YES!!!
My dad has and won because, he had a contract.
Once the judge hears and see the contract the negotiations are over, "Pay the man!" is the outcome.
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Booking bands is not rocket surgery - rant
- Thread starter gln1955
- Start date
My dad has and won because, he had a contract.
Once the judge hears and see the contract the negotiations are over, "Pay the man!" is the outcome.
Surprised how many say to use a contract. Most brewery gigs don't pay enough in the first place to make it worth it and will just get in the way of being booked in the first place. Even if they broke the contract the payout is not worth enforcing it.
If someone doesn't feel comfortable to sign a piece of paper saying they will honor their agreement, you cats have let that persist in your market.
Anyone who won't do that, at my age, I don't have time for.
All you have to do is have a piece of notebook paper or an email or text that says:
1) We are to play on this day.
2) We are to play for this amount of money and or meals and drink (whatever was agreed to) paid at this time.
Dated and signed or agreed to in the text, email by both parties. No mystery or pressure.
Tell them it's also for there benefit as well, like if you don't show up. Like the other band they were worried about.
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This is pretty much it for bands of our status around here. Try to pull the contract card and you'll be shown the door. If by some chance you can get a contract, all it's good for is guilting them into honoring it. Go to court and "you'll never work in this town again" as they say. I wish we had more leverage, but we don't.
Oh and here wineries and breweries are a big thing.
They will most times insist on a contract if they don't know you
Sorry to hear that.
In it's day the Musicians Unions would clean that up.
Oh, yes. This is not unusual. Booking gigs and interacting with Club Entertainment Managers is far and away the most difficult part of an active live band.
I’ve seen the precise scenario you just described multiple times in the various states across this country where I have gigged. Every musician should have at least a dose of this responsibility. Creates a certain level of respect for whoever BL is booking gigs. I actually came to the conclusion that full frontal lobotomies were required before one could become a club manager.
After a while, it sinks in. Booking gigs and dealing with club managers is the most negative part of our craft. Be kind to your BL. They need your support.
Yes. Took a Holiday Inn to small claims court and was awarded our week’s pay. We bought a pair of JBL Cabaret speakers which I still have and use. And yes, we had a signed contract.
Yes. Took a Holiday Inn to small claims court and was awarded our week’s pay. We bought a pair of JBL Cabaret speakers which I still have and use. And yes, we had a signed contract.
there's contracts and there's contracts. I have a "booking agreement" that puts down what is verbally agreed upon. I put it to the club owner as a guarantee the band will show up and play, on time. A few things like the band will give at least a 6 weeks cancellation, the band will as represented (no ringers) and the band will play sets of some time span. And when the band will play. I never had to take a club to SCC, but the band used it as leverage when the club owner accidentally double booked. We got a holiday week end that paid more, and every one was happy.
Wow. It's wild that the owner KNEW he was double booked and just let it play out.
Yeah, if you have a contract and sue a club for breach of contract and win you would never get booked again at that club.
Yes, we played a place where the managers model was to pay everyone (including himself) from the register after expenses. Since the band was an add on to all that, they'd get paid last. End of the night comes, sorry I don't have money for you.
Scheduled a small claims arbitration meeting (ready with contract) and the guy weasels in and hands us the cash while waiting for our turn. TBF he was apologetic and did save us some time not having to explain to an arbitrator and win. Also spared himself the humiliation and public record of the loss.
I’m not a big contract guy. My model is: don’t **** with me and we’ll keep doing business.
I’m more lenient and understanding than most. But if I find out a gig is canceled when I’m already on my way and the excuse is that lame, that’s kind of a blacklist trigger.
I’m more lenient and understanding than most. But if I find out a gig is canceled when I’m already on my way and the excuse is that lame, that’s kind of a blacklist trigger.
Never had that happen to us, and the only places we have contracts for are a couple municipal/park type summer gigs each summer.
Seems like it wouldn't be that hard for a venue to manage though.
Seems like it wouldn't be that hard for a venue to manage though.
Here's how a double crossing bar owner got handled once back in the late 70's at a bar we played in East Texas.
3-night stand with rooms, loadout Sunday around noon. Bar owner told us he couldn't pay the full amount because there weren't enough people, drink sales, etc. Thing is, the place was packed all 3 nights. Much ensuing arguments, threats, etc.
Finally our lead singer said, "guys, let's just take what he's giving us and we'll never bother playing here again." which was completely out of character for the singer, who was kind of a hot-head. Then as we were about to pull out of the parking lot, he told me, "I forgot something, I'll be right back".
A few minutes later he comes hauling ass across the parking lot, jumped in the passenger side and yelled, "Go! Go!", tossing a paper bag across the seat full of cash rolls and a .38.
I should mention this was a Ford F100 with a camper shell pulling a repurposed horse trailer full of equipment, so there wasn't exactly a lot of "go" under the hood. Add to that, this wasn't the kind of bar owner to call 911.
About 6 months later, the owner was arrested, and later convicted for being part of an attempted hit on an undercover cop the last night we played there, which we heard about amongst the bar patrons, "didja hear what happened???" I suspect the only reason he and his friends didn't chase us down and kill us was to keep a low profile after the attempted hit went south.
I never touched a dollar of that cash, BTW, and HATED playing those places, which were probably like the redneck-meth versions of the old chitlin circuit, only rougher.
I wonder how a contract would've worked in those days.
3-night stand with rooms, loadout Sunday around noon. Bar owner told us he couldn't pay the full amount because there weren't enough people, drink sales, etc. Thing is, the place was packed all 3 nights. Much ensuing arguments, threats, etc.
Finally our lead singer said, "guys, let's just take what he's giving us and we'll never bother playing here again." which was completely out of character for the singer, who was kind of a hot-head. Then as we were about to pull out of the parking lot, he told me, "I forgot something, I'll be right back".
A few minutes later he comes hauling ass across the parking lot, jumped in the passenger side and yelled, "Go! Go!", tossing a paper bag across the seat full of cash rolls and a .38.
I should mention this was a Ford F100 with a camper shell pulling a repurposed horse trailer full of equipment, so there wasn't exactly a lot of "go" under the hood. Add to that, this wasn't the kind of bar owner to call 911.
About 6 months later, the owner was arrested, and later convicted for being part of an attempted hit on an undercover cop the last night we played there, which we heard about amongst the bar patrons, "didja hear what happened???" I suspect the only reason he and his friends didn't chase us down and kill us was to keep a low profile after the attempted hit went south.
I never touched a dollar of that cash, BTW, and HATED playing those places, which were probably like the redneck-meth versions of the old chitlin circuit, only rougher.
I wonder how a contract would've worked in those days.
