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Quitting time...cancel gig?

#62
I would quit and get the F out of there. Your self esteem suffers a serious blow when you continue in relationships and situation like that, and no $350 gig is worth it. Besides, the bar will most likely perceive this as the BAND flaking, and not you personally. And a hot bar can find a replacement band in a month no problem. good luck.
 
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#64
Bullitt5135 said:
Well, things have finally come to a head, and I've decided it's time to walk away from my cover band of five years. Main reasons are (1) sub-par guitar player who is incapable of practicing effectively and is chronically unprepared for rehearsal and gigs (2) drummer who refuses to participate in weekly "let's relearn the same songs on the list for the 100th time" sessions and (3) know-it all singer who is satisfied with mediocre performances. At last night's gig, the consequences of these issues were on prominent display in front of a room full of 300 people: sloppy-as-hell playing, PA problems on-stage and FOH, bad attitudes. I've tried the make the best of it the past couple years, but when the singer got condescending and disrespectful over an issue with his inadequate PA and how to run it...I've had enough. I disagreed that pegging the meter into the red on his mic's input gain is NOT the right way to set-up the PA, and he tore into me onstage -- with hot mics. Easy decision, I'm done.

The problem is, I have a gig scheduled one month away. It is a new venue for us, and I hate to renege on a commitment -- it took me 3+ years to get us into this place, and I don't want to burn bridges. I have zero confidence that we will solve these issues in the next few weeks. I don't see us rising from the ashes and putting on one final epic show. My gut feeling is that given the circumstances, I'd rather cancel than give an inevitably crappy performance.

What would you do? It seems like a month is adequate time for the venue to find a replacement band. And if it sways your opinion any, we're talking about a $350 dive bar gig.
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Fire everyone. Get hired guns to replace them all for one night. Gig is good, venue is happy, you are in good shape. You might not make any money having to pay out on short notice, but it's better than risking a meltdown on stage.
 
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#67
Joe Nerve said:
IME, with cover gigs a bad attitude can be as bad, or even worse than, a bad band.

I've done shows with bands that were unrehearsed and train wrecking all over the place, that went over excellently. And I've played near perfect shows with awesome musicians that went horribly. While I know it's easier said than done, I'd suggest practicing not giving a crap and just doing the show for fun. Be as prepared as you can be, know that you did your part to the best of your ability, let go... And have fun.

If you're enjoying yourself, people will pick up on that. If you're miserable, they'll pick up on that too.
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There's much truth and wisdom in this. Even though most of us got into music for the sake of music, and want to have it performed well, it's not always the main factor for a successful bar gig. The key is draw and liquor sales, and a less talented band that can do that always has a better standing than the awesome band that doesn't draw anyone. It's amazing how a sloppy band can appear great in the bar's eyes when the cash register is ringing and the taps are flowing. On the flipside, it's amazing how a great musician's talent degrades quickly when the room is empty.

Sometimes, it's just flat out luck. Who can predict when the drunk bachlorette party comes to your gig? And as luck would have it, it's right as your band is train wrecking Living on a Prayer, which causes them to sing along poorly as you are. But they decide to stick around, post a status on Twitter that brings a few more hotties and next thing you know, your empty bar gig is full of hotties and the bartender who just started working there tells the owner that your band of 50 year old recluses have a great draw. On the flip side, who can predict that when you finally get to play at that place that always packs them in that a fight will break out during one of your love ballads? Or that the fight will cause damage to property and people, and cause the cops to get called in, which in turn causes the place to empty out? Unfortunately, the owner is there to witness all this and blames the band for the bad crowd they bring in and money lost, so you never get booked there again.
 
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#68
One of the worst feelings for a musician is knowing that he or she is prepared, and knowing that the rest of the group is not. I hate being in that head space where you feel that you can't trust someone else in the group on the band stand.

It really only takes one bad performer to tank a whole group live. I've been there. Replace the problem, or move onto a better group.
 
#69
If you're looking to reform the project in any fashion, it will be a whole lot easier with a gig on the books. If it's your gig, just quit along with the drummer and reform with a new guitarist and vocalist. If you can find someone to do both, even better. If you told the singer and guitarist that you're going to do that gig as a trio to make more for each cut, they'll still be mad, but it would sting less than if you told them it was because they weren't cutting the musical mustard.

You do the gig as a three piece, and hopefully it sounds better than the previous iteration. The bar loves it, and you get re-booked which helps in retaining the guy that you just hired.
 
#70
First and best choice is to rip and replace the band with a better one and take that one to the gig - if you can. Seems like a lot would have to happen for that to be a possibility though.

Here's what I would do.
  • Call the manager at the venue where you booked the band. Tell him you are leaving the band and that you are unsure how quickly they will replace you, or if they will.
  • Let him know that you would like to cancel your booking, but if doing so would put him in a bad position you will agree to play it and be totally professional in doing so.
This way you let the manager make the call about the gig and he appreciates your obvious concern for him. 85% of the time with a month notice he tells you it's OK to cancel. You have an empty net for a conversation about another booking in the future.

If he tells you it's OK to cancel the gig, quit your band immediately - assuming you have no other bookings pending.

If he tells you he needs you to cover the night, prepare especially well for the gig, play it, make sure it's as good as you can make it, and quit after it's over. Probably don't tell the guys you're leaving until after the gig, lest they sabotage it.
 
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#72
Wow, this situation sounds eerily similar.... not going to go into details

But, I would do the gig, especially if it was that hard to get. I know some venues may only give you one shot every so often. Then, I would quit, if that is really what you want to do. I am actually thinking of "hey let's take a break" thing with my current band, to see how much they really want to continue. I also like the idea of keeping the drummer and trying to form another band.
 
#75
I've heard of drama queen guitards and singers ending up drawing weapons over stupid crap like this, a good friend of mine bailed on his band then and there. Took his PA, his truck / trailer and all and just said to heck with y'all! Remainder of that band tried to solider on for one more show but ended up at each others throats on stage.

If the situation is as you described, I'd say you just need to walk. Or as others have mentioned, get the booking pushed out, by a few months, and find some guys you can actually work with...
 
#76
explain your situation to the bar owner of the future gig ... tell him the band has gone down hill and make it sound like you're doing Him a big Favor .. !! and you'd love a chance to play there in the future with a newer , better band .. !!

then WALK ...
 
#77
1954bassman said:
Lots of issues here, but I would like to add: I listened to your music on your website, and you guys sound pretty good. Too bad you cannot work things out. Website looks good too, BTW.
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That is tremendously gratifying to hear you say that. Thank you. I put a LOT of time and effort into marketing and promo, and producing those demos (more than I ever spent on stage). It was never a chore, and I enjoyed the learning experience. And yeah, we weren't half bad.

Cheers!
 
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#79
If the gig is going to be a trainwreck, cancel it. Look and see what other bands play there and see if any can replace you. The bar owner would probably appreciate you finding your own replacement, saving them the trouble. Then, quit the band, take the drummer with you and form a new project with like-minded players. Finding a guitarist and singer shouldn't be too hard. Good luck.
 
#80
All of these posts about miserable experience bands make me realize how fortunate I am to be in the bands I'm in. All good friends that I'm just as happy to go have a beer with as playing with onstage. ALSO - excellent, mature musicians who listen to each other and if we have a disagreement musically we talk it out and laugh about it later.

To the OP - if you think the band is sub-par sounding then maybe it is actually better to cancel the gig than do it anyway. Get a better band together and go from there.
 

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