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Quitting Mid Gig

basslyon

basslyon

Jun 24, 2007
471
47
42
Melbourne, Australia
Disclosures
Non fosters drinking alcoholic.
#1
Who's done it/had it done to them?

Either walking off or in to the mic saying "this song is special cos it's the last song i'll ever have to play with this $*&%$%@%^@"

I was soooo close to doing to night but i stuck it out out of respect for the drummer. then when packing up told the singer wher to go. Poor drummer. I think i broke his heart.
 
#2
Don't do it. It's childish, uncool and totally unprofessional. No matter how much you've been provoked, you can always wait until after the gig.

If you're the kind of person who doesn't care about professionalism, then go ahead: Throw a big public hissy fit. Knock yourself out. But just realize that what you do will catch up to you - sooner or later, one way or another. And your future dream band that might have considered recruiting you will have second thoughts - because now you have a reputation as difficult and high-maintenance.

Think about it... :hmm:

MM
 
#3
The older I get, the more I notice that people I meet seem to drift in and out of my life unexpectedly.

There is always a strong argument for remaining civil, not acting rashly, and making a change in your life in a way that does the leat possible damage to the people around you. That way, you get away from them soon enough, but when you inevitably run across them again, maybe decades later, they remember you for some reason apart from how you ended your previous association with them.
 
#5
The word "professional" is so over used with local musicians, especially if you are a bar band. Unless your sole means of income is provided through music, then "keeping it pro" with some dudes you're in a band with doesn't mean crap. Just be polite, tell 'em why you're quitting. Chances are if you can't stand one guy in the band, then the rest of the band would understand. I quit a band about 6 months ago in a very similar situation. I'm still friends with everyone except for the one guy, and have even been asked to play in there other projects.
 
#6
Yeah Mystic Man, I agree with you. Our front man sometimes acts childish or calls attention to mistakes on stage. I tell him if he has a problem wait until we are alone to air it. Also if someone's out of tune or messing up, just play through the song and deal with it afterwards. Hopefully without alerting the audience to any problem. You can act like a pro or like a baby. I hate drama, and when it's public i despise it.
 
#7
Had it done to me 25 years ago, although it was actually after the gig but mid-tour (we had to play the following night). Our bass player walked out on us (I was a guitard at the time :)) after a gig. Actually, I shoulda thanked him, after all that's how I became a bassplayer myself! The rest of the band elected me to play bass the following night - I figured, How hard can it be?:rollno: I faked my way through the first gig, but it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me!:hyper:

TJ
 
#9
I once got yelled at during a set break by this drummer. It was a jazz combo and the "big wig" horn player kept jacking up the form so I was struggeling to continually find where the hell he was. There was supposed to be a written bass line in one part but I ditched it. And hit a walk.The horn play was like, "It's jazz just go with it." Then at set break the drummer told me to get my sh*t together. I thought I was doing a good job considering.I almost left the gig. The piano player talked me out of it. He said it was always like that. The drummer and the horn player who were older and established would mess up and blame the others for not being able to deal with it. When I ask him why he does the gig he said to pay the bills. It was good money, but come on.
There is a diffrence between being professional and being a dormat. Needless to say never again with those cats.
 
#10
MysticMichael said:
Don't do it. It's childish, uncool and totally unprofessional. No matter how much you've been provoked, you can always wait until after the gig.

If you're the kind of person who doesn't care about professionalism, then go ahead: Throw a big public hissy fit. Knock yourself out. But just realize that what you do will catch up to you - sooner or later, one way or another. And your future dream band that might have considered recruiting you will have second thoughts - because now you have a reputation as difficult and high-maintenance.

Think about it... :hmm:

MM
Click to expand...

Never burn any bridges, and don't get a bad reputation..........I agree!

WJGreer said:
The older I get, the more I notice that people I meet seem to drift in and out of my life unexpectedly.

There is always a strong argument for remaining civil, not acting rashly, and making a change in your life in a way that does the leat possible damage to the people around you. That way, you get away from them soon enough, but when you inevitably run across them again, maybe decades later, they remember you for some reason apart from how you ended your previous association with them.
Click to expand...

Well stated!
 
#11
It is pretty unprofessional to quit mid-gig. Whether you're a full time pro or weekend enthusiast. Ultimately you will gain more respect by finishing out a set/show than by walking off.

That said, I do know of at least 1 instance of a mid-set walk off here in Nashville. I won't mention names, and this is a 2nd hand story- although I have been told the same exact details by 3 people who were either there or in the band.
An "A-list" female country star was doing a local gig here in town. She had a history of extremely poor treatment of her backup musicians & other personnel. Halfway through a particularly abusive day & during her performance she actually began castigating her band on stage, including the band leader. The bandleader walked off & the entire backup band followed. Needless to say, this put the artist in a rage & the entire evening was a shambles.
Ultimately, the musicians who walked off are still in-demand players and the particular artist continues to be notorious in the industry. However, even the band members involved wished they had at least finished the set. Not to appease the arrogant artist, but to demonstrate their class and professionalism to future employers.

Just a relevant anecdote.
 
#13
basslyon said:
well you're no fun. obviously it's not professional but it can be somewhat amusing which is why it's in the humour section.
Click to expand...

OK, indulge your fantasies if you like. :rolleyes: But actually following through on it?

All I can say is, if some bozo were to pull a stunt like that on me, I would never work with him again. Not under any circumstances. Ever... :eyebrow:

MM
 
#15
I had a gig backing up a standup comedian who was doing his comedy music and oldies schtick for over two years. He started out really professional and was a pleasure to deal with. However as he enjoyed the benefits of being a touring musician, he became more and more difficult to work with.

As with most comedians, he was volatile, petulant and behaved often like a spoiled child if he didn't get his own way. One gig when we began to get the crowd on our side and had dancers on the floor, I began vetoing his song choices, wanting to continue the ride as people were enjoying themselves. His response was to smash his guitar midway through a song he didn't like playing, forcing us to stop the gig.

The final straw was at a gig in his hometown where we were playing a bar adjoining a strip joint (excuse me, "Gentleman's Club") and he disappeared during a set break. I spent the time getting stuff ready for the second set while he went and taught a young performer from the neighbouring establishment how to breathe fire and she repaid him by showing what else she could do with her mouth.

He completely blew off the *CONTRACTED* time to start the second set, leaving me to carry the set on my own. He walked in on a very pissed off bassist/guitard (me), doing the best I could. I didn't speak to him through the second break and at the beginning of the third set, I informed him that this would be my last gig and that the only reason why I didn't walk out on him was that I believed in keeping my word to the customers.

I couldn't walk out on the gig as that was unprofessional, but I let him know during the gig that it was my last. As we were travelling in his van, I called a cab company during the set break to pick me and my gear up and used the money from the gig to pay the $150 cab fare back home.
 
#18
I'm sure there are some humerous stories out there, but I would never do it myself. No matter how bad it was. I feel I would owe it to the paying audience who chose to come out and see us over anything else they coulda done that night to finish the gig.
 
#20
MysticMichael said:
All I can say is, if some bozo were to pull a stunt like that on me, I would never work with him again. Not under any circumstances. Ever... :eyebrow:

MM
Click to expand...

Now that you mention this, I do remember a gig 5 or 6 years ago where the female lead singer did a "no show". Yes, she definately knew about the gig, but we're talking about a young, immature, and stereotypical "dingy blonde". Still........there is no excuse.

I have never, and nor will I ever, work with her again, although I believe at this point she has given up on the idea of a career in music, after dropping out of college as a music major, a failed move to Nashville, etc. Last I saw her, she was waiting tables at the local Cheddars.
 

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