What would you do with such a venue?
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Posted on Mar 27, 2017 09:20 am
dbmasters
Administrator Since: Apr 03, 2002
So, we have this venue we have played a few times. It's a great venue, big stage, good sound and lights...but doesn't pay well...but we do it for the experience...it's a rock star sorta feeling.
We booked a show there, in the mean time they brought on a new event manager that worked beside the booking guy we deal with.
They, due to miscommunication, double booked. We talked to our guy and he saw it, apologized and assured us there were no issues, we were the show for that night. Great, it's back on.
We start promoting, then, a week later the booker finds out the other event that was double booked with us was an event that they paid to have the venue for, so he had to cancel us.
My knee jerk reaction is to not play the venue again, that was perhaps a mistake, but seems a couple weeks is a long time to not communicate...plus, it pays lame, and we are getting better paying gigs elsewhere, but doesn't have that "big stage" feel.
Just curious how you guys would handle that type of thing.
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zekthedeadcowEat Spam before it eats YOU!!!Member
Since: May 11, 2002
Mar 28, 2017 06:33 am Once is a mistake... twice is a habit.
I've only been double booked once and nobody noticed something was wrong until 100 thugs showed up half way through a punk/metal show. We were allowed 15 minutes for our set... and we never packed up faster.
Mar 28, 2017 08:49 am Oh, yeah, we had that happen once too, not a double book, but as a favor to a booker we filled in a an open set at the last minute...then we got 15-20 minutes and he kicked us off because people were there for the next band.
Not cool. We went back once, it was well planned and marketed, and we PACKED the house and ended up playing longer than planned at the owners request.
Things have been pretty good since. :-)
cooloFrisco's Most UnderratedMember
Since: Jan 28, 2003
Mar 29, 2017 03:41 am I feel like clubs/venues are often not run by the most professional of people. If you stop working with places that don't act professional, it might not be long before you don't have anywhere left to play.
With that in mind though, I would consider if you had played the place before this incident. How many times? Is this the first time they messed things up? Maybe you can let it slide one time if it's been cool a bunch a times before this one. On the other hand, if you can make more playing other places, I guess it comes down to how much are you willing to give up for the experience and environment of playing the nicer venue. Then, how much nonsense are you willing to put up with for the experience in addition to the smaller compensation.
I don't know. I guess it also depends how much the money is worth at this stage of your life, vs. how cool it is. But if some nonsense happens again, that's the end. Or if this was actually creating a trend of nonsense, then maybe what zek said is correct, it's a habit.
Mar 29, 2017 09:15 am This would have been our 4th time playing there, I think...so yeah, as time goes by I get less angry I am thinking we may let it slide and do it again when and if we need a date to fill.
We try to gig twice a month...enough to have fun and make some money, but not so much where every weekend is busy and we don't see out families. :-)
So, there are times we only have one weekend booked and then we look for fillers...we are starting to consider these half-night, lower pay shows just to keep our name out there and keep the cadence going.
"If you stop working with places that don't act professional, it might not be long before you don't have anywhere left to play."
Them's some wise words right there...
J-botByte-MixerMember
Since: Dec 04, 2007
Apr 14, 2017 04:20 am Sorry I haven't been on in awhile. Kinda been doing my own thing lately.
I'd echo Coolo's statement. Particularly around here in Philly. There are some nice places, but they aren't necessarily run by professionals.
Well, maybe World Cafe/WXPN, but they bring in big acts. (my wife and I just saw Jordan Rudess perform tonight). But yeah, smaller bars, cafes, venues, etc. are going to make some mistakes from time to time. I say give em the benefit of the doubt unless it happens a lot.
Unless their FOH guy blows ya off. If he pulls that ****, **** 'em.
Apr 17, 2017 08:19 am Yeah, we did end up rebooking the show for the fall. The agent did sound pretty sincerely sorry for the confusion, so we'll see.
We requested a specific sound guy for the night that we used before, and he was awesome. Hopefully they follow thru and get him, the other sound guy we've had there doesn't seem to understand what subwoofers are for.
May 07, 2017 05:37 pm Man, just had a second venue do this...and admit it, do nothing about it, and was actually kind of a jerk about it.
Huh, that is rather disconcerting...and it was my birthday gig too, actually ON my birthday. Bah.
May 08, 2017 06:59 pm In other news, one gig screws you over, the next Monday 3 more come thru...
Hows about that...
cooloFrisco's Most UnderratedMember
Since: Jan 28, 2003
May 10, 2017 02:38 am Well, happy birthday db.
May 10, 2017 01:59 pm Haha, thanks, coolo.
Hey, not sure where you are these days, but I'll be in the bay early November this year for my annual trip to GooglePlex.
