Ethical Question

[Big Wheel]

Yesterday this guy puts out an email bulletin on a local community discussion list looking for people for a gig this Thursday. So my roommate emails him back saying he'll play and gets back a reply asking if he can get a trio together, specifying time, bread, etc. He gets me and someone else to play and then emails the guy back saying we're all set. Everything is arranged in less than 24 hours. Then the guy emails him back saying, "oh, we already found some other group to play...sorry to put you through the trouble, though!"

Did anyone do anything wrong here? For some reason, this situation just rubs me the wrong way. The money wasn't great, but still...

Edited April 6, 2004 by Big Wheel

[JSngry]

The guy lacks communication skills and common courtesy, but unles paper was signed, nothing legal prevented him from taking a better deal if he found one, which it sounds like he did (Guy: "Sorry, I've already got somebody else to do it." Other Guy:"How much are they doing it for?" Guy:"$XYZ." Other Guy:"Oh, WE'LL do it for $XYZ - $ABC!" Guy;"Well, I'm sure they'll understand. You got it." OR... Guy:" Hey - I've heard of you. You packed 'em out at Club Drixxle last week. We don't have anybody booked yet. It's yours! Glad you called before anybody else did!")

Happens ALL the time. Sad but true. Your "real world" options are to either get back in touch with him and undercut the other band, which is a REALLY slimy thing to do, but is also something that happens all the time (although it's a practice I refuse to participate in even though it's cost me more than a few gigs) or else file this guy under "Can't Trust Him Any Further Than You Can Throw His House", and do business with him accordingly in the future.

I'd suggest the latter, because in THIS business, with communication skills and personal ethics like this, this guy's BOUND to hit it big pretty soon!

[Harold_Z]

A deposit or bread up front is the standard protocol for guys that have revealed their business ethics to be shaky. Most of the time they'll run the other way when they hear words like deposit, but you really aren't losing anything.

[Big Wheel]

Thanks Jim and Harold. The way I see it, the guy who's hiring isn't an asshole or shady; he just doesn't know the proper protocol for these things. Based on the circumstances, my guess is that the guys who got this gig aren't making any less than than we would have made ($50 a person). Everyone involved in this deal is an undergraduate student (the gig is an opening night reception for some student-run play or something). What I think was going through his head was something like "These musicians can be so unreliable--better cast as broad a net as possible in case one of the guys can't get a group together by Thursday."

I'm just wondering if there's some way to tell him nicely that this is not how he should be arranging these things in the future. (I have doubts that my roommate is assertive enough to do this himself).

Edited April 7, 2004 by Big Wheel

[casanovas347]

thats a sad thing.....sorry that something happen to you!

That was sort of a thing kills my organ trio (back in 2001)....i was organize the gigs, and make some agreements with some clubs, but they call me back two days before the gig....to say they found someone else...someone else they can get more adience...who listen to a organ-trio made by 3 young selftaugthed players?.....the organ player moved to holland (the nederland)...now playin with the Ana Popovic Band.....they played all over the world....

and i'm still here......

stupid switzerland....

but anyhow..back to topic