"Your gig has been postponed..."

Baron Von Vik · #1 12-09-2010, 11:01 AM

We have a gig tonight at a local club. The gig is semi-regular, and since Thursday is "ladies night" there is usually a respectable crowd.

We were told that the gig would go from 7 to 11 originally. Those times sounded great to me...early night, sleep, do some Christmas shopping tomorrow.

But we noticed a couple days ago that the club calendar said that were were going on at 8, so we called to confirm times, and could not get the booking manager on the line. So yesterday, we went down there, and were told that they decided to show a football game starting at 6, and we would go on when it was over.

So, I've never been a football fan. Probably because seeing the words "foot" and "ball" so close together reminds me of something a kid named Allen did to me in elementary school... or just because I'm more interested in music. Thinking about it, though, it might be a better show with the patrons all beered up and excited about the game. Hopefully the right team wins.

Anyway, I was discussing the iffy behavior of the club with my wife and one of her friends, and she told us that the club's owner had just been federally indicted on multiple counts of fraud just last week!

The venue pays pretty well... or should I say, paid. I hope we don't get stiffed on this one. Though it would be kind of cool if the feds rushed the place and shut it down during the gig. We would have to dedicate a song to them... "74 Jailbreak" or whatever.

Anyway, gig tonight! Hopefully.

bassbrad · #2 12-09-2010, 01:02 PM

Ladies Nite meets football sounds like a lame idea to me.

lousybassplayer · #3 12-09-2010, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassbrad

Ladies Nite meets football sounds like a lame idea to me.

I love ladies, and I love football, but I have to agree. From a marketing standpoint as a bar owner this sounds like a flop. I smell a sausage fest that would chase off all the women pretty quick, which will in turn start chasing off the male patrons. Good luck, but between this and the slightly more disturbing issue of federal indictments, I think it might be time to go gig shopping instead of Christmas shopping.

Baron Von Vik · #4 12-10-2010, 12:37 PM

You were right. The Ladies night/football combo was a flop, so we played for about 20/25 people all night. Did about 3/4 of the set.
The feds didn't show, but this is probably the last time we'll play there. Also, they had a new sound guy, who was a big reggae fan apparently... I sounded like mud. Altogether not pleased about the whole thing. But I was glad we finished early.

...On a brighter note, after I posted this yesterday, I went into a local pawn shop and walked out with a Spector 4-string- for $25 buckaroos. Dings on the back, missing the keys off two tuners so the guy thought it was a piece of junk. Straight neck, the pots aren't scratchy, the EMG pickups sound awesome. $25.
I'm stoked.

s_mcsleazy · #5 12-10-2010, 12:45 PM

im quite lucky. my fave club/pub has one tv and it never shows sports. often playing the history channel infact so you get to drink AND watch tanks

girlonbass · #6 12-10-2010, 12:48 PM

Ladies night football???

Doesn't take a rocket scientist. Maybe they need a girl-on-bookings.

Terri
Girl-on-Bass

S.Harrison · #7 12-10-2010, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by s_mcsleazy

im quite lucky. my fave club/pub has one tv and it never shows sports. often playing the history channel infact so you get to drink AND watch tanks

Win!

The last spot I had regular gigs at had a big tv on either side of the bar. One of which faced the stage area. I didn't mind as I got to watch Cole Hamels strike out 15 Reds one night and the Flyers put a whoopin on the Devils another. Otherwise, I never even noticed it. Tanks would've been too big a distraction for sure.

To the OP, good luck with finding a new spot. Sounds like you'll be out of that one, and it's probably for the best. I've played to some somewhat sizable crowds, and had some shows (due to poor promoting) where we had to scrape together the money for the sound guy. 25 people does kinda suck.

**iriegnome** · #8 12-10-2010, 02:36 PM

Man, that just happened to us as well. Well, the football thing that is.. We played in Chicago and some college football game was going on, so they pushed the band back.. Stupid!! This is the exact reason why we RARELY play bars. They suck!

nboyer941 · #9 12-10-2010, 02:39 PM

My gigs have been getting canceled lately due to weather. Thick snow has cost my about $300 so far this season and this weekend is questionable.

tangentmusic · #10 12-10-2010, 02:40 PM

Foot, ball & a kid in grade school named Allen does not sound like a good combo to me either... OUCH

Stumbo · #11 12-10-2010, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baron Von Vik

....this is probably the last time we'll play there.......

.....they had a new sound guy, who was a big reggae fan apparently...

....I sounded like mud. Altogether not pleased about the whole thing..

IMO, since the gig is semi-regular, I'd stop in and talk to whoever is running the place now and discuss the details of any future gigs.

Maybe you'll hear something you like and keep your steady gig. Seems like an okay place to play....if the Feds don't show up...

stoneboy26 · #12 12-10-2010, 09:17 PM

Bar we play at shows sport on a bunch of TVs around the pub. They usually kill the one above stage and don't have any issue if we come on while sport is on. If there happens to be a big game of some sort on we will happily wait 10-15mins for the match to finish.

Usually we are lucky and games all pretty much finish before we come on. Then again, we're not on stage until 10:30.

bombpop14 · #13 12-10-2010, 09:22 PM

There is nothing like having to wait to go on till the "big game" finishes...only to have the home to get creamed, and everyone is bummed out.

Gort · #14 12-11-2010, 03:51 AM

We played this one club where the "stage" was the floor in front of their gigantic projection TV. There was a Stanley Cup game scheduled so we were asked to play until the game started (about 1/2 a set) and play a set after the game.

We complied, got full pay for playing 1-1/2 sets, ate and drank for free, and I got to watch the game I thought I was going to miss because of the gig.