Band that comes late to show

leftdecay · #1 04-27-2008, 01:59 AM

Hi All ...
I while ago, my band was playing a show with 7 other bands. We were listed as the 4th band in the rundown. We always show up well before our scheduled time so we won't be late and have time to check out the other bands performance. That night after the 2nd band finished their performance I was told that the 3rd band (let's call them BAND A)had not showed up yet. The show organizer asked my band if we wanted to play 3rd and let the late BAND A played 4th. Now, I've seen this happened too many times. Bands come to the show late so they can play later (meaning more crowd). I told the organizer that my band will not play before BAND A. I told them we would take the stage NOW as long as BAND A will not be permitted to play that show that night. We didn't want to had to make sacrifice of playing earlier (to a lesser crowd) just because we show up on time and the other band was late. The organizer than decided that they would wait for BAND A (who came in about 1 hour late, so the stage was empty for that long). We took the stage after they play.
My question is, what would you guys do if you were put up to this kind of situation? Was I being a p***k by doing what I did?
PS: I'm the bassist, but at the time my sister was the band manager so I told her what to say to the organizer

Big Hungry · #2 04-27-2008, 02:06 AM

For some reason a lot of local bands around me like to pull that kind of stuff. So we usually deal with it, and then after the show call them out and tell them we don't want to play with them again.

ksandvik · #3 04-27-2008, 02:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Hungry

For some reason a lot of local bands around me like to pull that kind of stuff. So we usually deal with it, and then after the show call them out and tell them we don't want to play with them again.

Or, do an extended set and tell the late band that they missed their slot -- that should teach them. --Kent

leftdecay · #4 04-27-2008, 02:50 AM

Thanks for the replies. But what good would it do if I say to BAND A that we don't wanna play with them anymore cos it's not up to my band who gets to perform in a given show. Kent suggestion would've been cool to do but we were playing with a replacement drummer that night who just learn the songs that we prepared to play that night (we play our own songs)

heroincredible · #5 04-27-2008, 03:05 AM

That happens to us somewhat frequently.

T-Bird · #6 04-27-2008, 04:03 AM

Hi, leftdecay.

There's also the variations:

When the party is dying...FAST... the "main" band decides that they have to be somewhere else later and have to to play earlier.

The bands have to decide on the spot who gets to play first to get to the drinking and chasing tail first.

The bands want to use Your gear and make several excuses to do so.

For what it's worth, I think You handled the situation well, I would've probably done the same.

Regards
Sam

leftdecay · #7 04-27-2008, 04:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by heroincredible

That happens to us somewhat frequently.

what does? having another band come in late or being late?

still ... aren't you guys tired to have to put up with this sort of things?

modulusman · #8 04-27-2008, 05:25 AM

Learn enough songs so if it happens again play their set and yours. Or better yet learn enough songs so you don't have to play lame shows with 8 bands.

heroincredible · #9 04-27-2008, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leftdecay

what does? having another band come in late or being late?

still ... aren't you guys tired to have to put up with this sort of things?

Other bands coming in late. We usually get stuck opening because of that, and at most venues around here that sucks since the crowd doesn't start showing up for awhile. We try to show up a half hour/an hour before the gig starts.

We also get the 'other band needs to be somewhere' thing so that even if we do have a pretty good time slot we usually get bumped until later.

Both situations are terrible, as some of the crowd we bring in doesn't get off work until a half hour before our set starts (sometimes they don't get off of work until our set is over), or they leave before our later sets. That makes it a pain in the butt being a band that plays originals, since the crowd is never all that big. And the one time that there were a couple hundred people in the venue, someone got peppersprayed and almost everyone left - AND our set got pushed to 1am on a monday night due to cops showing up and having to air out the venue. It's tough. For every great gig we've played, there have been a dozen 'bad' gigs. It's a bummer going through this sort of thing over and over again.

Edit: and some of the venues we play at, we (an alt rock band), get booked with metal bands. I love metal, none of our friends do and neither do my bandmates. Makes for a crappy night out after our set for me since everyone else is bummed about the metal.

stefandisgust · #10 04-27-2008, 05:37 AM

I've been there man but I dont think a band should be punished by not playing at all if changing their time.

In my town we used to play at a skate shop every year for both days of a weekend in november and it was funny. It was a matter of playing before the cops got there since we had no sound permit. A backwards show haha

leftdecay · #11 04-27-2008, 05:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by modulusman

Learn enough songs so if it happens again play their set and yours. Or better yet learn enough songs so you don't have to play lame shows with 8 bands.

Well, we're not exactly THE BEST BAND in town, but FWIW it was not a lame show

Actually some of the bands that played that night were consider some of the best bands in town

It would have been cool to play a show by ourself though, something we rarely have the opportunity to do

invader3k · #12 04-27-2008, 06:40 AM

You'll always have problems like this, playing on bills with seven other bands, I'm afraid. I think you were right to stick to your spot, though. It's not your responsibility to make up for the shortcomings of others bands.

purfektstranger · #13 04-27-2008, 06:59 AM

From a promoter's viewpoint I never book seven bands in a show because invariably the first couple of bands and the last band end up playing for very few people. There is also the 'more equipment taking up space than people' syndrome which is a right pain in the a$$ between set changes. In your case, if I was the promoter I would have told the fourth band they are not going on at all and then bump all the other bands up in the list, allowing for say, 30 minutes before the next band goes on. This would allow time for more people to show up. It is extremely unprofessional to have a gap of an hour during bands.

leftdecay · #14 04-27-2008, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by purfektstranger

In your case, if I was the promoter I would have told the fourth band they are not going on at all and then bump all the other bands up in the list,

the 4th band was us ... what did we do wrong that you wouldn't let us play? we come on-time.

the 3rd band was the one that came in late

purfektstranger · #15 04-27-2008, 08:05 AM

My bad....please substitute 4th band with 3rd band.

bigfatbass · #16 04-27-2008, 08:06 AM

Unless band 3 was enough of a legit, noticeable draw to the promoter, he is a moron and should have told band three to keep on driving. Empty stage for an HOUR waiting for band 3 of 8 to show up? Was it his first day with the clipboard?

Promoter: Hey, band 4!

You: yeah?

Promoter: Band 3 is a no show/off the bill, so get ready to hit, 'cause you are now band 3!

You:

That being said, you did the right thing standing your ground providing you didn't burn a bridge with a successful run of shows.
Sounds like they weren't totally peeved at you, and the show went well enough, right?

invader3k · #17 04-27-2008, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by purfektstranger

From a promoter's viewpoint I never book seven bands in a show because invariably the first couple of bands and the last band end up playing for very few people...It is extremely unprofessional to have a gap of an hour during bands.

You're assuming that the promoter in question actually gave a crap about the bands or the people in attendance, though.

purfektstranger · #18 04-27-2008, 08:09 AM

This is true but there are two sides to every coin. I have organised alot of shows and seen both crappy promoters and bands. I guess I was looking at it from my point of view. That said, if a promoter continually books crappy shows (from a band or organisational standpoint) they won't last too long.

cbass1 · #19 04-27-2008, 08:13 AM

how about the ever present situation of the band before you takes FOREVER to set up. Drummer comes in with 20pc kit, guitars come in full stacks, bass player the same, mic checks a plenty, (and all for a club that holds 500) and before you know it they ate 20 minutes of your set, and the band after you is the main band and they are NOT gonna go on late. Man that pisses me off !! in that situation you have no choice but to go through all the motions and only play half your set.

Of course with the previous scenarios, everyone knows that your peeps come out to only watch your show so when your set gets switched, your crowd is either not there or they only get to watch half of what they came out to see. I say if you are late, no play, and if you can't manage your gear to set up and tear off in a reasonable timeframe then you need to devote practice to just that. too often noob musicians feel like they own the stage as they set up and they have lost total respect for the situation they are in which is a show with other bands and other people all with their own responsibilities and schedules.

purfektstranger · #20 04-27-2008, 08:22 AM

"how about the ever present situation of the band before you takes FOREVER to set up........"

That's one of the main problems with booking five or more band shows. Not to mention the prima donna bands with more gear than Motley Crue, who take 35 minutes to set up for a 25 minute set. Pretty sad actually........