Bad Bar Owners - Does This Sound Familiar...

[MysticMichael]

Originally Posted by Joe Nerve

Not to hijack this thread, but if ya got some time on your hands and feel like reading - this is how I vented one of the times I felt a club REALLY screwed us. Got it out of my system without having to badmouth the club, and it surprisingly got published a few places...

Club closed down too. Word got around cuz they treated everybody as they did us. I didn't have to send any emails out.

http://www.thenerve.info/pay_to_play.htm

Read your "pay to play" horror story, Joe. What sheer and utter sleaze. Practically makes my skin crawl, just thinking about it...

The bottom line? Don't assume anything. If the information you need isn't readily provided, ask in detail until you're satisfied. If you can't get straight answers, walk away...

Once you do get straight answers, and terms that are acceptable - then get it in writing. If the club owner won't put it in writing, walk away...

Once you do get it in writing, adhere strictly to your obligations under the contract - and hold the club owner to the same standard of behavior. If the club owner tries to renege, walk away...

I realize that working musicians are in the business of playing - and that walking away from a potential gig goes against every instinct they may have. But there are times when refusing to play under intolerable circumstances is the thing that's required in order to preserve one's self-respect, dignity and standards of professionalism.

Sometimes it's the road not taken that informs one's true path...

MM

[sixway]

Originally Posted by jive1

So what did you hope to accomplish by mentioning that she is a middle aged-Korean woman? Trying to play up to stereotypes of Asians who run small businesses? Or warning people not to deal with Korean club owners? or that women don't know how to run a bar since they are illogical?

Anyway, I'm sure you did not mean anything malicious at all. Just pointing something out and how it can be construed.

First of all, I can see where my statement could be misconstrued as somewhat racial, although as another poster pointed out, everyone was assuming the owner was a man. I suppose I didn't have to mention her ethnicity, but if you've lived here in Hawaii as long as I have, " Korean bar hostess" is a stereotype that you come across quite frequently here. But I do apologize for pointing out her nationality - it really doesn't matter in the context of bar owners in general.

Secondly, I stand by my decision to inform my friends and the music community about my frustrations with the owner of this club. As another poster mentioned, the club will most likely continue on with other bands and players hungry for a venue to play in, and in several months time most of the people who go to the club will have no idea who I am. But rather than talk behind the owner's back, as other musicians had been doing, I decided to be "up front". I'm sure she won't change her habits one bit because of my letter, but I had to stand up for myself and others. Otherwise, I would feel like someone who sees a crime, but is afraid to get involved by calling it in. I don't regret what I've said.

I'm glad to see all of the feedback and experiences posted so far.... hopefully we can all learn from them, and although we will never be able to change the way bar owners run their clubs, I hope we will be able to deal with them with our eyes more wide open.