When musicians get pissy...

[jazzypaul]

I'm going to withhold names here to protect the innocent and guilty, but here's the sitch...

So, we're booked to play a festival in the Chicago suburbs. The guy who books this thing on behalf of the board loves us and tracks me down at work to ask us if we'd be interested.

Sure, I say!

He checks with the board for the festival, and at the very least, they like us enough to book us in the spot just prior to the festival headliner on Saturday night. Yay us!

I start promoting it amongst the friends and family, e-mails are flying into my inbox, especially because this is going to be our last gig for a month while my guitarist and his wife recover from having a baby.

Well, this morning, I get a call from the booking guy saying that we've been put on standby status, because Mr. Headliner thought that we "are less than we are representing ourselves to be," and convinced the board that we shouldn't play.

Now, there are two ways to think about this:

1) let's say that we suck: we're in the spot right before the headliner. No one is going to leave if they're here to hear Mr. Headliner in the first place, and if anything, it ensures that everyone realizes that he is SOOOOO much better than us.

2) let's say that our MySpace page doesn't represent what we do live: fair enough, and TRUE enough. But, what, a jazz band doing quirky versions of jazz, blues and rock tunes isn't a good thing for an outdoor festival devoted to, ummm, very Whole Foodsian ideals?

(for those of you who haven't seen us live, we are much more jam band that just happens to like playing jazz tunes as opposed to the jazz band that just happens to like playing jammy tunes, as the CD would have you believe. I am certain that Mr. Booking guy probably mentioned this fact when pitching us to the board.)

Not to mention, who is this guy to be dictating who else plays at a festival? You take care of your set, and we'll take care of ours. But, there's no way to look at this other than this guy just being pissy for the sake of being pissy.

Man this pisses me off. Even if I don't deserve better than this, the trio most certainly does. Mitch and Bob are damn good people and damn good players, and to get jerked around like this by some midget that looks like one of the Keebler Elves pisses me off beyond comprehension.

Thanks for letting me vent.

[Free For All]

some midget that looks like one of the Keebler Elves

Hmmmmmm....more clues, please.

Does he play trumpet?

Edited July 15, 2008 by Free For All

[jazzypaul]

some midget that looks like one of the Keebler Elves

Hmmmmmm....more clues, please.

okay...grammy award winning Keebler Elf.

There's still an off chance that we might still have this gig. So I don't want to piss anyone off as they do google searches on him.

Although, the thought has crossed my mind to transcribe this guy's CD if we do have the gig and play the thing in its entirety.

[Larry Kart]

This would seem it be the culprit:

http://www.richarddworsky.com/

If so, the answer probably is simple but no less pissy: He didn't want to be preceded by a group whose leader was a pianist and no doubt a much better pianist than he is.

[Free For All]

So the Prairie Home Companion pianist is headlining a jazz festival?

[Larry Kart]

I could be wrong, although he's the only artist listed so far, and he's pretty clearly the headliner. But if I am right, his website says that he "writes exquisite jazz ballads" -- which is fine because those are the only kind I like to listen to.

[catesta]

This would seem it be the culprit:

http://www.richarddworsky.com/

If so, the answer probably is simple but no less pissy: He didn't want to be preceded by a group whose leader was a pianist and no doubt a much better pianist than he is.

Dude dresses like Art Garfunkel. KInd of looks like him too if Garfunkel lost a little more hair and grew longer what he had left.

[Chuck Nessa]

Looks like the headphones are holding on the wig.

[Free For All]

I smell wind chimes. And patchouli.

[Chuck Nessa]

I smell wind chimes. And patchouli.

[catesta]

Looks like the headphones are holding on the wig.

Yeah, it's a one piece.

[Dan Gould]

I smell wind chimes. And patchouli.

I'm also thinking John Malkovich for some reason ...

[Jazzmoose]

I smell wind chimes. And patchouli.

Well, that's enough to sour me on the guy!

[rachel]

Looks like the headphones are holding on the wig.

Yeah, it's a one piece.

[Uncle Skid]

Although, the thought has crossed my mind to transcribe this guy's CD if we do have the gig and play the thing in its entirety.

[AllenLowe]

that guy is bumping you guys? give me a break -

question - did you have an oral agreement to appear? Did you already set aside the date? I would go tp the fest and say, hey, arse-faces, we turned down ____ gigs in order to take this - you cancel, you pay -

[AllenLowe]

or go to the local papers and point out the poor treatment of local musicians - would make a NICE and embarassing story -

[papsrus]

or go to the local papers and point out the poor treatment of local musicians - would make a NICE and embarassing story -

Yes. "Local" being the key word here. Could even result in more business for you in the end.

[jazzypaul]

or go to the local papers and point out the poor treatment of local musicians - would make a NICE and embarassing story -

I've given this thought.

And yeah, we had an oral contract, we agreed on a price, and I plan on telling the guy I want at least half, because at this point (2.5 weeks till the gig) it'd be nearly impossible to land another gig that would pay the same amount.

[catesta]

Fuck it, tell him you've got Paul Simon and if he ever wants to see him alive again he will have to drop out of the show and you guys become the new headliners.

[Joe G]

A reunited Quartet Out would be a good opener for this guy.

[JSngry]

And an un-united one even better...

[JSngry]

Who is this little dweeble anyway? What happened to Butch Thompson?

[JSngry]

Is this a union gig, this festival? Are y'all union players?

[jazzypaul]

Is this a union gig, this festival? Are y'all union players?

nope. I don't think there are any union gigs left in Chicago outside of the society bands and the pit bands for the musicals.

I keep wavering over whether or not I should join. Anyone do the union thing that has anything good to say about it?

That said, my bass player is part of the Joliet union, and he says he gets tons of work. But Joliet is 50 miles from Chicago. Yikes!