So here’s my rant for the day…
Bands, you need to stick to your word! Ever wondered why no one takes you seriously as a musician? Maybe it’s because you don’t take your own music seriously.
In these past couple months, for whatever reason, I have had more bands drop shows on me last minute than any other time in working in the music industry. I have no idea why but bands are dropping off shows left and right and it is royally pissing me off! Not only are you disappointing me, you’re disappointing your fans who were excited to see you perform, bought tickets from you, scheduled their day so that THEY could make time for YOU. And you let them down. Way to go!
As for me, I am paying money to promote the show and that includes you and your band! I am paying for flyers to be put in the right places to be seen by potential fans, I am paying for Facebook and Instagram advertising, I am potentially paying for radio advertising, and more. And you’re just going to drop off? So now I have wasting the promotion on you, I have to scramble to try to fill the slot (99% of the time last minute), I have to adjust my projections for the night, redo the set times, redo the load in times, and more, because YOU COULD NOT STICK TO YOUR WORD!
One show I have coming up on July 22nd in particular amazes me. I have had about 6 or 7 different acts drop off of this show (seriously, I’ve lost count) that I have been working on since April! It is a HUGE show too! A great mix of genres and bands within rock. But for whatever reason bands either figured another show would be a better offer, or they couldn’t get off work (one guy gave me that excuse and he was one of the first musicians I booked on that show three and a half months ago), or whatever else.
I may have not ever said this publically, but if you bail on me last minute, I WILL NEVER BOOK YOU AGAIN! Ever. There are some great acts who have bailed last second and regardless of their draw I will not book them again. Why would I? Why risk the hassle? One of my clients, The Knowing Within, and I have been working together just under two years and they HAVE NEVER CANCELED A SHOW! That’s dedication to your music. That’s dedication to your craft.
Now, obviously, there are legitimate and very understandable reasons you will have to drop a show. A death in the family, your being born, you get into a car accident (though I did have a band get into a car accident on the way to the show, and they still made their load in time), stuff like that. But “I couldn’t get off work” or “we got another show offer we would rather do” or whatever other kind of bullshit you want to feed me is NOT a legitimate excuse.
But hey, it’s your music career. My show will still happen. You’re only fucking yourself.