Considering I played my first paid gig 48 years ago......

[leschirons]

...............I guess I should consider myself lucky that I've only been knocked for the money twice.

First time was the first gig (The Mildmay Tavern in North London, due to us refusing to play "Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner" which was apparently the traditional last orders number for the venue. Partly as we thought it extremely uncool for a progressive heavy rock trio to play it and partly because we had no idea how to

Second time was this morning when I went to the remarkably impressive Chateau de la Cazine, where after 10 weeks of e-mails and phone calls trying to get our wedding gig payment, I was told that they were in receivership since 28th November. Considering they had our invoice first week of October, it's obvious that they'd held back payment until their tribunal hearing. I even spoke to their accounts director on Saturday and she said nothing.

The thing that annoys me most is that the end client (bride & groom) had been so happy with our performance, they'd paid an extra 20% tip for us on top of our fee when they paid the venue which we had been told to add on to our invoice to the venue

Total [size=6][sup]W*****S[/sup][/size]

[cheddatom]

bastards. I don't know how it works there but in the UK they're normally up and running again debt free the very same day

[Number6]

They are likely to be laying off staff with immediate effect. No redundancy no nothing just before Xmas. Yes it's sh*te not being paid but it's also more sh*te not having money for Xmas.

[Monkey Steve]

I have no idea how it works in France but is it worth asking for details of their administrator and registering a claim as a creditor?

Or take your van and help yourself to whatever isn't nailed down..

[JTUK]

Good going on both counts... .48 years of gigs and only 2 knock backs. Sorry you lost money tho, nonetheless

[lowdown]

[quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1481039751' post='3189227']
First time was the first gig ([b]The Mildmay Tavern[/b] in North London, due to us refusing to play "Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner" which was apparently the traditional last orders number for the venue.
[/quote]

I know that place. Late 70's, I used to dep there quite a lot during the week. Backing visiting 'Crooners' and 'Barbra Streisand' wannabes.
"Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner" and "The Lambeth Walk" were certainly the end of the evening knees ups.

Sorry about the money loss. Always a tricky one to deal with.

[leschirons]

The owners are British. Obviously bound by French regulations but yes, I imagine they'll put it all behind them, shaft all the creditors and eventually continue trading with a fresh load of mug suppliers. (Like us)

I have warned everyone I know in France though.

[Monkey Steve]

my head hurts too much to wade through all of this but it's perhaps worth having a look at this and seeing if you can register to get paid as and when they get out of receivership

http://uk.practicallaw.com/1-501-6905?service=crossborder#a946618

[leschirons]

[quote name='Monkey Steve' timestamp='1481045890' post='3189298']
I have no idea how it works in France but is it worth asking for details of their administrator and registering a claim as a creditor?

Or take your van and help yourself to whatever isn't nailed down..
[/quote]

I made sure that our invoice was on their system as there was someone official there this morning. Re your second suggestion, they would have lost the MacBook on the unattended reception desk as I was leaving had I not noticed the CCTV screen when I was in the office shouting at the financial director😀

[leschirons]

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1481046205' post='3189305']


I know that place. Late 70's, I used to dep there quite a lot during the week. Backing visiting 'Crooners' and 'Barbra Streisand' wannabes.
"Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner" and "The Lambeth Walk" were certainly the end of the evening knees ups.

Sorry about the money loss. Always a tricky one to deal with.
[/quote]

Our fee would have been £15 and, we'd hired the van😂

[leschirons]

[quote name='Monkey Steve' timestamp='1481046610' post='3189313']
my head hurts too much to wade through all of this but it's perhaps worth having a look at this and seeing if you can register to get paid as and when they get out of receivership

http://uk.practicallaw.com/1-501-6905?service=crossborder#a946618
[/quote]

Thanks, I'll have a read.

[lowdown]

[quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1481047042' post='3189320']
Our fee would have been £15 and, we'd hired the van
[/quote]

[gareth]

I think you have done well to have not been paid in just the two occasions you list

I have been gigging as long as you and have been let down on two occasions too

First some 10 years ago when going to get paid after a covers band gig, we were paid less than agreed by the venue, so that was the last time we played that venue,

Second time was some 3 years ago when I played a function gig for a mate on mines band. He did not get paid, the venue doing the usual liquidation then immediately start trading again with a new company, walking away from there creditors.

[chris_b]

Last November 20th was 50th the anniversary of my first gig.

Within 18 months we had been conned out of the money for 5 gigs by the infamous Don Arden and I've been ripped off at least once every decade since. After awhile you can see many of these situations coming, but some you can't.

Looking on the positive side, I haven't been ripped off by a band leader for a long, long time. In this business if you can miss the crooks, devious, idiots and just plain flaky you're very lucky.