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Jerk club manager

Stilettoprefer

Stilettoprefer

Nov 26, 2010
2,011
163
#1
How can we deal with a club manager that jerked us out of our pay? We asked for it after finished packing up (we closed the show and the place was emptying out) and he told us to wait a little bit and he'd bring it out. Well, after 30 minutes we asked again (it was 1am by this time) because we wanted to get out of there, and he said that he would call us the next day. Well we never got a call and the guy generally treated us like crap (he was also the sound guy, not a very good one and wouldn't listen to our suggestions on stage monitor levels).

It was an awesome show and the crowd loved us. They even called for an encore!!!! We certainly made them money that night.
 
#3
Get used to it. Seriously. I'm 20 years into it and still run into these guys.

You can try and get things in writing, depending on how much pull you have, but if you're young and a newer band you may not have much success. And even with a contract some people will still take the chance that you won't go to the trouble/expense of suing them over a few hundred bucks.

Having an agent can help, because they may have several acts they can threaten to pull when this happens, but it still depends upon the standing of the agent, club, your band, and the other bands.

Welcome to the wild wild west.
 
#4
This wasn't a few hundred bucks even. It was $100 (+ $ for the tickets that we sold for that show ahead of time) and we had a huge pull as well as the other 2 big local groups that were there. We're gonna call our agent (same guy as the other 2 groups) and gonna have him talk to the guy.

And we are young, 16-18. And the other 2 groups that night are in the same age-range. But this wasn't our first show and we've played larger venues.
 
#5
Just want to jump in before the folks that start saying ALWAYS have written agreements, contracts, etc. In the real gigging world, when you're a new band, there is no such thing. And if you came up with one it wouldn't make a difference anyhow.

With that out of the way, unfortunately as lowfreq said, this is part of the game. I don't believe there are any answers regarding this kind of stuff (if he is indeed screwing you) except for don't play there any more, and spread the word, bigtime. I would go back (preferably with a parent, older brother, or big guy :) ) and say you're here for your money. You might be surprised. I've had club owners pay me a few days later. I've been stiffed more, but you won't know what the deal is unless you go back. He's not going to mail you a check. That I can guarantee.
 
#6
Joe Nerve said:
He's not going to mail you a check. That I can guarantee.
Click to expand...


Yeah, I fell for that once. Guy only owed me like $30 or something, but I left before the end of the night and people were still coming in the door. I called him several times trying to get him to send it or meet me somewhere so that I could pick it up. I never say that 30 buck, and I paid my bassist $20 because he drove a really long way to be there...

I say drop by every day until you get your money. If he doesn't pay, call the police, the Better Business Bureau, other bands that are booked there, anyone that might care that he didn't pay you what he owed you. I don't like to burn bridges unless I get burned first, but I would make it known that this guys doesn't actually pay for services rendered. What if someone ordered a drink or food at this place, and when they couldn't pay until later? Would he just let it slide? No! He would make sure he got his money. Do what you need to do to get your money, just like he would.
 
#7
In the term "Jerk club manager" the word "jerk" is usually redundant. Thankfully, I've not had to deal with one in decades.

I'm not suggesting you do this, though it worked for me.

The few times they tried to pull out on pay, I quietly took them aside and suggested they pay up or call the police immediatley, because I would do damage many times what he owed me in the time the police responded. And since he cared less about me getting jailed than a bar stool flying into his top liquor shelf, I always got paid.

Thankful I never HAD to gig in bars for a living.
 
#9
Joe Nerve said:
Just want to jump in before the folks that start saying ALWAYS have written agreements, contracts, etc. In the real gigging world, when you're a new band, there is no such thing. And if you came up with one it wouldn't make a difference anyhow.

With that out of the way, unfortunately as lowfreq said, this is part of the game. I don't believe there are any answers regarding this kind of stuff (if he is indeed screwing you) except for don't play there any more, and spread the word, bigtime. I would go back (preferably with a parent, older brother, or big guy :) ) and say you're here for your money. You might be surprised. I've had club owners pay me a few days later. I've been stiffed more, but you won't know what the deal is unless you go back. He's not going to mail you a check. That I can guarantee.
Click to expand...

A mention, even if he got it, it should be signed by someone int he band who is 18 or over (since he mentioned some were under). Some states do not allow minors to enter legal contracts which in court would make the contract null and void. Granted no one is going to court over $30 but if it was larger amounts...

Ken
 
#12
When I was playing blues clubs in Chicago, there was a great story about Howlin' Wolf and his band on the road. I don't know if it was true or not, but I can believe it.

I heard he got into that situation one night with a bar manager refusing to pay him. He walked up toe-to-toe with the man, turned and said to his band members, "Fellahs, there's some nice expensive liquor up there behind the bar... start loading it out... starting with the top shelf!" Howlin' Wolf was a very big man. He got paid in a hurry.

I don't necessarily recommend this approach, by the way...:D
 
#13
bassie12 said:
The few times they tried to pull out on pay, I quietly took them aside and suggested they pay up or call the police immediatley, because I would do damage many times what he owed me in the time the police responded. And since he cared less about me getting jailed than a bar stool flying into his top liquor shelf, I always got paid.
Click to expand...

I like this method. Ask the bartender to dial 911 for you and hand you the phone. Tell them to send an ambulance and start describing the "victim" as the bartender..... Ask the bartender his age and weight while you are on the phone.

LOL would make a great movie scene, but I know my balls aren't quite big enough for this.
 
#14
Stilettoprefer said:
How can we deal with a club manager that jerked us out of our pay? We asked for it after finished packing up (we closed the show and the place was emptying out) and he told us to wait a little bit and he'd bring it out. Well, after 30 minutes we asked again (it was 1am by this time) because we wanted to get out of there, and he said that he would call us the next day. Well we never got a call and the guy generally treated us like crap (he was also the sound guy, not a very good one and wouldn't listen to our suggestions on stage monitor levels).

It was an awesome show and the crowd loved us. They even called for an encore!!!! We certainly made them money that night.
Click to expand...

Playing music can often pay worse than working for minimum wage and then you also have to invest a lot of money in equipment and invest a lot of time in rehearsal and if you can actually get paid you get the same money that bands got paid back in the 70s.
 
#15
Nev375 said:
I like this method. Ask the bartender to dial 911 for you and hand you the phone. Tell them to send an ambulance and start describing the "victim" as the bartender..... Ask the bartender his age and weight while you are on the phone.

LOL would make a great movie scene, but I know my balls aren't quite big enough for this.
Click to expand...

Nor is your wallet big enough to go your bail. Don't mess around w/911... it's very much not fun afterwards.
 
#18
Joe Nerve said:
Just want to jump in before the folks that start saying ALWAYS have written agreements, contracts, etc. In the real gigging world, when you're a new band, there is no such thing. And if you came up with one it wouldn't make a difference anyhow.
...
Click to expand...

The real value in having a contract is that you get to find out early on that somebody's going to screw you - before you go through a bunch of time & effort.
 
#19
Around here people use the Musicians listings in Craigslist to warn others about dirtbag venues. You might mention that when you go in person to collect your pay. A-holes exist in every aspect of the music industry, but club owners seem to top the list.
 
#20
I have never had a problem getting paid by any venue. However, I was in a band that was led by the guitarist/vocalist. I found out that he was skimming money off the top before paying us. I felt like breaking his fingers so he could never play again. Instead, I left and took the keyboard player and drummer with me.
 

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