Arranging a Benifit Gig...

Matt Till · #1 10-30-2004, 07:51 PM

For those of you who didn't see my thread in Off topic, my dad has been diagnosed with cancer. Well the news got worse: The cancer in both the lungs and brain are advanced, they have found four tumors in his brain, one of them the size of a baseball... he never showed symptoms of the beginings of cancer, it's like he went from complete health to advanced cancer. His doctors don't seem very optimistic...

He obviously can't work, and my mom needs to take some time off in order to watch my dad. The treatment he's on may cause seziures... she needs to be with him constantly.

The cover band I'm in has done a few benifit gigs, but we have never started one. I'd like to organize one, I haven't brought it up to the band yet, but if they have a problem with it, they can go **** themselves and I'll quit the band (which I hate anyway, BTW). With both my parents unemployed, I don't know what they are going to do, they are looking for financial support, but... I don't know.

Has anyone here ever started a benifit gig? Advice?

Osama_Spears · #2 10-30-2004, 08:41 PM

Omg...Im so sorry Matt,thats some heavy S man

Best of luck with the show,my band wants to throw one but we have yet to take the next step on creating the bill/renting the hall etc.

DeLorean · #3 10-30-2004, 08:54 PM

Sorry you and your family have to go through that, I've been there with family not as close as that (an aunt and a brother-in-law) and know it can be rough. Don't forget to be there for yourself as well as for them. It may sound weird or selfish, but neglecting yourself during this is bad in the short and long run.

As to arranging a benefit, talk to some people locally who have been involved in one or more before. You are more connected to your community than you may realize, petty differences tend to fall aside for events like this. Is there a music shop or maybe a club or somewhere similar where you know people who have been involved with benefits before? Maybe they will help out now.

In the mean time, look for a location that will fit the needs (space, facilties, parking, etc) that will let you have use of it for a Sautrday afternoon or Sunday afternoon or evening. Maybe a local barbeque place will donate a pig or two, or come serve inexpensively for the cause. Talk to other musicians to see if they will help out, most will see donating a performance as different than playing for free. Once you get the ball rolling help usually starts appearing. I've been close to or part of quite a few benefits, and watching the people pull together for them has always amazed me. I guess they save up their goodness for such occasions, so I don't see it much otherwise... I hope it all goes as well for you as it can.

Jace The Bass · #4 10-30-2004, 08:58 PM

That's really some sad news Matt
All I can say is I hope all goes well for you and your family
Try asking the guys to see if they want to do a benefit gig for your dad
I'm sure they would'nt mind if they don't then you could get another bunch of guys to jam with
I wish you all the best Matt for you and your family

Tym2cu_bass · #5 10-30-2004, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Till

Has anyone here ever started a benifit gig? Advice?

Wow... I posted in your thread about you dad in OT. And to hear that it has worsened is terrible, again, i feel for you-

As for the gig. I haven't started one, but i've been in them and helped arranged them. Basically here is some things you can do- Go to some clubs (i dont know how big of city you live in so i dont know what there is available) and tell the people about it and most likely they'll help you out with flyers and stuff to advertise it. Go to office places to see if you can get donated some free flyers and stuff to, get as many adds for it out there as possible - the more people that come the more $$ right? Basically tell everyone you see

Try and get several types of bands, that play sever genres of music. If you play your cards right you can make some seriouse money. And if you get lucky, make some calls to some big named bands and tell you your situation, and maybe, just maybe you can get them to come to your town to play for a lot lower price. So say the band costs $15k per gig. Tell them your situation when you call them, and then maybe they'll cut it down some and then you can really make at least $5k. (I know this cause frank masina came to my town to play for $7k for 2 gigs when it normally costs $15k for one gig).

But best of luck, ill pray for your dad tonight, and your concert.

Matt Till · #6 10-31-2004, 07:09 PM

This is strange, I have some slightly good news!!

I told my mom I wanted to do a benifit last night, and today I get a call from my aunt. In that short amount of time, my mom told my aunt, she made phone calls like a mad woman all day. (Honestly, when she called me she had a sore throat from talking so much). And she had got some bands together, prizes to give away, set up auctions, was talking to cancer benifit places... she did a crazy amount of work.

Then she tells me, that the band I'm in (that I hate) is practically broken up! We've got one more gig, then we are going to play the benfit, then we are done! (We'd better be) It was good money, but it was heartbreaking to be whoring myself out in a cover band (no offense to coverbanders, if you enjoy doing that, cool beans, it's just so not me that I felt like a fake... I don't like Lynyrd Skynyrd). Now I'll have some free time to maybe start a real band... release my solo CD... get a life?

I'm just glad to hear something positive... I'm losing my mind. With the election nearing, the media is filled with hatred and violence moreso than usual. Classes are piling up on me... my dad. I just wish I could stop time for a week, fix everything...

I almost cried at McDonald's today, I got a salad and a drink and I don't know why but I saw the Monopoly pieces and thought, "Oh my god, if I win a million dollars I could buy my dad the best medical attention... I could fix everything." I didn't even consider a new bass, some CDs, a car, a house, a pony... this is the most important thing in the world to me is my dad's survival. My mom can't be a widow... my brothers can't be fatherless... I can't be fatherless...

#&%( you Boardwalk...

Tym2cu_bass · #7 10-31-2004, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Till

#&%( you Boardwalk...

Well, that wont be the only time in your life you will say that... except with me its always been parkplace, cuz the first year the mcdonalds monopoly scam came out they had an abundance of boardwalks and only a couple (if any) parkplaces.

Ok, but otherwise, thats greatt news. Glad to hear that you have a mom that hussels here butt to help you out with your stuff (my mom just drove me places some times...). But anyways, keep us posted on that benefit concert, tell us where you live, and where it will be held then maybe some of us TBers could come and maybe help it

Peace and GL bro-

The Golden Boy · #8 11-01-2004, 02:39 PM

Matt,

I didn't reply in the other thread, but I'm really sorry to hear about your dad's condition.

A few months ago there was a benefit around here for a little girl with many congenital medical problems. I think this is the url for the benefit- I can't open it because of the firewall here.

http://68.114.237.222:9000/ravyn/Benefit.htm.

You might want to get in touch with the people who set that up. They got a great turnout for the evening, and a lot of local businesses donated a lot of things to be raffled off.

Good luck.