Urrgh!

[Lisa]

I'm so upset right now I could spit nails.

We had a certain band booked for almost a year now for July 25th. I just get a note on myspace from them saying that due to a conflict with the drummer, they have to cancel! Normally i would just go with the flow with it all but I can't. This was a very important booking for us for two reasons....

1 - Local festival in the area and the lead singer is local. Last year we saw a very good turn out for this band and was hoping to build a tradition.

2 - We had a class reunion book around this band! They even had it included on their invitation. They called Monday to make sure we were all set.

My husband is thinking of cutting off all live music for next year...not because of this alone, but this sure doesn't help me fight the case. The last time this band was there, the drummer was caught pouring his own drafts was a little bit of a jerk about it anyway. Now they do this. The lead singer is also in another band that is playing down town (another booking that was suppose to be ours for the next night but we were given wrong information on dates of the local festival and they just happened to have been booked the right weekend at the place downtown???).

I'm just venting here. I don't know what to tell this class reunion. This will damage future party bookings where we try to have entertainment booked that night. BTW..the band was playing for the door and would have gotten paid for everyone who attends this class reunion plus whoever else shows up because the reunion is there.

I have issues just booking anyone else for that weekend because another band would be competing against another local band at the downtown place. Plus, how is that class reunion going to take a band they won't probably know?

Oh, I'm so mad. I hope I can stay with live music but its not looking good for 2010.

[Feelgood]

I love reliability and professionalism. That's why I left my last band.

[Rich]

Just remember, "One bad apple, doesn't ruin the bunch!" ... I personally know these guys. Not a bad guy/gal in the bunch, besides 1 of course. And it's kinda hard to play a show without a drummer... I'm sure they pulled out all the stops to try and make it happen. But, sometimes, it just doesn't...

[rickster]

cant they ask someone for a fill in drummer?

[Lisa]

I do want to clear something up....this band is a very good band and with the exception to one minor incident, they have always been fun and easy to get a long with. They work hard to bring a crowd.

Its just the frustration of having booked a class reunion around it them playing, plus the fact that this particular weekend should have been one of our busiest of the year and its crashing and we have no control over it.

It makes it hard to want to stay in the live music scene because of the fact that it is something that you don't have 100% control over...in fact, you have very little control over it.

[Rich]

"Rickster"... That's kinda hard to do sometimes. Unless the person knows "most" of your set list. Plus, alot of the people they know may already be in bands and playing that night... There are could be 100 other reasons why. Maybe they went down that route already... ???

"Lisa"... Try being in a band once. No control, everyone wants control, nobody wants control..... Fun with a capitol "F"... (Plus 37 other things.) Don't get me wrong. I don't run my own business. Nor does my income depend on it. But, I think the 2 go hand in hand, some what...

[JackANSI]

While it sucks to be thrown into the position you're in, if you stop having entertainment and people are there because of it, you'll loose that business anyway. If the entertainment is holding customers that'd you loose otherwise, then get used to more tight times if you write off bands totally...

Its never 100% clear skies and sunny on either side of the fence, might as well do whatever makes your job enjoyable rather than worry about it. If its nothing but a headache, get out of it, I don't think any reasonable person will have anything bad to say about that.

[joltinjeff]

[bassist_25]

While most ppl work with two bands, most ppl work with one.

I'm befuddled here.

[witchhunt]

I think Yogi Berra said that on that Aflac commercial.

[f.sciarrillo]

Sorry to hear that - Couldn't you hire a Dj to take their place?







/Runs ...

[joltinjeff]

While I had a "senior" moment in here earlier, what I meant was that there are a lot of ppl who have chosen to play in two bands and the others play in just one.
I just think there are some conflicts of interest in playing in two bands. Be real shitty if the bands are booked to play a show at the same time!

[VENTGtr]

Lisa,

I know you're just letting off steam, and that's understandable,
but, this stuff happens to bands quite often. Unfortunate part
of the business. Granted, adds to the frustration that there
was a customer event planned around it.

We were scheduled to play a private event THIS coming weekend.
Booked it a year ago. Only reason I knew it was cancelled is
that Branderson heard it from his fianceeand sent me an e-mail.
He was filling in for Jas for the night and Represent the Lie
wasn't playing that weekend to accomodate.

I called the guy who booked it and he said "Oh yeah. I've been
meaning to call you.". That would've been 2 bands that got
screwed.

REALLY, the band needs to do whatever they can to fulfill the
date. Unfortunately, not everyone does that (They might have.
Just saying).

Heck. Have them call Calv. He's all about the fill-in and that's
2 weeks away. That's plenty of time.

[Lisa]

I do apologize towards the band for my venting. Its just frustrating when you work hard to make events special and things happen that are out of control. Sorry but this group of folks will remember that we somehow screwed them out of the band they promoted as being there. They won't remember or speak of how wonderful the prime rib dinner was that was served by our great staff.

So now I'm left here wondering how we deal with the customers...if we don't handle it right, its us and the class reunion planning group that will feel the heat from those attending.

I would love to be able to find a great band for them and not charge them for the cover on their bill...basically give them a discount. But then, how do we pay for the band itself?

So we are still thinking about all of this....we have just over two weeks to figure it out....

When it comes to the band that had to cancel, I would strongly recommend them to any other venue. Shit happens...its just having to figure out how to deal with it so that the customers are still happy.

[oobie]

We OnEwAy are the band and I'm not going to explain myself or the bands on here as lisa and I already discussed.... As already stated things come up and family comes first to all of us.

I would just like to thank Lisa for her positive responses that she left about us!! Thank you very much!

[rickster]

While I had a "senior" moment in here earlier, what I meant was that there are a lot of ppl who have chosen to play in two bands and the others play in just one.
I just think there are some conflicts of interest in playing in two bands. Be real shitty if the bands are booked to play a show at the same time!

Unless the person playing in both bands is doing the booking

[RFBuck]

I think in a situation like yours Lisa, and perhaps in the near future...all bands should be listed as "Tentatively Scheduled." It's not the greatest out, but gives you a little breathing room should customers have complaints. It's enough of a clause to say "you were warned."
It's an unfortunate thing, indeed. I know we've only canceled one gig and that was actually a good decision...we discussed it very thoroughly with the venue owner and she was quite satisfied and agreed with our decision. So much so, it guaranteed us return bookings because we cared enough about her business and not just ourselves.
Don't give up on it, Lisa...places to play are dwindling by the day. We need somewhere to go.

[Hawk]

Lisa, that's life, things happen all of the time that we have no control over.

I understand your frustration lies in the feeling that you are letting people down who were counting on you.

However if you apologise to them (even though it's NOT YOUR FAULT) and explain what happened. Then find a DJ or another band. If they get the sence that you went out of your way to make it work for a memorable night for them (even though the odds were against you), you will gain some loyal customers.

Always work to turn a bad into a good. Good luck!

[dayzichick]

Lisa, I would talk to whoever you were working with for the reunion committee, explain the situation and ask them what they would like you to do. That way, they are in control of a situation you had no control over and they might not be mad if they now get to choose their entertainment. They may suprise you and ask you to just hire a DJ instead, not my first choice but quickest easiest solution for the time frame. Or they could suggest another band they may be willing to pay for. This is out of your control and the customer should realize that at least. Once you put them in control of the entertainment, it might soften the blow. If you can do that budgetarily.

[DirtySanchez]

Is this really that big of a deal?

If you're considering doing away with bands, there are bigger issues than this incident.

You don't see Hurricane on here "venting" because the Anchor Inn burned down and they had bookings there thru december. I doubt they're debating whether they should keep gigging either.

[felix'apprentice]

You don't see Hurricane on here "venting" because the Anchor Inn burned down and they had bookings there thru december. I doubt they're debating whether they should keep gigging either.

if the hurricanes quit gigging ... im gonna be reading a lot of the following thread ... http://rockpage.net/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=23522 lol

just kidding. not to thread hijack.


good luck lisa! sorry to hear about your band issues.

[BDR]

I like beans. r:>)

[metal_junky]

I like beans. r:>)

I prefer Taco's

[Banned]

I like beans. r:>)

I prefer Taco's

I like bean taco's...

[Colton]

i like beans then a bunch of tacos to cure munchies