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I was trying to remain positive about the shitty experience I had with [HOLE IN THE GROUND BAR]. I used to love this bar but I won’t be going back again. After dealing with an unprofessional booking promoter who double booked the show and was unable to answer a facebook message or email for 9 days (looking at you [SHITTY BOOKING GUY]), we show up to a venue that divides its bar and treats you like shit the entire night.
I talked to a manager and things seemed to go alright. This of course was after [SHITTY BOOKING GUY] came to another show we were playing treated the band like goons and then ran inside to beg the promoter to send people his way (basically he cant seem to do the minimum in his job). I came to meet the manager.
She seemed smart and apologetic of the experience had by everyone. She seemed to take into account how the venue and [SHITTY SOUND GUY] fucked up. Even admitting that very few people knew that [SHITTY SOUND GUY] was leaving people to do his job despite trying to sell himself as a sound guy (by the by [SHITTY SOUND GUY] left before sound check).
The bar decided to throw out all this progress made and tell the day manager it was not her place to talk about it. The bar then extorted more money from me and threatened to ban me. I told them put the money aside that I would like to meet with the managers and owners. Weeks later I met with two managers who used this meeting to sneer down at me for a negative post on facebook that I didn’t write, say they did nothing wrong, and trash on other bands that have been here for longer than my band has existed [MANAGER] specifically said “oh well [A SWEET AS BAND] doesn’t play here anymore because he doesn’t draw a crowd”). Then the manager berated me for wearing “only a vest and no shirt, so unprofessional”.
[SHITTY BAR] has done nothing but double talked about “We hold a standard of sound for our shows and are building our reputation on it” yet saying in the same breath “oh we are not a show venue”.
I from here on out will not be spending any more of my hard earned money at bars like this. I have played in a few different bars with my band thats been together for less than a year and we have never had such a shady, shitty experience.
—Bands that had a shit experience
This article appears in Mar 17-23, 2016.
lol
*goes to an important meeting in a vest and no shirt, because Rock n’ Roll or whatever*
^ My thoughts exactly.
OB musicians are a dime a dozen in this city in particular. Doesn’t mean that you should stop doing what you enjoy but this sounds like your first taste of reality. What does a person need to be a ‘promoter’ aside access to the internet and maybe a photo-copier? Why would you put so much trust in this person? Do that shit yourself.
I have utmost respect for people with musical talent … but I still like to razz ’em a bit…
Musician [myoo-zish-uh n] (noun, singular)
A person who loads $20,000 worth of equipment into a $300 car and drives 3 hours to play a $60 gig.
The vest wearing part sounds like a Kid’s in the Hall skit.
He’s hip. He’s Cool. He’s 45.
Exactly.
So write a song about it, OP. Express your angst in music instead of a rant in the coast.
And I’ll just bet you were all psyched to debut your blitzin’ cover of S.O.B. (Gimme a Drink)… weren’t you?
“lol
*goes to an important meeting in a vest and no shirt, because Rock n’ Roll or whatever*”
Not an important meeting, at the show…