Cancelled gig rant

[KevB]

But this was to be my first gig with an established band who've taken me on. As it happened I was the first to get to the venue. Barman says 'Are you with [insert my band name here]? I need to have a word...' The alarm bells were ringing already.
There then proceded to be conversations between myself, bar staff, manager and eventually the band member who'd booked the gig and turned up shortly after I did in which at least 2 blatant lies were told to us in order to cover the fact that what had actually happened was that we'd been bumped in favour of a band who's leader happened to be a mate of the manager & his wife (I overheard one of the bar staff giving this detail when he didn't realise I was in earshot).
This manager wasn't at the pub when our original booking was made. No offer of any compensation was ever suggested for our wasted time. The band isn't short of gigs, we could hav been playing somewere else. I'm not going to name and shame here but if anyone in Nottinghamshire who might have dealings with them and wants to be pre warned I'm happy to give details in a PM. The venue were at fault and compounded with a very offhand attitude.

[lemmywinks]

Hit them up for a cancellation fee, ours was 50% IIRC, more if it was last minute

I remember getting a Walkabout gig cancelled and getting paid the full amount, over £120 for sitting on my arse!

[JTUK]

Sure, these things happen... I would only have been pacified by the offer of another gig and if it was a genuine mistake, they would have paid you off............

I think you know in these circumstances if you have been turned over..............

[Cat Burrito]

I suspect you'll struggle to get any money without small claims court judging by the attitude & lack of offer. We've all been there & it's not nice.

[4-string-thing]

Ah, go on...name and shame, go on, go on.....

Some other poor sod on here might get the same treatment if you don't.

[oldmanrock]

[quote name='4-string-thing' post='825173' date='May 1 2010, 09:36 PM']Ah, go on...name and shame, go on, go on.....

Some other poor sod on here might get the same treatment if you don't.[/quote]
Agreed. If they want to play arsey, then name them. We've all been there. You play the gig and then the promoter either won't pay you the money or comes up with some excuse to pay you less. If you have a contract it's easier to force the club to live up to it's end of the bargain. If the club just plain screwed you, then you have to ask yourself a question: "Does my band ever want to play here again?"

[b]YES:[/b]
Then you've got a tough pill to swallow. About the only thing you can do is to try to reason with them. If that doesn't work, just make sure that the problems are addressed and remedied for the next engagement. Demanding you're paid in full before you take the stage can be tricky. You might face that showdown right before you go on-stage and have to make the decision of playing for your fans or sticking to your guns. If you go over all the terms of the agreement again, including the ones that were the problems last time, then the club knows your on the case and that you'll be "looking" for any problems. If it looks like it's getting messy, you can pull out before the gig.

[b]NO:[/b]
In this case you have a few more options. You can sue them. You can hire a solicitor to take care of it for you. Most solicitors will only do this for a flat fee, although you may get one to do it for a percentage of the amount you settle for. You may be able to sue them in the small claims court. Contact the County Court in the county where the club is located and get the paperwork to fill out for a small claims action. You'll have to pay a filing fee and a fee for the papers to be served, although you can add these items to the amount your claiming. One of the best rewards to this action is that the word will get around that you don't take s**t!

There are some other actions you can put into place. Picketing a club won't make many people stay away, but it does raise awareness, and it warns other bands as to what can happen. The other thing you can do is to get really big in that town and play the competition, then make the club that screwed you really beg before you give them the date. About the only thing you'll get from this though, is some self-satisfaction.

Edited May 1, 2010 by oldmanrock

[KevB]

I don't think the band are going to pursue it, they have no written contract. At first the bar man I spoke to on arrival claimed the band's web site had us down to play another venue on the date, blatant lie. New manager claimed he'd had 'no contact' from the band since he took over and wasn't sure we'd turn up.
The band member who'd booked it originally told him he knew there was a change of management since the original booking was made so specifically rang up 3 weeks ago to make double sure we were still booked and confirm it in the pub's diary, which a memeber of pub staff did. We were then told that bar person had since been sacked. How convenient.
If new management want to come in and rebook bands who they are mates with that's up to them but at least have the decency to let the originally booked band know so we don't turn up with cars full of gear on the night.
With the attitude we were given I think it more likely we'll just drop the venue from our list of places worth playing.

[OldGit]

Take a big breath, say "Stercus accidit" and walk away with your heads high.

If you want to play there again have a laugh about this with the person who books the bands and get another date. If it isn't the manager they are probably deeply embarrassed by this damage to their reputation. A little understanding may build a better relationship with the booking person.
Just say "Are you sure it will happen this time? Ha ha ha" (+ wry smile)

If you don't want to play there again just walk away and play elsewhere.

Running a venue is difficult, things like this are not all done willingly. If the boss told the booker to put his mate's band in instead of your's then what was he supposed to do?

[3V17C]

most annoying...

My band was meant to be playing at a local venue that we play at regularly on the 15th but somehow I came across the website/myspace of another band and noticed they had the same date/venue on their gig list too. Contacted the venue and apparently due to useless and now sacked booker they weren't just double booked, they were in fact triple booked!! Idiots.

Another venue we play at occasionally (and always fill) recently rang and cancelled all our gigs there as they were 'stopping having live music' with immediate effect. But since then I've seen in the local paper that other bands are still playing there!! Don't know what thats all about, as like I say we always got alot of people in but sod 'em!

yeah, its very annoying, but it happens.


peace

c

[jezzaboy]

Been to that party before. It usually happens when someone new takes over and as the op states, the new guy bumps people off for his mates/bands he has worked with.

Whilst it `s a sh*t*y way to treat people, I try and not get too upset about these things. If you let it get to you, it just eats away. There`s always the next gig to look forward to.

Jez

[daz]

You should name them, as if they have done it to you they will in future or have done it to others. Its best other bands in the area know all about it.

[flyfisher]

I understand the 'name and shame' sentiment but, without supporting paperwork and/or contracts it's just one word against another. If the venue took offence it could issue a counter claim and things could get very messy - regardless of the actual rights and wrongs.

Seems to me that the lesson is to get such bookings in written terms, with specific provisions for cancellation (on both sides - supposing the band had to cancel for some unavoidable reason?). Who was it who said "verbal contracts are not worth the paper they're written on"?

[jonny-lad]

I'd name and shame...or maybe you could write a review of how well your gig went at the venue...oh wait - it was cancelled when you got there in favour of the manger's friend with no compensation offered to the band whatsoever.

You could name and shame in 'off-topic' which can only be viewed by forum members.

Edited May 2, 2010 by jonny-lad

[alanbass1]

Getting a contract is always best which protects against such circumstances - in fact it is unlikely the band would have been bumped if there was a contract in place. I would name the place here as it serves as a warning to others on this forum to make sure they get some written agreement with the establishment in question should they ever get offered a gig there.

[OldGit]

Naming by PM to interested parties would be far better.
This is a public forum. A Google search for the venue name would turn up this thread and probably cause more trouble for the band than this spat warrants.