Bad gigs

[Stutwo]

Turn it into a "what lessons have/can I learn from this?" experience.

 

It will do you a LOT more good, and turn the even into a positive experience.

 

I had a really bad gig sound wise early on in my career, and once I analysed what had happened in the cold light of day, used the experience to make sure the mistakes never happened again. Mistakes can include how you dealt with situations/people!

[J Pearce]

How ? hmm thats a hard one (not). Go home write invoice.

I couldn't have that pleasure, this gig was a favour, as the gig was my old high school's Christmas concert.

However after the rudeness of one staff member, all future gigs for them will be at cost. I can put up with rudeness if I'm paid to put up with it, I can't put up with it for the fun of it.

[wycome5]

Just think that something must have gone right (always look on the bright side) and there is so much bad stuff going on in this world that it is not worth worrying about it.

[Jamtastic3]

Find the nearest pub or bar and down a good few drinks!

 

Seriously, if I was using equipment that was cutting out on me I wouldn't blame myself. I'd say I tried my best with what I had and start questioning the equipment - who brought it, condition, fixable? etc. But then again if I was abusing the equipment myself (eg blowing things) then I might have to slap myself in shame.

 

And like what others have said before, its a constant learning process.

[ojc123]

They say "A good tradesman never blames his tools." I have re-evaluated this recently and it is now my policy to say I won't do a gig I am not properly equipped to do. I've taken it to mean that a good tradesman won't do the job with the wrong tools or the job will be sub-standard. I've had my share of sub-standard gigs and have had very few since I started to think defensively.

 

I work in a school and I know the "can we have a microphone" attitude of staff who have no concept of the difficulties involved in amplifying a bunch of inexperienced performers (led by someone very skilled in teaching music but with little or no technical knowledge) without proper technical rehearsal in a space with all the acoustic qualities of a shoebox and electrical installations which grew like Topsy and seem to be a breeding ground for earth hum. (This is probably disrespectful to shoeboxes.)

 

Some teachers can be rude and arrogant. Especially some who think you are still in Y7. Leave them to it. Pity the poor kids who have to tolerate them all day. Have a beer. (I recommend Osprey from Sainsbury's. Gorgeous.) Move on. It wasn't entirely your fault. Learn from it. That's all you can do.

[mac.calder]

I work in a school and I know the "can we have a microphone" attitude of staff who have no concept of the difficulties involved in amplifying a bunch of inexperienced performers (led by someone very skilled in teaching music but with little or no technical knowledge).

 

Graduation I did recently wanted a mic for the student who was leading the national anthem and they wanted it for at least 2 days (1 day to get the student to practice singing with a mic), and could not understand why I wanted to hire one for $20 when they could get one down the street for $5 and keep it. In the end I forked the $20 out of my own pocket and then showed them the difference between the two and they reimbursed me. I think it is the way they tried to make me feel beneath them that really annoyed me.

 

To be fair though, the music teacher did support me on the issue (being part of a jazz band herself, and having some experiance sourcing kit).

[bruce]

.... could not understand why I wanted to hire one for $20 when they could get one down the street for $5 and keep it.

 

I've had a similar argument at work - people cannot understand why I pay several hundred pounds for network switches when they can buy something in PC World with just as many ports for 50.

 

The argument I usually come back with is "That's a lovely suit you're wearing. How much did it cost? No, you don't have to tell me, but was it more than 30 pounds? Cos there's a stall at the "Barras" (local fleamarket) that sells suits for 30 pounds each. And they've got everything you'd ever want from a suit - jacket, trousers, pockets, sleeves..."

 

The answer of course is that while the 30 quid suits may have a use (usually for a court appearance <_< ) they're not exactly appropriate for a professional or corporate environment.

 

But I digress....

[mikienorth]

Step 1. Blame someone else.

Step 2. Beer.

Repeat step 2 as necessary.

 

No.

If it was your mistake admit it, apologise and move on.

 

If the gig was a bad one (see topic 'a question of manners' for my last one of those...) then get angry about it and then think of the money, or how you never let yourself get in that position again (In my case, next time they book in, I book out, not that I'm chicken, I value my sanity)

 

If it was a mistake you made but thought you could get round, then without an audience in the building, and probably without a cast too, cause the fault again and then see if you could get round it better. Likewise with kit you think is faulty. Create the fault without an audience and, when there is more time and less pressure, find a way out of the hole. If there isn't one, send the kit back, telling the maker/hirer exactly what you did to make it do the nasty thing, and what you were doing with the kit at the time, and how it was set up. Then they will tell you that either the kit is brokenor how to get round it next time.

 

Take work to the pub, not home. Remember, everything is relative. People think stress is about not getting a report in on deadline, we think it is about not opening a show, or presentiong a bad show. To others, as has been perfectly stated, it can be a whole lot more serious. When somone physically is hurt, not just feelings, then it may well be time to worry.