What not to do on a gig

[JazzIsGood]

I've been a bandleader for a few years now. People all want me to give them a gig. I am the rainmaker. I book the gigs and I hire the musicians. Sometimes I hire someone and then I don't hire them again. Most of this is not related to how you play. Vetting how well people play is easy for me, and you would not be on gig #1 if you didn't play well. But sometimes people never get to gig #2 and it has nothing to do with their playing. Here's what not to do-

- Don't tell me "I didn't like my solo on that last tune" or any self critique type stuff between songs. It's gonna make me not hire you again. It's not a workshop, it's a professional gig. We are looking to get into the next song fairly quickly.

-Don't take more than 20-30 seconds to be ready for the next song. Once I call it and tell you the key, the clock is ticking and I can't sit around and wait while you are flipping through charts.

-Don't bitch about the sound or the gear. These are throw and go jazz gigs, in most cases for pretty low money. It aint Carnegie Hall and it aint a recording session.

- Short remarks referencing the jazz greats are fine between songs, but don't tell me a 8 minute story about Charlie Parker and Miles Davis eating chicken in a cab in 1948.

- Don't bitch about the money. I don't have much control over that and we are involved with a dying art form. If you don't like the money, book the damn gigs yourself and you'll find out the reality on this.

- Everyone seems to know this, but do not go over my head and try to talk to the booker about booking yourself there without me. You will be gone SO FAST.

- Don't bring a bunch of nervous energy that brings everyone down. We want to sound good, but the audience is not playing close attention. Don't be visibly upset if you play a few bad notes, nobody noticed but you. By the time you've arrived to the gig, the quality of your playing has already been determined by how much you have practiced and what you know. If you're not happy with that level, stay home and don't play gigs.

- Don't have a feud with other musicians in the scene. I'm not going to keep track of what people dislike each other. If you tell me that you're in these little feuds I just cross you off the list.

- Don't complain about being in a video or live stream. We need these videos to keep bookings going. If you're not willing to appear onYouTube or a stream, stay home and don't play gigs. If you're going to play music in public, you should stand behind it.

- It's fine to compliment the other musicians, but don't go on and on to the point where it gets uncomfortable.

[Doublea A]

I've been a bandleader for a few years now. People all want me to give them a gig. I am the rainmaker. I book the gigs and I hire the musicians. Sometimes I hire someone and then I don't hire them again. Most of this is not related to how you play. Vetting how well people play is easy for me, and you would not be on gig #1 if you didn't play well. But sometimes people never get to gig #2 and it has nothing to do with their playing. Here's what not to do-

- Don't tell me "I didn't like my solo on that last tune" or any self critique type stuff between songs. It's gonna make me not hire you again. It's not a workshop, it's a professional gig. We are looking to get into the next song fairly quickly.

-Don't take more than 20-30 seconds to be ready for the next song. Once I call it and tell you the key, the clock is ticking and I can't sit around and wait while you are flipping through charts.

-Don't bitch about the sound or the gear. These are throw and go jazz gigs, in most cases for pretty low money. It aint Carnegie Hall and it aint a recording session.

- Short remarks referencing the jazz greats are fine between songs, but don't tell me a 8 minute story about Charlie Parker and Miles Davis eating chicken in a cab in 1948.

- Don't bitch about the money. I don't have much control over that and we are involved with a dying art form. If you don't like the money, book the damn gigs yourself and you'll find out the reality on this.

- Everyone seems to know this, but do not go over my head and try to talk to the booker about booking yourself there without me. You will be gone SO FAST.

- Don't bring a bunch of nervous energy that brings everyone down. We want to sound good, but the audience is not playing close attention. Don't be visibly upset if you play a few bad notes, nobody noticed but you. By the time you've arrived to the gig, the quality of your playing has already been determined by how much you have practiced and what you know. If you're not happy with that level, stay home and don't play gigs.

- Don't have a feud with other musicians in the scene. I'm not going to keep track of what people dislike each other. If you tell me that you're in these little feuds I just cross you off the list.

- Don't complain about being in a video or live stream. We need these videos to keep bookings going. If you're not willing to appear onYouTube or a stream, stay home and don't play gigs. If you're going to play music in public, you should stand behind it.

- It's fine to compliment the other musicians, but don't go on and on to the point where it gets uncomfortable.

Hello there JazzIsGood,

Like you, I also book musicians for gigs.
In short, I couldn’t have said it better myself


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jelly Roll Baker]

Funny that 8 minute story about Charlie Parker and a 19 year old Miles Davis in a cab heading to a gig with a bucket of chicken and a hooker is one of my all time favorite jazz anecdotes... but admittedly inappropriate on a bandstand.

[Jimmy Smith]

Sounds more anal than my day job. :P

Yeah no, points make total sense. But do you really fire people after 1 strike of those annoyances? Are you the soup nazi? :P

[garybaldy]

I'm not much of a gig getter.
I wait for the phone to ring.
I know my place.

[JazzIsGood]

Sounds more anal than my day job. :P

Yeah no, points make total sense. But do you really fire people after 1 strike of those annoyances? Are you the soup nazi? :P

LOL!!!

I have been patient and kept these people at times but my metamorphosis into the soup nazi has been accelerating lately.

[rpjazzguitar]

I'll contribute one pet peeve. It doesn't happen often, but now and then.

If you're the new guy in a group that's been together for awhile, don't bring in a sloppily handwritten original tune the first time you play with us.

Why? Because at these prices, I get good players because they want to play the music we've agreed on. And, that didn't include your original.

Of course, once the new guy is integrated into the group he can ask how people would feel about an original -- and even then, it needs to be a well engraved chart.

[AllanAllen]

I'm not much of a gig getter.
I wait for the phone to ring.
I know my place.

How’s that working out for you?

[Jimmy Smith]

I have been patient and kept these people at times but my metamorphosis into the soup nazi has been accelerating lately.

Haha, well I guess you have to enforce some discipline on the miscreants eventually.

This is my favorite one lol:

Don't have a feud with other musicians in the scene. I'm not going to keep track of what people dislike each other. If you tell me that you're in these little feuds I just cross you off the list.

[garybaldy]

How’s that working out for you?

It's ok thanks. It has always been a bit of a compromise balancing gigs with family life. I'm more choosy these days (one failed marriage) and don't gig as much as I did. Currently more rock than jazz and the less I keep on top of the string bass (for jazz) it's much tougher on the arthritic fingers.

[AllanAllen]

It's ok thanks. It has always been a bit of a compromise balancing gigs with family life. I'm more choosy these days (one failed marriage) and don't gig as much as I did. Currently more rock than jazz and the less I keep on top of the string bass (for jazz) it's much tougher on the arthritic fingers.

I actually stepped away from a side band last week. I was feeling overwhelmed trying to keep up three different repertories as well as family life.

[garybaldy]

I actually stepped away from a side band last week. I was feeling overwhelmed trying to keep up three different repertories as well as family life.

I did a fair bit in the 80s 90s and into the 00s. Rock bands, Country, Function, House band, Jazz residencies, Duo/trio, Dep work, several operating at the same time. All this while working in construction. Sadly a fair few of the guys have passed. I currently have 2 solid commitments and some dep work, some of which I turn down. That can seal your fate though!

[AllanAllen]

As long as I can get my combo 12 gigs a year I’ll be happy.

The big band stuff is a cherry on top.

[pauln]

- Everyone seems to know this, but do not go over my head and try to talk to the booker about booking yourself there without me. You will be gone SO FAST.

Are you telling the sideman...

Don't try to book the JazzIsGood band on my behalf without my knowledge or presence
or
Don't try to book your own band at places where the JazzIsGood band plays

You're in CA... is this about AB5 (update AB 2257)?

[Hep To The Jive]

- Everyone seems to know this, but do not go over my head and try to talk to the booker about booking yourself there without me. You will be gone SO FAST.

That's the only one i'd never call that person again. The rest ehhh, it's not a big deal. Every good musician is a bit crazy one way or another.

[garybaldy]

Everyone seems to know this, but do not go over my head and try to talk to the booker about booking yourself there without me. You will be gone SO FAST.

I once depped as a bass player several times in a nice 5 piece. We did a few gigs in a pub in England. The regular bassist got his own band a gig there so the bandleader for whom I depped sacked his regular player and took me on. We always had a healthy calender at the beginning of each year. Eventually the guitar player, who had originally recommended me, left through a disagreement and I went on guitar. I brought in a new bass player.
Disappointingly, when we were given the latest batch of bookings, I was unable to do quite a few (as I'd started somthing else) and so I was dropped from the band. Never played for them again.

[AllanAllen]

Are you telling the sideman...

Don't try to book the JazzIsGood band on my behalf without my knowledge or presence
or
Don't try to book your own band at places where the JazzIsGood band plays

You're in CA... is this about AB5 (update AB 2257)?

Don't try to book your band while you're working one of JazzIsGood's gigs.

[pamosmusic]

- Everyone seems to know this, but do not go over my head and try to talk to the booker about booking yourself there without me. You will be gone SO FAST.

Most of these I agree with, but honestly this one doesn’t really bother me. I don’t expect loyalty from folks I’m playing with. Everyone does their own thing and that’s fine.

I would replace this one with “don’t cancel last minute and find a replacement if you cancel at all.”

[pamosmusic]

I would also add that my experience is that if you want work, folks are looking for.

1. The best hang.
2. The best fit
3. The best player

in that order

But being a bandleader doesn’t exempt you from that. Meaning that most musicians have day jobs and aren’t relying on your gig for their livelihood. So if they don’t want to play with you, they just won’t. All of this to say, it is the bandleaders responsibility to not be an a** just as much as it is the hired guns.

[RJVB]

Most of these I agree with, but honestly this one doesn’t really bother me. I don’t expect loyalty from folks I’m playing with. Everyone does their own thing and that’s fine.

Of course, and you also got there one way or another.

But apparently the trick is to get the booker to contact you without talking him/her into it

[Dennis D]

How / why would ' Do not be late ' not be rule # 1 ?

: )

[AllanAllen]

Of course, and you also got there one way or another.

But apparently the trick is to get the booker to contact you without talking him/her into it

I haven't had any bookings come by passing off a card at the end of the night. Usually I follow up at least 3 times to an unanswered "cold call" email. 10 or more days apart, giving them time to see it. Most of the bookers out here are an all in one owner/manager/bartender, so they've got their hands full with keeping the place going.

[pauln]

The list of what not to do looks to be universally clear and agreeable except the one that starts with "Everyone seems to know this..."; I still don't know what that one means, but of all the possibilities raised so far I agree with none of them. I mentioned CA because five years ago the contractor/employee identity for gig workers was codified into law with tests, then updated with exceptions. One of those tests was directing another to do or not do things, so maybe everyone in the music world in CA seems to know what this is about.

[AllanAllen]

The list of what not to do looks to be universally clear and agreeable except the one that starts with "Everyone seems to know this..."; I still don't know what that one means, but of all the possibilities raised so far I agree with none of them. I mentioned CA because five years ago the contractor/employee identity for gig workers was codified into law with tests, then updated with exceptions. One of those tests was directing another to do or not do things, so maybe everyone in the music world in CA seems to know what this is about.

It's really simple. If JazzIsGood(the OP) hires you for a gig and during that gig, on a set break or after, you try to book The Pauln Experience for a performance you will not be hired by JazzIsGood again.

I don't think California laws have anything to do with OP's terms.

[mr. beaumont]

Well, there's booking your own shit and then there's shady stuff.

Nobody expects to play every night at a venue...but I have seen a guy lose his regular night to an occasional bandmate who undercut him. That's not cool.