ubassman Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 Is this guy really the local 'Mr Big' or is he just a spiteful little sh*te who has been kicked off the job trying to get his own back ?!! Whilst he is losing £30, you are losing £250 ....hmmmn !!. The punishment for the venue is that they will ( in theory) now get no bands. Cant see that tactic happening in a million years - sorry Mr Big !!. The void will be filled by plenty of other bands booking direct who don't even know the agent or don't care - they will just be really happy to get a good fee for the gig - thats the way of the world! Although pulling pints is a very competitive business , pub landlords all know each other and talk ...I suspect that Mr Bigs underhand tactics will be [u][b]the[/b][/u] topic of local gossip in the gigging and pint pulling community and he will be sidelined by venues and bands - who likes to be blackmailed ? Bottom line is that if you've got a good band you will always bring the punters in ...pubs are only really interested in that and there are plenty of pubs to go at in the UK ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 (edited) He's fairly well established. I think he's spotted that the tide is beginning to turn, and he's going into self-preservation mode. Edited March 3, 2013 by wateroftyne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 Sounds more like self-destruction mode. He needs to up his game then not resort to blackmail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 Your agent two words Control Freak best avoid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 (edited) Probably a bit sledgehammer > nut and difficult to enforce, but I would have thought something like this would be in breach of competition law - what we used to call 'restriction of trade'. Thing is, he's using you guys against the dissenting pub and the other pubs against you. Charmer, eh? In any event, it's unwise to capitulate to threats like this. If he thinks your band is a soft touch it might encourage him to try it on in other ways - e.g., 'Pay me more money or I'll get you banned from all the pubs round here.' Perhaps you could tell him to put it in writing and see how he reacts. If he refuses, then [i]you[/i] know that [i]he[/i] knows he's on the back foot. If he agrees, you've got something to show the other pubs. Edited March 3, 2013 by skankdelvar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 (edited) Personally I would remind the agent that you have an informal, non exclusive arrangement and as such you are going to do the gig but are happy to continue to accept suitable work from him. However, if he won't book you for gigs where you have played before you will approach the venue directly and offer to play at a substantially reduced (one off) fee! Also remind him that not only do landlords talk to each other, but so do bands... If he has any sense he will start trying to keep his bands onside or risk being cut out all together... Edited March 3, 2013 by peteb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 I wouldn't be happy to cancel any gigs already committed to. Things may change in future but existing agreements should always be honoured - IMO anyway. [quote name='warwickhunt' timestamp='1362237099' post='1997384'] Ultimately he is a part-time agent (not paying taxes on this income etc.) who gets us a couple of gigs a few times a year. [/quote] If you don't like the 'agent' putting the squeeze on you, tell him that one of your band works for the tax office and that it wouldn't be a good idea to mess you all about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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