Venue Cancelling Gigs

gubble

Had 3 gigs cancelled by the same venue this year. All of which literally a couple of days before the gig.

This has become very annoying, we've had all the dates confirmed in writing, checked a few weeks in advance and then the week of the gig see on their website/facebook page another band is playing instead of us. We call them and get told "oh sorry we double booked" most annoying especially as we've turned down other gigs for this venue.

Has anyone else experienced this sort of behaviour from a venue?

lustycourtier

Venues get one chance. 3? pah. But I suppose its down to how busy you are. We are busy all the time, so dont need hassle like that

gubble

We are busy most of the time, we have had these booked in since last year. It's the only venue we've had who have messed us around like this.

It's a shame because it's an area we are popular in and always pull in a good crowd. What's really infuriating is the time & money we've taken in promoting this. Even though we have the booking in writing they also refuse to pay a cancellation fee.

Very annoying !

spacecadet

That's why we have contracts for everything we do . Had cancellations before and when they have refused to pay the agreed fee we just threaten legal action. We don't get anymore bookings there but we don't have time to be pissed about. Minimum two weeks notice for cancellation. Anything after that it's full money or get a call from our lawyer. They always pay up.

digitalscream

The first time they cancelled and refused to pay the cancellation fee, I'd have just informed them that we wouldn't be taking any more bookings and we'd be telling other bands to give them a wide berth.

ESBlonde

Find a competitor venue nearby and take your crowd there. As DS says, tell the other bands too. Once is a mistake, three times is bollox.

Roland

We've had a couple lately. I think it's often driven by economics. They realise that they can no longer afford to put on bands, or in one case a mates band offered to play for less money. They provide all sorts of excuses, including "we lost the diary". One local pub told us they were "redecorating" next weekend. Then they called on Monday in a panic because whoever they'd booked instead had pulled out. Tough, we've rebooked elsewhere, and we won't be going back because I don't work with people who lie to me. There are plenty of other venues.

monquixote

I've had a few venues do it to me. 

Several times it was because they stopped putting bands on (this was mostly during the worst bit of the recession years), but a few times because there was a big sporting event and they decided they could get more punters and pay less by putting the football on.

It really depends on the ratio of decent bands to decent venues in your location. If there is nowhere to play you have to put up with a lot more shit.

Phil_aka_Pip

gubble;23773" said:

Had 3 gigs cancelled by the same venue this year. All of which literally a couple of days before the gig. This has become very annoying, we've had all the dates confirmed in writing, checked a few weeks in advance and then the week of the gig see on their website/facebook page another band is playing instead of us. We call them and get told "oh sorry we double booked" most annoying especially as we've turned down other gigs for this venue. Has anyone else experienced this sort of behaviour from a venue?

:x

That is why you should join the MU, and use MU standard contracts.

Danny1969

You could take your posters advertising the gig to the venue two weeks before the gig
A week before the gig pop in or ring up to make sure posters are up and all is cool

That can help but some venues will always dick you around In those cases either blank em completely or do the same to them if a better paid gig comes around

hotpickups

Name and shame which is really effective in this day and age with social media etc. If they get a bad name they won't get any bands. Only the crap ones which certainly don't bring drinking punters etc