[RANT] Charity gig coming up

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

Not read all the thread yet.
I've seen a couple of posts about charity gigs, and tbh it looks like a nightmare .

If I were the op, I would say ' sorry , but due to illness we have to pull out of the event etc.'

I've always wanted to play a small gig , ( somewhere in the west end like borderline/100 club ). I would charge people on the door , with all the proceeds going to a small animal charity like the blue cross etc.
That means you just do your usual gig, without additional hassle / p@@s taking etc.

[Stylon Pilson]

[quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' timestamp='1413371356' post='2577559']
If I were the op, I would say ' sorry , but due to illness we have to pull out of the event etc.'
[/quote]

Ha ha, oh believe me that would be satisfying, but there's no way the band leader would go for that. Either he's terrified of getting a bad reputation, or he's trying to get into the promoter's knickers.

S.P.

[Stylon Pilson]

Okay, update.

Band leader has replied to my email (where I suggested that we might end up not playing at all) with a somewhat dismissive "eh, if that happens, then it happens." I was pretty angry at that, initially, because he's the one who just breezes in with an acoustic guitar, and it's the rest of us have to lug huge carloads of gear in. My SO jokingly suggested "maybe you should change instrument" but it's given me an idea.

So I was planning on bringing my usual gear kit. Bass, amp head, cab, and my regular toolbox containing straps and leads and effects pedals and spares. But, what if I travelled light? I don't need the cab, I can use my amp head as a DI box, and get bass through the monitors. Pedals, I can live without. The amp head has a built in tuner, so I can leave my Korg Pitchblack at home.

I reckon I can get by with just my bass, a strap, one lead, and my TC RH450. I'm not normally a fan of compromise, but in this situation it might be my best move.

I feel a bit bad leaving the guitarist and drummer high and dry. They've still got to lug in all their gear, because they've committed to providing them for the other acts. I'll give them 24 hours to voice any objections to the band leader's last email - if they feel the same way as me, then I'll back them right up. But if they share his couldn't-care-less attitude, then I'll activate my new plan.

S.P.

Edited October 15, 2014 by Stylon Pilson

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

Of you're the last band on , you'll probably be playing to one man and his dog.
Sounds like yosy be better off turning up with just a triangle ..

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

Poxy spellchecker.

[Dad3353]

For those familiar with the concept, I get the impression that the OP is more of the 'glass half empty' type..? It may , indeed, be that bad, there's no denying. Could it possibly be even slightly better, with a little optimism..? Maybe not, I don't know; seems a pity, though. Oh well... [size=4] [/size]

[spacey]

Some people have the ability to smell bull***** and know these are just beer selling con tricks.
Others, need their faces rubbing in it to smell it and usually more than once.

My personal observation is the average directors wage at most charities is around £800 a day 7 days a week.
They never run out of money to pay the board members salaries, so they are not very hard up and my meagre contribution of buying my own fuel and putting in a nights graft wont make much difference and if it does, take a few quid out of the bar takings, the never mention the bar takings do they.

If they dont learn to smell the bull***** of exploitation from this, you might need a new band.
This one is gong to get expensive as the others attempt to learn what the funny smell is.

[Skol303]

[KevB]

If you're providing all the gear then the minimum the organisers should give you is power of veto on the night to go on when you want to and if another band ends up missing out or on the graveyard shift then tough, point out to them that if[i] they [/i]bring all the gear next time and spend 80% of the night standing round then[i] they [/i]will have that privelege.

[flyfisher]

[quote name='spacey' timestamp='1413376169' post='2577641']

My personal observation is the average directors wage at most charities is around £800 a day 7 days a week.
[/quote]

Is that 'most' charities in the country or 'most' of the tiny sample that you have personally observed?

[spacey]

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1413376431' post='2577649']
Is that 'most' charities in the country or 'most' of the tiny sample that you have personally observed?
[/quote]

Yawn.....

[Stylon Pilson]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1413375598' post='2577635']
For those familiar with the concept, I get the impression that the OP is more of the 'glass half empty' type..? It may , indeed, be that bad, there's no denying. Could it possibly be even slightly better, with a little optimism..? Maybe not, I don't know; seems a pity, though. Oh well...
[/quote]

I was an optimist, once upon a time. The real world beat it out of me. These days I believe in causation. If you make bad decisions, then generally bad things will result.

S.P.

Edited October 15, 2014 by Stylon Pilson

[CamdenRob]

[quote name='Stylon Pilson' timestamp='1413377709' post='2577668']
I was an optimist, once upon a time. The real world beat it out of me.
[/quote]

+1

[Dad3353]

[quote name='Stylon Pilson' timestamp='1413377709' post='2577668']
I was an optimist, once upon a time. The real world beat it out of me. These days I believe in causation. If you make bad decisions, then generally bad things will result.

S.P.
[/quote]

Edited October 15, 2014 by Dad3353

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1413365182' post='2577451']


IIRC that was StingrayPete's suggestion to his band.

edit: You could pre-empt the feelings about charging a charity by making a donation of your own direct from the band.
I've found quite a few folk involved in charities recently who use it as a profile raiser for themselves personally, it's kind of an Emperor's New Clothes scenario. Getting past those folk to the ones (if any) who actually have a clue what the hell the job is about is a nightmare.
[/quote]

You are right, top marks for paying attention

The guide dogs one made a few quid I suppose but only what we would have normally charged, the football one earlier would have been better if everyone had put £3 in a pot.

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1413377839' post='2577672']


+1
[/quote]
+2

[skankdelvar]

This is quite one of the [i]jolliest[/i] gear-share / charridee rant threads I've read. Full marks to the OP for maintaining his wry equanimity in the face of grievous provocation.

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1413392443' post='2577879']
You are right, top marks for paying attention

The guide dogs one made a few quid I suppose but only what we would have normally charged, the football one earlier would have been better if everyone had put £3 in a pot.
[/quote]

I'm (very) trying

[stingrayPete1977]

Lol

[M@23]

[quote name='spacey' timestamp='1413376831' post='2577656']


Yawn.....
[/quote]

It's a fair question, isn't it? I'm genuinely interested in how you've come to this conclusion too.

[leschirons]

No kittens or attractive women but this made me smile.

[chaypup]

I quite like replying thusly to charity gig requests "Thanks for asking us! Our standard rate is £1500 - who shall I send the invoice to?"

[JapanAxe]

[quote name='Stylon Pilson' timestamp='1413373739' post='2577599']
So I was planning on bringing my usual gear kit. Bass, amp head, cab, and my regular toolbox containing straps and leads and effects pedals and spares. But, what if I travelled light? I don't need the cab, I can use my amp head as a DI box, and get bass through the monitors. Pedals, I can live without. The amp head has a built in tuner, so I can leave my Korg Pitchblack at home.

I reckon I can get by with just my bass, a strap, one lead, and my TC RH450. I'm not normally a fan of compromise, but in this situation it might be my best move.
[/quote]

Good call. The less you take, the less some ill-prepared feckwit can try to blag the use of on the night.

[peteb]

Unlike some people here, I am always happy to do charity gigs providing that: a) I think that it is a worthwhile cause; the event is not just going to be a cynical ploy by a landlord to sell lots of beer without having to pay the band; c) it is not going to be a complete shambles!

Once you agree to do it you have to commit to doing the best for the charity. I would not be too bothered if we only ended playing ten minutes if the overall event was a success. In this case I would do it with good grace to humour the band leader, but take an absolute minimum of gear and make the point that if you do any similar gigs in the future then at least they must be properly organised…

[Mykesbass]

[quote name='spacey' timestamp='1413376169' post='2577641']

My personal observation is the average directors wage at most charities is around £800 a day 7 days a week.
They never run out of money to pay the board members salaries, so they are not very hard up and my meagre contribution of buying my own fuel and putting in a nights graft wont make much difference and if it does, take a few quid out of the bar takings, the never mention the bar takings do they.


[/quote]

Charity board members are trustees and are not allowed to be paid (apart from bona-fide expenses) under charity commission rules. My chief exec gets around £130 a day, and if you re-calculate it to take out all the holiday he hasn't taken over the last three years it's probably under £120 a day.