A busy person good at social media can become a big influencer in a small scene.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Open Mic Drama...
- Thread starter DCErik
- Start date
A busy person good at social media can become a big influencer in a small scene.
I’m on the “you owe her nothing” side. She left that expensive camera unattended at her own risk. Just know that anything you do for her is a gift, not the fulfilling of a just obligation.
Also, in my job, we have often gotten people dropping the “I am an influencer” card, and consistently over many years whenever we have allowed this to be a factor and making a decision, the return has been ZERO.
- Pitch in as a band to get the exact camera that was broken
- Keep it and use it to film your band at open mics, especially if she's there
- ???
- Profit
Up to now, how many shows has she gotten your bands? How many times has a promoter reached out and said they heard of you through her channel and they want you to perform? how many times has someone told you they heard of your band through her channel and they came to the show just to see you?
IMO, the issue isn't so much how many gigs her "influence" gets them. It's that she books and knows a lot of the other people who book, so if she spreads crap about the band breaking her gear and not paying for it, it's a bad rep the OP doesn't need.
Tell her, that you also believe in 100% accountability….and it’s 100% her fault for not securing the camera.
OR….maybe the singer is just going to have to sweet talk her a bit.
If neither of those options are appealing, then how about telling her that you’re willing to help, but are all unable to financially contribute, unless she wants to help you get more paid gigs, and you could give her a percentage of each one.
If not, looks like the GO FUND option already mentioned is the winner.
OR….maybe the singer is just going to have to sweet talk her a bit.
If neither of those options are appealing, then how about telling her that you’re willing to help, but are all unable to financially contribute, unless she wants to help you get more paid gigs, and you could give her a percentage of each one.
If not, looks like the GO FUND option already mentioned is the winner.
She's always probably gonna hold a grudge on it and and even if the person who is blamed for knocking it over doesn't replace it, she's in the game daily and should have known to protect her own stuff. Her fault it was bumped into? No. Her fault to not put it in a stable location? Yes.
Night club, alcohol sales, drugs, etc.... is her responsibility to protect her stuff just like it's yours for your gear.
Night club, alcohol sales, drugs, etc.... is her responsibility to protect her stuff just like it's yours for your gear.
Sounds like she thinks she can extort a new camera out of you because of her "influence." If it was me, I'd take my chances on giving her enough money to buy a decent tripod for her spare camera, or nothing. We all take our gear out into the world at our own risk. I would never dream of trying to squeeze money out of someone who broke my stuff in an honest accident. If I couldn't or didn't want to afford to replace something broken or stolen, I would get insurance, which I have on my home and car. And if her camera was set up on a tripod so insecure that a brush of an arm from a passerby knocked it over, her videos probably look like the Zapruder film.
Dude.... YES!
I hate the influencer they are so toxic to the restaurant and small business industries. My friend worked at a Taco place more gentrified meant for the beach town and he would have to open up the place at 9pm when it would close at 7pm just for some stupid Instagram influencers to have a drunken snack and to make a sh!tty post on Instagram asking people to go here... and he would have to put on a whole show.
They suck, not all are obviously bad but a lot just take advantage for a free meal, get a fake experience no normal customer gets, and post it to their followers who might come to the place... not worth it for anything, bands, small stores and I can go on forever about them... just my 2 cents.
It seems like you've answered your own question yourself. Her input in the scene and venues is so important to you that you don’t want to rock the boat with hurt feelings on her part. I would ask the band how much of a burden are they willing to carry to get the perceived possible damage this might cause behind you.
Or not
I don't know of whom you are speaking but almost all of my work is in the DC Metro area and has been my entire career. I'm not aware of any local influencer with that kind of pull. Regardless, she made her choices and did whatever due diligence concerning risk assessment for her decision. It's really not your problem at all. This sort of thing is the reason I don't want anyone, including bandmates, in my performance space. I know you're concerned about her power over your rep, but seriously, she needs to pound sand. You pays yer money and takes yer chances, as the saying goes. There was no malicious intent. If she gets pissy about it people will learn how unreasonable she is. Sorry for the rant but this kinda 
really ticks me off!
BBB
really ticks me off!BBB
This was my thought. It shows good faith by the community and doesn't hurt anyone. I've seen this done a few times over the years for scene supports. IIR, YouTuber Max Volume Silence, who films heavy shows around NYC, had some gear stolen a few years back and they had a successful crowd sourcing campaign for him. You could even combine this with a benefit show w/ proceeds going to her camera. As you are playing open mics, it could also give you some exposure and further ingratiate your bands to the scene.
I often setup an iPad on a tripod mic stand to try to film our performances. But my assumption going in is that if it gets knocked over by someone and damaged, that's on me. I'm the one choosing to put my equipment in a risky position.
In your situation, if you offered her half of the replacement cost of her camera I would consider that to be extremely magnanimous. If she believes that people should take responsibility then she should begin by taking responsibility for putting her gear in a precarious situation.
In your situation, if you offered her half of the replacement cost of her camera I would consider that to be extremely magnanimous. If she believes that people should take responsibility then she should begin by taking responsibility for putting her gear in a precarious situation.
Last edited:
My term for this type of person is a 'super-annuated child'. They are old enough to know better, but they obviously do not. She is 100% responsible for her own gear. When she is replacing her camera, she should also purchase a full-sized, rock-steady tripod (inexpensive insurance for her new camera). Her first mistake was setting the camera on said "wobbly table".
Last edited:
Firstly, there is no excuse for not securing your gear. She must know this is on her. Your singer's actions being incidental and not intentional are just an accident, an avoidable one at that that you pointed out to her unheeded. Now ,I jump down the rabbit hole... do the other bands who do Open Mic recognize her position in that scene? Perhaps it a situation where you can pass a hat, get the other bands and venue's owners to be sympathetic too. This might benefit everybody. Wishful thinking, I presume. Best of luck mate.
First off .... You did open the door on the opening conversation about the accident... And you have shown you have great Morales
No doubt ... I would ask the group "IF" they would like to help and if so how much ... Collect it and offer to set up the go fund me for her to try to collect the difference . As far as 100%!
Me ... I would have told her to kick rocks from the get go !!!
Just my 2 cents
Let us know how it turns out for her !
-chop!!!
No doubt ... I would ask the group "IF" they would like to help and if so how much ... Collect it and offer to set up the go fund me for her to try to collect the difference . As far as 100%!
Me ... I would have told her to kick rocks from the get go !!!
Just my 2 cents
Let us know how it turns out for her !
-chop!!!
If you put your bass on a stand in the middle of the dance floor and it got knocked over who would you blame for that? Our scene has people like the lady you describe who are good at promoting favorite bands of theirs. While we are always grateful for kind words and social media love we don't depend on anybody to do our marketing for us. I don't think you will be blacklisted if you let the lady be responsible for her bad decision.
