Members herbie d Posted February 10, 2009 Members Posted February 10, 2009 I have three nights coming up in South Carolina. (same club) This Booking Agent that does stuff for me once in a while booked it. I usually don't like to do three nights in a row at the same place, except for maybe a Resort or something. (same agent books us once in a while, 3 nights in a row at a Ski Resort)So anyway, he calls to see if I'm open on the dates a while back, and the pay was higher than normal. Not to complain... I asked why? He said its one of those where the owner wants to change his crowd. I was like. "oh, that's why it pays". He said "yea, the owner drove all the way to MD to hear you, and would like "your band". That's like a 8 hour drive.We've done a few of these kinda gigs, and there horrible. You either play to an empty house or if there are people there they hate you. The few we've done in the past, one was a younger rock crowd. The owner wanted an older crowd. Another one was a country bar, they thought with blues there'd be less fighting. So this gig, we are supposed to use the house speakers. I've been off for a week, it was nice out today, so I borrowed a buddy's Bike and took the 3 hour trip to check out the house speakers, (make sure I didn't need to bring something odd to make it work with our stuff) and check out the club. My guys were tripping, thinking it was going to be a Gay Bar. I was like, so... I get there, the house speakers Rock. I'm talking to the owner, and come to find out, the crowd he wants to lose is a, "black crowd". The first thing I said was,"you need a country band!" He said, "I want a blues band!" My guys say, its no different than the rock or the country bars we've done, but I don't know. Running off kids, or red necks is one thing, but I'm a little nervouse over this one.
Members kurfu Posted February 10, 2009 Members Posted February 10, 2009 he needs to change the jukebox for a week or two to send the message that a change is a comin' before he send you in "cold turkey" on a weekend night... otherwise, you gonna get a stabbin'.
Moderators daddymack Posted February 10, 2009 Moderators Posted February 10, 2009 he needs to change the jukebox for a week or two to send the message that a change is a comin' before he send you in "cold turkey" on a weekend night... otherwise, you gonna get a stabbin'. very good point...but if the owner is concerned that he is getting a 'black' customer base (I realize this is 'Confederate' territory, but, OMG, the world has changed so much in the last 50 years everywhere else... ) , he should first have figured out what was attracting them to begin with...if he had a hip-hop DJ in there every weekend, what did he expect? But hiring a blues band? I mean, let's face it, African-Americans invented the genre...why would he expect the 'color' of the crowd to shift?
Members scarecrowbob Posted February 10, 2009 Members Posted February 10, 2009 "I mean, let's face it, African-Americans invented the genre...why would he expect the 'color' of the crowd to shift?" Most people into the "blues" are middle aged white guys? I'm thinking more-or-less of the "blues hammer" scene from _ghost world_. But yuk to the idea of getting rid of the "black crowd". That'd be a deal breaker to me. I don't mind working for racists (people can think what they want), but I usually don't like helping folks actively pursue racist goals.
Members Kramerguy Posted February 10, 2009 Members Posted February 10, 2009 I don't see how running off rednecks or 'kids' is any different than running off black people. You either condone those kinds of actions or you don't. I can't say I would approve or be a part of that. I'd tell the owner to do it himself. Maybe he can hang a sign "No negros allowed"
Members kurfu Posted February 10, 2009 Members Posted February 10, 2009 Geez... the guy is probably referring to the hip-hop thug type that like to shoot at each other over some {censored}ty gold chains and spinners... if they happen to be black, then oh well, whatever.... he doesn't want to deal with that kind of trouble in his place of business, so he wants to change the music.
Members Kramerguy Posted February 10, 2009 Members Posted February 10, 2009 Geez... the guy is probably referring to the hip-hop thug type that like to shoot at each other over some {censored}ty gold chains and spinners... if they happen to be black, then oh well, whatever.... he doesn't want to deal with that kind of trouble in his place of business, so he wants to change the music. maybe It just seemed that the tone was more on the lines of social discrimination. Seen enough of that in my mid-20's and kind of lost my ability to tolerate it.
Members boxorox Posted February 11, 2009 Members Posted February 11, 2009 You're just a travellin' band trying to get by. Nusic isn't racist of itself. Do your best show, be gracious toward the patrons, and it should be a show like any other. Take the peckerwood's money and leave him with his problem. He wants to clear the place out he can have an accordian contest next week.
Moderators daddymack Posted February 11, 2009 Moderators Posted February 11, 2009 I don't see how running off rednecks or 'kids' is any different than running off black people. You either condone those kinds of actions or you don't. I can't say I would approve or be a part of that. I'd tell the owner to do it himself. Maybe he can hang a sign "No negros allowed" actuallly, the traditional signage is: I agree that he likely is getting the hip-hop crowd, but again, if the music catered to them, he should have expected it.
Members BlueStrat Posted February 11, 2009 Members Posted February 11, 2009 Geez... the guy is probably referring to the hip-hop thug type that like to shoot at each other over some {censored}ty gold chains and spinners... if they happen to be black, then oh well, whatever.... he doesn't want to deal with that kind of trouble in his place of business, so he wants to change the music. Yep. That happened here at a club not far from my house- they went hip hop with a DJ and brought in a few traveling acts. Within two months they had three shootings, a stabbing and a guy beat nearly to death. They busted one carload of guys with California plates with a trunk full of rock cocaine, stolen prescription drugs and guns. Most all of the perps were black and Hispanic males under age 25, and most of the violence was within those minority groups fighting against each other. It isn't racist to point that out-it's just a fact. It doesn't mean all black and Hispanic males are that way-it just means that that music and culture seem to go together. Once they changed the music format the problems stopped. Oh, there may still be an occasional fight like there is in every club where young guys and alcohol converge, but not anything like it was. We need to get over this notion that we have to deny reality because it might be racist. It doesn't help anyone.
Members Kramerguy Posted February 11, 2009 Members Posted February 11, 2009 Yep. That happened here at a club not far from my house- they went hip hop with a DJ and brought in a few traveling acts. Within two months they had three shootings, a stabbing and a guy beat nearly to death. They busted one carload of guys with California plates with a trunk full of rock cocaine, stolen prescription drugs and guns. Most all of the perps were black and Hispanic males under age 25, and most of the violence was within those minority groups fighting against each other. It isn't racist to point that out-it's just a fact. It doesn't mean all black and Hispanic males are that way-it just means that that music and culture seem to go together. Once they changed the music format the problems stopped. Oh, there may still be an occasional fight like there is in every club where young guys and alcohol converge, but not anything like it was. We need to get over this notion that we have to deny reality because it might be racist. It doesn't help anyone. Actually I was trying real hard to avoid the term "racist". Partly because it's SO over-used these days, and partly because that's not what I was trying to say - I guess I was a little quick with the "No blacks" comment. So, to try to take a step back, what I thought the OP was saying: Running off kids, or red necks is one thing Kind of pissed me off in the sense that I remember back in my 20's, a good group of us would go club hopping, and we were a mixed breed, some 'trendy' and some 'jeans and t-shirt', going into clubs that didn't have actual "dress codes", but of course those of us in the jeans and t-shirts would get stopped at the door, have our ID scrutinized and accused of using fake ID's, etc.. and refused entrance, while the trendier of us were let in no problem. So it's not racism, but "class discrimination", which is far more prevalent IMO. It's one thing to run off drugs and gang violence and stuff, but that's not the impression I got by that quote.
Moderators daddymack Posted February 11, 2009 Moderators Posted February 11, 2009 They busted one carload of guys with California plates ... See?!? we Californians are being singled out... profiled... our rights are being trampled...
Members herbie d Posted February 11, 2009 Author Members Posted February 11, 2009 Yea, I don't think its a Racist thing. I'm worried I guess that it could be perceived as that though, and I'd hate my name attached to it. I do think its nothing more than, lets get rid of the kids, or the red necks, or the bikers, or what ever. In my conversation with the owner I asked, "are you loosing money?" He said he wasn't, but when he decided to open a bar, this is not what he envisioned. So... I don't know, I'm still a little worried. Who knows what he envisioned. Maybe I will try and find a accordion player to sit in with us.
Moderators daddymack Posted February 11, 2009 Moderators Posted February 11, 2009 y'all kin play ya sum zydeco!
Members herbie d Posted February 14, 2009 Author Members Posted February 14, 2009 Ha! Well tomorrow is night three! So far... they like us! Haven't seen the Owner in the Club yet, but we are doing well there. We even booked a private party for this Sunday during the day, and one of the other local club owners has dropped in both days talking to me about us playing their club. Were not doing well at chasing off their people. So... I'm not sure if we'll be asked back because their crowd likes us, or not asked back because they like us.I'll post how it went.
Members herbie d Posted February 15, 2009 Author Members Posted February 15, 2009 Ha! Well tomorrow is night three! So far... they like us! Haven't seen the Owner in the Club yet, but we are doing well there. We even booked a private party for this Sunday during the day, and one of the other local club owners has dropped in both days talking to me about us playing their club. Were not doing well at chasing off their people. So... I'm not sure if we'll be asked back because their crowd likes us, or not asked back because they like us.I'll post how it went. Well, never saw the Owner. The Bar tender paid us cash at the end of the third night. Ha! we also booked a private party for this afternoon from one of the club regulars, (who we didn't seem to chase off) and we booked two dates at another club in town for the same higher than usual pay as in this place. I don't get it, but we had fun this week.I don't know if we'll be asked back, the employee's and the patrons liked us, the bar tender said they did fine on the register. Not sure that was suppose to happen though. So we did OK for White Boy's, or... maybe not.
Members 5THSINGER Posted February 18, 2009 Members Posted February 18, 2009 Yep. That happened here at a club not far from my house- they went hip hop with a DJ and brought in a few traveling acts. Within two months they had three shootings, a stabbing and a guy beat nearly to death. They busted one carload of guys with California plates with a trunk full of rock cocaine, stolen prescription drugs and guns. Most all of the perps were black and Hispanic males under age 25, and most of the violence was within those minority groups fighting against each other. It isn't racist to point that out-it's just a fact. It doesn't mean all black and Hispanic males are that way-it just means that that music and culture seem to go together. Once they changed the music format the problems stopped. Oh, there may still be an occasional fight like there is in every club where young guys and alcohol converge, but not anything like it was. We need to get over this notion that we have to deny reality because it might be racist. It doesn't help anyone. Excellent Post my friend....I could'nt agree more!!!
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