Cancellation

[saturn]

I'm a little frustrated right now, so maybe this topic is just me venting. But I'm sure anyone who has gigged enough can relate and post their own stories.

 

We had an "acoustic" gig booked for tonight at this nice dock bar that we played back in the summer. It was to be the singer, a percussionist and myself playing leads and fills. It's at least an hours drive from my house.

 

Strike 1: Our percussionist called today and said he's sick and won't be able to do it. He also has all the PA equipment. So we call our other percussionist (Ed) who can fill in and also has a PA. Problem is that he's coming from work in Wash. DC and won't have time to go home before gig and get his stuff. So I go by his house on the way to gig and with help of his roommate, load the speakers, mixer, mic stands etc into my car. The only thing I don't have is mics, which Ed is bringing with him from DC. Strike 2: Well I'm almost at the gig when Ed calls me on the cell and tells me he's broken down in the middle of DC with transmission problems!

 

All is still not lost. The singer has one mic in his car, so him and I should still be able to play with just one mic. Strike 3: I realize after arriving at gig that I left a box back at Ed's house containing all the mic cords and speaker cables.

 

I'm not a fatalist. but I can't help but think maybe this just wasn't meant to be.

 

First time I've ever canceled a gig. Maybe it's just Friday the 13

[rocketman]

I feel for you. In my youth our drummer had a habit of not showing up to gigs! So we cancelled many shows. I didn't speak to him for years after our last gig. But all is forgiven now and we are best friends. We haven't played a gig in nearly 15 years but we've been practicing a lot. Hopefully in a few months we'll do an open mic night. Can't wait...

[MissouriPicker]

Hey, we all make mistakes, forget things......and sometimes a family issue evolves out of nowhere. We try to use commonsense in covering-all-the-bases, but we can't control everything. We've all been there in one way or another....Life happens. We just go on.

[AXE®]

More times than I care to think about.

 

Mostly Back in the 90's though.

 

When it was cool to be all sh!tted up.

 

Thankfully it was never me. I saved that for after hours.

 

Don't work under the influence kids.[stupid smiley here]

[saturn]

Well, this OP was about as close to a "drunk post" I've ever made. The singer and I just sat at the bar and drank beers since we had already driven all the way out there.

 

The manager was very understanding when we explained why we couldn't play that night. I mean, if we were just going to blow off the gig, 2 of us we wouldn't have bothered driving to the place.

 

Honestly I think the bar did better anyway. They didn't have to pay us. The place was packed anyway and they played techno dance music all night over the house system which everyone seemed to like. That crowd might not have enjoyed our laid back acoustic music as much as much as the dance stuff.

[L5Larry]

In 38 or 39 years of gigging, I have been able to work around any equipment problems, a lot of inclement weather, and most personnel issues.

 

In all that time I have made the last minute decision to cancel two gigs. One was an hour+ drive to the boonies in a blizzard. The other was the day my slide players mother died. I TOLD HIM I was cancelling, he did not ask me to. Both were bar/restaurant/tavern gigs. The employers understood without question, and it caused no business relationship issues.

 

I had a real close call with a health issue once. Waking up on Sunday morning (after a late night bar gig), and getting ready for an afternoon private party, I was struck down by a kidney stone. I sent the band van ahead with the slide player in hopes of taking the extra hour or so to recover. After a couple of hours of no improvement, my wife poured me into the car and dropped me off at the gig. The band guys propped me up on a road case, stuck a mic in my face and put a guitar in my lap. We had about a two-hour late start but I got through it (and we got paid).

 

Thinking my ailment was from the "greasy spoon" we had eaten at at 3:00 in the morning, one of the band guys had gone by there, the "Eat-Rite Diner", on the way to this gig, and gotten one of their day-glo orange bumper stickers that read, "Eat-Rite, or Don't Eat At All". The bumper sticker was prominently affixed to the front of the road case I was propped up on. There's just no mercy in the music business.

[EVOL!]

Knock on wood, I have only had to cancel a gig once. In my twenty years of playing in bands I have toughed out equipment issues and members quitting. The only time I had to cancel was due to a blizzard in the area that prevented us from driving the two hours to the gig (Chicago to Madison, WI). Broke my heart because I had always wanted to play there.

[L5Larry]

You did a show with a kidney stone

 

Well it certainly wasn't much of a "Show", but I did get through it.

 

I also dislocated my right shoulder on stage one time. After a brief pause, and hanging my arm over the drum kit to maneuver it back in place, I was able to finish the night. That was definitely a night when the booze REALLY was "painkiller". That whole incident was caught on audio tape, and listening to the playback reveals a good many expletives, and some very interesting conversation among the other band members.

 

Incidents like this make for a lot a of laughs at the end of the day.

[milod]

Let's just say I've been awfully lucky. Usually the blizzard winds have gone down. Although a cupla times we quit a bar gig early and had an interesting trip home.

 

m

[rocketman]

Thankfully it was never me. I saved that for after hours.

 

Don't work under the influence kids.[stupid smiley here]

 

We learned this the hard way. One night we played at a dry event, but we got hammered before we went on. Not a pretty sight. After that night we stopped drinking altogether while gigging. Listen to the wise AXE®...

[neilpanda]

I've been lucky enough to have never had to cancel a show, but I have held back the start of one by 45 minutes because of a policy

me and the bandmates made, where we wont start a show until at least 90% or ticket buyers (or planned audience) are at the venue.

the traffic was pretty bad that day, and it isnt fair to those stuck in it if we start without them there. it also wasnt

fair to those already there, so we stalled and tried stand-up comedy for about 20 minutes then we realized we were pretty bad

so we just waited off stage until the start

[grampa]

I don't play professionally these days and the last time I did any was 40 years ago. I don't recall having to cancel any gigs when I was a "folkie". Gigs were very few anyway. The only performance which I was in that I remember having to cancel was while in high school and I was in the pit orchestra for the annual musical. The first performance was scheduled for Nov. 23, 1963, the day after JFK was assassinated.

[krock]

Bad times. I had to cancel a show last year when my singer got a throat infection. Shame, I could have used that money :(

[RS1976]

35 years old. been playing my whole life, but professionally for about 8 years.

 

Never missed a gig.

 

I always state in my contract that if for any reason I am unable to not make the show, for example "worst case scenario, death in family, car explodes, i explode" then right there in Black & White under the EMERGENCY CANCELLATION clause "Artist shall refund all monies paid to PURCHASER"

 

Now if the PURCHASER backs out at the last minute, I am still entitled to money due.

 

this helps the people who hired me feel better about paying me before a note is played, and like hell i wanna pay out money so it works for everyone.

 

I always get $200 up front when signing the contract, and then balance due anywhere from 2 to three weeks before the show. Last thing I wanna do is ask for money night of the show when the clients are drinking and carrying on.

 

as far as not making a show because someone else screws up... never had to carry that one. I also travel with my own small PA, and a Stanley Workbox on wheels that has all cables, 100 ft worth of AC cables, XLR, 12 channel portable mixer, gaff tape.