Ever had a great gig fall through?

Oh,sure! 1980, our band had a gig at a club we'd played many times. We showed up to load out and set up, only to see another band setting up. We went to the owner to ask about this, he said we hadn't called to confirm so he booked another band. Strange, because we'd never done that before, nor had he asked us to.

One of the guys went back inside to argue about this, but came right back out. He'd seen the owner in the back room making out with the chick singer from the other band. Well OK, mystery solved!

[815C]

Just remembered another one.

I was playing in a country band in Dallas in the late 70's/early 80's. We got booked to open for Emmy Lou Harris at the Paladium in Dallas.

We canceled all our gigs (we played 5-6 nights a week) and spent 6 weeks practicing 45 minutes or original music for the gig. Man, we got TIGHT! We told everyone we knew about the gig and all our friends and family bought tickets.

We showed up at the venue and the production manager walks up to us looking a bit grim. "Who's in charge?" he asked. It was our lead singer's band, so the two of them walked a few feet away and talked for 5 minutes. Then our lead singer comes back to us looking sick. "They had a problem with the PA last night in Houston, so there are not enough channels for an opening band tonight. They are bringing in a stand up comedian to open the show." We just stood there in disbelief. The Ft. Worth Star Telegram did mention the situation in their review of the concert the next day. What a bummer.

I did get to hang out with Emmy Lou a couple years ago. Asked her if she recalled that show. She did! Haha. She is a wonderful humble friendly kind person.

[PorkPieGuy]

Thanks for all of these stories!

1. Basically, here's what happened to me last week:

Our band has been selected to be a part of a band competition at a huge music festival in 2018 (yes, next year). In addition, a friend of mine runs one of the smaller stages at the same festival. Through a series of miscommunication, he thought we were in the band competition THIS year; therefore, being the cool guy that he is, he went ahead and booked our band to come play. He thought we would be receiving 4-day passes because we were in the band competition; however, I thought HE would have our passes for this year. He didn't. Therefore, we are not playing this year (but we will be playing next). In order for all four band members to get tickets for the gig, it would cost us $600 in tickets to play. While we don't charge a lot to for someone to have us come play, we are NOT going to pay $600 to play anywhere. However, we are on the docket for next year...and we should be getting in for free.

Here's a couple more just for fun...

2. Years ago, I was in a band that played primarily Christian music. I had had the chance to open for a couple of national artists back then, but nothing really came of it although that I had these crazy hopes and dreams of really impressing one of these national artists in such a way that they would put us in contact with some of the bigwigs in Nashville to come audition or at least get some attention. Well, long story short, we got booked to play at a festival to open for a major artist in "the industry" many months in advance. Needless to say we were really excited! About 4-5 months before we were to play this gig, our lead singer quits about an hour before a show at a 1600-seat auditorium in the area (as a matter of fact, he actually moved two hours out of town, AND TOLD NO ONE!!!). One of our guitar players sang a few songs that night, and that was it. We went through all of the trouble of auditioning lead singers (which was the worst thing I've had to do as a band member). Because we couldn't find anyone to sing for us, we started cancelling gigs, and we ended up disbanding. The next band in line for the festival got the opening gig. Guess what happened? THAT opening band ended up impressing the national artist enough to put them in contact with some bigwigs in Nashville, they ended up getting a deal, and they toured for a few years.

3. During one of these times of opening for a national artist, I caught word that one of the biggest bands in the CCM industry needed a drummer! I sent in audition tapes, and I got a letter in the mail telling me to come to Nashville next week to audition. I ended up getting a phone call from the manager saying that the letter I received was a mistake, and that I should have received a rejection letter; it was a clerical error.

4. A year and a half ago, the band I'm in now was supposed to play outside a restaurant which was beside of another music festival in town. Basically, the festival was to end at 10:00pm, and we were supposed to play our first note at 10:01pm to draw people in. It was a 100% total washout. We were invited play in the building next door. Fine. We walk into this huge stage and monster PA system. However, the person to run sound wasn't there, so we ended up setting up our OWN PA system. At first we were told to set up on the stage. Then, we were told to set up in front of the stage. Then on the stage again. We finally set up, sound checked, and then someone marched in and shut us down due to insurance reasons (they weren't insured for bands that evening, but they were insured starting the next day). Confused yet? Me too. Either way, we got paid to set up, sound check, and then tear down...in the rain.

Just a couple crummy gigs (I'm deviating. Sorry.)

5. I got invited to play some sort of crazy-big pre-olympic event in TN back in 1996. I didn't have a ton of details, but the guy I was playing with at the time said that it was a sure thing. I spent the night with him in Chattanooga, TN, that night and we were going to end up playing the next day. Someone broke into my vehicle and stole almost all of my drums. I drove in and played with what drums I had left (kick, snare, and my cymbals) because this was supposed to be a really big deal. I ended up playing on a covered stage behind someone's house out in the woods basically. I never got a clear answer as to how this was a "pre-olympic event." Good lord, was I stupid.

6. Opened for an up-and-coming national artist in the CCM industry. I drove 15 hours to do so. Twenty-five people showed up.


I will have to say that I've had a lot of really great times playing music over the past 20+ years, and I've gotten to do things and go places that your average person doesn't experience. Still though, I've had some really crummy stuff happen.

[Mooh]

Oh yeah, another one.

The gig itself was good inasmuch as the band played well, was paid as agreed, and I got hammered with a friend afterwards and slept it off in the back of my minivan with the doors open on a warm summer night, but...

It was a large outdoor venue set up for a celtic festival, vendors in place, stage set up with sound people, parking attendants, large beer garden, etc, but someone dropped the ball on publicity, apparently there was none. We literally played to the vendors and some folks from other bands, nary a paying patron. Very weird.