Ever arrived at a gig only to find it cancelled?

Ken Byng · Post by **Ken Byng** » 15 Jun 2008 2:48 am

This is frustrating when the booker for the venue/club hasn't had the decency to advise the booked artists that the venue has folded. This has happened twice in the last 18 months to me and is the height of ignorance.

Mark White · Post by **Mark White** » 15 Jun 2008 3:39 am

On one of my last gig's as a pro drummer we got equipment and clothes in the truck, roadies together, kissed the wives goodbye and headed to another part of the state. When we got there another band was doing a sound check! Luckily, we had the booking agents cut from the last job and kept it to cover costs. We ended up sitting home and rehearsing for a week.

Rick Winfield · Post by **Rick Winfield** » 15 Jun 2008 3:57 am

One time when we arrived the bar keep told us the mgr. made an error and booked 2 bands.The other guys already started to bring in their equipt. He offered us "free beer" and $50 each, if we would play during their breaks. Me and my partners went home,(INSULTED) and played for the neighborhood. Had our own "gig"
We did however,return the next week without any problems. All is forgiven when you "need the money"
Rick

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 15 Jun 2008 6:41 am

Yep---Loaded out and left Greenwood, SC on Saturday night, and drove straight through to Casper, Wyoming.
Got there at about 11:00 AM Monday morning. Another band's equipment was set up, and the club owner, already drunk, told us she'd forgotten to call and tell us she'd held the same band over for another week

They were semi-local, and played for about half what we were supposed to make. Club closed down shortly thereafter, and we never saw a dime. Fortunately, our next gig was at the Cheyenne Club, in Cheyenne, Wyoming, during Frontier Days. Ten straight nights from 7 till 3---and the place so crowded we couldn't get off the stage at break time!
Ah, the good ol' days---I'm sure they were in there somewhere...

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 15 Jun 2008 6:52 am

Sure, who hasn't? This is why there are written contracts.

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 15 Jun 2008 7:00 am

It's happened to me also.

I think a lot of it has to do with the lack of professionalism on the part of the leader/booker.
Most don't even have a biz card.....so it's unlikely a club would know who to call.

Went to one job...with a postage stamp stage. Another band was playing when we entered the place carrying all our gear. They cleared off as quick as possible.....then we learned we were there for a 'show case performance'. How about that?

It was clearly the booking agents' negligence and/or lack of knowledge about doing the job correctly.

Dave Harmonson · Post by **Dave Harmonson** » 15 Jun 2008 7:34 am

Been there, done that. Once in the mid 80's I had a gig booked at a club about 80 miles south of Seattle and we drove down in two rigs in a driving rain storm only to find that the IRS had seized the property and had the place chained up and posted with the notice. I had talked to the club owner only three days before the gig. I guess notifying the band was low on the owner's priority list of things to do.
Just a couple of weeks ago I was hired to play pedal and lap steel for a local band at a place about a 45 minute drive from home. When I got there, amout an hour before start time there was another band setting up. Turns out the band leader had a 103 fever and decided he couldn't make it and he thought the rest of the band would still go. They talked it over and decided to cancel. Unfortunately, they didn't realize I had been hired to play so didn't know to contact me. The other band was to be the opening act. After a few phone calls we figured out the situation. It ended up that the opening band asked me to play with them. I knew the bass player, but had not met the rest of the folks. I just brought in the lap steel and wound up making new friends and had a great time. Of course it doesn't always work out this well.

Jim Robbins · Post by **Jim Robbins** » 15 Jun 2008 9:06 am

Yes. Double booked on a week long out-of-town gig around 1980. I suggested to the leader, who was about twice my age, that we should get paid anyway, had a contract etc etc. He looked at me like I was crazy and observed that we could do that, but would never get another gig from his agent ... One of many educational experiences on the country circuit.

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 15 Jun 2008 10:04 am

I was hired back in the 70s to play guitar with the "Mexicalli Brass". I was in school below Montgomery Alabama and they flew in from Los Angeles to the Montgomery airport and rented some cars to drive down to Dothan Alabama to play a country club. We rehearsed that afternoon and drove down to the gig late in the day and when we get there there is another band on the stage. The club manager had notified their book agent that the gig was not on for them, but the agent did not notify them. They came all the way across the US for a gig that was cancelled weeks before. They were ticked. I got paid anyway.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 15 Jun 2008 2:52 pm

Arrived for a dud ? Maybe once or twice over a lifetime. Canceled for double bookings ? A few here and there.

I am thinking I can count these instances over the past several decades and not need to use all of my fingers.

This stuff happens, it comes with the territory.

One time back in my early teens, I went to pick up a gal for our date, she had already left on another date. I think it's possible she was trying to tell me something ! When I saw here she said she had totally forgot, I guess I didn't make much of an impression

ahh , she was better off, I didn't even have any money !

ps.. and NO, I did not end up marrying her...

Don Olson · Post by **Don Olson** » 15 Jun 2008 5:00 pm

I played for over 40 years and I always assumed if we didn't have a Union Contract we didn't have a job.Only had one problem in all that time and we did settle for half the Contract since we ended up not playing the job.
Don

John Bechtel · Post by **John Bechtel** » 15 Jun 2008 8:12 pm

Yes, but; even worse, I went to an out of state gig with Doyle Holly years ago and the gig was cancelled during the first set!!! They didn't want a Country Band and had another band waiting and chomping at the bitt by the stage until we got off and packed up and out of their way! The new band was on stage and playing while we were still packing! Quite an evening and unreimbursed for the whole week-end trip! That was probably the most unproductive event in all my playing experiences!

Clyde Mattocks · Post by **Clyde Mattocks** » 15 Jun 2008 9:09 pm

Yes, pretty much all of the above in my years of playing, but one event stands out because of a decent, honorable club owner. Hank Boland, the owner of The Factory in Henderson, N. C. double booked Super Grit and The Dalton Brothers Band on a Saturday. When both bands arrived, he saturated
local radio with "customer appreciation night, two
bands". We had a huge turnout, both bands got paid,
the club made money and everybody won. But most of the time, you have to deal with weasels.

Michael Douchette · Post by **Michael Douchette** » 15 Jun 2008 11:25 pm

Sigh... once, with Tammy, we drove all the way to Seattle... no gig...

Howard Tate · Post by **Howard Tate** » 16 Jun 2008 5:18 am

I think that most of us that played for money for a long time have had it happen. The scariest was around 66 or 67, we showed up at a place in Atwater, CA and set up. Just before kick off IRS agents came in and walked behind the bar, opened the register and took what was there. They made everyone leave without our gear and locked the doors. We did get our stuff back about a week later but what a scare.

Roger Edgington · Post by **Roger Edgington** » 16 Jun 2008 6:06 am

Over the last 48 years of playing, it's happened a couple of times, maybe more. In the sixties I drove 90 miles to play for 4 people. Seems there was a shooting the night before. I have also played a few jobs where my expenses were greater than my nights pay.

George Redmon · Post by **George Redmon** » 16 Jun 2008 3:10 pm

Yeah, seems this happens to everyone who has played out a lot. And wouldn't you know it, it just has to happen when you have to drive half way across the state. Only remembering it happening just a couple of times. We played a wedding reception a few years ago. The bride told us to see her father for our money, he was paying the band. So after the first set, we went a searching for him. They told us he passed out and they carried him to the car, and drove him home. The groom cut us a check, and it was no good. Payed hell getting out moola for that job.

Stuart Legg · Post by **Stuart Legg** » 16 Jun 2008 6:23 pm

Bo being an agent and a musician usually made contact shortly after the contract and again just before preparation for travel.
He would get the bad news if any before departure. After that, short of the club burning down while they were in transit there is no excuse that’s going to stop it going to Claims Court.
He has sued and won and I think he did all the rest of the bands that played in these clubs a big favor.
Of course if your on the road with a Star you wouldn't try to sue anyone unless of course it's your father.

The Steel Guitar Forum

Ever arrived at a gig only to find it cancelled?

Ever arrived at a gig only to find it cancelled?

Double booked ??

That's all part of the glory, for being a musician..........