. We were simply told how much the venue pays for bands. Bearing in mind we've never seen this collection before, if that is the case, I will of course come clean to Basschat and recant my John Farrow view of "Tell him to f*** off"

[quote name='SICbass' timestamp='1460790446' post='3028704'] Is it part of your agreement with the manager that this maximum fee has to come explicitly from his pocket? Maybe it's always a mix like this and, depending upon how much the crowd donates, the manager takes more or less of a loss for which he then has to make up the difference. Or was last night a change as to how you've done it in the past? I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you, but I feel that specifics like this do throw a completely different light on the matter. [/quote] Yes, last night was the first time there had been an audience collection. I obviously can't comment on other band nights but the first time, in our four gigs. Strangely enough, it was the busiest it had ever been there last night with us playing with some people even doing a 150km round trip to see us. He also provides meals and by his admission was fully booked to the point that the band were going to have to eat outside in the rain or in their lounge upstairs.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1460772428' post='3028673'] Are you going to deprive them of their entertainment on a point of principle? [/quote] Absolutely. Principles define who you are.

[quote name='SteveK' timestamp='1460769252' post='3028668'] A bit tricky, this one! Rather like our beloved PM's tax affairs: Nothing illegal but morally highly questionable. If tackled, the owner would most likely justify the pot as going towards your fee, without it... reduced fee or no gig. I am presuming that the total in the pot wouldn't have covered your fee. EDIT: Actually, thinking about it some more - I don't think it was morally so bad of the owner. Maybe the "average" pot collection was factored in to your fee. [/quote] See your point, it's just that someone is clearly stating to customers that he's collecting for the band and intends to keep the money in order to pay less of our fee from his own pocket. If we had been hired on a "pass the hat and we'll make up the difference" basis, I'd have no problem. I really don't see any difference beteween this and pledging a charity a donation and then collecting more donations from others in order to pay your pledge. It all just feels so wrong. Guess I should know better. Same old story about being constantly disappointed with people.

Just got in from a gig. A long trip and not much money but we enjoy the place. Great crowd, up for it from start to finish. We're aware of how much the owner pays as a maximum (lower than our usual fee) but we agree to do it as it's fun. However, tonight was a little different. It was a great night and we see the owner (he's a Brit) passing round a glass, collecting "for the band" At the end of the night, we get paid our usual fee and for me, therein lies a problem. Had he not collected any money "for the band" I would have been perfectly happy with my smaller than usual, but agreed upon fee but the people putting notes into the glass were obviously under the impression that the band would benefit from it yet only the owner has because, his contribution to the cost of the band is now much smaller. He was collecting for him, not us. I see this as immoral and dishonest and no different from collecting charity donations and then keeping it. I have just told the band that I will not play there again but obviously if they want to, they can use a dep. This isn't about the money at all. It's the principle and the fact that at age 64, I no longer wish to deal with, or need to spend any time with dishonourable w***ers.

People are also wary of the it seems, never ending supply of fakes out there too. This must slow down, and reduce confidence in the vintage market.

A commune gig last night in a back and beyond village hall. Wasn't expecting a great turnout as no-one was there at 9.00pm when we were expecting to start, except the organisers. The 100% French audience all turned up at about 10.30 and of course, then want to party until 2.00am Place was nearly full and really buzzing by 11.00pm and we finished at 1.30am. Went down a storm and got 100 Euros extra (between us, not each) Great audience, dancing all night. Only downside was the P.A. Belongs to the guitarist who insists on taking and using, everything. 4 x 1000watt active HK tops, 2 x 600watt active HK subs and 4 x 350watt active monitors. Total overkill, long pack-up time and all bloody heavy (Nice sound though)

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1460132285' post='3022977'] There's a Thin Lizzy song that starts with bass, can't remember the name now, that I'd played for a a year or more in a band in the 80s, until one gig where the opening bass riff simply vanished from my head. The guitarist had to start, but by the time it came round at the start of the next verse, or wherever it repeated, I played it perfectly without thinking. No idea how that works! [/quote] Dancing in the moonlight?

Anatsacia at the Palladium on May 2nd.

Saw him doing a guitar duel with Jerry Reed on a show years ago. A lot of non musos sadly seem to to remember him just a singer songwriter but he was a serious musician. Real shame.

I've got some you can buy. In the trade, we call them "rusty"

Just playing some Laura Nyro. Needs to be added to my list.

I could gig with any bass I own be it 4 / 5 / 6 string or even fretless. It's nice to have a low B for some stuff but not insurmountable is it? A twiddle on the amp will give you a useable sound. Apart from that, will the audience or other band members really care? I doubt it.

Especially if I'm driving, I'll take a song I know in my head that I've never played before (even one I don't like) give myself a key and then work out all the chords and what bass line I'd play. I find that an interesting exercise.

Depends on whether I want loud or soft so Anastacia or Eva Cassidy for female voice and James Taylor or Chris Cornell for male.

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1458506853' post='3008211'] Yes and no to this one - yes, it was Edison Lighthouse's only hit but they were just a vehicle for singer Tony Burrows who sang on lots of one hit wonders, even appearing on TOTP in two different bands on the same programme: [url="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Burrows"]https://en.wikipedia...ki/Tony_Burrows[/url] [/quote] True of course but it still counts as the single is credited to Edison lighthouse. So, all I've got to say to you is. "Typically Tropical". (can't do smilies on this iPad)

I constantly smile whilst on stage when the singer doesn't forget the song format, the guitarist isn't retuning AGAIN and the drummer doesn't slow down. So, a couple of times a night at least.

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1458440592' post='3007662'] thought I'd get in before BRX David Dundas got to 29 with another funny honeymoon Barry Blue, do you wanna dance was a follow up to (Dancing) on a saturday night, which was a bigger hit here's another one I don't think has been mentioned Hedgehoppers Anonymous, It's Good News Week, a cracking record that doesn't get played because it was written and produced by Jonathan King [/quote] My apologies. I stand corrected. Ah well, at least it proves I don't Google to guarantee validity of my replies