Sacked Again - Vent Thread

[BurtMacklinFBI]

The singer/harp player sucks. You’re better off without them. Life is too short to play with sketchy people.

 

[grinx]

 

[RichardW]

 

[Droopy_TX]

View attachment 3118276

Well played!

 

[Element Zero]

Maybe stop playing the blues? Seems like bad luck.

Wow. What a great name for a blues band. Bad Luck. Anyone feel free to take that.

 

[rtslinger]

In my view the gig wasn't your band leaders to cancel in the first place they asked you back, you set up the gig, it was your gig to play or cancel. He's an unprofessional loser for thinking otherwise you should just consider yourself lucky to be rid him. bottom line! Find yourself a band and call the clubs you set up and tell them you need to reschedule after firing your harp player, tell them he may try to get intouch with them, but you are no longer affiliated with him and to disregard his calls and yeah I have been through that crap and that is exactly what I did with a drummer in the past, he is still looking for a band.

 

[two fingers]

Band leaders who prefer to cancel gigs are not leaders at all.

Generally speaking, talent buyers hate cancellations. It makes them start over and backtrack. It's a great way to burn bridges.

As a band leader, I always tried my best to round up a sub or go short-handed before I'd cancel. Three years running, not one cancellation.

You now have evidence that this band leader was willing to cancel two shows within weeks of each other (the one you found an alternate band for, and the one coming up where they are without a bass player). Bad trend, bad business, move on and find more conscientious and motivated players to work with.

.....to a certain extent.

If you are in an area with few guitar players, and yours gets sick 10 days out, what exactly are you supposed to do?


Hire a hack?

Do "good enough" versions of the material? (Which are never actually good enough, by the way.)

Hire an accordian player to fill in guitar parts?

There absolutley are times when you are doing what is best and right to cancel and help the venuew find another band.

There is nothing "professional" about showing up with a half @$$ act just so you can say you didn't cancel.

If you live in an area where fill-ins grow on trees, you're correct.

If you live in an area where a fill-in is hard to come by, cancel as soon as you know something is wrong and help the venue find another act.

 

[Morse_77]

Here's my attempt at derailing this thread:

A harp blues player?
I've seen weird poopie in my days but blues on a harp?

Thank you...

 

[Bassbeater]

Harp aka harmonica.

 

[Spidey2112]

Your harp player... it wasn't this guy, was it?

... have seen him playing near Satan's Alley, his tip jar labeled, 'Souls'...

 

[BadB]

Here's my attempt at derailing this thread:

A harp blues player?
I've seen weird poopie in my days but blues on a harp?

Thank you...

i think he means harmonica. As you know, quite common in blues.

 

[Spidey2112]

Harp aka harmonica.

Would it really hurt if they called it harm?

 

[craigie]

No, the gig was mine, not the BL of the blues band. I played the same party last year with a different line up, and will again next year!

And he expects an apology from you! I can’t write my response here on TB....
Thank god you didn’t let them steal your gig and you’ll still have it next year.
Lesson of the day: don’t give your gigs over to the “bandleader.” Your contact, your gig.

 

[electracoyote]

.....to a certain extent.

If you are in an area with few guitar players, and yours gets sick 10 days out, what exactly are you supposed to do?


Hire a hack?

Do "good enough" versions of the material? (Which are never actually good enough, by the way.)

Hire an accordian player to fill in guitar parts?

There absolutley are times when you are doing what is best and right to cancel and help the venuew find another band.

There is nothing "professional" about showing up with a half @$$ act just so you can say you didn't cancel.

If you live in an area where fill-ins grow on trees, you're correct.

If you live in an area where a fill-in is hard to come by, cancel as soon as you know something is wrong and help the venue find another act.

True...to a certain extent.

I got the distinct impression this BL in the OP didn't even make the effort. You can increase your odds of finding someone to fill-in if you network and prepare in advance, even if you don't live in a music hub. Going out with a sub or short-handed is usually a bit of a compromise IME, but it is by far the lesser of the two evils.

I've seen too many musicians develop an impulse for cancelling without even trying to network in advance and cover gigs, and I have seen too many bands suffer the black list that results.

And I don't mean to dismiss or insult when I say, this is a blues gig we're talking about.

 

[Morse_77]

i think he means harmonica. As you know, quite common in blues.

English is not my first language. I live and learn.

Thank you.

 

[MDBass]

I disagree -- it's his gig, so if you were going to play the band with another band, I would ask the guy who had the gig if it's OK for you to ask the owner if your own band can fill in for it. If he says no, respect that, and keep your position in his or her band -- after assuring the guy you aren't sewing up the venue. If he says 'yes' then you haven't ticked anyone off. This one sounds to me to be a case of not respecting the harp player's gig/venue.

The other thing -- you're missing opportunities. If someone can't make a gig on short notice it's an OPPORTUNITY. An opportunity to orient a new player really really fast since there is money on the table. Then you have TWO guys for that position. Get a YOutube playlist in place, any charts (if any) and stuff in place so you are ready for this when it happens. Then you'll have flexibility to play any gig that comes up after you do it a couple times. It can be a bit stressful at first, but pick EASY songs for situations like this, and budget, say, one rehearsal. With money on the table, good players will come out of the woodwork.

Sorry if I have the facts wrong on whose gig it is -- if so, disregard the first paragraph...

What are you talking about?

It’s no one’s gig: the BL cancelled.

In what kind of fantasy world do you get to cancel a gig and have it still be “yours”, which means no one else gets to play it?

 

[reno88]

I learned this lesson many moons ago: Never play in a band with a "harp" player. Ever. Under any circumstances. Don't let one sit in, don't talk to one, don't point, don't even look. You've seen enough.
Seriously: don't jam or hang with harp players. They're the worst.

 

[tradernick]

In your discussion with the BL about cancelling the gig, you shoulda brought up the fact that you had a sub band. You coulda asked the guitar player to fill in instead. Let the BL decide what he wants to do.

Otherwise it prolly looks like you're stealing gigs.

Yep, this. Do you have an obligation to let him know, considering the gig is yours? No. But it would have been a good thing to do.

But it sounds like you already had a construct in your mind that he may have been a part of your ouster from another band. And you consider him a 'wannabe'. There were vibes to start with, so...

All in all, it sounds like you're best out of the situation anyhow.

 

[40Hz]

Would it really hurt if they called it harm?

 

[Bodeanly]

Two pages and no mention of a fired drummer? Are y’all getting soft in your old age?