Members pogo97 Posted March 15, 2018 Members Share Posted March 15, 2018 Tonight I drove home in blowing snow and on icy roads. It was only three blocks, so no big deal. But I have friends who will drive an hour both ways in dreadful conditions rather than scratch a gig. It's a point of pride for them. I don't think I'd do that. Back when I worked at an outdoor ed centre, we called folks like that NAFDies for "no apparent fear of death." What's with that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MrHarryReems Posted March 15, 2018 Members Share Posted March 15, 2018 Living in a place where someone won't show up for work because the surf is up, I an appreciate someone who's word is bond. That said, there is something in our contract called 'Force Majeure', which allows us to cancel and reschedule for such things as a blizzard between us and the gig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members senorblues Posted March 15, 2018 Members Share Posted March 15, 2018 My climate is similar to yours. What's the venue's role in this? Around here, they'll close early and tell their regulars on FB to be safe and stay home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pogo97 Posted March 15, 2018 Author Members Share Posted March 15, 2018 My climate is similar to yours. What's the venue's role in this? Around here, they'll close early and tell their regulars on FB to be safe and stay home. Not sure. The venues I play are in small towns -- 5000 or fewer -- and many of the regulars can walk there. Staff may come from farther away, though, as do musicians. My waitress last night came (I played from 5 to 8) from 15 kilometres away on a good but lightly-traveled road. She was hoping she could close at 10 and just get home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted March 15, 2018 Moderators Share Posted March 15, 2018 I've never had to cancel out on a gig over weather conditions...even when I lived in NY. Once I was unable to get to a recording session... on January 19th, 1994...because the freeway overpasses were all closed here...and the only other road [called 'The Old Road'] going to the studio was blocked with trucks. As it turned out, no one was able to get there and it was rescheduled a couple months later. A good friend was whining at the end of January that he lost several lucrative solo gigs because the 101 was closed at Montecito [he gigs up there...Santa Barbara, Solvang, Santa Maria]...due to mudslides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ski219 Posted March 15, 2018 Members Share Posted March 15, 2018 We have cancelled 3 gigs this winter due to snow. The clubs we play know there wont be a lot of people going out in a snow storm and I don't want to drive an hour in a snow storm to gig when I am snug at home. However I will drive several hours through a storm to ski powder! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Voltan Posted March 16, 2018 Members Share Posted March 16, 2018 not much of an issue yet here in floriduh... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bob Dey Posted March 20, 2018 Members Share Posted March 20, 2018 I canceled a gig the 2nd weekend of February which is something I never do. Good thing I canceled, there was a pile up on the interstate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Voltan Posted March 21, 2018 Members Share Posted March 21, 2018 the last week of january and the first week of february i was dodging the snow by gigs on a tropical island... no snow was enjoyed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MrHarryReems Posted March 21, 2018 Members Share Posted March 21, 2018 the last week of january and the first week of february i was dodging the snow by gigs on a tropical island... no snow was enjoyed. 99% of my gigs are on a tropical island, since that's where I live. While we do get snow on top of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, it's never on the roads. The danger for us is tropical storms and flash floods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pogo97 Posted March 21, 2018 Author Members Share Posted March 21, 2018 …and air raid scares. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members steve mac Posted March 21, 2018 Members Share Posted March 21, 2018 Few weeks ago I was singing in a bar in Virginia in the middle of the winter bomb cyclone, today playing guitar on the patio of a local restaurant in flip flops and shorts. I know which one I prefer. To be fair I loved both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pogo97 Posted March 21, 2018 Author Members Share Posted March 21, 2018 Let me guess: Virginia, because there were no biting insects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted March 21, 2018 Moderators Share Posted March 21, 2018 and tourists...Harry, have they finished the repave on the Saddle? I'm still pondering retiring on the Big Island... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members steve mac Posted March 22, 2018 Members Share Posted March 22, 2018 Got to say other than the odd mossie, we never get bit here by anything, maybe it's because we are so close to the sea. But it was fun singing Beatle songs to "mountain" folk outside of Charleston. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Notes_Norton Posted March 22, 2018 Members Share Posted March 22, 2018 I've never cancelled a gig in my life. While I live in Florida now, I did my share in a road band that did the eastern half of the US from Florida to Louisiana, to Wisconsin to Maine. The worst weather was in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. I've played with a fever of 104, our bass player checked himself out of a hospital to make the gig and then checked back in, and so on. They book Leilani and I because they want Leilani and I. The audience is depending on us for they entertainment they are paying for. The management is depending on us for the profits we bring. The bartenders and wait staff are depending on us for their take-home money. If it's a party, the party hosts and the audience are depending on us. If it's a wedding Bridezilla and the rest of the party is depending on us. If I said I'll be there, I'll be there, and I'll be there on time or a little early. Period. How would you feel if you paid for tickets to see Paul McCartney and instead Ringo Starr showed up because Paul couldn't make it? My word is better than a signed contract. If I had to leave 4 hours early and drive 10mph, I'd do it. That reputation is worth a lot of the best paying gigs around here. Many many years ago, I was in a band booking with the most successful agent in the South Florida area. He controlled the best clubs from Palm Beach to Miami. We were booked to play a bat-mitzvah in the Eden Roc hotel in Miami Beach. The musician who drove the van got a late start, it was Easter week, and the traffic was terrible. Set up time was noon, at 5 after the F&B manager at the Roc called the agency, "Where are they?". At 15 after he called the agency yelling "Where are they?". We got there 20 after, set up and sound checked before the first guest arrived. The agent read us the riot act and said that when he says the band is going to be there at noon, the band isn't, and the F&B has to call him, it is a reflection on his entire business, and he has to protect his reputation to remain on the top of the heap. He never booked us again. Things are competitive around here. Where you live YMMV and that's OK. There is more than one way to do this. Insights and incites by Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GtrGeorge! Posted March 23, 2018 Members Share Posted March 23, 2018 I have had maybe 1 cancelation each year,almost always it was an outdoor gig..and there was torrential rain..and no inside place we could move to. The venue made the decision. Our word is our bond. Yes, we’ve played sick, sad and everything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bob Dey Posted March 23, 2018 Members Share Posted March 23, 2018 Same here, I've done gigs with the flu, strep throat and did a gig the day my mom died. But I've had gigs canceled many times by whoever hired me. This year a few retirement gigs were canceled because of quarantines (flu). And I've had gigs canceled throughout the years because of weather conditions. Back in the 90s the ski area canceled one week because there wasn't enough snow. The following week a restaurant gig was canceled because there was too much snow and the roads weren't plowed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Notes_Norton Posted March 28, 2018 Members Share Posted March 28, 2018 When my father died, my mother checked my schedule before choosing the date of the funeral. She knew I would make the gig and miss the funeral, and understood why. She planned the funeral for a Sunday (which I had off). I've had outdoor gigs canceled or rescheduled due to rain, and other gigs canceled on my by the venue, but I've never-ever cancelled a gig, and hope I never have to. It's my way of doing things, YMMV. Insights and incites by Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pogo97 Posted April 15, 2018 Author Members Share Posted April 15, 2018 We're having a danger gig night tonight. Most venues have closed and all out-of-town musicians have canceled, with locals stepping in at one spot. We're getting a two-day combo of sleet, freezing rain, more sleet, snow, freezing rain and then rain. With strong winds. Power outages expected tomorrow during the second freezing rain. Anyone driving any distance in this is a fool. Playing music to people is a wonderful thing, but it's not worth dying for. Good night for snuggling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members steve mac Posted April 15, 2018 Members Share Posted April 15, 2018 Keep safe buddy, I am just working out how to add a fan to my board to keep me from melting 😎 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pogo97 Posted April 15, 2018 Author Members Share Posted April 15, 2018 Better than safe. A true rest day. Nothing can be done, so nothing will be done. Slept in and plan to loll about today. Tomorrow, 6°C and it will all trickle away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members skmarshall Posted April 15, 2018 Members Share Posted April 15, 2018 Last week I had a nursing home job cancelled by the venue. They told me, "We have Norovirus going around on the second floor." I didn't mind passing that one up at all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Notes_Norton Posted April 15, 2018 Members Share Posted April 15, 2018 Good idea. I had a gal cancel a birthday party for her husband at the last minute because he had a heart attack. She didn't ask for it, but I figured he didn't have the attack on purpose and she needed it more than me so I sent her the deposit back. As soon as the husband got out of the hospital she threw a healed party, hired us, and paid us more than we asked for. Sometimes things work out well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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