well, got screwed

Shady. I hate going through promoters like that. They all think just because they labeled themselves promo's and kiss @$$ to the other bands or their buddies that they can do what they want/ We stopped playing shows like that awhile back. Burnt like this too many times. Talent shows are another one. Don't get me started.

Enjoy your last show. Hope it ends well for ya!

All bad promoters should be named and shamed. Just not worth dealing with. We always made sure to ask around before accepting gigs, turned some down, and only didn't get paid once, and that was pretty much our own (the drummer's) fault.

don't burn any bridges... he'll out himself over time to everyone who works with him. Stay professional, demand contracts regarding pay, then pull your contract at the end of the show when receiving payment. Guy sounds like a goon, but you guys blew it by not being on top of the business side of playing in a band...
just my pennies

Oh your right Slade We should have gotten a contract! I let my singer book the gig and I thought a contract was involved, but was just over the phone stuff. Our last show we are having we didn't even talk about money for its a favor to a friend.

I'm going to have to agree with Slade here. You don't want to burn any bridges behind you. As much of a jerk as this promoter is, there's nothing to be gained by lowering yourselves to his level. It just makes you look as bad or worse than him and any other promoters who hear of it will remember you guys too. Even with it being your last show together as a band, promoters will find out who each of you guys are if you call this jerk out in front of the whole club. That's just not the way you want to be remember, as a band or as individuals. If this is the way he deals with everybody, it won't take long for the word to get out and his business will collapse on its own. It sounds like you've learned a little about booking (get a contract) from the experience so it hasn't been a total waste. Take the knowledge into future business dealings and move on down the road.

Dude I have never heard of such a thing...Down here you book your own gigs and you don't open for anyone, it's exclusively your band. Sometimes friends will let a band open for them and split the pay....That is such a lame a$$ way to get a gig from my perspective. I used to do this for bands locally a long time back. We had to have a short demo tape, or a list of bars that they played in before, and basically that was all that needed to be done. Once you played somewhere successfully, they kept up with calling and asking you back...There was very little need for anyone to book bands full time.

I'm sorry to hear you had such a bad experience. On that last night rock the house down and be the bigger man!

lol thanks guys and ya I do agree with everyone here, im not going to say anything bad about this guy out in public ( minus here) unless im asked for my opinion.

Thorn, most of the gigs in Tampa bay lately that ive been getting have been based on either ticket sales, or knowing someone that knows someone. It is a shady business that I hop to get out of when I move out of state ( hopefully next year)

I hate to say it masterofchains, but more and more places are using this method. Many have even taken it one step further. I've seen promoters here simply book a national, line up locals making them buy tickets to sell to play the show, then they leave ALL the promotion to the locals. This has resulted in top 10 national acts playing to less then 100 people.

I kid you not...

And to top if off... then the venue decides the lack of turnout is because the local bands suck, and then are even LESS likely to book a local in the future. Pretty much a no win.

Live music is having trouble because people don't needs to make the effort to open their front door for entertainment any more. This is why I run enough backline to blow their front door right off, no excuse that way.

Edit: also, all my posts have been accused of spam.

Lousy scum promoters! Not much to do now but smile, drink a beer, and add Where The Hell's My Money? by Mojo Nixon to your set list. (Dedicate it to that pussbag if he has the stones to show up at your next gig! lol)

selling tickets for a show = pay to play

don't do it

a decent club and promoter know the risks, promo their own shows and respect the bands enough to keep their word

if this weasel is like a lot of them, you'll never get him or anyone like him to sign a contract

that should tell you something

I'd rather play a small party for free than a large venue pay to play

Well We did a few of these Sell tickets blah blah blah shows now, and ya usually we dont make a lot ( 50 bucks here, 80 bucks there) but Original music in tampa bay never gets paid a lot, so we are playing for gas money, and most of the promoters here BESIDES this one pays us at the end of the night, says thanks, then asks us back since we brought the most people in though ticket sales AND people just walking in off the street hearing us outside.

It was just a bad night. I can confirm now that we were not the only band screwed. 3 other bands were screwed around like us. one was forced out of the show the other 2 the time slots got changed and were also not paid. None of us are working with the guy again.

It's Guitar Center's and Behringers fault.

... ...

If they didn't make cheap junk... or didn't sell cheap guitars at $100 that every kid could buy against their parents wishes... (or better judgment) We wouldn't have so many bad bands flooding the market willing to go to extremes to get in front of people... >) It's the same ones ruining the Internet.

Great advice, right there

@ Eyeteeth. I don't think you can completely blame Squire/Epiphone/Behringer for crappy bands. Promoters and owners should be listening to a band before they get on stage. If quality doesn't matter to them then there isn't really anything you can do. A lot of teenagers have the dream of playing on stage to their favorite band's music. If they practice hard enough they all should have the chance. And the more annoying ones would get a Fender or Gibson regardless so you're really saving parents a ton of money. I will give you that since instruments are much more available now than ever before that it's probably more difficult finding good people for bands since some great players may be stuck in bands with players of lesser talent. Kind of like one basketball,football,etc player carrying a team.

@ MoC. If you're still Berkley bound I have a buddy (also an ugly) that works with promoters in the area and has never had a problem.

I was uh... being satirical. It's like blaming ammo manufacturers and gun stores for drug related killings. It was tongue and cheek. (with maybe a hint of truth thrown in)

@ Big N Ugly: Berklee And Gonna try. Working on Billies Bounce by Charlie parker ( the sax solo ) for my audition piece. give me a PM

@ eyeteeth: I like my berhinger mixer...and PA...and sticker...and V amp..and *Sniff*

@ Eyeteeth: Sorry about that. I thought it was a good discussion point. I didn't catch the sarcasm.

@ MoC: It's okay MoC, Eyeteeth says you can keep your Behringer stuff.

YAY * hugs V-amp*

I had no idea I carried so much weight.

To agree somewhat with Eyeteeth about the lower end gear and the flood of crappy bands..lol

No people just don't go out to see live music now unless they know the people in the band. Its not about the music anymore. People don't know how to follow a band like we did. I don't get it just getting off a coverband gig these chicks throwing themselves at you playing other people stuff but you'll have 3 people standing in front of you after busting your a$$ for your original music band?

amen to that torturecell....
amen to that.
Its a proven formula that works..

Thats why I went the coverband route....

(sorry to get off topic)

thats the way things are are at the momement. I only recently got into local music because of my cousin being in a band.
It happens in every country.