The almost perfect gig

Flanging_Fred

Last night my band were booked to play at a posh private party. It was very much touch and go because myself and our singer had been ill for the last couple of weeks and the singer’s voice was almost non existent, so it was a bit of a gamble not to cancel it.

Anyway, We were asked to get there at 6pm to set up, which we did. And then we waited while the guests ate. Then they started making speeches... and more speeches… and more speeches. It went on forever! Luckily there was free grub and a free bar for the band while we (not so) patiently waited.

The venue had a strict 11pm noise/licensing so as the time ticked on we were starting to think that maybe we wouldn’t actually get time to play anything at all!  Eventually we went on some time after 10 and managed a bit under one half set. This was a relief because the singers voice was falling apart by that point. So all in all it was a bit of a result!

It got me thinking, have any of you guys actually ended up getting paid/food/drink for a gig that you didn’t actually get to play at? 

stickyfiddle

We once quit before a “headline” slot at a “festival”* after the organiser disappeared to get pissed, the whole timeline slipped by about 4 hours and the DJ tent kicked off an hour early. There was nobody there to play to anyway. The organiser never contacted us afterwards - not sure if they even realised we’d ditched them 

*back of a truck with a PA system in a field 

Lestratcaster

Yes back in 2007 where I was 'hired' to play in a session band for a singer/songwriter. We rehearsed the set and it was sounding good, rocked up to the venue all due to soundcheck and play the set. The singer had already paid us £50 each after the last rehearsal.

So we get in there and get ready to soundcheck, where the vocalist wants to use his own mic. I didn't know much about microphones or whatever back then, but he and the soundguy had a major argument and stormed off. The rest of us were left in the pub and didn't end up playing the set. I never heard from the vocalist again, but a very strange night.

Danny1969

We did a wedding in Wickam  Vineyard once for the boss of a hire tool company ... his daughter was getting married so a large marquee was paid for, loads of food, fireworks, party dressing up booths, chocolate fountains etc. We were Booked for 3 sets but everything dragged on .. to such an extent we went on at 11 and finished at 11:40, ten mins past the curfew. Just 10 songs so cost them £246 per song. 

RocknRollDave

If a gig is cancelled at short notice, the client is liable for 100% of the fee, so, yes. I’ve literally been paid for staying at home and NOT doing a gig.

ICBM

Not quite not playing, but I once went to do an acoustic trio gig - lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist, lead guitarist (me - acoustic with some effects through the PA), keyboards - at a rather polite café/bar. We set up with my 'combo PA' - a multi-channel acoustic amp, basically - played one song at what seemed like an appropriate volume and were promptly told we were too loud, so I turned it down. Played another, still too loud, turned down again. After about three repeats of this we were so quiet that the amp was basically off, the vocals and rhythm guitar were unamplified, my guitar could just about be heard from the delay I was using and the keyboard key thunk was audible over what was coming out of the amp. Still too loud.

So the bar manager gave us the whole fee and we left, baffled as to why they thought they wanted live music at all...

Forgot to mention that the singer was *not* loud - in fact unamplified he was no louder than a gently-strummed acoustic, which is what he was doing.

Chris_J

Yesterday the band I'm in were hired to play 4-7 at a local agricultural show. There was the usual judging of sheep, horse trials, industrial section, sale of farm machinery, plus shows, arcades and a huge beer tent etc.

We arrived in plenty of time to set up PA, drums, guitars etc and soundcheck and were due to start playing at 4.

The stage arrived at 4:30. Yup they were running behind schedule so the trailer didnt get dragged into position until after the horse stuff in the main ring ended. It was placed by the beer tent and we were left to get on with it.

We set up super quick, basically skipped soundcheck and got going about 5:30

At 6:30 a DJ started up somewhere nearby and could be heard quite clearly between our numbers.

We played until 7 on the dot and packed up. 

Bizarrely the organiser gave us more than the agreed fee plus a huge amount of beer and cider, so not all bad.

ESBlonde

A few weddings where the features and speeches dragged on way past the allotted time, good old uncle Ted spouting tails though the PA etc. get to about 10pm and play for an hour or less. Money to sit and wait for hours.

Flanging_Fred

It seems like this is something of a common occurrence.  I found it both amusing but also rather frustrating. I do this as a hobby for fun so it’s a little bit of a downer when you get cut short.
It’s all good experience though I guess.


One thing I noticed, which I’ve not considered before, is that while setting up and sound checking, you kind or build up anticipation and adrenaline to get started.  When things drag on like that I felt that I had “cooled down” somewhat. Getting going again was something of a struggle after the extended wait. 

maltingsaudio

RocknRollDave said:

If a gig is cancelled at short notice, the client is liable for 100% of the fee, so, yes. I’ve literally been paid for staying at home and NOT doing a gig.

This quite a few times ^^

Weddings and Corporates are notorious for running late and bands playing or not but as putting the noise in it’s still work in some form. It’s not unusual to add “overtime” to the invoice when they do overrun .

Danny1969

We've got to keep a few £500 deposits over the years. We gave people a break in Covid but other than that any cancellation we get to keep the deposit. 

Had a lucky incident with PA hire once. In Portsmouth we have these forts in the water, basically at the entrance to the harbour and one of these holds parties. My company 2020 does dry hire so a load of our gear was picked up one of these parties and carried across on the boat but the next day the boat wouldn't start, or the next day. Basically every day the boat wouldn't start we got another £200 in hire and it went on for 4 days.