One thing to consider is that the rock 'n' roll generation is pushing 60.
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What's wrong with 2023 audiences?
- Thread starter Lance Bunyon
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Why did you agree to play that benefit again? One would assume to support the cause, not get stroked for being there. I think maybe the ego is distracting you from the point of playing such an event
Yeah. Ego is horrible. I should take up Buddhism and eat more yoga.
It seems clear that the organizers meant no malice; they simply didn't know better. When a friend of mine asked me to be his best man, I was so ignorant I thought that all I had to do was hand him the ring during the ceremony. Didn't know I was supposed to organize a bachelor party, so I didn't (another guy took it upon himself to do that); didn't even know I was expected to make a speech, so I didn't. There might have been other things I was expected to do; if so, I still don't know what they were. (Came from a very poor, socially isolated family; more or less feral upbringing.)
The OP should diplomatically inform the hosts of the benefit what they could have done better, in case they plan to organize another benefit in the future.
The OP should diplomatically inform the hosts of the benefit what they could have done better, in case they plan to organize another benefit in the future.
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“Sanctimonious”. Haha. Ok.
I don’t doubt you can enjoy a band and observe a cause at the same time.
The thing I’m being critical of is that the guy is playing a benefit and whining that he didn’t get stuff, like food and acknowledgement. But this ponderous thread has more than provided him with the latter.
I kind of want to stick up for the OPer here. If a bunch of us were having a face-to-face conversation and the OPer made the same comments he made in the OP, it might not have been taken SO SERIOUSLY. As it is everyone’s telling him how he should look, act, speak, perform, . . .
Honestly, most of the thread hasn't been about the OP at all. I don't think he ever claimed that his band didn't get the treatment he felt they deserved because everyone was on cell phones, but that's where posts went almost immediately. And various other tangential topics.
On the subject of live music dying. My little town of Martinez has a thriving music community. Lots of live music almost every night. Anyway, that's all I got on that.
For what it's worth, I generally don't eat at gigs, it seems like an odd combination of things. That's just me though.
I think there was another thread about eating at gigs a while ago, in fact.
Right. I was at a brewery last weekend and there was a middle (or late-aged) band banging out the same tired classic rock covers everyone has heard for the last 30 years. That concept is deader than dead. Everyone's just going to have to accept that.
Why do you have a snapshot of an Arby’s coupon that expire 6 years ago?This should cover the former.
If it’s none of my business just say and I’ll respect that. I’m just curious.
Its feedback and you need to be taking it in to account because from the OP somethings not quite right.
Two ways I'd approach it.
If I was convinced this was a specific venue, I'd not be interested in that venue as a return booking
If it was a reaction, or lack of, at more than a coule of venues, I'd be looking at the band being the issue.
Two ways I'd approach it.
If I was convinced this was a specific venue, I'd not be interested in that venue as a return booking
If it was a reaction, or lack of, at more than a coule of venues, I'd be looking at the band being the issue.
I'm having a problem with this whole idea that the hosts didn't offer the proper strokes needed to keep the band placated during the event, frankly.
If you've ever organized and hosted an event like this, you know that there are literally hundreds of details that need to be attended to while an event like this is ongoing. The idea that the people who we've hired (or who have agreed to donate services) will also need to be placated and comforted in some way during the proceedings borders on ridiculous. Professional people working there in all roles should know what their role is and be willing to do it without a lot of handholding, fanfare, or anything else.
If the caterers need something, they know who to ask. Likewise for the band and anyone else who is there to help. The host's primary job during the time of the event is to manage the flow of planned presentations, make sure the food comes out at the right time, and mingle with guests to make sure they are enjoying the event and getting what they need. Service providers are not there in order to make this night even harder for them. You would not believe the number of last-minute messes you might have to attend to in this kind of situation.
The band should be ready to play at the appointed time for the appointed amount of time, should be ready to be interrupted by the host for announcements and special presentations, and, unless they are a big name and this is a sit-down dinner in a ballroom with a main stage, should manage their expectations for attention. A band demanding additional attention from the host during all of this is just being unprofessional.
Yes there should have been more communication between the band and the hosts about what was expected - from both sides. The band apparently doesn't understand that they're not the draw at an event like this, and that they need to specify, contractually, how many of them are to be included in the catering order. All of that communication should have happened well before the date of the event.
If any service provider sent me a note after an event like this telling me I didn't provide enough praise or accolades while the event was ongoing, they'd never get selected or recommended again. Same for any other service provider at my event. Do your job. A shoutout is nice if people remember to do it, but at many such events there are so many people to thank that things get lost in the shuffle. It happens. It's not personal. A thank you note or card to donors of any sort AFTER the event is customary. These used to go in the mail but nowadays they're usually email.
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Again, two bands. The 80's cover band is 4+ years on now (counting losing basically a year to the pandemic) and we don't play the same old tired crap which is one of the reasons (at least IMO) that's been successful. We were playing 30+ dates a year and even played 20+ during the covid down time year. We started the tribute to take advantage of our vocals (four to six parts depending on the song) and to get more/better paying/larger stages/larger audience gigs and broke that out as the pandemic was waning. This year the tribute will play probably 25-ish dates and the cover probably 12 (once a month m/l). The tribute makes 3 - 6 times more than the cover band does and gets way more offers for increasingly better pay. As our rep grows the tribute is sucking up most of our available dates to the point where the cover band will be an occasional thing basically just for the variety of playing something different.
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"pushing" 60?
A month away from 66 here and I'm on the tail end of being called a boomer.
OTOH, I run a weekly jam where we've got quite a few 20-30-somethings who participate and do a better job playing this stuff than most of us ever did.
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