Sub gig rant

[slugworth]

Ok so, earlier this week, (Tuesday to be precise) I get a call from a guitarist for a sub gig booked last night. Just a low pressure 4 hour Classic Rock gig at a local bar. $100 a man (which is my absolute minimum) No rehearsal and no song lists provided...the guy seemed cool enough over the phone and told me "don't worry about the songs, it's all stuff you know, and you'll be fine"...Ok....Fair enough...I can handle that..

I show up an hour early, introduce myself to the guitarist and his drummer buddy, and they just say, "Oh, ok..you're here, yeah, set up over there" No pleasantries, no chit-chat, nothing... A couple of real cold, full of themselves arrogant people, those two....Ok, well, I can deal with that too, but it makes for a long night....

During the breaks, I tried to break the ice with them a bit, but I could tell I was just a hired hand...Fair enough....

We finally get to the end of the gig, and play our last song.
I know I did a fantastic job for them, and even the club owner introduced himself to me after the gig and commented positively on my playing. Nice to hear...

Anyway, It was late, and I just wanted to get paid and get on the road. No sense in hanging around with these two boobs...I quickly break down my gear, pull my car around to the front door and load up. When I do sub gigs for people I don't know, I don't like to interfere with their setup or breakdown procedure, nor do I touch any equipment that doesn't belong to me. Some people get really touchy about their gear...

They finally get their gear broken down, (and it wasn't much, just a small guitar amp, a very small pa, and a small drumkit)
and we get paid. I take my cash, say thanks to everyone and head for the door. I get outside and the guitar player follows me: "Hey man I just wanna tell you something: nothing bad about your playing, but don't sit around after the gig watching everyone else work"

I turned to him and said, "Bro, you hired a bass player, not a roadie"..He didn't say a word, and I just got in my car and left...

I don't know about you guys here on TB that sub a lot, but $100 sub work panic gigs don't include roadie duty, and 99% of the bands I sub with understand that..

[DaveDeVille]

Originally Posted by slugworth

...I get outside and the guitar player follows me:
"Hey man I just wanna tell you something: nothing bad about your playing,
but don't sit around after the gig watching everyone else work"

I turned to him and said, "Bro, you hired a bass player, not a roadie"
..He didn't say a word, and I just got in my car and left...

LOL !!
perfect comeback ...

i guess he thought that since they paid you that princely sum of money ,
you should , you know , help them load out , hang around and feel lucky for the privilage ...

ha ! !
been there , done that ...

[slugworth]

Originally Posted by david meissner

LOL !!
perfect comeback ...

i guess he thought that since they paid you that princely sum of money ,
you should , you know , help them load out , hang around and feel lucky for the privilage ...

ha ! !
been there , done that ...

Yeah, doing sub work can be a real freak show sometimes..

[bassbully]

I have never subbed and doubt i ever will and this is one reason why. I have to say thou ...nice job..way to put that asshat in his place. He's lucky after giving you the cold shoulder all night you dint knock his head off. Some people , you do em a favor and a good job and this is the thanks you get? We had a sub in my old classic rock band twice. He set up played broke down got payed and left. Nobody said a word. He was hired to play ...period.

[slugworth]

Originally Posted by bassbully

I have never subbed and doubt i ever will and this is one reason why. I have to say thou ...nice job..way to put that asshat in his place. He's lucky after giving you the cold shoulder all night you dint knock his head off. Some people , you do em a favor and a good job and this is the thanks you get? We had a sub in my old classic rock band twice. He set up played broke down got payed and left. Nobody said a word. He was hired to play ...period.

Word.
Slug

[nsmar4211]

Long as you took your own equipment out.......and helped pack up anything you used (if you used PA).......see no problem with that even in a non sub situation!
I do help load everything up but that's just me..... but I'd rather someone else not load my stuff personally. Kinda weird
Bah, there's gotta be a reason they had no bass player.....right?

[slugworth]

Originally Posted by nsmar4211

Long as you took your own equipment out.......and helped pack up anything you used (if you used PA).......see no problem with that even in a non sub situation!
I do help load everything up but that's just me..... but I'd rather someone else not load my stuff personally. Kinda weird
Bah, there's gotta be a reason they had no bass player.....right?

I used my own amp, mic, stand, monitor and cable. Just like always..Yeah, I don't really like extra help during load-in/out.
I have a system that I've used for years, and I've had only a couple things get lost/stolen, a cheap guitar stand and a some cheap cables.

I think their regular bass player came down with a case of Igottabettergigitis.

[Johnny Crab]

Originally Posted by slugworth

No pleasantries, no chit-chat, nothing... A couple of real cold, full of themselves arrogant people, those two....Ok, well, I can deal with that too, but it makes for a long night....

OK.
You ARE only a hired gun.

Originally Posted by slugworth

During the breaks, I tried to break the ice with them a bit, but I could tell I was just a hired hand...Fair enough....

Yep.

Originally Posted by slugworth

I get outside and the guitar player follows me: "Hey man I just wanna tell you something: nothing bad about your playing, but don't sit around after the gig watching everyone else work"

I turned to him and said, "Bro, you hired a bass player, not a roadie"..He didn't say a word, and I just got in my car and left...

Excellent.

And thanks for the new term for that old disease:
Igottabettergigitis

[OtterOnBass]

ah, it turns out the ice breaker in this situation was at the end of the night breaking down the rig.

[Munjibunga]

If I'm friends with the band, I'll do some light to moderate lifting at load-out. You know, mic stands, gig bags, the like. Just to make it fewer trips for them. But I'm going to remember that come-back if I'm ever in that situation with knuckleheads.

[GreyBeard]

You might have offered to help. Well maybe not.

[The Golden Boy]

I read stories like this all over the intArwebs and I wonder how lucky I am. I have been in some crappy situations- but I do all kinds of sub and fill in work, and I've never had to deal with those kind of situations. Some that I can't wait for the end of the gig- but never to the point of blatantly treated badly by the guys I'm playing with.

[Bhuti]

You did what you were paied to do. You had no extra obligation to help them with their gear. Well done. And if that's their idea of working, then they probrably don't know where the real work should be put.

[lawsonman]

I might have helped them if they were good guys but in this case I would have done the same as you.

[Valerus]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

If I'm friends with the band, I'll do some light to moderate lifting at load-out. You know, mic stands, gig bags, the like. Just to make it fewer trips for them. But I'm going to remember that come-back if I'm ever in that situation with knuckleheads.

Haha definitely.

You did the right thing.

[slugworth]

Originally Posted by lawsonman

I might have helped them if they were good guys but in this case I would have done the same as you.

You're right..And for the past 31 years as a gigging bassist, I've found that 95% of the musicians out there are good, friendly people. They don't even have to be stellar musicians for the gig to be enjoyable. Nor is it about the money. It's about sharing a little camaraderie and brotherhood among fellow musicians and entertaining the people that have come out to enjoy a little live music. The other 5% however, are simply a fact of life. I guess that's just the way it is, no matter what business you're in...

Occasionally, the woodwork squeaks... And out come the freaks...

Slug

[Chad Michael]

You did the right thing. Just looking at the facts:

- They alienated you

- You did them a huge favor by subbing at a more than reasonable price

- Your playing was appreciated on and off stage

- I'd be willing to bet that each of them received a bigger cut than you did

Let the selfish clods handle their own gear, and remember that there are bands who would have paid you better, treated you better, and appreciated you much more. Guaranteed.

[SERPENT865]

I wouldnt have helped either , sounds to me like they didnt even talk to you untill that .

[stuonbass]

I cant imagine what would have motivated you to help them load out anyway. Screw them and well done on your part.

[fenderhutz]

Since you have no vested interest in the project in the long run, as a hired gun I see no obligation to tote their gear around.

If they were maybe testing you for a long term spot in the band and made this clear from the get go, I maybe would have helped, maybe.