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Gosh darn booking agents!!!

H

harshmistress

Jul 29, 2013
5
0
#1
FYI - we're an original alternative rock band, so we get paid minimal.

A few months ago I booked my band a gig about two hours north of our city. The club offered us a friday night slot, perfect for weekend warriors. I have email correspondences confirming the date, etc. I asked for our set time, and the last I heard from the booking agent was that she would get back to us with those details.

Fast forward, we're about a week away from the gig, so I emailed again re-confirming, and asked for our set time. I never heard back. So, I went online to do a little sleuthing, and saw an event line up that guess what? - didn't include our band!

So, I guess at this point we're not playing that gig.

My band mates thought it would be a fun adventure to book a few hotel rooms and bring our girlfriends/wives in tow, so now I have to break it to them that not only do we not have a gig, but you just lost your hotel reservation and you're not getting laid.

Any advice? War stories?
 
#2
No advice really. Screen the agents and venues you work with very carefully. The agent never got back to you, I would never work with her again .

I left the originals scene 2 years ago for the security, money and consistent gigging opportunities in the cover band world.. I think what you described goes with the territory when your in an originals band.

Blue
 
#6
If it was me and my band I would show up. As far as you are concerned, you booked a gig and have emails proving it. You should just show up to play, if they haven't contacted you to cancel then go ahead as planned. Its the agents **** up not yours, we bailed on a gig once because the promoter never got back to us after confirming a month before so we didn't go. turns out show went on and we were a no show,even thought it was the venues fault it looked bad on us. So I would say go, show up expecting to work and be paid like promised and if it turns out the gig was canceled its their fault and they still need to pay you all or at least part of the fee.
 
#8
You probably shouldn't have booked your hotels prior to receiving your worksheet for the gig. If you don't have your worksheet in hand you really shouldn't consider yourselves confirmed, especially with a venue agent who you don't know personally. It's poor that they're dodging your emails though. That's bad form entirely.
 
#9
Another good reason why I am my own booking agent for my band and when I book bands and sound for my events and festivals, they deal directly with me. I recently had to book a somewhat national act for a festival through an agent who was very unprofessional.
 
#10
IPYF said:
You probably shouldn't have booked your hotels prior to receiving your worksheet for the gig. If you don't have your worksheet in hand you really shouldn't consider yourselves confirmed, especially with a venue agent who you don't know personally. It's poor that they're dodging your emails though. That's bad form entirely.
Click to expand...

I see the term worksheet again. Are these big $$ gigs we're talking about.

We only see contracts and formal itinerary for our fair and festival shows.

Blue
 
#14
Post the facts, with no embellishments in every forum you can find, including craigslist. Email the booking agent a link to every one. Ask everyone you know to email the booking agent a link to every one. Sign up the booking agent for every porn site, get out of credit debt site, payday loan site, dating site, and Nigerian scam site you can find.
 
#15
So basically the booking person from the club dropped the ball. Every gig i've booked a "few months" out, i make sure i have called to re-confirm within a week. I do it again a week prior to the show. I cover my rear. No matter what size of the club/gig/venue there should be something in writing as well.

You do have your email correspondence. Light up her cellphone and get to the bottom of it. Don't be a jerk, just get some clarification. Who knows, she may realize she f'ed up and give you guys something better.
 
#17
bluewine said:
I see the term worksheet again. Are these big $$ gigs we're talking about.

We only see contracts and formal itinerary for our fair and festival shows.

Blue
Click to expand...

Not talking $$ here. We get a worksheet for every show and all legitimate venues here will do worksheets. It's just a basic contract that tells you your set time, load in and line-check time, rider and pay (usually there's none of either), venue details. Basic stuff.

I'm not sure why the OP is laying this all at the booking agent's door here. We've never booked the van or any accommodation prior to being announced. That's just presumptuous. This is music/hospitality. It's a fluid environment. Until you have a set time and your name is on the poster or on a worksheet you're not confirmed.

Sure, in a perfect world every booking agent would be ultra diligent but the reality is that they're really super busy and they'll do anything they can to minimise their workload. People seem keen to forget that there's plenty of bands out there and that anyone who puts you up is doing you a favour. So quit it with the 'name and shame' rubbish and remember that the best way to be on the bill is to help the promoter in any way that you can.
 
#18
In our area, smaller circuit clubs do not offer worksheets or contracts of any kind. Gigs are booked through email, and that is our only confirmation. I've had one other gig fall through for the same reason, but I could tell right from the start the booking agent had little experience. And, he did apologize after he realized he made a mistake.

I've toured most of the eastern/mid US from maine to wisconsin down to florida, and have booked hundreds of shows. This is the first time a club has refused to even answer me.
 
#19
gustobassman said:
So basically the booking person from the club dropped the ball. Every gig i've booked a "few months" out, i make sure i have called to re-confirm within a week. I do it again a week prior to the show. I cover my rear. No matter what size of the club/gig/venue there should be something in writing as well.

You do have your email correspondence. Light up her cellphone and get to the bottom of it. Don't be a jerk, just get some clarification. Who knows, she may realize she f'ed up and give you guys something better.
Click to expand...

This. Karma is a b*tch
 

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