Venue canceled our gig last night

[RhynoRock]

UGH, wintertime in the northeast USA is just the worst. We're up here in NY getting hammered with lake effect snow. My band was scheduled to perform 10pm-2am in Kane PA, and much of the town and surrounding area we were told has travel bans, so the venue canceled the gig. $800 we all coulda REALLY used, especially my guitarist who just shelled out for vehicle repairs and had child support due.

 

[Wasnex]

UGH, wintertime in the northeast USA is just the worst. We're up here in NY getting hammered with lake effect snow. My band was scheduled to perform 10pm-2am in Kane PA, and much of the town and surrounding area we were told has travel bans, so the venue canceled the gig. $800 we all coulda REALLY used, especially my guitarist who just shelled out for vehicle repairs and had child support due.

That sucks!

Years ago I had a New Years Eve gig pulled out from under me like that; typically the best paying gig of the year. We were already at the gig site and they had cooked a feast. They sent us home with a bunch of food, but cash is nice too!

 

[ahc]

At least you didn't drive to the gig and then find out the venue was closed or canceling. That happened to me. Drove to the venue in a moderate snow storm and the owner said he was going to close up. I emphatically stated the case that he should have contacted us since we risked our lives and vehicles and were there in time to set up and play. He relented and in the end had a very good night and we got paid.

 

[Spidey2112]

... much of the town and surrounding area we were told has travel bans...

$800 would have been nice, but even nicer would have been to drop it all in the jukebox afterwards... you may have gotten there 'okay', but what chance did you have of packing up and going home? At 3 a.m.?

Maybe, NY has better snow removal crews on call, 24/7?

 

[RhynoRock]

$800 would have been nice, but even nicer would have been to drop it all in the jukebox afterwards... you may have gotten there 'okay', but what chance did you have of packing up and going home? At 3 a.m.?

Maybe, NY has better snow removal crews on call, 24/7?

Oh we wouldn't get outta there till at least 3:30-4am by the time the crowd dispersed and we got our trailer loaded. Kane is also about 2hrs south of me in fair weather, but I'm also 24 miles north of my bandmates.

Snow removal up here is continual, 24/7 until it stops. The thing is, it tends to get so intense that even with each town having ALL of their plow trucks going around the clock, it still builds up to treacherous amounts. And if your vehicle doesn't have snow tires, it's almost a mathematical certainty you're gonna wipe out. We didn't know until 2hrs ahead of when I would have packed my stuff up and headed to the venue what the weather conditions even were down that way.

But yeah, at least they told us before we were on our way that it was canceled. So there was some good fortune involved.

 

[Wisebass]

Hi folks

Snow happens!

the venue canceled the gig

That' s better than to be stuck in your car or standing outside and the venue is closed!

Years ago I had a New Years Eve gig pulled out from under me like that; typically the best paying gig of the year. We were already at the gig site and they had cooked a feast. They sent us home with a bunch of food, but cash is nice too!

I know that situation. Christmas gig in our favorite bar. A place that has a solid reputation (always packed)

It started to snow in the afternoon and didn' t stop until the next morning. (4 ft)

Food and mulled wine for 200! But only 12 paying guests + the catering crew, the bar owner and his family.

We played the full distance (3 hours) And of course we played for the door!

But it was a very cozy "all you can eat" gig

Impossible to drive home but the mulled wine helped us through the night!


greetings

Wise(b)ass

 

[lfmn16]

Better than getting there and not getting paid. I won't go into the details because I've posted it before, but I had a gig where I called the club three times during the day because I couldn't believe they were going to stay open. We drive up there and I gave him another chance to cancel. We get set up and ready to go and then he decides to cancel.

 

[buldog5151bass]

It sucks, but at least they called. Better than getting there, and 20 minutes after you start they say they are about to close, and all you are getting is $100.

 

[Zooberwerx]

Kane (McKean Co) is referred to as the "Ice Box of PA"...the tag is well-deserved.

Riis
(formerly of Bradford...pretty much the same thing)

 

[Bunk McNulty]

The term of art is "force majeure." Sucks, but there ain't nothin' you can do. Mother Nature gets the last word.

 

[5stringthumpin]

Sucks to lose money and play time. Not too far from you here in jersey but I’m south jersey our snow situation is usually different. But yeah, if we get weathered out by snow in the winter or out of an outdoor gig by rain in the summer, we lose the monera.

 

[Kmonk]

I would rather cancel than risk driving if the weather is that bad. Chances are there wouldn't have been a good crowd anyway.

From 1980 to 1984, my band was gigging 5 nights per week. We were the house band at a club in Rhode Island and played there every Tuesday and Wednesday. One week each month, we played there Tuesday through Saturday. We always had a good crowd, usually 300 to 400 people per night on the weekend and 200 on the weeknights. One Friday, we had a snow storm. The owner of the club insisted that we show up and play. We played the first set to 2 nurses who were on their way home after their shift ended and the second set to the bartender and doorman. They canceled the third set. It took me an hour and a half to get home. It usually took me about 25 minutes.

 

[BEADG63]

Yeah, the good ol' Southern Tier! Played down that way many times back in the day, and always a crap shoot any time between November and April. Glad you didn't have to deal with the snow, but does suck not getting pay that you counted on. Merry Christmas!

 

[bolophonic]

I live in North Carolina now, where there is little infrastructure for snow removal and conditions fluctuate to create treacherous situations after just a few inches of snow. So any time there is snow, we just change into our jammies.

 

[bassfran]

Again, at least you found out in advance and no one risked their lives by driving. Losing the $ sucks, and right before the holidaze. Sorry to hear.

I used to book our blues band and once we had a January Friday night scheduled in a 3rd ring (out from the city) suburb. At 8am the forecast called for 8-12", so at around 2pm I called the club. Snow was already falling steadily. The owner was adamant that the show go on but I knew our drummer had a 60 mile trip, one way. Plus, he wasn't what you'd call a punctual type dude. I calmly mentioned to the owner that, normally we'd honor the booking and show up and play. BUT, at the end of the night, when he had maybe 6 paying customers and a ring of about $83 he'd have to then hand us our agreed-upon fee, in full.

*Pause* "Yeah, ok, let's just call it off, then." Wise decision as it snowed well into the next day.

 

[Nephilymbass]

UGH, wintertime in the northeast USA is just the worst. We're up here in NY getting hammered with lake effect snow. My band was scheduled to perform 10pm-2am in Kane PA, and much of the town and surrounding area we were told has travel bans, so the venue canceled the gig. $800 we all coulda REALLY used, especially my guitarist who just shelled out for vehicle repairs and had child support due.

Weather cancellations happen here in NC also. Actually not normally for snow. We might get actual snow for a weekend every other year or so and normally in February believe it or not. It’s actually 65 degrees outside today where I am. I’ve been rocking shorts all weekend. I live in Fayetteville, NC and we get some bad flooding when hurricanes come through because the cape fear river is so close to town. So yeah obviously they don’t want people out in this mess.

 

[Liam Wald]

Here on the California Coast it snowed one time about 20 years ago. The whole area was covered with about 1/4 inch of the white stuff. Luckily it melted as soon as the sun came up the next morning and by noon it was 65 degrees. Man that was treacherous to say the least! I wouldn't want to have to go through that again.

 

[five7]

Drove to Rapid City from Denver for a Christmas gig, cancelled when we got there and couldn't leave town because roads were blocked. Didn't pay us a dime. 1000 mile round trip. One of the 24 ft box trucks sprung a radiator leak on the way back. Found some sealant and made it to my parents house 60 miles from Denver and my mom had cooked turkey. We all enjoyed that!

 

[Bander]

$800 is contract territory, if you are in demand, and turning down gigs. And as far as weather, snow, tornadoes, and stuff more exiting than rain seems to bring folks out. Strange..

 

[MattZilla]

Guh! That suhcks!