Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

This is a phenomenon I have seen used by some venues. They book a band for a night, but just in case the band has to cancel they book another band for the same night. As the date approaches, the manager tells one of the bands there has been a "scheduling conflict" and then tries to rebook the other band for another night. Fine, but if bands did the same thing they wouldn't get booked there again.

It's a crappy way to do business and just shows why a contract (with cancellation clause) should be signed by both parties.

Most venues will not deal with anyone who offers a contract. You might be able to get away with that at a casino but not a rock joint.

So jimmy is this an ok thing or not.I mean if a band had some down time I guess it might work out for a quick buck.Just wondering what a band like yours might think.

It most definitely is not OK, but if you want to get established at new place and they do this you might have to put up with it. Looking at it from the venue's point of view, bands do occasionally cancel or break-up, so they're taking a chance when they book a new band.

jimmydanger wrote:It most definitely is not OK, but if you want to get established at new place and they do this you might have to put up with it. Looking at it from the venue's point of view, bands do occasionally cancel or break-up, so they're taking a chance when they book a new band.

. There's clubs that routinely do this, not in anticipation of bands canceling at the last minute, but to get more people to come to the club. Both bands promote the show, one is canceled at the last minute, more people show up. It's a particularly vulgar habit and especially bad for me as I usually hire a fourth player, a hitman, to sit in with us. When I have to call everybody to cancel the gig, at the last minute, it makes ME look bad, and I feel obligated to pay the fourth member whether we gig or not. The venues that routinely do this are "persona non grata" to me, I think in Latin it means sh*t out of luck. I won't play there or patronize their establishment, ever again.

I don't have a problem with it as long as they pay us the 1/2 rate for canceling. We just don't play a paid gig without a contract. No contract, no J7. If they don't want to pay the 1/2 rate to us I suppose they can cancel the other band then. Those guys probably don't have a contract, we do.

We did have a club back out of 5 Friday gigs but we negotiated 5 Saturday dates instead. A fair trade when business plans change. No harm, no foul.

Seems to me, here's an opportunity to be that back up band ( Plan B) for the venues that do this. I bet there's some money in it.

PaperDog wrote:Seems to me, here's an opportunity to be that back up band ( Plan B) for the venues that do this. I bet there's some money in it.

No, because you don't know if you're Plan A or Plan B.

If you're talking about offering yourself as an on call thing - that has always gone on.

[quote="jimmydanger"]This is a phenomenon I have seen used by some venues. They book a band for a night, but just in case the band has to cancel they book another band for the same night. As the date approaches, the manager tells one of the bands there has been a "scheduling conflict" and then tries to rebook the other band for another night. Fine, but if bands did the same thing they wouldn't get booked there again.[/quote

I remember them well, and I'm glad I'm outta that biz!

cheers

John