Band Diva

[Ubersheist]

Helping load in is mandatory, unless she can work the crowd a bit.

After the show, everyone works - the front people's #1 goal should be meeting and greeting, gathering email address, selling merch, etc. This is a job, and it's very, very important to a band's future.

I have absolutely no problems schlepping extra gear if the frontman or frontwoman is out there schmoozing. No problem at all. In fact, it's almost mandatory with me if I'm going to play in your band long term. In the band I just joined, I told him that he should get the hell off stage as fast as is practical, and let the rest of us haul his crap off while he sells the band.

True, there's differences if you're playing a club show and you're opening vs. if you're headlining or if there's no other bands playing after you. However, the frontperson's #1 goal is to sell the band on or off stage, #2 is to help set up or tear down.

Unless they're just a "hired gun" and have an understanding worked out, there is no one who's "in the band" that should be showing up just before the gig or leaving just after. Everyone should do their part, whether it's setting up, tearing down, or schmoozing. Leaving early just plain sucks.

 

[steveksux]

While that's all fine and dandy, if you actually treated your bandmates that way, they would not stick around.

You say that like its a bad thing...

Sometimes the people pulling their weight and then some get tired of that and leave you with the goldbricker.

The hard part in this case is changing the rules in the middle after she's been getting away with it for so long.

Randy

 

[guy n. cognito]

Yes, I have played in bands where musicians are not compensated equally for equal work. Yes, I have worked jobs where employees are not compensated equally for equal work. So long as I am paid the negotiated amount, I am satisfied the situation is "fair."

I am watching baseball right now. By your logic, Derek Jeter should quit the Yankees immediately because A-Rod makes $31m/year and he only makes $15m. All the guys making less than $1m should gang up on Sabathia, Texiera, and Rivera and tell them to hit the road--we don't need you overpaid divas! All the players should be paid exactly the same salary because they all work equal hours--please!

Of course I have days where I feel disgruntled at work, where I think "so-and-so is slacking off," or "I need a raise," or "my boss is an idiot"--it's human nature! The OP has every right to vent about a stressful situation, and am generally supportive.

Professional athletes? Really? You don't think there's anything rational about their salaries, do you?

 

[guy n. cognito]

I have played in bands in which the drummer had "a little sumthin" with the owner/producer and she'd pay him 3x as much as my pay.

I have also played in bands in which the keyboard player would earn 50% more than me because his equipment was more expensive.

In other bands the percussionist got 50-75% of what I was getting because percussionists are not "REAL MUSICIANS".

I could go all night long...

I'm sure you could, as could most of us. That said, do you actually choose to stay in these sorts of situations long term?

 

[allexcosta]

I'm sure you could, as could most of us. That said, do you actually choose to stay in these sorts of situations long term?

Honestly, I don't really care...

These situations are far more common than equal pay.

 

[lowfreq33]

If it's a "for hire" situation it's normal to either get a flat rate per show, or if it's a full time gig sometimes a flat rate per week. In that case you do what you agreed to do for the amount you agreed to do it for. You also have little to no vested interest in the project, and little to no say in decisions related thereto, unless your opinion is solicited.

If it's a "band", where presumably all members split the net profit after expenses it's sort of implied that everyone has an equal, if not identical, set of responsibilities.

Many people want to pick and choose the most favorable (for them) elements of both arrangements, and ignore the more favorable (to everyone else) bits that traditionally have gone without saying.

The problem is that so many people are "just happy to have a gig" that they allow themselves to be taken advantage of, and this reinforces this sort of diva behavior.

It sucks to have to put your foot down or act like a hardass, but if money is being taken in and distributed then you are indeed in business, and should treat it as such, and everyone involved should give and be given an equal amount of respect to one another. If someone is consistently disrespecting others in a direct or indirect fashion then it's the responsibility of the band leader to rectify the situation. Any fallout from their inaction is their own fault.

 

[guy n. cognito]

If it's a "for hire" situation it's normal to either get a flat rate per show, or if it's a full time gig sometimes a flat rate per week. In that case you do what you agreed to do for the amount you agreed to do it for. You also have little to no vested interest in the project, and little to no say in decisions related thereto, unless your opinion is solicited.

If it's a "band", where presumably all members split the net profit after expenses it's sort of implied that everyone has an equal, if not identical, set of responsibilities.

Many people want to pick and choose the most favorable (for them) elements of both arrangements, and ignore the more favorable (to everyone else) bits that traditionally have gone without saying.

The problem is that so many people are "just happy to have a gig" that they allow themselves to be taken advantage of, and this reinforces this sort of diva behavior.

It sucks to have to put your foot down or act like a hardass, but if money is being taken in and distributed then you are indeed in business, and should treat it as such, and everyone involved should give and be given an equal amount of respect to one another. If someone is consistently disrespecting others in a direct or indirect fashion then it's the responsibility of the band leader to rectify the situation. Any fallout from their inaction is their own fault.

Great post.