Soul Stream Posted November 5, 2003 Report Share Posted November 5, 2003 ...man, just got fired from both of my weekly gigs. all within the span of 30 minutes... I'm super bummed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted November 5, 2003 Report Share Posted November 5, 2003 That's a drag. Hang tight, bro. They can hurt us, but they can't kill us. Only we can do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted November 5, 2003 Report Share Posted November 5, 2003 Damn man. That sucks. We're still looking for a weekly gig. It's so hard to get your shit together when you don't have a place to try it out every week. Keep your chin up. Things have to improve sometime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Stream Posted November 5, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2003 (edited) Thanks for the encouragement. I hope I can bounce back soon. I'll miss the steady playing immensely. Also, the money wasn't great...but me and my family will miss the extra 500 or so bucks a month it brought in on a steady basis. Also, my sidemen were really, really, really bummed as well. I felt bad. I'm determined not to let it get me down. It's just tough that it happened all at once, literally. But, thanks again. Edited November 5, 2003 by Soul Stream Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted November 6, 2003 Report Share Posted November 6, 2003 Keep the soul stream running! We have to, who else can? I feel downhearted myself, after two weeks of straining rehearsals for a (successful) gig and an even more straining three days demo recording session afterwards. Right now I feel like I need a break from that band, from any band, but you got to make a living ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dova Posted November 6, 2003 Report Share Posted November 6, 2003 Soulstream: Look at this as a time to contact establishments you may have played at in the past and let them know that you are available. Also, don't think of the unemployment as permanent because things change. My jazz trio was laid off and rehired several times during 2003 at a popular resturant and had to put up with it beacuse the economy was hurting their bottom line which is where entertainment gets the ax! We also play a lot more private parties where the money and hours are better. Good Luck! dova Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Stream Posted November 6, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2003 (edited) Soulstream: Look at this as a time to contact establishments you may have played at in the past and let them know that you are available. Also, don't think of the unemployment as permanent because things change. My jazz trio was laid off and rehired several times during 2003 at a popular resturant and had to put up with it beacuse the economy was hurting their bottom line which is where entertainment gets the ax! We also play a lot more private parties where the money and hours are better. Good Luck! dova Thanks Dova and MikeWeil, That's good advice. The economy more or less cost me one of the gigs. As they put it, they were "deleting" Tuesday night entertainment (which was me.) Anyway, the owner just left a message on my machine...no notice, my last gig was last night (unbeknownst to me). I guess I need to call him back and make nice even though it'll make me want to throw up. Something may come out of it again someday. But like you said, entertainment's always the first to go. Although the manner in which it was done was pretty disrespectful. But then again, since when has a club owner respected a musician. My other weekly gig will still continue until Thanksgiving. That club owner is a great guy and I've admired him keeping me at his place as long as he has. It's a popular spot, and he could have bailed months ago and not lost so much money on me! In all honesty, I've been pretty lazy about hustling up gigs since I'd landed these two weekly gigs last year. So now it's just time to hit the path again.... Edited November 6, 2003 by Soul Stream Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Stream Posted November 7, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2003 Found out tonight that one of my gigs had cut half their music. It used to be 7 nights a week, so now it's just down to 4 due to financial reasons. I was on tuesday and sun and mon. was cut as well. Made me feel a little better. Guess the economic bounceback hasn't hit my part of the woods yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted November 7, 2003 Report Share Posted November 7, 2003 Well I just lost the gig with my R&B band that was supposed to be tomorrow night. There goes half my car payment for this month... I knew this gig wouldn't last. It was with a new restaurant that opened up in a small town west of here. The stage was stupid, a complete afterthought. They had a decent sound system but the mixer and the rest of the audio gear was halfway across the room and they didn't have a sound man. We were playing there once or twice a month and now nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Stream Posted November 7, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2003 Well I just lost the gig with my R&B band that was supposed to be tomorrow night. There goes half my car payment for this month... I knew this gig wouldn't last. It was with a new restaurant that opened up in a small town west of here. The stage was stupid, a complete afterthought. They had a decent sound system but the mixer and the rest of the audio gear was halfway across the room and they didn't have a sound man. We were playing there once or twice a month and now nothing. Man Jim. I hope what I've got isn't contagious. Anyway, that's a big drag. Like you said, the worst part about being a musician is that you can lose a gig with no notice and then you've got no rent or car payment. You also forget. I've got a steady guitarist, a couple of drummers in rotation and 2 or 3 horns I use pretty steadily. They all immediately lost some good, reliable monthy income. We played last night and all the guys seemed pretty bummed. However, they all said they'd try to hustle up some gigs for us. Which is a nice reversal for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soulstation1 Posted November 7, 2003 Report Share Posted November 7, 2003 ss what instrument do you play? the b3? ss1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Stream Posted November 7, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2003 ss what instrument do you play? the b3? ss1 Yes SS1, the B3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted November 7, 2003 Report Share Posted November 7, 2003 Well, the silver lining is that I haven't seen my wife the entire week we've been so busy, so tonight is date night. I asked her to a movie and she cried. Ah the hormones of a pregnant woman! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted November 7, 2003 Report Share Posted November 7, 2003 OH THE INSANITY!!! I just got an email from my wife who is on the emailing list of a local piano player. Guess what? Our gig got cancelled for tonight and they hired his trio. Now, I'm happy he's working, but that is some shady-ass business right there. Cancel a date you've had on the books for months (and cancel it a week before the date) and then book someone cheaper. LAME!!! Guess what restaurant I won't be eating at? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Stream Posted November 7, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2003 OH THE INSANITY!!! I just got an email from my wife who is on the emailing list of a local piano player. Guess what? Our gig got cancelled for tonight and they hired his trio. Now, I'm happy he's working, but that is some shady-ass business right there. Cancel a date you've had on the books for months (and cancel it a week before the date) and then book someone cheaper. LAME!!! Guess what restaurant I won't be eating at? ...ah...show business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted November 8, 2003 Report Share Posted November 8, 2003 (edited) Shit happens .... I can't play one of my best paid gigs next year on carnival saturday because it's my 50th birthday and sure I'm having a party that night ... I was dissatisfied with them anyway, let out a little rant and now they all say they need me in the band ! Percussionists are seen as an exotic spice you can always leave off and do traditional cooking. But experience over the years has taught me that for every gig cancelled there is a new one coming up unexpectedly, at least I was lucky in that respect. The Kurdish band I play in, some very nice folk jazz kinda stuff, was supposed to play a gig at a conservatory in a town close by where the leader takes his studies, but he had to cancel since the flutist couldn't make it. He then got a gig that meant driving 400 miles to Berlin to play 45 minutes for 100 EUR each, I cut out because I wouldn't take that strain for so short a gig for this money, two days lost as we would have stayed overnight, but yesterday he told us it was cancelled too and he had a new gig in Frankfurt, 15 miles away for the same money. So it goes. Now imagine what my appointment book looks like .... Edited November 8, 2003 by mikeweil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert J Posted November 17, 2003 Report Share Posted November 17, 2003 In Toronto this spring and summer we had the SARS scare which hurt all tourism, entertainment, bars and restaurants. I had a sweet solo piano thing going at this one club, cash, dinner, 1/2 liter of red vino, customer tips. But I could see that it was dying on a Saturday night due to lack of people going out at all. So he canned me at the start of the summer. I've used the time to network, as mentioned above, with venues and other musicians and other opportunities. The right place, right time philosphy still works. I am now teaching a few students after years of no teaching, but it put that 500-600$ back in my pocket that I lost in live gigs. Plus I am having a great time with my students. Then I got a call last week by this same club owner about a party they are having. So sometimes persistence and patience does pay off. Now to get some more Xmas parties under the belt. Good luck Soul Stream and all. Let's fight back. ps. Years ago I was associated with this one bistro/club for at least 3 years, 5 nights a week. One Saturday as I was putting the lid up on the grand piano, the owner, who I've known for awhile, and I did many favours for, whispered to me "Tonight's the last night. I'm closing up the joint". I knew before the waitstaff even. He owed me $150 and I squeezed $100 out of him as he promised I could grab some food from the freezer and some canned goods to cover the rest. I thanked him as he went to the bar to get plastered. Then I called a cab to the back door and loaded up anything I could from the fridge. I feasted for months! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted November 17, 2003 Report Share Posted November 17, 2003 Then I called a cab to the back door and loaded up anything I could from the fridge. I feasted for months! That's what I'm talking about!!! One of these days I swear I'm going to pull a Bill Heid and get a tuxedo with plastic-lined pockets. Or better yet, carry around an extra keyboard case that is full of tuperware. During breaks, go over to the buffet, grab a plate and bring it back to the bandstand... go back in five minutes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connoisseur series500 Posted November 18, 2003 Report Share Posted November 18, 2003 Will have to stick to the instrumentals, Jim. Can't sing with food in your mouth. B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slide_advantage_redoux Posted November 19, 2003 Report Share Posted November 19, 2003 (edited) Soul, I can relate with the coming and going of gigs. For the past 8 years, I had an annual 3 week gig with a western swing band every February. We would drive down to Houston, and play the Rodeo. Each of the 9 guys got an efficiency apartment of our own, a meal for every performance was catered, and the bread was good too. (plus, we had every evening off!) Well anyway, starting this next year they are gonna use a guy who comes in solo with a hard drive to play recorded music for the competition! (Damn Karaoke!) And the thing that really sucks is that he isn't even paying royalties for the samples he uses! Our leader has a lawsuit pending, and the rodeo management team was informed of the illegality of their new "entertainer" I always counted myself lucky to have that gig. It is usually slow in Dallas that time of the year. There is a small chance that the snake will be fired to keep the rodeo committee out of trouble with ASCAP, etc, but I am not counting on it. What I do know is this: When one door closes, a couple more always seem to open up. On a metaphysical plane, I truly believe that there is no such thing as accidents. Everything happens for a reason. The problem/challenge lies in recognizing WHY. Good luck Soul Stream. It will work out. Edited November 19, 2003 by slide_advantage_redoux Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted November 30, 2003 Report Share Posted November 30, 2003 Just got word that the bar my R&B band plays a lot (the ol' Green Door Lounge) is going to be bought by a guy who owns a couple of other bars in town. The guy is a real asshole to musicians and was once overheard by our guitarist saying, "Musicians shouldn't even be paid. They should just be happy to play music publicly". That should tell you where he's coming from. If he buys the Green Door we can basically kiss our most steady gig goodbye (and the one gig I can count on for steady income) because the guy has no respect for musicians and I'm sure he'd try to cut our pay and/or find something we did "wrong" and fuck us over somehow. He's done it before... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted November 30, 2003 Report Share Posted November 30, 2003 I forgot to mention that our gig Friday was double-booked and our manager didn't stand her ground and get any money, even though it was the owner's fault. We should've gotten at least half our pay. And I found out tonight that both gigs next weekend are cancelled including one that was a $500 per man private Christmas party. So I'm basically making $130 (tonight's pay) the next two weeks. Great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted November 30, 2003 Report Share Posted November 30, 2003 (edited) Time to think outside the box. The board logo has given me an idea for a new canned pasta: FRANCO-AMERICAN ORAGANISSIM - Os!!!! Moms and kids both LOVE this stuff, and guys eat it straight out the can, so you CAN NOT miss!!! Edited November 30, 2003 by JSngry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe G Posted November 30, 2003 Report Share Posted November 30, 2003 It's gotta be greasy, no? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Stream Posted November 30, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2003 I forgot to mention that our gig Friday was double-booked and our manager didn't stand her ground and get any money, even though it was the owner's fault. We should've gotten at least half our pay. And I found out tonight that both gigs next weekend are cancelled including one that was a $500 per man private Christmas party. So I'm basically making $130 (tonight's pay) the next two weeks. Great. That stinks. I love how musicians are always suppose to make the gig, no matter what...sickness, ect. However, club owners can cancel the gig up until the point you've already loaded in. I picked up a nice payday and a pretty cool gig on New Year's Eve (w/Bob Stewart playing drums, remember him Jsngry) up in Ft. Worth. Other than about 3 dates I landed in Dec., my gig calender still bites and my sudden income drop isn't pretty. I haven't hit the pavement yet, and won't really get a good chance until after the holidays, so I'll be picking up all those sweet Jan./Feb. gigs (you know how great a time of year that is!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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