When you're double booked...

CaseOfAce

It's only happened to us once in the last 5 years or so, so we were due one...

Band turned up at a venue last night (after a long drive) to find a young lady performing karaoke / backing tracks in the beer garden.
Pub manager told us a vindicitive / disgruntled / d*ick of an employee had left in acrimonious circumstances and not revealed the bookings there for the rest of the year - so the pub had gone ahead and booked new acts (whilst being unable / unwilling? to inform previously booked acts).

Compensation...you're joking. We were offered a free drink each. 

I suggested we share the entertainment that night and split the money with this lady (sounds reasonable right?) - but nope - the youngster had already been paid (hmmm...) and this was not an option...yep...that's what we were told...

really cra*p behaviour from the venue.

So how do you guys deal with double bookings / what's your stories..?

Roland

Over the years we’ve had a few disgruntled managers who have left without telling the incoming manager about bookings (nor where the keg/spirits/cash went).

Nowadays I visit three weeks before the booking with posters. We generally get the gig through being better organised, or just getting our foot in the door first.

Hoof

Pretty much the exact same thing happened to us. Disgruntled bar manager had been booking acts while on his notice. We turned up for a sunday  PM gig to be told there was no gig. It had happened the previous weekend too apparently (and presumably the week after)

We just took it on the chin. It pissed us off, obviously but the landlord didn't owe us anything. You were lucky to get a free drink out of it as a gesture of good will.

The young lady didn't really owe you half her fee either, as she had been booked, turned up, set up and performed as agreed. If I was in her situation I'd have been really pissed off if I was suddenly expected to give up half her gig and the money.

It's such a crap situation though, especially having lugged all you gear there and having to take it back for nothing. That's the part of gig I want the the money for. The performance I'd gladly do for free!

merlin

Contracts. Just do it. 

Even an email confirmation can act as a proof of engagement. Verbal agreement can't be proved. 
If you hold them to the contract you may never get booked again but at least you'll have some kind of payment for the work you will have already put in. And to be honest, if a venue did that to me I'd never want to play there again unless they had a huge management change.  

Tannin

That sucks mate. Never happened to me, but I'd be right pissed off if it did.

fretmeister

Signed booking agreements.

Join the MU to get all their benefits too.

fretmeister

Hoof said:

Pretty much the exact same thing happened to us. Disgruntled bar manager had been booking acts while on his notice. We turned up for a sunday  PM gig to be told there was no gig. It had happened the previous weekend too apparently (and presumably the week after)

We just took it on the chin. It pissed us off, obviously but the landlord didn't owe us anything. You were lucky to get a free drink out of it as a gesture of good will.

The young lady didn't really owe you half her fee either, as she had been booked, turned up, set up and performed as agreed. If I was in her situation I'd have been really pissed off if I was suddenly expected to give up half her gig and the money.

It's such a crap situation though, especially having lugged all you gear there and having to take it back for nothing. That's the part of gig I want the the money for. The performance I'd gladly do for free!

The landlord did owe you!

The bar manager is an employee or agent of the business that booked you. 

Whether you decide to do anything about it is a different kettle of course. You won’t get booked again if you get heavy!

fastonebaz

Happened to me once.  We just focused on getting a booking for another date and kept the goodwill strong.  

Stratavarious

We get a confirmation by message or mail and confirm the details which we then post online and store in our calendar.  A few days before we call/contact to discuss promotion, etc.  We always try and find the best contact to reconfirm with as they can change.

A few of our regular / better venues have set up whatsapp performer groups so we can be aware of issues.. also makes it easy for arranging swaps/cover/deps with the other acts.

We also have band insurance and some venues book us via contract / agents / eventsUK with varying cancellation/issue clauses..

Basically we just try to actively avoid it happening,, so never had a double booking but we have still turned up at a couple of places where staff were surprised as the bosses who booked us not informed them.

There is quite a high staff turnover at moment,, so a call a few days in advance probably still best.  

Shit happens.. so being very nice about it and booking another date (or several) then and there be best too.

mudslide73

I thought this thread was going to be about being booked by two venues on the same night .

We've played gigs for booking agents where we're supposed to be someone else - can be interesting when they start mentioning the CD sent by the agent.