buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
For any bassist here why says "yeah, I put my own take on covers when I play them" - I say "put up or shut up". I love this (and I'm not a bluegrass fan).
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I think I have to walk.
- Thread starter Dusty Elmer
- Start date
For any bassist here why says "yeah, I put my own take on covers when I play them" - I say "put up or shut up". I love this (and I'm not a bluegrass fan).
One of our favorite bands (one of the few my wife and I still have in common) is Steve'n'Seagulls, which is much the same thing but with a Finnish sensibility. Love that, so I'd love to see a bluegrass or Americana band take part in a Queen cover show. (Full disclosure, I'm a huge bluegrass fan and not enough of a Queen tribute to ever see a Queen tribute show, so YMMV.) And the opening act was the core three of Clusterpluck. They played some of my all-time favorite songs and virtually none were substantially the same as the originals. I liken it to Neil Boortz' assertion that if two people believe exactly the same things on every subject then one of them is redundant, only more strongly so with bands. I love the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, but I don't need to hear their songs faithfully reproduced. I want a new take. Show me what you've got, not what they had. So I'd love to see what the OP's Americana band could do with a Queen tribute show.
Of course, none of that would make it okay to break a commitment to a venue or stab a band member in the back after agreeing to do a show. Life happens and people sometimes have to back out, but not because something better came along, and hopefully the call to cancel comes with apologies and a recommended replacement act. Add in the much lower pay and we can add "stupid" to "untrustworthy" and "disrespectful". I wouldn't even be friends with someone like that, much less remain professionally associated. I'll be interested to see where the OP takes this.
Adit: Should be not terribly difficult in most places to get a good, experienced bluegrass or Americana upright bassist to sub in, assuming they play the songs traditionally and are willing to edit their song list to allow for common songs and the lack of rehearsal. That would make up a bluegrass trio, which ought to be good enough. Might be able to find a mandolin player and/or dobro player too. That hopefully would allow the OP to meet his first obligation well enough to retain the second, with enough time to put together a real band rather than an ad hoc affair for the November date. Pretty obvious that he isn't on the same wavelength or value system as the bandleader & main booker.
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don't talk one on one with the offender. Talk with every band member in the room. It may be they are about to learn something as well. It might be easier to pull together - the one member who will be leaving - not you - for the ale house.
As someone on the outside looking in, I can only go by what you have written here. With that being said it seems like the problem, like most, is just a lack of communication. Instead of instantly walking on the band because of what seems to be one conflict of interest, why not talk about it? It's not completely out of the realm of possibility to see if a gig can be rescheduled for another one. Maybe you have your cake and eat it too. It could be possible the band booker put it in the calendar right away and THEN contacted you, and didn't remove it. It's also possible he just didn't care what you said and wants the Queen gig. In both scenarios, actually discussing it is necessary. Before you just quit, see what everyone else is thinking. That'd be my advice.
Hi Dusty Elmer 
A week ago? OMG!
Prepare yourself to loose a client! A good one, who booked you for two gigs! (Which is rare for first bookings!!!)
I only hope for you that the ale house does not have printed "Our Autumn Gigs" flyers with your name!
The better places do that kind of things. They expect you to actually show up (the whole band!!!)
You all knew about these two gigs since july...
I hope (not for the band but for you!!!) that they accept.
And I hope for you that you will find a solutuion for the second gig!
I think Charlie is right. It sounds like "hey we play for fun and don' t care for the money"
The Queen gig is a bigger challenge (musicwise) and probably more fun
(other bands and a good hang after the gig?)
But a word is a word! No matter what the gig pays!
As for the cancellation of tomorrow’s show, I would write that off to passive/aggressive behavior. He’s upset that OP overstepped by booking gigs, so the alpha dog is taking back his yard.[/QUOTE]
I love that alpha male example!
In the given context I would call it a kindergarten pissing contest that went wrong!
For me it looks like walking is the only solution. I would certainly not play the "Queen gig" with that guy!
I would try my best to keep good company with the guy who booked you for the ale bar.
Get him a good band! You and other musicians (form a band!) or another band that can sub for you.
You have to do something for your reputation!!! Because...
Nothing more to say!
Good luck!
Wise(b)ass
A week ago? OMG!
Prepare yourself to loose a client! A good one, who booked you for two gigs! (Which is rare for first bookings!!!)
I only hope for you that the ale house does not have printed "Our Autumn Gigs" flyers with your name!
The better places do that kind of things. They expect you to actually show up (the whole band!!!)
You all knew about these two gigs since july...
I hope (not for the band but for you!!!) that they accept.
And I hope for you that you will find a solutuion for the second gig!
I think Charlie is right. It sounds like "hey we play for fun and don' t care for the money"
The Queen gig is a bigger challenge (musicwise) and probably more fun
(other bands and a good hang after the gig?)
But a word is a word! No matter what the gig pays!
As for the cancellation of tomorrow’s show, I would write that off to passive/aggressive behavior. He’s upset that OP overstepped by booking gigs, so the alpha dog is taking back his yard.[/QUOTE]
I love that alpha male example!
In the given context I would call it a kindergarten pissing contest that went wrong!
For me it looks like walking is the only solution. I would certainly not play the "Queen gig" with that guy!
I would try my best to keep good company with the guy who booked you for the ale bar.
Get him a good band! You and other musicians (form a band!) or another band that can sub for you.
You have to do something for your reputation!!! Because...
Nothing more to say!
Good luck!
Wise(b)ass
To OP, You confirmed it with them and booked the shows, and then he pulls that bs----------- have they done this before or something similar?.....3 strikes and i'd be out.....end of story
I love it too! it's funny
I love Queen! I would play '39 with an acoustic band!
They did some pretty cool stuff!
good for a small audience too!
greetings
Wise(b)ass
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I didn't read the entire thread, so I apologize if this has been addressed. Did he call the club you booked and cancel the gig you booked or did he just change the info on the website?
I completely agree unless the other band member called the OP's club and cancelled the gig. If he did that and I was the OP I would start looking for other opportunities.
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I like Eddie Van Halen's cousin on mandolin - the stage dress and stance implies there's some (perhaps distant) connection there.
If the "main booker" doesn't reverse his decision and cancel the gig he double-booked, I would quit, and I'd make sure the rest of the band understood why so they can move forward with eyes wide open. Highly unethical, disrespectful, and unprofessional.
I've been gone for less. That's not a way to run a band. Massive d**k move by the other guy and now you look like an idiot with the guy from the ale house, as well as losing money.
I'd bring it up with the rest of the band, and if they are not going to do the gig first booked, I'd quit on the spot.
wow...
at this stage, I'd just not even communicate with that band anymore, I'd just not show up again.
Can you put together an alternative band together and do the shows you booked with them?
+1
I detest acting like a d**k even if others do... but this 'main booker' guy deserves a lesson.
I once agreed to a date with my main gigging band, about 140+ gigs a year, and another day the day before as a sub. well the week of the gig and he's telling me I put the wrong date in my calendar and I double booked myself. I felt like a real idiot and was ready to call around to get a sub for my sub gig when in pops an email from the bandleader. it was my original email confirming the date I had wrong. but something felt off about all of this so since I had the email date I just looked up the original email. AND BAM!!! right in my face all of my dates are all correct and he sent me a doctored email to make it seem like I was the one who messed up and not him. I had to quit and it sucked because I lived with 2 of the guys and we were killing it but I couldn't forgive that move. we are all actually really good friends still but I don't gig with them anymore, heck they didn't really gig after I left and they have all packed it in.
I still don't know how you go from years of massive gigging to dropping off of the face of the earth in less than a year.
I still don't know how you go from years of massive gigging to dropping off of the face of the earth in less than a year.
also as far as your guy pulling that. I would confront them and if they don't agree to drop the queen gig I would relent and tell them you'll do the gig and then just play the bar with your new band
Hmmm, a walking bass man what a novel idea.....
As you are walking away, feel free to reach back around and bless 'em with half a peace sign.....
As you are walking away, feel free to reach back around and bless 'em with half a peace sign.....
Right.
Walk away from these douche canoes. To me, ignorance isn't a defense, and if the other band members were in the dark about the "Main Booker" pulling a stunt like this, that's on them.
The fact is that you got confirmations from the ENTIRE BAND before confirming the gigs with the ale house, and then one of them unilaterally throws the whole band under the bus.
By all means tell the other band members so they know why you left the band, but don't waste any effort listening to their pleas of staying (if they even bother).
Let them figure out how to go forward.
And like others have said--find some subs, form a quick band, and play those gigs to make that money, but more importantly, to ensure that whatever band you're in next, you have at least one venue that knows you keep your word and will do what it takes to make the gig work.
Best of luck.
Walk away from these douche canoes. To me, ignorance isn't a defense, and if the other band members were in the dark about the "Main Booker" pulling a stunt like this, that's on them.
The fact is that you got confirmations from the ENTIRE BAND before confirming the gigs with the ale house, and then one of them unilaterally throws the whole band under the bus.
By all means tell the other band members so they know why you left the band, but don't waste any effort listening to their pleas of staying (if they even bother).
Let them figure out how to go forward.
And like others have said--find some subs, form a quick band, and play those gigs to make that money, but more importantly, to ensure that whatever band you're in next, you have at least one venue that knows you keep your word and will do what it takes to make the gig work.
Best of luck.
