Sure you want to do that if you have to do the gig anyway? The band may actually learn quite a bit from this experience besides the need for a standardized list of questions and requirements.
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Would You Honor This Gig?
- Thread starter Bassist4Eris
- Start date
Well shoot. I’m sorry it got to this. I’ll be interested in hearing how the gig turns out.
No, I'm not sure. Not 100% sure anyway. But I've been thinking about it a lot. Looking back over the last two years, it seems to me that I've done a lot of gigs that weren't worth the hassle. Maybe I'm just burning out. I feel like I've paid all the dues I'm willing to pay.
Big difference between just on freezing and ten+ degrees below.
Reading the orchard facebook pages doesn't bode well. They do seem a bit lacking in engaging positively with their customers.
Reading the orchard facebook pages doesn't bode well. They do seem a bit lacking in engaging positively with their customers.
Gotcha. If it's not fun and it's not profitable, that doesn't leave much reason to stay I guess. One thing about bands, there's always another one. Best of luck and let us know how this goes.
I don't really understand your logic. If the band hadn't taken this gig, would you still resign? If not, its an easy fix, just make it crystal clear that you won't play outdoor gigs that are too cold / hot. If I'm asked to play outside, I tell the client that if it becomes too cold or looks like rain, there needs to be an alternative place to play inside. If that's not acceptable, no gig.
No need to get stressed about this, it's just a learning curve, but also make it clear to fellow band members that in future, if they don't respect your totally reasonable request, they better find another bass player.
What's better for you and the band? Cancel the gig or do it and then leave them?
In almost every case I would honour a booking, but In this case I would make a sincere apology to the booker and cite health reasons, and they might actually be understanding. Then, sack the drummer
Meh, I was just venting. I don't know what I'm going to do yet. I just can't help the feeling that my reaction to this gig is a symptom of something larger. Either I'm burning out, or maybe I'm just at a different place in my journey. They're young enough that they're still willing to pay dues. I'm at the age where I just want to play the local bars.
They're really a great bunch of people. That's the main thing that keeps me hanging in there.
They're really a great bunch of people. That's the main thing that keeps me hanging in there.
I don't regret the two years I hung on with a dying band for this very reason. The guys are still some of my best friends, and despite being tired of several "situations" and working harder than I wanted to to keep things going, we still had some good times and played some great music.
This is a very valid statement. At a certain point many of us reach a point where we want a different band experience. In contrast to my earlier bands, I made it very clear to my current bandleader that I was looking to gig, not rehearse and get paid. For over 2 years I've been very happy with the situation that has resulted.
I'm a big believer in maintaining boundaries. Clearly delineating what you want to put up with will limit your options, but it also will likely make you happier.
This can be enough in very specific situations, but the best people in the world can't make something worthwhile if you're not enjoying it and your heart's not in it.
Not every gig is worth the trouble. I certainly get that. And we do work our way up the ladder, so maybe you are just at a point where you need to move up a few rungs in order to continue to get satisfaction out of this. As has been said here so many times, there need to be certain pieces in place in order to maintain a commitment over the long haul. The three things most often cited are money, music, and hang. I'd say that you can add to that list a few things that might be covered tangentially, like the quality of the venues. It sounds like maybe you have the hang to a degree, but the willingness of this band to put a foot down and draw a line in the sand for decent gigs is a problem for you. The question is whether the other stuff is there to a degree that makes this worth compromising.
As one gets older, it can seem like often the gig pay isn't enough to justify the time, effort and expense of simply moving the gear out and back, breaking down, loading, hauling, setting up, breaking down, loading, hauling.... let alone getting paid for actually playing some top notch music for a few hours. If the gig conditions suck in any way, what's the question? Why put yourself through that for a few shekels?
I'm fortunate enough that I have a home studio w/ nice drum kit, a good, weighted key digital piano, various amps and a good small PA more or less set up and ready to go. It's quite an inducement to get folks to come and play if they don't have to schlepp gear. And be playing whatever you want to play, whenever you want to play, in a comfortable room. With free refreshments. Without feeling exploited. Or experiencing various forms of employer/employee grief. What's missing? Glory, "the smell of the crowd." But that's readily available at the local club or apple orchard, if that's how you wanna roll this time. Up to you. You don't owe the orchard a gig.
I agree in principle, but IMO it's too late to ethically cancel now. Although . . . are there THAT many paid gigs that don't suck in some way? If one is going to make all or a significant part of one's nut as a performing musician, some suckage surely must be expected and suffered - as with any line of work.
I totally agree. In the workaday world, suckage is part of the deal. If you're not relying on gig income to survive, you can be a little picky.
Well, I just got an email from the BL. The guy who hired us has apparently come to his senses. This has been moved indoors.
