What Would You Do?

[Jamvan]

Been playing at, what I refer to as a bad juju, bar for quite a while. What's bad juju? Urban dictionary lays out the definition quite nicely; "Haunted by a bad vibe or aura." It wasn't always bad juju and, as a matter of fact, it used to be a pretty good place where you felt like they were happy to have you there. Over the course of the last year, slowly but surely, little perks kept getting taken away and other things started becoming issues. Suffice to say, you just feel like crap when you play there.

The band I'm in has two upcoming gigs booked there; This Friday and another date in June. We just got word that the bar was closed this past weekend. It's not "CLOSED" but rather, it just didn't open on either Friday or Saturday. The band that was supposed to be playing Friday and Saturday ended up having to grab some gigs at a bar nearby. They're open again today, for what it's worth. I've already been in communication with the bar manager inquiring about the status of our Friday gig and he said, "As far as I know next weekend should be good to go."

As far as I know...

Should be good...

Not the best choice of words to instill confidence.

So, the question at hand. Should we just cancel our next two gigs now or wait to see whether they actually end up closing permanently? As this is a Friday show, we have to take work off in order to get there and get set up and I'd hate to have to do this only to find out that they've closed the doors again. Likewise, if they're closing on no notice when a band is already scheduled for the weekend, who's to say we'll even get paid if we DO end up playing the gig? It will be difficult to backfill this weekend but it gives us a fighting chance to find something for a month from now.

 

[PauFerro]

I would call the owner and ask for assurances that the place will be open -- explain the word about what happened last weekend and the measures the last band had to take in order to play that evening. Explain the implications for you and the band (time off work etcetera). You may find the guy had a valid emergency so he closed it last weekend.

I don't find bar owners are willing to pay deposits. He would probably refuse to do that but you could ask if you don't get a satisfactory answer. But if the guy thinks there is a risk he will have to cancel, he wouldn't pay the deposit and you'd be stuck in the same situation you are right now.

Frankly, I'd just ask the guy. And if he closes it down on you, then I wouldn't go back there again without money up front or something.

 

[StyleOverShow]

Yeah just ask them. Shaky as our biz is, the closed doors is a little too flaky. You have to ask them knowing that it is to their advantage to keep your band on the hook.

Don't think pressing them for cash will yield much except walking papers for you & the band. Can't expect much of a crowd either, so....

 

[blubass]

I'm curious, if you've already had a bad vibe feeling about this place, why has your band continued to book there?

Honesty is all that is needed here with the manager. Explain what's bothering you.

 

[Jamvan]

I'm curious, if you've already had a bad vibe feeling about this place, why has your band continued to book there?

Honesty is all that is needed here with the manager. Explain what's bothering you.

We book with them typically 6 months out so these gigs have been booked for a while. It wasn't this bad that long ago. We've seen the writing on the wall with them as it's just gotten worse every time we've played there but we were hoping just to make it through the last two gigs and then not book any more with them.

 

[blubass]

Yeah, I understand that. I hope it works out for you guys.

 

[bassbully]

I played a place like this once. We played the gig and it went ok so booked a few more gigs months out. I drove by the bar one night (weekend) and at 12am it was dark and closed, the next day closed again.
I spoke to the owner who tried to assure us it would all get fixed and reopen to just keep the gigs. A week later it was closed for good.
Its not looking good but you could talk to the owner and feel it out.

 

[jive1]

Try to book another gig for that date. If you don't, call the place before you guys pack up your equipment to head over to confirm.

 

[trailer]

If they're being flaky make them cancel you, otherwise they'll just dog your name. But if something better came along I'd cancel in a heartbeat.

Edited to say that I wouldn't cancel because they might use it against you. Even if they're passive-aggressively wanting you to cancel. I hate that game, that seems to happen with some venues....you play there, everything's great, they love you so much. The next time you're there it's like they barely know you and on and on. I really don't get it.

 

[Jamvan]

OP here. I've been playing this particular place for a year with this band but they've played here much longer. It used to be pay + food and drinks all night long. Then it was pay + drinks. Then pay + $50 bar tab. Then pay + $50 bar tab with random drinks added to the tab that we'd have to pay for (even though we didn't drink them). Culminated at out last gig about a month ago where we didn't drink anything but water and agreed we wouldn't rebook there as long as these owners were still running it.

This was how full the place was that night at 10:30 on a Saturday.

We're gonna make them cancel and will double and triple check before Friday.

 

[INTP]

When I read the subject of this thread, I thought, "Freedom Isn't Free."

 

[INTP]

This was how full the place was that night at 10:30 on a Saturday.

View attachment 863365

We're gonna make them cancel and will double and triple check before Friday.

Something's WAAAY off here. They must be doing something very, very wrong. Live music, plus pool tables, foosball, and I assume drink specials, and they don't even have a drunk to keep a single barstool warm...

 

[Jamvan]

Ok. Just got an email that they're re-opening today and we're good to go on Friday.

Then I saw the message they posted on Facebook: "After being down for some maintenance, we will be open today (Tuesday) for normal business hours!! Hope to see everyone back. Sorry for the inconvenience."

We will definitely be verifying before Friday and as far as I'm concerned, we are done with this place once we complete our committed gigs.

 

[Bodeanly]

This was how full the place was that night at 10:30 on a Saturday.

View attachment 863365

We're gonna make them cancel and will double and triple check before Friday.

What are you guys going to promote yourselves? You're not leaving it all up to the bar, are you?

 

[Jamvan]

What are you guys going to promote yourselves? You're not leaving it all up to the bar, are you?

Mostly social media promotions via our band page as well as the venue along with Facebook Advertising. We do use some traditional flyers/posters as well.

Some backstory on the last gig we played and why the place was so dead. The bar hired three bands to play the previous weekend; a triple bill for both Friday and Saturday. The three bands played Friday to a good crowd who paid a cover to see them. The owner then booted the first two bands from the bill for Saturday night only a couple hours before the gig due to a "miscommunication" over who was getting paid. It blew up all over their Facebook page with the bands and their fans just dumping all over the bar. The bar owner, rather then delete the comments, engaged and made the bar look like a bunch of lying thieves. Needless to say, it emptied the bar for Saturday and it continued throughout the next couple weeks.

We just happened to be collateral damage as we played the next weekend. Which, interestingly, was our 'no drink' weekend because WE'D been having troubles with them doing poopy things with our compensation.

 

[Bodeanly]

Mostly social media promotions via our band page as well as the venue along with Facebook Advertising. We do use some traditional flyers/posters as well.

Some backstory on the last gig we played and why the place was so dead. The bar hired three bands to play the previous weekend; a triple bill for both Friday and Saturday. The three bands played Friday to a good crowd who paid a cover to see them. The owner then booted the first two bands from the bill for Saturday night only a couple hours before the gig due to a "miscommunication" over who was getting paid. It blew up all over their Facebook page with the bands and their fans just dumping all over the bar. The bar owner, rather then delete the comments, engaged and made the bar look like a bunch of lying thieves. Needless to say, it emptied the bar for Saturday and it continued throughout the next couple weeks.

We just happened to be collateral damage as we played the next weekend. Which, interestingly, was our 'no drink' weekend because WE'D been having troubles with them doing poopy things with our compensation.

The more I hear about this place, the more I hope it finds new owners.

 

[brianrost]

Had this happen once, we called the club a few times the week before to confirm and got no response. On the day of the gig we called multiple times and then bagged it an hour before hitting the road since it was a two hour drive.

We later found out that the place had closed suddenly and noone had notified all the booked bands.

BTW this was a very upscale place and the vibe there was great, we loved playing there. It was a big shock, there was no hint of money troubles.

 

[bassbully]

OP here. I've been playing this particular place for a year with this band but they've played here much longer. It used to be pay + food and drinks all night long. Then it was pay + drinks. Then pay + $50 bar tab. Then pay + $50 bar tab with random drinks added to the tab that we'd have to pay for (even though we didn't drink them). Culminated at out last gig about a month ago where we didn't drink anything but water and agreed we wouldn't rebook there as long as these owners were still running it.

This was how full the place was that night at 10:30 on a Saturday.

View attachment 863365

We're gonna make them cancel and will double and triple check before Friday.

Looks like time for Bar Rescue.

 

[bassbully]

Ok. Just got an email that they're re-opening today and we're good to go on Friday.

Then I saw the message they posted on Facebook: "After being down for some maintenance, we will be open today (Tuesday) for normal business hours!! Hope to see everyone back. Sorry for the inconvenience."

We will definitely be verifying before Friday and as far as I'm concerned, we are done with this place once we complete our committed gigs.

Wow sounds exactly like the place I talked about on this post.

 

[bassbully]

Had this happen once, we called the club a few times the week before to confirm and got no response. On the day of the gig we called multiple times and then bagged it an hour before hitting the road since it was a two hour drive.

We later found out that the place had closed suddenly and noone had notified all the booked bands.

BTW this was a very upscale place and the vibe there was great, we loved playing there. It was a big shock, there was no hint of money troubles.

That's what happened to us. Found out one of the partners was embezzling from the other.