How was your gig last night?

[JamieMillsBass]

Absolute disaster of a gig filling in for a wedding pop covers band on Sunday night. Long post, but this is a bit of a rant.

Gig was in Omagh in Northern Ireland. I live about 2 hours drive away.

We arrived on time, the wedding was running a bit behind so we waited until the bride let us know to start setting up, got sorted, started playing. From the first song in, I had at least one, often two people telling me to 'play some country, that'll get the bai's up hey!'. 'We don't really play much country, mate, but I'll see what I can do.'

So after about 3 or 4 songs of this, we play 9-5, it's probably the most country thing we have on the set list, and right enough a few people get up onto the dance floor. We continue to play, and the small number of people up dancing stay up. But still, every song 'play some country, play some Nathan Carter etc etc'. Played for about an hour. Took our break whilst the buffet was served. No-one from the wedding party came near us during the break, not comments nothing.

Went back on to play the second half. Again, no-one up dancing. Still with every song, 'country, country, country' but we are now joined with a number of drunken people just shouting 'Rock and Roll' at us. We've already played a few Elvis tunes, Free All Right Now, Come on Everybody and no one has bothered to get up and dance, so I'm not sure what their definition of Rock and Roll is. So then, the bride joins me on the stage. 'Play some 70s and 80s rock. They're saying they'll only dance to 70s and 80s rock' I respond 'what sort of 70s rock' to which she answers 'I don't know. I don't know any 70s rock'. Again, there's a couple of 70s rock tunes in our set which no one has bothered to dance to at this point. So, we play Tina Turner's version of Proud Mary and the biggest crowd of the night fills the floor. From then on through to the dancefloor is pretty full.

So we get to the last song (Oasis - back in anger). Everyone is swaying, singing along. Then out of the blue, some guy from the wedding party (not sure if he was groom, usher, best man whatever) tries to storm the stage and grab hold of our guitarist/lead singer who deals with the business stuff. I manage to get in his way with my bass and he backs off to stage side, but continues to shout 'Get you over here f*cking b*stard, I wan't my money back, stop playing, f*cking get over here now etc etc'. We keep playing, but once the song finishes, we play some music through the PA and our lead singer goes to discuss the situation stage side. He asks why the guy wasn't happy 'You's didn't play any f*cking country, no one got up to dance, you're a b*stard, give me my money back (they paid us at the start of the night)' Another member of the wedding party pulls him away, but there is a horrible atmosphere and there are a bunch of guys in the corner including him whispering and looking at us.

If we could have just left then, we would have. But the lead singer was booked to do a DJ set also. I could have left, but he asked if I would stick about in case anything goes down. So I set about trying to find some support. Headed into the hotel bar to try and find some bouncers, there are none. Asked for the hotel manager, he's gone home. Spoke to the bar staff, they wanted nothing to do with it. So basically it was the three of us, and we were starting to feel increasingly intimidated.

The next part really took me to the fair. I was outside helping pack the gear up and the bride comes up to me and our other guitarist.

The conversation went something like this;

Bride: 'can you give us our money back'
Me: 'can I ask why you want it back'
Bride: 'Because no one was dancing'
Me: 'Can I ask why you think that is our fault?'
Bride: 'you didn't play any country'
Me: 'We aren't a country band, if you'd booked a country band then everyone would have been dancing'
Bride: 'But you're a 70s and 80s rock band, but when I asked you to play 70s & 80s rock you didn't'
Me: 'We're a wedding pop band and when you asked me to play 70s & 80s rock you couldn't tell me what you wanted'
Me: 'Musically, what do you think was wrong with it'
Bride: 'I wasn't listening to you, I was mingling and chatting with my guests'
Me: 'So you are out here asking for your money back, but can't actually tell us there was anything wrong with it'
Me: 'Can I ask, how or why you booked us?'
Bride: 'My friend in work had you at her wedding and she said you were amazing so I thought f*ck it and booked you'
Me: 'Did you look at the list of songs on our website, or did you come and see us yourself before you booked us?'
Bride: 'No'
Me: 'We'll there lies the problem'
Bride: 'Can you give us our money back. No one was dancing'
Other guitarist: 'We'll give you your money back, I'll get it now' (by this point he was a little feared for our safety as we were still getting looks)
Bride takes the money from his hand then says:

'Can you ask the DJ to play on until 01:15AM?'

At this point, I had thrown the head up. I was only filling in, I knew I was getting paid anyway so I told her to go and speak to him. I couldn't believe the cheek of her question though!


So, we were in a pretty tricky situation. Three of us, quite a few guys ready and looking for a fight. No money. A tonne of expensive gear preventing us from a quick getaway. No bouncers, hotel management, anyone on our side. We knew that if we uplugged the music, all hell would break loose, and we had no hope of packing down the gear in time to get away before it did. So we packed absolutely everything we could bar the DJ stuff into the van, set up a playlist that played automatically and left. With a mixing desk, a laptop and two speakers still in there.

Fortunately on the way home, one of our cars got stopped by the police and they escorted them back and got hold of the gear. But honestly, I've never experienced anything like that in my life and the band owner is down money because of it!

The quicker I get back to originals gigs the better......................lol

Edited August 25, 2014 by JamieMillsBass

[martthebass]

This reminds me why I won't play weddings......

[krysh]

what a terrible story.
thanks that I don't have to play weddings, too.

[JamieMillsBass]

[quote name='krysh' timestamp='1408962607' post='2534890']
what a terrible story.
thanks that I don't have to play weddings, too.
[/quote]

Over the past few years I've filled in for them at quite a few. Never had any problems until this one. Still can't get my head round how she blamed the band. The most cynical part of me thinks that it may well have been a set up. But I don't know.

[phil.c60]

I wasn't there so I don't know, but a good guess is that drunk fighty man had wound her up with "If we don't get our f###in money back me and the boy's 'll job them" or whatever your choice of vernacular is, so she was between a rock and a hard place. And probably drunk too. Everyone loves a wedding!

[JamieMillsBass]

[quote name='phil.c60' timestamp='1408964050' post='2534911']
I wasn't there so I don't know, but a good guess is that drunk fighty man had wound her up with "If we don't get our f###in money back me and the boy's 'll job them" or whatever your choice of vernacular is, so she was between a rock and a hard place. And probably drunk too. Everyone loves a wedding!
[/quote]

Yeh, in fairness I did get the impression that she was a little reluctant to ask for the money back. She didn't seem drunk at all, but then I don't know her so she may have been. Every bloke in the place was absolutely hammered though, in fact I bet if you asked shouty bloke to name two songs we played in the morning, the probably couldn't have.

[phil.c60]

[size=3]I'll bet that if you asked them to name two songs full stop they'd probably struggle, and if you asked them who they were by they'd think you were picking on then (and want to start a fight about it)! I'm glad you got away without it turning into an all out war, and I'm sorry you did it all for nothing.[/size]

[chaypup]

[quote name='JamieMillsBass' timestamp='1408960659' post='2534852']
Absolute disaster of a gig filling in for a wedding pop covers band on Sunday night. Long post, but this is a bit of a rant.
{Snip}.. and the band owner is down money because of it!


[/quote]

Demanding money with menaces, breach of contract - should have had the police help him get it back for the first or sue for the second.

[JTUK]

Bad story..

[antnee]

That's a terrible story.

Clearly the groom and brides fault though. Glad you all got out safely.

[Number6]

All safe and sound is the most important thing.....make sure if you know any of their friends, family or associates that word gets around that they ripped you off though

[flyfisher]

[quote name='phil.c60' timestamp='1408964050' post='2534911']
I wasn't there so I don't know, but a good guess is that drunk fighty man had wound her up with "If we don't get our f###in money back me and the boy's 'll job them" or whatever your choice of vernacular is, so she was between a rock and a hard place. And probably drunk too. Everyone loves a wedding!
[/quote]

That would be my guess too.

Glad to hear that everyone was safe and sound but what a depressing tale.

I wonder how they would have reacted if the band had refused to hand back the money and called the police instead, for the reasons Chaypup mentioned above? Easy to say in hindsight though - must have been a dreadful experience at the time and I'd have probably gone for self-preservation as well.

[Alz]

Beerfest in a marquee with 400-500 people and a supplied PA totalling 500w!!!!

Absolute nightmare and a lesson in how not to hold an event!!

[JTUK]

The lesson is that the organisers need to be advised what they should provide.
Anyone providing a 500w P.A doesn't take the event very seriously and/or
hasn't done their homework

We tend to talk quite a way thru with an organiser as some of them just do not have a clue what is required,.
That isn't so much the problem as it might not be their own area of expertise, but they should listen to
people who have it. If they don't, walk away.

[JamieMillsBass]

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1408982597' post='2535205']
Today and tomorrow, they're either laughing about it or ashamed.
In both cases you need to get your money back. I'd say the police is the first stop.
Also realise what all these guests are telling all their friends about how they got back their money...
Very bad case, and one I feel you need to take very seriously. Forgiving a drunkard is one thing, but letting it slide is something completely different.
[/quote]

I'm not involved in the business side of the running of the band, I was just filling in on this particular night (so I got paid anyway even though the business owner was out of pocket). He's looking into his options to take the matter further though.

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1408984400' post='2535231']
That would be my guess too.

Glad to hear that everyone was safe and sound but what a depressing tale.

I wonder how they would have reacted if the band had refused to hand back the money and called the police instead, for the reasons Chaypup mentioned above? Easy to say in hindsight though - must have been a dreadful experience at the time and I'd have probably gone for self-preservation as well.
[/quote]

Yeh, in hindsight, that is exactly what we should have done. Called the police and asked them to wait outside in case of any trouble, but at the time (believe it or not) we were conscious that it was also someone's wedding day, there 'big day' and all that, so bailing in with the Police pretty much would have destroyed the whole thing. This was before the money was handed back though.

But yeh, I wish we had just said 'f*ck it' and rang them then and there as soon as it kicked off.

[blue]

Sunday Afternoon Biker Bar 4 hour gig 1;00 - 5:00.

Not bad, good crowd for a Sunday, there was some sort of parade, Richfield Days or something and tons of people just hung out afterwards. We had good low stage volume and I could hear great through our powered monitors. A fun Sunday gig.

Blue

[planer]

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1408955093' post='2534782']
Yes Neil, totally buzzing. I'm still in a state of disbelief that I'm doing this at all, when just over 3 yrs ago I couldn't play a note! Sometimes it feels as though I'm living someone else's life. Rather surreal but quite marvelous. :-)
[/quote]

I've read some inspiring stuff on this site but this takes the biscuit - what a great, happy, positive post.

[seashell]

[quote name='planer' timestamp='1409134984' post='2536611']


I've read some inspiring stuff on this site but this takes the biscuit - what a great, happy, positive post.
[/quote]

Aw, it's very nice of you to say so. :-)

[rogerstodge]

[quote name='JamieMillsBass' timestamp='1408962841' post='2534894']


Over the past few years I've filled in for them at quite a few. Never had any problems until this one. Still can't get my head round how she blamed the band. The most cynical part of me thinks that it may well have been a set up. But I don't know.
[/quote]i doubt it was a set up, if it were i don't think they'd of paid up front

[Chris Sharman]

Gig last night was a new first for me; Water for Dogs played a gig in the hallway of a house!

Yup, Bass, Guitar and three keyboards in a hallway. Granted it is a big old Georgian pile up past Chesterfield and the hallway was rather large. The gig was a friends 40th birthday party and our keyboardist and guitarist were staying there for the night so they went up early. I arrived later on and I have to admit I was expecting a complete 'dying on your arse' of an evening which couldn't have been further from the truth. There was dancing all around us, in the other rooms and at both ends of the hall the sound was brilliant and we have people coming over to our next gig in Staffordshire on Wednesday.

It was a bloody good laugh, plenty of food and booze and a fine single malt to finish.

Hurrah!

[FinnDave]

Landord's birthday bash at a biker pub, we were asked to fill in as booked band feel ill (or some one in it did). Good fun, good audience, our singer was on top form. When she announced the last number I felt bitterly disappointed that we wouldn't playing again for a whole week.

[Freddy Le Cragg]

I played a solo gig in the Goods Inward Bay of a heating installation company. A first for me, I must say.

[JTUK]

Very well attended Rugby club beer festival.
Good fun and we did ok albeit with a few tech problems.
They said they'd want us next year so we did enough.
Diffcult to gauge what we should have played in a 50 min set
and we could have gone for dance, sing or ball-out rock
but we left an awful lot of closers out, IMO..

[deepbass5]

Wedding - and a hall with a traffic light sound limiter - First number BANG! So plugged in next room great, but the hall lights were also wired in, to come on when the level was reached.

Edited August 31, 2014 by deepbass5

[KK Jale]

Faversham Hop Festival, Anchor pub garden stage, on at lunchtime (eek) which meant it was too early to do any serious damage to the barrel of free!!!! beer, nice rig, cool sound guy, good other bands too.

Best moment:

Singer: (warming up the crowd) "Great to see so many faces, thanks for coming. I can't see anybody I know out there, which is great, because there's less chance I owe somebody money."

Drummer: "You're looking in the wrong direction…"