Stupid Leader Tricks

Face it
We all have worked for them at one time or another.
Stupid Leaders. Those without the brains to run a job. Rather than list ALL the infractions I have been forced to bear witness to, I'll start slowly.
Last nights wedding was in a large, bad sounding room w/300+ guests. There is a 16 channel board and leader proceeds to get an input from everyone except the bass. He leaves out 2 mikes for the snare and kick drum. The sound system has a subwoofer and enough power to do the job. So do I as I have a Carver power amp running into a 4 ohm bottom. Gig starts and leader comes over ( after telling everyone to play soft) and tells me he can't hear me. I'm already too loud for the stage if i turn up any more. I suggest he run me through the PA as there 10 pieces being miked already. NOpe, just not possible. The rest of the night, there are sound issues. Leader needs to fiddle knobs all night, even for the few moments when the sound system actually sounded good. BUT HE STILL REFUSED TO MIKE THE BASS. One of the guitarists has his own mini-rig of a nylon stringed guitar and a mixer and powered monitor: this is fed into the PA. Horrible sound all night. Its a good thing these jobs pay money. Not enough for the mental abuse, but close.

 

Same leader
Emails the band " unfortunately, the gig for next Sunday is cancelled, but the client loves the band. And as soon as they find another groom, we'll have that gig again."
I'm surprised the leader didn't offer one of us as a groom, just to keep the gig.

 

Actually, we do have a soundman, but he's powerless (and sometimes useless) to do anything.....but........
Flash

Stupid Leader ( lets just use SL) comes up to me 2 gigs later and starts telling me that "he saw some bands and they were amplifying the bass through the sound system and maybe we should try that". The sound man thinks the whole system is due for a critical failure and that bass would only blow out his subs. Oh and there arent enough channels. And on and on. SL owns the sound equipment and hires a guy to set up systems for all of SL's gigs. Out of 10 PA speakers, 7 now have woofers that need replacing. No sound sense, no common sense, no business sense.

 

A classic SL syndrome. Can't leave well enough alone.
I figured out a trick, when my SL walks out, I play lower as he goes farther out, louder as he comes back.

 

Gig in Baltimore
Inquire about rooms.
SL turned down rooms for this job last year (lucky me, I was bumped and worked local)
Sl says we can have a room for 1/2 price or we can split a room.
1/2 price is half of $139, a bigger hit than I want to take

I go down to the gig w/ the guitarist and we're gonna be roomies for the night.
SL says everything is cool, he has 5 rooms reserved.
During the job, SL says that each of us can have our own room as some of the band was going home to NY after the job.
Gig ends, we go to the hotel, another Marriot, down the block from the gig. SL has gone back home at this point.
While checking in, we are informed that SL's credit card could be used to hold the rooms but we would need written authorization from SL to bill the rooms to him. We try to explain that he's in a car somewhere on 95 heading north and unlikely to have a fax machine with him. Now we're pissed as he swore everything was taken care of. We all get our credit card info out of the Marriot system as none of us wants to be charged for this. Bonus points for SL not answering his cell phone for an hour after we frantically try to call him.
The situation is eventually resolved, but not before ruining everyones night.
And I bet he still tries to charge me for the room.

 

Good news: SL didn't charge me for the room
Bad news: It took him 'til the 27th to pay me.

Tonights gig has lots of potential. Its a New Years Eve Bar Mitzvah!

 

After 2 or 3 gentle reminders to give me the dates so I can give you 1st call and there won't be confusion over my availability, we arrive at almost the 3rd week of January. No communication. My friend who leads for SL (and brings in an amazing amount of work because he is just a brilliant musician and brings more to a gig in ability than just about anyone else in my area: no small boast) calls and asks "if SL gave me Saturday the 21st" "Of this month," I ask. Why no he hasn't returned any emails or nuttin.I have another gig with another band, I'm covered. Turns out there now is a gig with SL. He finally returns an email asking if I'm free for Sat. Another email explains how he is so busy booking the band he hasn't had time to give me my dates. He then asks if I can sub out the gig and do his gig.
The club date I 'm booked on is being led by a good friend whoincidently is quite a bass player. He actually tours with a major guitar god but I ain't here to drop names. He can't run a job and play bass( too demanding between singing playing and thinking) so he's also quite the guitarist. I call him and give him the scoop and tell him I'm cool with his decision: his gig is in my book first. Turns out he doesn't think the sub SL has made available is strong enough.

Too bad SL, you need to get your people skills and business $hit together, I'm doin my friends gig.



At least I won't have to wait to get paid