Gig cancelled 'because of football'.

[Paul S]

We turned up for our gig, booked months ago, to be told the gig was cancelled. Landlady said she'd had a call from the brewery to say they needed to show the football, not have a band. She did however give us plenty of notice - sent an email yesterday morning to the guitarists work account. At easter. Nice. Not a lot to be done but it isn't a place i will be in a hurry to play again.

The Paul Pry in Rayleigh, in case any local bands want to know. If you have a gig booked there, I'd phone just before you leave to make sure it is still on.

[casapete]

It's bad enough working your set times around football in pubs, but this ? - dreadful way to treat a band.
Am guessing the landlady didn't offer any of the fee in compensation, no doubt blaming the brewery etc.

[Grangur]

I really feel for you. The pub is out of order, but if I were you I'd also have words with your guy who booked it. It's a bit daft IMHO, giving them an email address that won't reach him at the weekend. I wouldn't allow a situation where the band stuff gets mixed with work. But maybe that's just me?

[PaulWarning]

I went into my local last night, they'd been advertising a roaring twenties night for months, some sort of disco half set up, nothing happened because of the football, I assume something similar happened here, it's just plain bad management, the footy match has been known about for a year or more.
We've had gigs where we've had to wait for the football to finish then played to nearly no one because everybody has gone home at the final whistle, we've also contacted venues and asked whether they still wanted us to play "do you realise there's an important England match on the telly that night?" "oh yeah, we'd better arrange another date" comes the reply, tossers.

[Paul S]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1459070131' post='3013213']
I really feel for you. The pub is out of order, but if I were you I'd also have words with your guy who booked it. It's a bit daft IMHO, giving them an email address that won't reach him at the weekend. I wouldn't allow a situation where the band stuff gets mixed with work. But maybe that's just me?
[/quote]

Had his work email been the only contact details she had been given I would agree with you, but it wasn't. She had home landline, mobile, home email as well. Didn't even think to consider what she was doing.

No-one in the band is particularly interested in sport of any kind, so we wouldn't know what events were on and when. I wonder how far you need to go to nursemaid these venues.

And yes, Pete, spot on - no fee and blamed the brewery.

[Norris]

We played through the last half hour of the match, stopping to cheer when England scored, then carrying on from where we left off

It's bad form from the OP's pub though. They should have made a lot more effort in trying to contact you, let alone spotting the issue well in advance

[scalpy]

Ditto on the not knowing about the football. We had a gig last night and the game was put on after our soundcheck. Just got this sinking feeling knowing that the first half at least was going to be hard work and then just hoping people would stick around after the 'sport' finished. Plus there's the issue of slightly more drunk punters than usual being a little more testosterone-y than typical as well.

[Graham]

Seems daft for them to cancel, we played last night but started after the final whistle, so a bit later than usual, but not a lot later for that venue.

Took a slightly shorter break and finished a little after 12

[Dood]

Join the MU, print off contracts for gigs, get landlords to sign. They cancel at short notice, their loss, or you take them to the cleaners. Too many music venues think that bands play 'for fun' and treat them like crap.

The reason why this won't work though, is that too many bands don't value themselves enough to protect their investment. So the circle continues. #GetPaid

[Krysbass]

My sympathies on this, as I've had a related experience. In our case the gig wasn't cancelled, but we arrived at the venue to find it packed and to be told that the football match everyone was watching had had a late kick-off - so we'd have to wait until the match had finished before we could set up.

This meant standing around for nearly an hour; which for me personally was torture, as I have so little interest in football that that I could use it as a cure for insomnia.

Once the match finished, the place emptied on mass, but thankfully by the time we'd set up a few people had arrived so we weren't only playing to the bar staff. So it could have been worse I guess, but music taking second place to football just goes against the grain with me.

[LayDownThaFunk]

But it's an England game!

[chris_b]

The football, the boxing. . . everything stops for bloody TV.

We've just rescheduled a November gig because of a football match.

[EBS_freak]

But what about the boxing that followed...?

[4stringslow]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1459075885' post='3013276']
The football, the boxing. . . everything stops for bloody TV.
[/quote]

True, which is why hard-pressed pubs use it to make an 'event' of big fixtures to pull in the punters and presumably the landlord knew ( or at least thought) that the footy would bring in more than a band. Can't really blame them for that as they've a business to run.

Very bad form to cancel at such short notice without some form of compensation though, but without a contract what can be done?

[DiMarco]

How often is it that England wins any footy game? Rejoice!

[spacey]

Always set some basic contract terms, cancellation is by phone 24 hrs notice or the fee will be required.

[Number6]

Invoice the brewery.

[JTUK]

Easy answer would have been to start late...but the game was booked ages ago..had plenty of time to deal with
this.. Poor show.

[TimR]

[quote name='DiMarco' timestamp='1459077375' post='3013300']
How often is it that England wins any footy game? Rejoice!
[/quote]

Ha. I don't even know who they were playing against, let alone the score.

[JTUK]

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1459083853' post='3013376']
Ha. I don't even know who they were playing against, let alone the score.
[/quote]

Playing the old foes and current World Champions in their own back yard going into the 2016 Euros
so yes, a BIG game, even for a friendly.
And that is 3 wins in a row against them, iirc... so yes.,. last nights result was huge...IMO.

Most venues would capitilise on a footie crowd and start the gig late... but as always, needs comms...

[ambient]

I'd have thought they'd have started you after the football ?

I had a gig last year during the rugby thing, we just started afterwards.

[Lord Sausage]

We had to wait for the football to finsh last night before we could start. I was buzzing! Meant I could watch the game!

[ambient]

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1459083853' post='3013376']


Ha. I don't even know who they were playing against, let alone the score.
[/quote]

You sound like me 😊. I sat in the corner reading my book last year while I waited for the rugby to finish at my one gig.

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

I think football should be banned from pubs tbh. It's hard to hear yourself think. Even when games are over , the shouting carries on. Even the lunchtime games are shouty affairs . When I was gigging , we often used to avoid playing on a footie night . We knew of the irritations that are caused.

[Old Man Riva]

[quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' timestamp='1459088574' post='3013436']
I think football should be banned from pubs tbh. It's hard to hear yourself think. Even when games are over , the shouting carries on. Even the lunchtime games are shouty affairs . When I was gigging , we often used to avoid playing on a footie night . We knew of the irritations that are caused.
[/quote]
Not much (any) chance of that happening, with the pub trade struggling as it is.

If anything you'll see more sport on TV in pubs (along with associated/targeted advertising - betting etc..) as it gets people through the door and spending at the bar esp. for England games, tournaments and the dreaded Premier League.