HITCHING POST PLAYING GAMES WITH SCHEDULES AGAIN

lonewolf · Post by **lonewolf** » Thursday Nov 04, 2004

It seems that the Hitching Post is playing booking games again. I'm not the 1st to get shafted and probably won't be the last.

I booked 3 jobs with them last summer and Butch decided to book somebody else for two of them. That was fine with me because he had his employee call me a few months in advance. While we were taking care of that, I made sure to confirm the third gig, the date, the day, etc. They confirmed it 3 times that I was in the book for 11/5/04.

SOOOo, I spend time this week preparing for the gig and had that night set aside to play. I was just about to pick up my guitar and practice two sets when the phone rings. Like the first call, Butch didn't bother to call and take care of it himself, but with one day notice I'm told that he booked another band. Sorry about your time Jeff. This whole thing could have been avoided if he would have called me in the first place to cancel the 1st two bookings and confirm the third.

photogoddess · Post by **photogoddess** » Thursday Nov 04, 2004

This past Sunday Butchie canned the Hurricanes. He waited til they started to unload before he told them. That's a prick trick! Hope you are still on for Friday! Alot of fans were pissed off and left!

lonewolf · Post by **lonewolf** » Thursday Nov 04, 2004

photogoddess wrote:This past Sunday Butchie canned the Hurricanes. He waited til they started to unload before he told them. That's a prick trick! Hope you are still on for Friday! Alot of fans were pissed off and left!

Un freakin' real. How did he manage to survive long enough to can me?

Butch, you are losing a hell of a lot of friends real quick.

No, I will not be there Friday. I will never again set up behind that friggin' chimney.

photogoddess · Post by **photogoddess** » Thursday Nov 04, 2004

I'm not sure what's going to happen Sunday, but I'll be there to find out! He'll get what's coming to him!

SheWolf · Post by **SheWolf** » Thursday Nov 04, 2004

Well as far as I am concerned this is bad business, and come on Butch aren't you man enough to face people and tell them "Oh I canceled you".
Oh.......... thats right I just remembered...... you only call people when your in a jam, and then you suck up. Well don't be so shocked when people start laughing in your face, and your place gets a bad name.
From what I have heard already Lonewolf, and The Hurricanes are not the only ones you have done this to, so my question to you is are you trying to ruin your business? You maybe able to pick and choose but I belive that will not be for long.[/img][/b]

Shirley · Post by **Shirley** » Thursday Nov 04, 2004

I FEEL SORRY FOR YOUR BUSINESS BUTCH, BECAUSE OF YOU LETTING DOWN LONEWOLF, AND THE HURRICANS BECAUSE THAT IS THE ONLY TIME I COME THERE. WHERE I WORK EVERY ONE WILL KNOW WHAT YOUR PULLING, AND TRUST ME IT WILL NOT BE YOUR ESTABLISMENT, BUTCH WORD OF MOUTH GETS AROUND ALOT MORE THAN THE ROCK PAGE. DON'T YOU THINK YOUR GETTING JUST A BIT TO COCKY WITH YOUR FRAIL SELF? FROM WHAT I HEAR YOUR LOOSING SOME OF YOUR REGULARS ANY WAYS CAN WE SAY DOWNWARD PLUMET? SOON IT WILL BE GOING, GOING, GONE. BUTCH? BUTCH WHO???

ronald lynch · Post by **ronald lynch** » Friday Nov 05, 2004

all you bands out there take notice and all bands fans take noticei feel till butch grows up and becomes man enough to face the bands and learns how to be honest not beat around bush about shafting bands as hes good at it booking bandsthen cancelling at last minute with feeble excuseso all you bands he shafted speak up let every one know bout your dealings with hitching post pass word to your fans lets boycott him till he learns treat people right signed by pap one of ones use call butch a friend but bands are better friends then he turned out to be so butch when your standing in post with just you and your employees no customers remember you did it to your self

facingwest · Post by **facingwest** » Friday Nov 05, 2004

How about this? Instead of posting on a forum where people aren't members, why not go to the source and talk face to face? Posting here won't solve any problems. (I'm not taking any sides, but just trying to make a point.) I know for a while John from Peter C's was ripped into the ground on here as well.

From my experience at The Hitching Post, Butch cancelled one of my gigs and moved around other dates as well. However at the same time he has worked with me whenever I needed to switch around some dates. I can't thank him enough for working with me and being understanding when circumstances or if an accidental double book comes up.

On a side note, I showed up a The Hitching Post tonight hauling in my gear not realizing I was booked at The Bar.

Thank God they're only minutes from each other and start time was an hour later. All I can say is I had a rough week. heh

I also remember one time playing with Retro that some of the guys showed up at Magoo's in Cresson for a gig that we were supposed to play in Somerset. Needless to say that one was a nightmare because start time for the gig in Somerset was 9:30 and the band arrived at Magoo's around 7:00.

HurricaneBob · Post by **HurricaneBob** » Friday Nov 05, 2004

Im not going to go into this but the Canes are back at the post starting this sunday just like the year and a half that we have always been there.
Sorry to all caniacs for last sunday but thanks for there words.............

lonewolf · Post by **lonewolf** » Friday Nov 05, 2004

How about this? Instead of posting on a forum where people aren't members, why not go to the source and talk face to face? Posting here won't solve any problems. (I'm not taking any sides, but just trying to make a point.) I know for a while John from Peter C's was ripped into the ground on here as well.

Been there, done that. Perhaps Butch treats you differently, but he didn't have time to talk to me after the 1st two cancellations and it really doesn't matter to me now. This was NOT a simple double booking. I booked it in June and I saw the book entry. I had them confirm the gig 3 different times after they cancelled the other 2 gigs. Nobody is that incompetent. Hey John, we talked about this gig back when you were playing the Post the night Loose Change was advertised on Q94 to play there. Another double booking? Every week is a double booking. What about all those advertising dollars out the window? Didn't I tell you a month ago that I wouldn't put it past him to cancel the 3rd gig?

There are 2 kinds of people that deal with Butch, ones that benefit and ones that get screwed. The night you played, Loose Change got screwed and somebody paid out advertising dollars. Check the other dates that you changed with him. There's a good chance that one or both of those nights you played, I got screwed out of a gig. Does that make you feel any better about the situation?

Whether he's a member or not, I just want to warn the music community about dealing with him. Nobody's sure who runs the books over there.

facingwest · Post by **facingwest** » Friday Nov 05, 2004

lonewolf wrote:There are 2 kinds of people that deal with Butch, ones that benefit and ones that get screwed. The night you played, Loose Change got screwed and somebody paid out advertising dollars. Check the other dates that you changed with him. There's a good chance that one or both of those nights you played, I got screwed out of a gig. Does that make you feel any better about the situation?

You're totally taking me wrong on this and as I originally said, I'm just trying to make a point about business in general. Physically go to the bar, sit down, have a beer, and talk to him in a rational mannor face to face.

Actually, the one night I'm referring to was a night that I called The Hitching Post and switched a date with Acid Reflux. They told me as long as Acid Reflux didn't mind, they didn't have a problem with it. I called Acid Reflux and switched the date.

The gig that got cancelled from me was because I was booked 3 times there that month and Butch wanted to get Randy Rutherford for a night. No biggie.

The last one was whenever I booked a gig earlier in the day not realizing it was further away than expected and we ended up going on around 10 instead of 9. It was my mistake and they told me not to worry about it. That night Kenny and I were leaving for Key West and instead of playing until 1, they left us take off at 12:30 not saying a word about it.

To me when a place does that for a band/person, that person should be greatful that a place is that easy going and willing to work through situations. If you're treated otherwise, I'm sorry and that's something you should bring up with Butch yourself. I didn't post on this thread to start anything with anyone.

Whenever I book something with anyone, I'm thrown dates from that person and I see what I have open, then book it. If someone gives me a date that was already booked for someone else, how am I supposed to know? I'll make you or anyone this deal for any mishaps in the future. If there's ever a date that's double booked and can be proven, I'll either give you half the money I make from playing the show or we both play and again I'll give half the money. Is that fair?

I'm not out to cut anyone's throat or burn bridges in this business and I won't. I'm just trying to make a living at something I love to do.

lonewolf · Post by **lonewolf** » Friday Nov 05, 2004

Geez, John, I would never even dream that you would be behind any of this. Don't take it that way. I was just pointing out that you were a "beneficial victim" of this haphazard business practice and didn't even know it.

I went in there one night and tried to talk about the 1st 2 gigs...he blew me off and later, ducked out the door. I had been a semi-regular at the Post for 15 years, with mug #22, and didn't even get a "hello". Because of this disrespect, I no longer have anything to discuss with him. I don't need his money and won't kiss his or anyone else's ass.

I will post and post and post on here and anywhere else, til I have double callouses on my fingers about my treatment at the Post, and always remember: I'm not the only person to get the shaft at this place.

hpost · Post by **hpost** » Sunday Nov 07, 2004

I just wanted to thank Mr lonewolf for all his kind words about me! It seems to me that I control the booking and Jeff you never booked anything with me, Its always a bartender. This whole thing could have been avoided if you talked to me. Like you told Ernie on the phone you are coming over and killing me and breaking my legs. Are we still in high school? To all that got the shaft,I've tried very hard to make thing right and some times things get messed up for this I'm very sorry.

lonewolf · Post by **lonewolf** » Sunday Nov 07, 2004

hpost wrote:I just wanted to thank Mr lonewolf for all his kind words about me! It seems to me that I control the booking and Jeff you never booked anything with me, Its always a bartender. This whole thing could have been avoided if you talked to me. Like you told Ernie on the phone you are coming over and killing me and breaking my legs. Are we still in high school? To all that got the shaft,I've tried very hard to make thing right and some times things get messed up for this I'm very sorry.

I never said anything about killing anybody or breaking anybody's legs. I think it was more along the lines of ass-kicking and I IMMEDIATELY retracted it and apologized to Ernie. I was livid and its too easy for things like that to come out under that condition. For that, I apologize to both you and Ernie.

The Post has had a few different people doing bookings under your ownership and for awhile, nobody was sure what was going on. If you are handling the booking now, you should also handle the cancellations as well. You should have called me yourself last August to cancel the other two gigs and explain to me that bartenders were no longer booking gigs. When I asked to confirm the 3rd gig in question, you could have confirmed (or not) it yourself. Instead, you had a bartender call to cancel them. At that time, I asked them to double-check and make sure the 3rd gig for 11/05 was still on, since all 3 of these gigs were booked at the same time. They confirmed it. Two other times I went to the bar and asked if it was listed in the book and they confirmed it. How many books do you have?

During the past several months, I went to the Post just about every weekend as a patron and to talk to you. In all that time, I only saw you there twice. Once, I asked if you had your book and you didn't. The other time, I didn't even get a hello because you were too busy entertaining yourself to talk. I decided to sit down, have a beer and wait to get your attention, but you left the bar.

I think what really set me off Thursday was the fact that Ernie called, not you, to cancel the gig. If you are running the show, then run the show.

If these gigs were never booked, how could anybody possibly know to call me and cancel them?