The band grenade just multipoloded

[Gravedigger Dav]

Ha! I'm the polar opposite. It's a bar gig... not the end of the world. The bar owner will be fine. The audience will be fine. And you will be fine. Cancel the gigs and regroup (literally).

I will never understand how most of the crowd here thinks canceling a bar gig is a travesty. A little self importance, maybe? If you cancel, they will put someone else in your place. The crowd won't care or even notice.

I usually agree with you, but on this one I can't. Any business relationship is a big deal. The band is gone, but if you have the relationship with the owner, then you should try to minimize the impact on him. You may need to call on him again for another band.
I'm with @pcake on this. In one case, I was able to supply the venue with another band similar to mine.

 

[jamro217]

Call the venue and explain the situation. That not only puts the decision in their hands, but sustains your unsoiled reputation. If nothing else you can walk away knowing you did your best to be fair. Then go home and make a heapin' helpin' of poke carrot sallet.

 

[pcake]

Ha! I'm the polar opposite. It's a bar gig... not the end of the world. The bar owner will be fine. The audience will be fine. And you will be fine. Cancel the gigs and regroup (literally).

I will never understand how most of the crowd here thinks canceling a bar gig is a travesty. A little self importance, maybe? If you cancel, they will put someone else in your place. The crowd won't care or even notice.

cancel and regroup, yes, but not without giving the bar owner the decision. some bars may not be able to get another band at the last minute.

 

[two fingers]

Because some of us take a pro attitude about it. It's not self importance, it's trying to be professional about it. If you see a difference between a bar gig and a stadium gig, well, that speaks volumes about you.


I agree with the people saying contact the venue. Communication is key.

Of course, contact the venue. Tell them everything that is going on. Heck, they may even have a band at the ready and would prefer that over a thrown together last minute band.

But the point is, the answer isn't always "We fill the spot or the Earth with implode".

Sometimes the professional thing to do is hand the show off to another band that is ready to go.

 

[redwingxix]

Only way I'd consider keeping the gig is if you were planning on keeping the band going, same name and music.

If you're starting all over then I'd cancel for sure. I don't see any valor in trying to honor a non-existent organization's commitments. You don't see the cook from the closed-down applebee's out in the parking lot selling hot dogs and lemonade. That would just be weird.

 

[Ben B]

Hey OP, you left out one important piece of information. Are you the band leader? Did you personally book the gig? Whomever booked the gig should be the person to deal with the venue. I'm just not sure if that's you.

 

[FrenchBassQC]

Ha! I'm the polar opposite. It's a bar gig... not the end of the world. The bar owner will be fine. The audience will be fine. And you will be fine. Cancel the gigs and regroup (literally).

I will never understand how most of the crowd here thinks canceling a bar gig is a travesty. A little self importance, maybe? If you cancel, they will put someone else in your place. The crowd won't care or even notice.

Same for me.

 

[DirtDog]

How much does the gig pay and do you plan to reform using the current band’s name and reputation?

 

[turf3]

My comments will echo much of what's already been said:

- I would burn up the phone lines immediately to see if I can fill at least 2 key spots with competent pros, before calling the venues.
- If it gets at all close to gig date and it's looking iffy as to being able to present at least a quartet, then you definitely call the venues. I would present as "we are ready to go on, but it's not certain right now whether we'll field a whole band or a duo - so if you want to cancel us for someone else, ok, alternately we'll take a reduced rate [you need to decide what that would be before making the call] because you won't be getting exactly what you contracted for".
- Probably too late now, but this is why you should always have lead sheets/chord sheets and roadmaps for each tune you do, the arrangement you use, whether original or cover. Even as a relative newbee bass player (but 40+ years gigging) I would not hesitate to fill in last minute if chords/lead sheets/roadmaps are present. If I have to learn a bunch of new tunes or oddball arrangements at the last minute, I'm probably going to decline.

 

[40Hz]

I voted carrots because the option I would take is not there. I would explain the situation to the venue owners and offer them the duet option. If they want to cancel, that should be their option. Also, it sounds like this took you buy surprise, were there warning signs?

This.

Don’t ever blindside your client. First rule of marketing: NO bad surprises.

 

[Fumble Fingers]

When these last two gigs are behind us, no matter how they play out, this band is in the history books.

I think you have your answer. I'm with Two Fingers on this. Cancel, especially if you know the band won't continue in its current form.

 

[lfmn16]

Personnel issues have finally pulled the pin on the band grenade for my Americana band.
What's left after the collateral damage is a duet.

We have a couple of gigs on the calendar within the net 15 days. So it looks like its a Flight of the Conchords scenario if we keep the gigs.

What's your input? --- Do we cancel the gigs, since the venue operators are expecting a 6 pc band? Or call subs and expect them to learn the music within 10 days?

My inclination is to punt.

You had 4 people quit at once???

 

[elgranluis]

I asked the BL to contact the venue first on the calendar and see if they are ok with......

So you are not the band leader ? Okay , just let the band leader handle it.

 

[PaulJSmith]

You can never go wrong with carrots.

That said, I would have whoever is the functioning band leader now contact the club owner and explain the situation. They may be fine with your pared-down version of you band, or they may be furious with you for deceiving them with what appears to be a bait-and-switch. I've had that happen when a band I was in fired the lead singer and played the scheduled gigs as a trio, and we lost future gigs at several venues over it.

Whoever hired your band hired a six-piece band, not a duet. Believe it or not, that's very important to some people. Let that buyer decide whether a duet is acceptable or not.

 

[Spidey2112]

I think you have your answer. I'm with Two Fingers on this. Cancel, especially if you know the band won't continue in its current form.

It scares me you responded to a thread, with 'grenade' in the title...

 

[jnuts1]

SUB IT OUT!!!!

 

[spaz21387]

Id cancel. Playing shows and being a sloppy mess doesnt make you look very good. People always remember bad shows...

 

[J-Mags]

The "hire pros" option seems stressful and unnecessary for a now-defunct originals band at a bar gig. Although many on this site are devoted to zealous self-abasement before anyone who might offer you a gig, the product you were selling no longer exists.

Contact the bar, ask if they want a duo or if they want you to cancel, and perhaps ask if there's anything else you can do to help out. Don't offer less pay, although if the owner requests it, do as you see fit.

It takes two parties to fulfill a contract. You expect the owner to do his part, but if his ceiling caved in or his partner took off with the money, you wouldn't expect him to find you a new gig. You'd simply expect him to be honest with you and give you notice as soon as possible.

 

[vvvmmm]

Jobbing drummers seem easy to find. With the lead guy you mentioned ...

And if the band is thereafter dead, why wouldn't you run the string out?

 

[john_g]

I say cheese off the entire TB populous and cancel the gig...then come back and question the prices of several basses listed here in the classifieds.