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I think I have to walk.

#184
Wow! A lot of good advice here. If you have a relationship with the Ale house owner go in person to meet with him/her and explain how your band mate went behind your back with the booking. Ask his advice. He may just say "No big deal" and give you another date. On the hand of the band mate who screwed you I would tell him you won't play any gigs for $50 near or far and he needs to get a sub for his $40 gig. Cheers.
 
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#185
Sounds like main bookers mouth is bigger than his talent. Are your shows full night shows or 1 set? If so, can you make both gigs? If so, sounds like its worked out. If you guys know Queen stuff.
If not take the band without "Freddie" to the Ale house gig. Let "Freddie" do the Queen tribute thing himself.
 
#187
You sound like a good guy and a good band. If it's earning cash, don't cut your nose off to spite your face by leaving.
If the rest of the band are young then perhaps naivety came into play or more likely it sounds like the main booker is territorial pissing and may have taken offence at you finding a good gig.
I'd agree with going to see the alehouse owner and point out you were not involved.
Americana and Queen seem poles apart......Would the band need to learn a new set?
 
#188
Dusty Elmer said:
I'll try to make this as concise as possible. Might be more of a vent than asking for advice, but I'm open to advice as well.... "
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Unless the band really means a lot to you, life is too short. Time to move on.

My main point however, was the pay per player you noted.

I'm probably older than a lot of folks here, but back in the 80s when I was playing in bars, we were making on average between $100 and $175 a night per person in the band. We were a decent band, but basically just a bar band. Other more successful bands were pulling in $1000+ a night in the same circuit.

In today's dollars, the comparison between what people were making in the 80s and 90s to today is very sad?
 
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#189
So I logged in to our shared band calendar and what do I see? He removed my booking for 11/22 and booked the Queen tribute show instead. Am I wrong to feel that 1) that's a hugely disrespectful move on his part and 2) that's highly unprofessional? It just makes no sense to me to cancel a good paying job nearby for a low paying job far away said:
What I'd do: Call the guy at the alehouse and cancel (apologetically) because you've left that band, and he can touch base with your arrogant stupid unprofessional former band mate if he likes. Give the owner that number and tell him to ask if dumbass has found another bass player yet...ask him to make the call soon, if he could. Obviously you're not playing the Queen gig, since dumbass tried to cheat you. Tell him, or don't. I wouldn't, let him figure that out.
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#190
Dusty Elmer needs to edit his original post to let latecomers know that (A) he's already played the first gig and (B) it went great and (C) he's no longer with that band, although (C) may just be my perception. I'm really interested in knowing where he goes from here WRT the November engagement and moving forward since it is looking like he may need the band less than they need him.
 
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#191
Dusty Elmer said:
I'll try to make this as concise as possible. Might be more of a vent than asking for advice, but I'm open to advice as well.

I play in a fairly successful local Americana band, and have been playing with them for 3 years. I'm 9 years older (35) than the youngest member, and have been around the block a couple times. Since the beginning I've noticed little things that made me scratch my head, things like a mysterious "band fund," delusions of grandeur, and almost always opting to play gigs that are farther away and for less money. That comes into play here.

A local ale house came to me in July to book us, and I checked with the guys and got the okay, gave the owner dates we're available, and we settled on 2 Fridays. The first one being this coming Friday 10/11 , the second one being a month away on 11/22. I confirmed these dates with the guys, and booked the shows. It's a nice little place, very nearby, we've not played there before, and it pays the going rate of $100+ per man.

A week or so ago I got a text from the main booker in the band, asking if I was available for this weird Queen cover show on 11/22, an hour and a half away, full band, with $200 to split between 5 guys. I told him we were booked at the ale house that night. He asked if I could reschedule, and I said no. The owner was good enough to give us 2 good paying dates, this is a good place to book through the winter when things dry up, and it's in my town where everyone knows me, so I don't want to flake out on this guy. Nothing else was said.

So I logged in to our shared band calendar and what do I see? He removed my booking for 11/22 and booked the Queen tribute show instead.

Am I wrong to feel that 1) that's a hugely disrespectful move on his part and 2) that's highly unprofessional? It just makes no sense to me to cancel a good paying job nearby for a low paying job far away, not to mention the fact that we're an Americana band with nowhere near the instrumentation or vocal skill required to play Queen. I don't know man. I think I have to walk.
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I wouldn't be thinking. In the words of the immortal Glen Frey I'd be already gone.
 
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#194
Dusty Elmer said:
Yeah, per song. My feeling on solos, on any instrument, is that less is more, and certainly when it comes to bass and drums. Upright is, I guess, a novelty to some degree, so the first solo would grab peoples attention, then less and less with each successive solo of course. But I think I was the only one watching the audience during the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, etc. etc. solo in the set, and seeing their obvious boredom. We'd play "The Weight" by The Band, and it's a great song when The Band does it, but ours was 8 minutes long. I timed it every night. 3 guitar solos. "Folsom Prison Blues" 2 slap solos, 2 guitar solos, and 2 banjo solos foisted upon me. And the thing is, there were so many good songs they wrote, and we would have to leave some out of a set because they wanted to stretch "The Weight" out to 8 minutes, or "Can't You See" out to 9 minutes. It was just too much wanking.
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ahhh. The ole "Americana-Flavored Jam Band" switcheroo.
 
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#195
Thanks guys. Posted a couple pages back with an update. Will try to edit the original post when I’m back on my computer tomorrow, can’t seem to do it from my phone.

I’ll recap here: played the show as a duo on Friday and it went really well, more fun than usual. Tendered my resignation after the show and told the singer/guitarist the reasons why, and everything went smoothly.

Talked to the bar owner the other day and told him the situation, gave him the option of letting me get a group of good pickers together to fulfill the 11/22 show, or to find another group to fill that date. Gave him some names of good bands/acts and he’s going to check them out and get back to me this weekend. Everything is cool with him.

I feel so much better after leaving the group. Like 20 pounds lighter. You don’t always realize how much something is weighing you down until you drop it. I’m a good player and I wasn’t being allowed to play to my full potential. Hopefully now I will be able to find an opportunity to really play at my best.

Thanks again to all my TB brethren here. You all helped me more than you’ll ever know.
 
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#196
DustyElmer said:
Thanks guys. Posted a couple pages back with an update. Will try to edit the original post when I’m back on my computer tomorrow, can’t seem to do it from my phone.

I’ll recap here: played the show as a duo on Friday and it went really well, more fun than usual. Tendered my resignation after the show and told the singer/guitarist the reasons why, and everything went smoothly.

Talked to the bar owner the other day and told him the situation, gave him the option of letting me get a group of good pickers together to fulfill the 11/22 show, or to find another group to fill that date. Gave him some names of good bands/acts and he’s going to check them out and get back to me this weekend. Everything is cool with him.

I feel so much better after leaving the group. Like 20 pounds lighter. You don’t always realize how much something is weighing you down until you drop it. I’m a good player and I wasn’t being allowed to play to my full potential. Hopefully now I will be able to find an opportunity to really play at my best.

Thanks again to all my TB brethren here. You all helped me more than you’ll ever know.
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It's not your phone. You have to message a moderator as editing mode has expired. You could get the recap added to the OP pretty easily just by hitting report on my post.
 
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