Terry .. A contract is absolutley a good business practice, but there aren't many restaurant/lounge venues that will sign a contract .... not here in RI anyway ..... most of the time it's a verbal month to month thing, and 'if I don't say otherwise, you're here next month' ..... Even with a contract with a r/l owner, how often have we heard "oh, they only want a couple of requests, what's the big deal?' .... but do THEY change the menu at no add't cost??? ..

squeak ... There's always that type of gig that comes along to keep us coming back for more, right? ... In other threads I've talked about how I don't get paid for the PERFORMANCE, but for what it takes to put it on .... You can say that you only 'played' for a 1/2 hour, but how long did you 'WORK' for it? .....
And you're also right about the assumption that the kb player knows or somehow should be able to play EVERY request ....
Funniest thing, even my own mom, who has been a terrific singer through the years and at 89 can still belt them out, God Bless her, has said to me, when I've said I don't know a particular tune, "Just play the chords"... All these years, she still can't be convinced that's the hardest part!
t.