I think I have to walk.

[Dusty Elmer]

How 'central' ?
Like Finger Lakes ?
It'd be a scramble but I might could do it. If you could deal with a fretless electric or electric upright. Alas - no real URB - yet...
I'm in east-central PA - I'd guess / hope you can find someone closer.
PM me if you want to pursue it...

Update - Clinton NY is about 4 hrs. I could do that... I'm also perfectly OK if you can find someone more local ;-)

I really appreciate this and the other offers I've received for subs! unfortunately we're (they're now, really) an originals band.

Try contacting the other guys in the band and see where they sit. Do they want the ale house gig or the queen one? You may find the booker has fired himself.

They just follow whatever the main booker says. Could argue on the side of common-sense and professionalism all day long but they'd go with what he says. Almost cult-like devotion.

I know it's not entirely central but anywhere near Buffalo?

about 4 hours east of Buffalo

Maybe I missed it, but what do the other guys think?

they're towing the line

 

[JimmyM]

They're complicit. They all have the same skewed view on these things, I guess as a result of the main booker's influence. They've not met with much failure yet, and are getting a little too big for their britches honestly.

They'll get their humbling experience, and it seems like it'll be soon!

 

[yodedude2]

They're complicit. They all have the same skewed view on these things, I guess as a result of the main booker's influence. They've not met with much failure yet, and are getting a little too big for their britches honestly.

i would tell them that i can no longer play gigs with them as i can no longer trust them; good luck and godspeed, see y'all on the other side.

 

[PaulCISSA]

Seven pages of common sense saying it's time to get up from the table and go find an adult band that runs like a band. I'd give the "main booker" an opportunity to air his issues but it wouldn't matter at this point - move on.

Something smells like poo and there's no point in staying around to enjoy the stink.

 

[Lava]

Ya, there's some trouble there.

 

[Dusty Elmer]

"Main booker" dude is now "main doucher" dude. This situation - that he has created - is disrespectful, unprofessional, and non-sensical. But what else is going on here? How do you go from a 5 piece band down to a duo? Also, what communications have been going on behind your back? I can't help but feel that you've been sabotaged by more than one guy. You need to find out who's been talking to who...

We have a couple different iterations we can do, depending on availability/venue, etc. Everything from 5 piece drums/keys/guitar/bass/banjo down to a bass/guitar duo. These shows were booked for the 3 piece string band, guitar/banjo/bass.

We should clarify something here. I play "tribute" shows which consist of multiple bands doing someone's music, at most 5 songs per band. That's way different from a tribute show where a band has to pull off a major amount of repertoire over three sets or so. I'm not clear about what kind of tribute show this is.

Nonetheless, it's still a crappy move from this guy to pull one show in favor of a lower paying show on that date, and it's not acceptable, regardless.

That's what this show is. A few bands each doing 5 songs.

 

[Dusty Elmer]

Thanks again to everyone who replied. It's really cool to see well over a hundred replies and every one of them supportive and offering solid advice and perspective. You all are the best, most common-sense-having group of pro's on the internet.

 

[OtherLisa]

Echoing what everyone else said and adding, if you have any charts at all a good bassist could fill in I'd think!

 

[catcauphonic]

You all are the best, most common-sense-having group of pro's on the internet.

It's nice when we're all in agreeance

 

[DirtDog]

have a meeting with the band. Tell them you are not playing the Queen gig for $40, you will be playing the ale house for $100 a man and anyone who wants to do the ale house gig - speak up now as you will be enlisting players immediately after you leave to fill in the holes in the line up.

+1000

 

[Downunderwonder]

Thanks again to everyone who replied. It's really cool to see well over a hundred replies and every one of them supportive and offering solid advice and perspective. You all are the best, most common-sense-having group of pro's on the internet.

I think you still underestimate the prospect of loading up a true gun pro UB player for the money. You could pay them your share. These guys learn your material upside down, take the stage and own it.

 

[Ellery]

Is the "main booker in the band" one of the guys who confirmed the dates you booked? So he agreed to the dates you booked, and now he books another gig far away for $200 for the whole band ($40 each).

I think he's getting more than $200 and he's trying to pull a fast one.

Yeah I thought that too, he probably is pulling something. OP should bail out.

 

[jnuts1]

I think you still underestimate the prospect of loading up a true gun pro UB player for the money. You could pay them your share. These guys learn your material upside down, take the stage and own it.

This^ I would straight up tell the owner that I am hiring only seasoned pros and we are going to murder this gig. then you will be his save me guy too. there used to be a bar in Chicago that anytime anything happened they would call me and my drummer buddy and we would put together a band in a few days from our circle and just crush it. just do easy tunes

 

[Eilif]

Thanks again to everyone who replied. It's really cool to see well over a hundred replies and every one of them supportive and offering solid advice and perspective. You all are the best, most common-sense-having group of pro's on the internet.

Just wanted to add my condolences. You're better off without that kind of backstabbing and spinelessness but it's never a fun thing when a band ends in a negative way.

The booker seems like a real piece of work. It's clear he doesn't value your work getting gigs or your reputation in keeping them and there's no way in hell I'd play that Queen gig.

All the best with your future endeavors.

 

[wes stephenson]

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.

Super lame.

 

[nightchef]

You're in a college town (I know 'cause I'm an alum...). Any possibilities there? Like see if you can recruit a pickup band of students to do these two gigs just to show club owner you can deliver, and then regroup? When I was there (admittedly a long time ago) there was a thriving traditional music scene in that area and on campus. But I imagine if this were a possibility you'd have already pursued it.

I was back in Clinton for a reunion this past summer. Seems like it's hardly changed at all--still a beautiful place. Enjoy your fall, at least the part of it that doesn't involve sketchy bandmate behavior!

 

[BrickBatMansion]

I truly am at a loss for words concerning this whole situation. The blatant dis-respect for the OP, the ale house, and the other band members literally blows my mind.
Where I live in East Tn, "someone" would probably get their ass kicked. And then be blackballed from every bar/club around.

 

[SactoBass]

You all are the best, most common-sense-having group of pro's on the internet.

...and attractive too. Don't forget THAT! We TB'ers are also very attractive!

Oh, and humble too. Yes, very humble. Attractive, and humble. Yep, that's us! Most common-sense-having, attractive, and humble.

And talented too!

Did I forget intelligent?

 

[ELG60]

I have two thoughts of varying value:
1. The older I get, the less bravo sierra I'm willing to tolerate, and

B. See if you can get your keyboard player and guitarist on board for this weekend. As was recently posted, everything from middle C down is bassist territory and presumably, your kbp knows the tunes. That gives you breathing room til the November gig.

 

[fdeck]

I think I can. I'm going to ask the owner what he'd like me to do regarding the 11/22 gig. I contacted him today to let him know we're forced to be a duo tomorrow, and to make sure that that was ok. He has a little trepidation, rightfully so, but ok'd it. The sticky point is that this band is well-known, and these shows are booked under that name, so replacing everyone might not fly with the owner. Tough situation that I'll be very happy to be done with.

I think it shows the owner that you keep your commitments -- "the show must go on."