Annoyed by venue tonight.

[3V17C]

Ok so we played a regular venue tonight where we always pack the place out and do a great show. Tonight being no exception.

However as is usual at the end of the night when its time to get paid the landlord and landlady are nowhere to be found. So as usual I hang around the end of the bar to grab one of the bar staff's attention who then goes and gets landlady with the money.
After waiting around for ten minutes I give the drummer a hand with some stuff and in that time, the landlady has come down and given the money to the guitarist. Seems its 50 quid less then we normally get so I go back to see whats occured but again the landlady has disappeared so I explain to one of the girls behind the bar whats happened and she once again goes to get the landlady... who finally comes down, gives me the missing 50 quid and then starts having a right go at me for 'discussing money with the bar staff'. WTF? I dunno.. maybe she was trying to stiff us on the money and was pissed off she got pulled up on it, or maybe she had the painters in - who knows. But honestly, I'm 40 years old and haven't been told off like that for as long as I can remember... and now of course I'm thinking about what witty retorts I should've come back with but didn't think of at the time!!

I really shouldn't let this bother me but things like this always play on my mind so just venting here really and spoilt an otherwise great gig!! Grrrrrr!

peace

c

[Stingray5]

[quote name='3V17C' post='918491' date='Aug 8 2010, 02:22 AM']Ok so we played a regular venue tonight where we always pack the place out and do a great show. Tonight being no exception.

However as is usual at the end of the night when its time to get paid the landlord and landlady are nowhere to be found. So as usual I hang around the end of the bar to grab one of the bar staff's attention who then goes and gets landlady with the money.
After waiting around for ten minutes I give the drummer a hand with some stuff and in that time, the landlady has come down and given the money to the guitarist. Seems its 50 quid less then we normally get so I go back to see whats occured but again the landlady has disappeared so I explain to one of the girls behind the bar whats happened and she once again goes to get the landlady... who finally comes down, gives me the missing 50 quid and then starts having a right go at me for 'discussing money with the bar staff'. WTF? I dunno.. maybe she was trying to stiff us on the money and was pissed off she got pulled up on it, or maybe she had the painters in - who knows. But honestly, I'm 40 years old and haven't been told off like that for as long as I can remember... and now of course I'm thinking about what witty retorts I should've come back with but didn't think of at the time!!

I really shouldn't let this bother me but things like this always play on my mind so just venting here really and spoilt an otherwise great gig!! Grrrrrr!

peace

c[/quote]
That does seem like they are taking the proverbial...
You're a regular band at this venue, you pack the place out and you do a good job, by all accounts.
I can only assume that maybe their bar take has taken a serious hit, though that's no excuse to dock 50 quid without saying anything. Maybe it was a genuine error?
All the same, it does annoy me when venues act this way. If it didn't sound like a decent gig for you and they were in fact trying it on, I'd tell 'em to stick it...etc.

[Big_Stu]

There's no way I'd take stick like that from anyone in those circumstances. As regulars she should have known the routine of paying up during your packing time AND obviously how much it should be.
Obviously taking the piss & I'd have said so, in as sarcastically diplomatic way as possible.

[allighatt0r]

Any chance you could tell us which venue it was?

[gjones]

Next time you play, tell her you don't appreciate having to chase her around all night trying to get paid (which is frankly a pain in the arse) therefore you want the money at the beginning of the night not the end.

Remember she books you because you make her money........she's not doing you a favour.

[bethnalgreen]

On the other hand ........... maybe it was a genuine mistake by the landlady. If that were the case, then she's probably correct in that she wouldn't want financial matters discussed with the staff. However, she could have pointed this out to you in a polite fashion.

If you have more bookings there, then she can't be that p*ssed off with you. You need her, she needs you .... just count the cash at the end of the night.

[JTUK]

If the trust had broken down like that with a venure in those circs I don't think I'd bother going back there. Pragmatism might make me think about it later and give them a second chance but I don't think I'd be standing there being talked to like that.

I don't mind discussing money in these difficult times but I think she was totally wrong to cut your fee with a word to you about it...in fact, downright ignorrant, IMO. If the venue is reasonable, we will listen and I am not sure this wasn't a genuine mistake but any decent busniess would have a note of the band fee in a diary..it isn't rocket science.

I'd be considering whether we need that hassle with such a person.
My stance is we agree upfront what the deal is and both parties stick with it.

We will play cheaper with a bonus cherry if we do well...no problem there, but a deal is a deal.

[geoffbassist]

Its her problem. If she was upfront and fair then there's no problems. I guess she was put out as you flagged up her mistake.

What matters is she paid, if you can't win an arguement with someone like that.

[Lozz196]

[quote name='geoffbassist' post='918597' date='Aug 8 2010, 10:48 AM']Its her problem. If she was upfront and fair then there's no problems. I guess she was put out as you flagged up her mistake.

What matters is she paid, if you can't win an arguement with someone like that.[/quote]
Same kindof thing happened with my band, at a regular venue.

We played last year, on the hottest day fo the year, so most people were outside, played 38 songs, and the landlady afterwards came up to us and asked if that was all we were playing, as she said she couldn`t afford to pay bands who only played an hour and 15mins. 38 songs! I know we`re a punk band, but we ain`t that fast!

Anyway, after the proverbial wait around for her to grace her own pub with her presence at the end of the eve, she then proceeded to hand over the dosh, and it was £50 more than we were meant to be getting. She then banned us from playing a charity event we`d agreed to play for free.

A mad as cheese!