TimR Posted June 18, 2016 Share Posted June 18, 2016 [quote name='blue' timestamp='1466290231' post='3074776'] Understood, If a agent can book 2k gigs, that makes perfect sense, but an agent for bar/pub gigs? Blue [/quote] Quite. In the UK some clubs will only book through an agent but bar/pub gigs at the lower level are done band to landlord. The instance I'm quoting is an agent who approached us last minute for a private party. The O/P is talking about a promoter. Traditionally these are very shady characters full of promises and lacking in delivery. There are good ones though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanuki Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 i believe that if the promoter is a complete twat you should be allowed to hurt them... or at least leave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmachine2112 Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 No Pay-No Play Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 [quote name='TimR' timestamp='1466290636' post='3074780'] Quite. In the UK some clubs will only book through an agent but bar/pub gigs at the lower level are done band to landlord. The instance I'm quoting is an agent who approached us last minute for a private party. The O/P is talking about a promoter. Traditionally these are very shady characters full of promises and lacking in delivery. There are good ones though. [/quote] Strangely enough, around here, there are quite a few agents doing a few pub gigs. I don't see it myself, but I've had a few calls...and I just give them the price to the band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 [quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1466184502' post='3073990'] Promoters like to see that bands turn up on time, with reliable kit, play with an air of professionalism and stay until the end of the night to support the other acts. [/quote] ah yes the old do as i say not as i do principle might get away with it if the promoter had any sort of decent reputation but at face value from comments so far this does not appear to be the case i'll grab some more popcorn and continue watching and fwiw i would have also walked and would have mad e it quite clear to the venue management that any lack of perceived professionalism should lay exclusively at the feet of the promoter hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leschirons Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 Probably would have played the gig, putting me / us, in a position to give the promoter some stick about the quality of HIS performance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 [quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1466342384' post='3075072'] Probably would have played the gig, putting me / us, in a position to give the promoter some stick about the quality of HIS performance. [/quote] Ok... but where would that get you...? You've told the promoter he is crap... he probably wont book you again after that, you probably wont want him to..?? What would be the point..? Walk... have minimum standards and stick to them. The only possible value of this gig wold be to learn not get caught again..BUT..if you know all this thru experience then you might as well evaluate the complete waste of time so far and don't waste any more. I'd be making it clear to the guy in the band who took the booking that his part in this saga was not acceptable either.... but I'd also think he wouldn't need telling anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BNB71 Posted June 19, 2016 Author Share Posted June 19, 2016 Thanks for all the varied opinions. Majority view seems to be right to walk and I'm pretty sure it was the 'right' thing to do; only time will tell if it was the 'best' thing to have done. Word is that the promoter 'wasn't arsed' which sounds about right based on this and our previous experience with her, when we were still chasing timings, soundcheck details etc at 4 on the afternoon of the gig (that night we played to a packed if small room and were frankly pretty damned awesome!) My big takeaway from this is about quality of gigs and it's something we need to discuss as a band. Next show is at a 'proper' venue with no open mic or other distraction and is paid, if only as a cut of door takings. I will be playing that one (unless I've been sacked of course 😉) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leschirons Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 [quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1466347081' post='3075120'] Ok... but where would that get you...? You've told the promoter he is crap... he probably wont book you again after that, you probably wont want him to..?? What would be the point..? Walk... have minimum standards and stick to them. The only possible value of this gig wold be to learn not get caught again..BUT..if you know all this thru experience then you might as well evaluate the complete waste of time so far and don't waste any more. I'd be making it clear to the guy in the band who took the booking that his part in this saga was not acceptable either.... but I'd also think he wouldn't need telling anyway. [/quote] I take your point but I probably would have still played because some of the band decided to stay, rightly or wrongly. What would be said and sorted out afterwards would be another matter. In addition, at that point, who's to say that 50 punters hadn't planned to turn up to watch. Despite my opinion on this, if we'd had problems in the past with the same promoter, we wouldn't have accepted the gig in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 I think the important thing is that entertainment was provided. If the whole band had walked it definitely wouldn't have looked good. My take is they received what they were after. If drums we're going to be too loud add bass and you'd have problems that would have made you wished you'd walked anyway. Absolutley nothing wrong with doing an acoustic gig to promote your songs. I don't think you should be too worried about it. You made the best of a bad job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 Don't play free gigs if you can avoid it. For the elete "I don't need or want the money". Well that's another matter. Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 [quote name='MacDaddy' timestamp='1466180713' post='3073951'] Did the Promoter get paid? [/quote] BNB71 ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BNB71 Posted June 21, 2016 Author Share Posted June 21, 2016 [quote name='MacDaddy' timestamp='1466461205' post='3076075'] BNB71 ? [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BNB71 Posted June 21, 2016 Author Share Posted June 21, 2016 Sorry don't know [quote name='MacDaddy' timestamp='1466461205' post='3076075'] BNB71 ? [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 [quote name='TimR' timestamp='1466290636' post='3074780'] Quite. In the UK some clubs will only book through an agent but bar/pub gigs at the lower level are done band to landlord. [/quote] Some pubs are doing that. Sadly, the agencies they use don't seem to want to use us, despite the venues themselves loving us - I think they must have their little list of favourite bands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 [quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1466519997' post='3076453'] Some pubs are doing that. Sadly, the agencies they use don't seem to want to use us, despite the venues themselves loving us - I think they must have their little list of favourite bands. [/quote] Yes they do. The trick is to find out out how to be one of their favorites. In the States agencies won't go near a rock/blues band. Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiMarco Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 One needs bad gigs to appreciate the good ones. First song would have been your soundcheck. Sometimes it goes like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted June 22, 2016 Share Posted June 22, 2016 [quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1466519997' post='3076453'] Some pubs are doing that. Sadly, the agencies they use don't seem to want to use us, despite the venues themselves loving us - I think they must have their little list of favourite bands. [/quote] Or they have a deal where the agent gets a % of everything the band does.... so they put them in everywhere. I just tell the agent the price to the band... and that prices us out of pubs as far as they are concerned..after they've put their end on top. I'd rather that £50 extra went to the guys anyway... so don't often get involved ..as don't see what they do for the money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybertect Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 (edited) [quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1466250236' post='3074403']You also don't want to be that band who plays the shittiest gigs, because then you become a 'sh*tty band' by association.[/quote] If a crap band plays in a forest and there is no-one there to hear them, do they still sound like crap? Edit: No disrespect to the OP intended Edited June 23, 2016 by cybertect Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomE Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 [quote name='cybertect' timestamp='1466663360' post='3077605'] If a crap band plays in a forest and there is no-one there to hear them, do they still sound like crap? Edit: No disrespect to the OP intended [/quote] Yep, they do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 [quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1466519997' post='3076453'] Some pubs are doing that. Sadly, the agencies they use don't seem to want to use us, despite the venues themselves loving us - I think they must have their little list of favourite bands. [/quote] I think there's a lot of this that goes on. Quite a few pubs round my way are done through agents, in fact our gig last Saturday's was done that way but fortunatey they only took 10% rather than 15 (which is more the norm now) so we still ended up with reasonable 'beer money' . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubit Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 I think if you are good, it doesn't matter what dive you play. You will still be regarded as good. Just cos you play in the worst dive possible, does not mean folks will think you are rubbish. Some people are actually quite intelligent and can distinguish a good band from a crap venue! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 [quote name='cybertect' timestamp='1466663360' post='3077605'] If a crap band plays in a forest and there is no-one there to hear them, do they still sound like crap? [/quote] ...but they will probably be better at their next gig because of the extra practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkpegasus4001 Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1466172709' post='3073874'] Looks like I'm going to be the lone voice of dissent then... No matter how unprofessional everyone else acts, as a band you should always do your very best. Don't stoop to the low levels of the promoter and venue, but get up there and play the best gig you can. If you don't play you get to be known as the band that couldn't be bothered to do the gig. It doesn't matter if you are "in the right" this is a battle you can only win by playing the gig. Then chalk it up to experience and have nothing to do with the promoter and venue again. [/quote] Yeah i'd agree with this, play the gig, do your best, put it down to experience, and don't bother with the promoter or venue again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 [quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1466347081' post='3075120'] Walk... have minimum standards and stick to them. [/quote] Different folks, different minimum standards. Mine would have been I've agreed a gig, I play it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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