Members Howie22 Posted January 7, 2013 Members Share Posted January 7, 2013 I played a new venue a couple of months ago. While the place wasn't busy that night, I got a lot of positive feedback from the patrons who were there - and a tip jar stuffed full of cash. It's a private membership place, so I'm not responsible for drawing a crowd. Anyway, I thought it went great and was looking forward to this possibly becoming a regular gig. I recently emailed the person who handles booking to inquire about future dates, and I got the old standby "management did not think you were a good fit." I know it could be a dozen different reasons why, and I know that you can't be a good fit for every venue you play. Still, it's hard not to take that personally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted January 7, 2013 Moderators Share Posted January 7, 2013 I would pursue it further...especially as the clientele seemed to like you. You have nothing to lose by asking in what way you were not a good fit, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Potts Posted January 7, 2013 Members Share Posted January 7, 2013 Originally Posted by daddymack I would pursue it further...especially as the clientele seemed to like you. You have nothing to lose by asking in what way you were not a good fit, right? I'd agree 100%. Another email would be appropriate as long as it wasn't rude or whining or anything. You've been doing this long enough to know that though so no offense intended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Howie22 Posted January 7, 2013 Author Members Share Posted January 7, 2013 I did reply, keeping it relatively positive and not rude or whining. I said that I understood that I can't be a good fit for every venue, but mentioned that I was surprised to hear that they didn't think I was a good fit because I thought I got a good response from the crowd. I asked that he find out any further details about what they didn't like. He said he would. I also have a friend who is a member of this place. He is going to try to see what's up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Potts Posted January 7, 2013 Members Share Posted January 7, 2013 Originally Posted by Howie22 I did reply, keeping it relatively positive and not rude or whining. I said that I understood that I can't be a good fit for every venue, but mentioned that I was surprised to hear that they didn't think I was a good fit because I thought I got a good response from the crowd.I asked that he find out any further details about what they didn't like. He said he would.I also have a friend who is a member of this place. He is going to try to see what's up. That's cool! That's the best you can do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Loner Posted January 7, 2013 Members Share Posted January 7, 2013 It has been my experience that it will be very hard to get a straight answer from this point on. People get an attitude and it's hard to crack the underlying cause. Sometimes they themselves don't even know! Good luck though, keep us informed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Notes_Norton Posted January 7, 2013 Members Share Posted January 7, 2013 Someone told me this a long time ago. "Sooner or later you are either not going to get the gig, or you are going to be fired --- and it isn't going to be your fault." Early in the days of my present duo http://www.s-cats.com we were contracted to play 3 months at the Hyatt of the Palm Beaches. We had a contract with the agency, who had a separate contract with the hotel. Little did we know there was a lot of politics involved. A new F&B was arriving and the agency wanted to secure the room and figured we were a good bet to hold it. So we're doing our 6 nights a week gig, the bartender is ecstatic, saying he'd been working there for 5 years and never seen business this good and his tips so large. A month into the gig, the new F&B comes in, and fires us. Hired a jazz trio (they were quite good) and the business went down the tubes. We went in to listen a couple of weeks after we were canned, and the bartender said the new F&B was "just another drunk, floating through the system". He also said people asked for us, left, and never came back. But the new F&B wanted to hear jazz, and didn't really care if the lounge made money or not as long as the banquet end of the business was doing well. We've been in this duo since 1985 now, and similar firings have happened a couple of times since. Definitely not our fault. Definitely hurting to the artist's ego. But there really isn't much that can be done except to find another gig that appreciates something good when they hear it. Insights and incites by Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bob Dey Posted January 8, 2013 Members Share Posted January 8, 2013 I hate it when this happens. It really is politics isn't it. It seems you have to win over the right people (or should I say person) not the majority. And going into a new place you don't know who the key people (to kiss up to) are. But then kissing up may turn around and bite you too. Then there's also the chance that you'll get chummy with the wrong person or group of people that the manager doesn't like for unknown reasons. You're a noob to this crowd, how could you know? But then again, it could be any one thing that the person in charge doesn't like about you - the clothes you're wearing, a song or two they hate, you remind them of someone they hate etc. Even asking for a reason why you don't fit in, they will very likely make something up instead of telling you the truth. I used to get feedback from the agent I worked with, which was a way to get the truth sometimes. But sometimes he wasn't telling or hearing the actual reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shaster Posted January 9, 2013 Members Share Posted January 9, 2013 Rebookings can be incredibly arbitrary. I have played this one place for years. Everytime I play there the head bartender (who basically manages the room) asks me why I'm not there more often. I always say, well you'll have to talk to the agent. But the agent never talks to the bartender, the agent talks to the restaurant manager. Unfortunately they generally have a new restaurant mangaer every six months, so they never know who to book. And they certainly don't ask the staff! The last time I was there, the bartender said for the hundreth time "why aren't you playing here more often"? The next day, I called the agent and said he was putting me in a bad position, and making it look like I didn't want to play the room. I think he finally got it (temporarilly anyway) and has started booking me there more often. But hey, that only took five years! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SusieP Posted January 25, 2013 Members Share Posted January 25, 2013 Ouch."not a good fit" hurts.But venues continue to mystify me when you have a great night and never get re-booked. We just did one at a Polish centre. We even learned some Polish phrases to speak down the mic.They danced to every song.They fed us.They said they wanted us to come back in May to do a 50th Birthday party etc and that they would phone our Agent first thing Monday morning.When we spoke to our Agent he said, "sure, they loved you. But they haven't asked to book you for anything else." Why enthuse about us and say that if they weren't gonna do it? maybe we weren't a good fit either. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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